Philly has failed to live up to its expectation as a big city (Philadelphia: buy, tax)

[Patmcpsu]

Originally Posted by FKD19124

and please describe what you consider to be lower class people???

In my experience, the biggest bashers of Philly are the Acela crowd; their only view of Philadelphia is from the view of the train. From their perspective, North Philly seems like the bulk of the city and Baltimore even seems more livable.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by FKD19124

and please describe what you consider to be lower class people???

People who don't own good mustard.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Gerania

People who don't own good mustard.

"Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"

I'm not sure I agree with thedirtypirate that "lower class people" are the biggest Philly-bashers; it seems to me that that group falls into two distinct categories:

--the "Acela crowd" Patmcpsu points to; that Washingtonian who started that Twitter thread and many of those who responded to her belong in this camp. However: given what of Baltimore one sees from the Amtrak tracks, I don't see how anyone would make a significant distinction between it and Philadelphia on the livability/attractiveness scale if that's what they have to go on.

--the older natives, moslty blue-collar, who formed their opinions about the city's trajectory in the 1960s and haven't updated their views since then despite all the changes that have taken place and continue to take place.

[skintreesnail]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

However: given what of Baltimore one sees from the Amtrak tracks, I don't see how anyone would make a significant distinction between it and Philadelphia on the livability/attractiveness scale if that's what they have to go on.

Ha, that's the first thing I thought of; I take the train from 30th street to Baltimore penn station several times a year and the bombed-out Baltimore neighborhoods definitely do not come off any better than what people riding through north Philly would see. And in D.C. you're approach is through some industrial/warehouse district, which isn't anything fancy. Also, Baltimore penn station is nice, but it doesn't hold a candle to coming back home to 30th street station. I also prefer it to D.C. Union; it's very impressive but doesn't feel as authentic as 30th street or Grand Central.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by skintreesnail

Ha, that's the first thing I thought of; I take the train from 30th street to Baltimore penn station several times a year and the bombed-out Baltimore neighborhoods definitely do not come off any better than what people riding through north Philly would see. And in D.C. you're approach is through some industrial/warehouse district, which isn't anything fancy. Also, Baltimore penn station is nice, but it doesn't hold a candle to coming back home to 30th street station. I also prefer it to D.C. Union; it's very impressive but doesn't feel as authentic as 30th street or Grand Central.

I've never been in the Baltimore station. That pieces of art? out front reminds me of the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still.

[MB1562]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

--the older natives, moslty blue-collar, who formed their opinions about the city's trajectory in the 1960s and haven't updated their views since then despite all the changes that have taken place and continue to take place.

These people are a dime-a-dozen in Delaware County.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Duderino

I feel compelled to respond as someone who's posted about some negative attributes about DC in my experience as a former resident of both the city and immediate suburbs for most of my young adulthood.

But you also mentioned you lived in Burleith, which makes your overall perception of the city understandable albeit more than a bit inaccurate.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by FKD19124

and please describe what you consider to be lower class people???

People who don't appreciate the things I mentioned. I didn't mean class as in a socioeconomic way. I meant like class as being 'classy'. you can be a classy mailman or you can be a classless president.

As a younger person, my experiences have been the people who are interested in music, art, restaurants, history, etc. tend to have a better opinion of the city versus people who don't care for those things and are just looking for more of a generic experience.

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Duderino

Philly is as authentic and real as cities come. And it actually doesn't try to actively push out its poor as a revitalization strategy, unlike most other major cities.

If you go and talk to old heads who grew up in the Bottom I'm sure you'll find a difference of opinion.

Originally Posted by Duderino

If that's what it takes to become more "palatable" to white bread suburban tourists, who, frankly, are just uncomfortable with seeing people who are down on their luck or don't want to challenge their sense of middle-class complacency--I don't think the city gains anything by selling itself out and compromising its morals.

That's happening in every city, Philly included. It just hasn't happened to the same extent.

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

"Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"

I'm not sure I agree with thedirtypirate that "lower class people" are the biggest Philly-bashers; it seems to me that that group falls into two distinct categories:

--the "Acela crowd" Patmcpsu points to; that Washingtonian who started that Twitter thread and many of those who responded to her belong in this camp. However: given what of Baltimore one sees from the Amtrak tracks, I don't see how anyone would make a significant distinction between it and Philadelphia on the livability/attractiveness scale if that's what they have to go on.

--the older natives, moslty blue-collar, who formed their opinions about the city's trajectory in the 1960s and haven't updated their views since then despite all the changes that have taken place and continue to take place.

Maybe I could have said it a different way. I don't disagree with you. I would actually say there is a third sterotype; the Pennsylvanian hater. The person who grew up in PA and probably came here one time on a class trip as a child, can't tell you anything specific about Philadelphia other than they don't like it and think it's a dump. It's similar to the older native group you mention, but the natives will eventually defend their territory. Native haters love taking to the internet to bash some parts of the city, but don't you cross the line and bash their neighborhood. The Pennsylvanian hater thinks of every part of Philly the same way.

In terms of the first group, you term the "acela" crowd, I would say Philadelphia is generally somewhat of an enigma to these people. People hear it has a good restaurant scene, they know it has a lot of history, but they also think it's very gritty. My gf grew up in CT. One of her best friends lives around DC and the other lives in Boston. When they visit us they remark about how much more livable and lively it is compared to what they thought it was going to be like.

I still want the OP to answer me on what 'big city amenities' he believes that Philly lacks?