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What I don't understand is how Beacon Hill in Boston is proclaimed to have the "most photographed street" in America or something, but Society Hill in Philadelphia is literally the same exact thing, and also larger.
Here is a good question for actual Philadelphians.
Does it bother you when Boston steals the light sometimes? Because things Boston gets credit for, are things that Philadelphia is also known for. Or do you like flying under the radar? Maybe that's why so many people are pleasantly surprised when they visit. I would definitely say Philly is undermarketed.
I only feel slightly bothered by it.
As a native Philadelphian(I still live in Philly), outside of Cambridge(for obvious reasons), Boston doesn't interest me in the slightest. And, I say that although I spent many summer vacations , growing up, on Cape Cod. We never went to Boston.
42 million people visitors came to Phila., in 2016, so there is marketing. I have not seen any tourist numbers for 2017 yet.
I don’t buy that Boston steals Philly’s “light.” In 2015, the pope visited Philly and not Boston. In 2016, the Democratic Party Convention was in Philly, not Boston. In 2017, the NFL draft was in Philly, not Boston. And guess which city hosts Jay Z’s annual Made in America festival? You’d be wrong if you guessed Boston.
Philly is the 4th largest US media market while Boston clocks in at No. 9. And according to this site, Philly, not Boston, is among the top 10 most visited cities in the US: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/...in-the-us.html.
I really love Boston, but which city is stealing which city’s “light,” exactly?
It annoys me when Boston gets credit for things Philadelphia should though, like history or sports.
I've never once in my life thought Boston was ever superior. If anything, I thought Philadelphia was. It's larger and has a better skyline, but that was years ago. Silly things. GDP is about even now but Philadelphia has always been ahead as well.
The things people fawn over for Boston are literally the exact same things found in Philadelphia.. but "black people!" "ghetto!" so I guess Philadelphia doesn't get the credit.
I agree with what you're saying. But Boston is more refined, and that's a plus. Boston began its revival really early (even before NYC and SF). It was a good example of a metropolis that was safe with shopping, history, and less grime; at least in the core. This country ruined its cities last century and Boston's earlier prosperity has helped it.
Philadelphia started its resurgence 20 - 30 years later. We're still so early in the process when considering the city as a whole, and I think that reputation is something that really lags. If you really know the two cities, and it seems you might, then you don't need reputation to guide you. But many Americans need to see advertisements and hear their friends visited and liked it. Americans are very suburban and Philly definitely keeps it real in an urban way.
Precisely, which is why the reputation of Philly is changing because Millennials are changing the narrative.
Like I said, pretty much everyone that has been there or knows about it loves it. So IMO it's already achieved it's credit, but on a marketing standpoint as a whole there may be some perceptions that need to die with the Boomers that haven't been there.
People are "surprised" that Philly has this or that, and it blows my mind. I wanna ask, what are you expecting?
My cousin in Boston married a woman a few years ago. When she asked where we lived, I said "Philly". She said, "oh, that's a smaller city, right?" I thought that was funny. She was very centered in Boston (he's a high finance guy).
Btw - I hope your screen name is in reference to Stewart's markets and its ice cream, located in Upstate NY and the Adirondacks. I love the place!
As a native Philadelphian(I still live in Philly), outside of Cambridge(for obvious reasons), Boston doesn't interest me in the slightest. And, I say that although I spent many summer vacations , growing up, on Cape Cod. We never went to Boston.
42 million people visitors came to Phila., in 2016, so there is marketing. I have not seen any tourist numbers for 2017 yet.
That 42 million people for 2016 is for “Greater Philadelphia.” That area, according to Visit Philly, consists of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware counties. The number for Philadelphia proper in 2015 was 25.9 million.
Philly is blessed ..... with regional tourist attractions and historic sights..... as is its core with Historic sights. So is Boston.
Even if Philly hits 27 or 28-million for 2017? It definitely can do better. in comparison NYC released 2017 numbers of 61-million (high in international visitation too) and Chicago released 55-million for 2017 (low in international visitation) for city proper's. Chicago is extremely core-centric and aggressively built attractions with tourism in mind with great success. It really has no Historic sights to draw upon. NYC no surprise for sure.
Who does Philly beat? Taking into account other big cities known for tourism, ahead of San Francisco (24.6 million), Miami and its nearby beachy cities (15 million) and New Orleans (9.8 million). Regardless of Philly’s rank among its peer cities, visits for tourism and business have been booming compared to years past, and hotel occupancy rates have been hitting record highs. *From the link.
I'd also like to see Philly gain development (more) on its Delaware riverfront. Could get more like Seattle here with its piers and seeing some high-rises lining Columbus Blvd. Some town-housing ..... just not all. Too bad the crash of 07 killed Trumps Grand riverfront one. It would have boosted more development faster I believe? Lot of land ripe there and I hope the city has some great plans.
Here aspects of Seattle waterfront with piers as Philly's. Yes ..... WHY NOT a Ferris Wheel and developments WITH TOURISM in mind. Yes I know some are there. Not promoted really but locals do utilize them. Tourism aimed for leisure and to increase tourism adds money to its businesses and boost image. A add campaign to "visit Philly" would not hurt either in some TV markets. Pennsylvanians as as a whole need some marketing to also more.
The only parts of Boston or Philadelphia that feel "European" to me are the old colonial/British areas.
Boston and Philadelphia are very much American cities. Boston feels more like downtown Manhattan to me, not European.
If anything sections of both cities just feel like London and that's it.
Grid. No grid. No less charming. Boston's walk score is an 81. Philly is 79. Splitting hairs.
Whom are you fooling? Boston doesn't at all feel like Downtown Manhattan since it's a tiny downtown core(Boston). It's just a historical city of 600,000 with some culture, sports, restaurants and different neighborhoods like Fenway and North End, and that's about it.
I'd also like to see Philly gain development (more) on its Delaware riverfront. Could get more like Seattle here with its piers and seeing some high-rises lining Columbus Blvd. Some town-housing ..... just not all. Too bad the crash of 07 killed Trumps Grand riverfront one. It would have boosted more development faster I believe? Lot of land ripe there and I hope the city has some great plans.
Here aspects of Seattle waterfront with piers as Philly's. Yes ..... WHY NOT a Ferris Wheel and developments WITH TOURISM in mind. Yes I know some are there. Not promoted really but locals do utilize them. Tourism aimed for leisure and to increase tourism adds money to its businesses and boost image. A add campaign to "visit Philly" would not hurt either in some TV markets. Pennsylvanians as as a whole need some marketing to also more.
Penn's Landing and the waterfront should have resembled Baltimore's Inner Harbor. But alas, Philly could never get its act together, politically, to support that.
Philadelphia has absolutely no inferiority complex at all. It's not San Jose. It's a well respected historical city despite horrible rankings in surveys at times.
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in comparison NYC released 2017 numbers of 61-million (high in international visitation too) and Chicago released 55-million for 2017 (low in international visitation) for city proper's. Chicago is extremely core-centric and aggressively built attractions with tourism in mind with great success. It really has no Historic sights to draw upon. NYC no surprise for sure.
