What do you miss about Philly that "used to be"? (Philadelphia: house, neighborhoods)

[rraC ynnaD]

I miss having access to underneath the Betsy Ross Bridge, Koffmeyer's Cookies on 2nd Street and the Rhino Blast from the Rhino Cafe on South Street.

Underneath the Betsy Ross was Bridesburg's own personal "green space," but they closed it all off right after 9/11/01. Lousy Muslim extremists.

[mancat100]

I miss the following things:
When South Street was interesting
Shows at the Khyber
Revival
The Bank on Thursday nights
The route 23 trolley
The old Triangle Tavern with the live dinner shows.
Having movie theaters in Center City
Home fries at 3am at The Savoy
Vagabond
When More Than Just Ice Cream was on Pine Street
I.goldberg's gigantic store at 9th and Chestnut
Old City before the douchebags took over
When Center City was affordable enough for younger artistic types to live there
When 20 year olds didn't lecture me about AVI when they've never paid a proper tax in their lives.

[Cnote11]

I've heard such great things about South Street. I went there recently and didn't think much of it at all, although there were things that might bring me there every once in awhile. Definitely not a place I'd go often, often. Must not be the same as it used to be?

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by mancat100

I miss the following things:
When South Street was interesting
Shows at the Khyber
Revival
The Bank on Thursday nights
The route 23 trolley
The old Triangle Tavern with the live dinner shows.
Having movie theaters in Center City
Home fries at 3am at The Savoy
Vagabond
When More Than Just Ice Cream was on Pine Street
I.goldberg's gigantic store at 9th and Chestnut
Old City before the douchebags took over
When Center City was affordable enough for younger artistic types to live there
When 20 year olds didn't lecture me about AVI when they've never paid a proper tax in their lives.

My list is SO similar to yours. So I won't even repeat, but I'll append Spikes Skates to the South St category.

And add:
When Germantown had a real downtown with department stores where people went to shop.
When Devil's Pool was actually (somewhat of) a secret.

LOL and I'm not even that old - wtf!

[Ant$]

Originally Posted by mancat100

I.goldberg's gigantic store at 9th and Chestnut

the "new" I.Goldberg store on 13th street kinda sucks...

[UDResident]

I miss....

"Neighborhood Associations" and "Community Leaders" that actually cared about the identity and character of their neighborhoods. The ones these days talk and act like they're judges, about what they "legally" can and can't say no to. That's not how communities and neighborhoods work.

Sadly, this isn't limited to the city, either.

This also isn't limited to the city but I'll add that I miss the stronger, larger, more influential working and lower-middle class/middle class communities. I miss when people thought about their communities and their traditions almost as much as they thought about themselves and their families. It's great that the Mummers and St. Patrick's Day and other older parades are still around but there's definitely a very palpable gap between the last of the "white" immigrants or sons and daughters of immigrants (and sons and daughters of pre- Civil Rights era African Americans as well) and my generation.... let alone the generation after mine.

I have my opinions on the reasons for this but they're for another thread and another time.

[Ant$]

when I lived in South Philly (near 17th and Snyder) in the late 70's & 80's, everyone used to sweep the sidewalk in front of their rowhome.


I tried doing that when I finally bought my house in the suburbs and people were looking at me like I had 5 heads...

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by Ant$

when I lived in South Philly (near 17th and Snyder) in the late 70's & 80's, everyone used to sweep the sidewalk in front of their rowhome.


I tried doing that when I finally bought my house in the suburbs and people were looking at me like I had 5 heads...

Heck, I bought a leaf vac machine to keep my sidewalk clean in the burbs. My neighbors love it

[FrankInPhilly]

I never experienced this personally, but have read enough and listened to People of a Certain Age talk about it: when all those vacant factories that we now see along the R7 and R8 lines were active, people could pretty much be guaranteed a good job at a decent wage in their neighborhood. This was the Philly as "Workshop of the World" era, when the local economy was strong and diverse. Today, a ride on SEPTA is like taking a tour of a decayed heyday.

And if the Philadelphians who lived Back in the Day didn't litter as relentlessly and thoughtlessly as they do now, then I'd miss that, too.

[LHM]

Originally Posted by mancat100

When 20 year olds didn't lecture me about AVI when they've never paid a proper tax in their lives.