Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You are correct with most of what you said, but defending some of my statements...
1. I am openly gay and have been for a very long time, I have never had an issue for the most part anywhere, but the tide is still different outside of major metro areas, I have traveled enough to know. But that being said, things can happen anywhere, from Manhattan to Franklin County.
2. No, I am not saying just because others do it, then its fine. DavePA has a history of posting pro Illinois and pro Chicago rhetoric, but is very quick to take cheap shots at Philadelphia and PA, I was simply saying his beloved Illinois is in the same situation, so all the criticisms apply to both.... Hopefully I cleared that up for
As I said. I'm not pro Illinois as I as a Philly transplant noted .... couldn't care less for the state its in. Probably knowing little of it in travels. I know little of zillions outside of its one major city.
But I do feel a affinity toward the Midwest. I always enjoyed trips to Wisconsin and knew that state much much more. PA though is my home state and home again for decades again. I don't say much on the area I'm in in the Susquehanna valley because not much goes on to talk about.
I could say crime increased in my hometown and others. Generally transplants from NYC and Philly. Like just a family fight and stabbing. The talk of my local bar and firehouse. Basically on that block has a few transplants from Philly. Few come for jobs sooooo. May as well be something you read in the Philly crime thread.
Cheap housing, easy welfare from the county and good modern schools (built 70s 80s I see as still modern). A couple of us in the bar even said being we graduated together. We refer to the 1976 built high school still as the New High School.
We all seem to be having a case of misunderstanding each other. But yes I see that major Midwest city as beloved and second hometown. You may for NYC especially if there a few years too.
Seems many take cheap shots at Philly. Just the crime thread certainly makes it easier. Generally, not everyone finds aspects of a city their highest opinion of. I've enjoyed CC on every trip and don't have negatives on it.
I have defended Philly in other forums. But depends on the subject and comments. Being the states main city. It is also part of MY state. Housing likes or dislikes do play a roll in cities we visit. I've commented negatively on aspects of some sunbelt cities. Of course, it is by comparisons to others. That all plays a roll in our visiting new cities.
But any city we live in. We eventually learn to appreciate its assets and become part of it. For some its in months, some after a couple years there. The negadelphian's thing I believe comes down to compared to other cities they visited too. Reasons for everything. So what causes one to be labeled that term if a local. Has reasons that might be a good thread topic if just locals who are negative might give their reasns? Though not one that would be good to Philly like the crime thread.
Plenty of negative threads in the Illinois forum. Generally political and taxes as that states debts is no secret. PA is still in better financial condition. But far from the best itself. NJ worst of course. I've spoke to transplants from NJ. Some retired. But reasons are a quarter of the taxes they paid in Jersey for a larger home to land. They loose any debt they had in selling in Jersey and relocating. One local new bar/restaurant s by NJ transplants. But they did most say they had family ties to the area. Not just some random choice.
Seems many though, in Philly have very little attachment to the state. That seems to be the common opinion I get. But definitely not the only major city that many seem to feel that way. So not unique to Philly.
I see the dislike of being called the Delaware Valley odd as most of the states metros are known as or by the river valley they are in. So it is NOT A DISS created by Harrisburg toward Greater Philly as the thread originally claims.
No one who is going to these cities though. Say I'm going to the Delaware, Susquehanna or Allegany Valley. The city's name is used. Delaware Valley merely notes a region that is even larger then a Greater Philly. That aspect if "One Pennsylvania" seems lost on that.
Ohiogirl if I understand correctly is a Philadelphian now.
As I read this, I was stunned to realize that I've lived in Montgomery County longer than I've lived in any one place as an adult, second only to the 18 years I lived in Erie as a kid.
Y'all who are openly gay: It was not my intent to dismiss or minimize your experiences. I apologize if you took my comment about LGBT people who live outside large metro areas that way.
Last edited by Ohiogirl81; 04-01-2019 at 09:29 AM..
1. I am openly gay and have been for a very long time, I have never had an issue for the most part anywhere, but the tide is still different outside of major metro areas, I have traveled enough to know. But that being said, things can happen anywhere, from Manhattan to Franklin County.
I feared being gay in my little country hometown far more then I ever did or do in Philadelphia or New York. Disdain for us is a pretty common trait amongst rural people, and the main reason why I don't want to be around them.
I really wish they'd remember our money keeps their obsolete small towns alive.
I feared being gay in my little country hometown far more then I ever did or do in Philadelphia or New York. Disdain for us is a pretty common trait amongst rural people, and the main reason why I don't want to be around them.
I really wish they'd remember our money keeps their obsolete small towns alive.
Agree, I know its 2019 and times are changing for the better, but the stigma still exists and its magnified in rural communities.
Also, even if someone is polite to me, the fact they are do not support my marriage or my rights does not deserve my acknowledgement of them. And I know not everyone in rural towns thinks like that, but its a far larger percentage of people when compared to Philadelphia or New York or even my liberal hometown of Media, PA.
Anyone who votes for Daryl Metcalfe is 100% anti LGBT.
Sort of OT, but there is a drag queen story time session at libraries throughout the region and there was a recent uproar at the Lansdale Library, several Christian groups and weirdos protested it claiming its the gay agenda and hell is coming, etc. A majority of the protesters came from either out of state (the South) OR Christian groups from rural PA, and a majority of the supporters of the event were residents of Lansdale itself.
There has also been drag queen story time at the Media, Pa library and its mostly welcomed with open arms and open minded parents and families.
Just a little example of how its not all open minded in rural PA or rural anywhere, there is a reason why drag queen story time doesn't exist in rural America.
That is a very small piece, but one of the reasons why we are not "One Pennsylvania" so us urban folk may name call and dismiss rural PA, but I am certainly not doing it for the heck of it.
But regardless I still love PA, it is a great state with so much to offer, and its really no different than any other large state with the disparity of opinions, hopefully over time the tide will slowly shift in the rural areas.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarketStEl
The thing is, both parts of the metro would suffer were the other to disappear.
The difference between the city and the suburbs is not as great as I suspect you may think.
The most recent BLS data I could find show that as of February, there were 742,200 people on nonfarm payrolls in the city of Philadelphia and 1,329,100 in the four collar counties (the BLS reports figures by metropolitan division; the Philadelphia metropolitan division consists of Philadelphia and Delaware counties, and as the BLS does report the city figures separately, you can figure out employment in Delaware County by subtracting the city figure from that for the metropolitan division).
Figures for each county aren't as recent or as easily available, but I did find a table that showed that as of the end of 2018, Montgomery County (the region's second most populous after Philadelphia) had 496,400 people on nonfarm payrolls.
So Philadelphia accounts for about 55 percent of all jobs in the five-county region. That may be less of a majority than in, say, the five boroughs of New York City vs. the rest of the New York region, but it's still a dominant figure, and while losing the four counties together would produce a greater hit on the economy than losing Philadelphia alone, losing Philadelphia alone would produce a greater hit than losing any other single county.
The historic attitudinal problem I see (or saw) in this area was a feeling on the part of the suburbanites that their lives would be unaffected by Philadelphia's disappearance. The city counterpart was one that the city was the one place that mattered. Both are incorrect.
The wrong attitude thing can also be extended to the whole attitude of this thread and certain posters that the portions of the MSA in South Jersey and Delaware don't count, other than to run up the number of the MSA.
But regardless I still love PA, it is a great state with so much to offer, and its really no different than any other large state with the disparity of opinions, hopefully over time the tide will slowly shift in the rural areas.
Great post cpomp. I think you have a balanced and well-reasoned perspective.
I think you've acknowledged that it's not fair to generalize all of rural PA (or rural America more broadly), but it does stand to reason that the cultural/day-to-day experience in Southeastern Pennsylvania can still be markedly different from rural PA, and as a result, our individual worldviews. It's the difference between Conshohocken and Curwensville.
Of course--and this is not at all directed towards anyone specific on this thread, but a general comment--having a different worldview doesn't make any person inferior to one another, nor does it justify wholesale dismissiveness of towns or regions. That should probably even be plastered on the top text bar of City-Data.
But while it's always good to have some variety, it can be dangerous for people to be too far apart in their beliefs and understanding of world. Like you, I hope we can all at least slowly shift towards much more agreement.
I feared being gay in my little country hometown far more then I ever did or do in Philadelphia or New York. Disdain for us is a pretty common trait amongst rural people, and the main reason why I don't want to be around them.
I really wish they'd remember our money keeps their obsolete small towns alive.
Imagine how they will react if the next POTUS is an openly gay married man hailing from South Bend, Indiana. Sorry for the OT.
Agree, I know its 2019 and times are changing for the better, but the stigma still exists and its magnified in rural communities.
Also, even if someone is polite to me, the fact they are do not support my marriage or my rights does not deserve my acknowledgement of them. And I know not everyone in rural towns thinks like that, but its a far larger percentage of people when compared to Philadelphia or New York or even my liberal hometown of Media, PA.
Anyone who votes for Daryl Metcalfe is 100% anti LGBT.
Sort of OT, but there is a drag queen story time session at libraries throughout the region and there was a recent uproar at the Lansdale Library, several Christian groups and weirdos protested it claiming its the gay agenda and hell is coming, etc. A majority of the protesters came from either out of state (the South) OR Christian groups from rural PA, and a majority of the supporters of the event were residents of Lansdale itself.
There has also been drag queen story time at the Media, Pa library and its mostly welcomed with open arms and open minded parents and families.
Just a little example of how its not all open minded in rural PA or rural anywhere, there is a reason why drag queen story time doesn't exist in rural America.
That is a very small piece, but one of the reasons why we are not "One Pennsylvania" so us urban folk may name call and dismiss rural PA, but I am certainly not doing it for the heck of it.
But regardless I still love PA, it is a great state with so much to offer, and its really no different than any other large state with the disparity of opinions, hopefully over time the tide will slowly shift in the rural areas.
The wrong attitude thing can also be extended to the whole attitude of this thread and certain posters that the portions of the MSA in South Jersey and Delaware don't count, other than to run up the number of the MSA.
Well, since the title of this thread is "One Pennsylvania," then the New Jersey and Delaware portions of the metro really play no role in the discussion.
The role thay play economically is another story - but that's the subject for a discussion titled "One Greater Philadelphia."
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
