Trying to Understand Why Everyone Hates Philly? (Philadelphia, Scranton: middle-class, salon)

[Love Cobb]

I Like Philly! I lived there from 78-89. I started in University City, then went to Villanova, from there I went to City Line Ave, to Baltmore Avenue to 59th Walnut, to Mt. Airy. I saw the good the bad and the ugly, the very rich and the very poor. Philly made me the tough cookie I am today. But I will always like Philly and I miss all my friends that are still there.

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by john_starks

i do agree that its the particular hood/section of the city that give people their negative frame of reference.

Well obviously it isn't everybody. The negative attitude seems to come mostly from native philadelphians who fled to the suburbs when the relativly nice neighborhoods they grew up in changed occupancy and went downhill. I guess a certain amount of bitterness is to be expected from this group. They gave up alot, walked away and never looked back.

[john_starks]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

Well obviously it isn't everybody. The negative attitude seems to come mostly from native philadelphians who fled to the suburbs when the relativly nice neighborhoods they grew up in changed occupancy and went downhill. I guess a certain amount of bitterness is to be expected from this group. They gave up alot, walked away and never looked back.

good point bryson

[Czarsy]

I technically don't live in Philly yet, but I love it here. I grew up in the suburbs, so it's really exciting for me to be in such a cultural center. There's a lot to explore and learn around here.

[ScranBarre]

This negativity isn't confined exclusively to the City of Brotherly Love by any stretch of the imagination. Those who have come to know and love (or more commonly hate) me since mid-2006 have noted that I've likely been one of the largest "boosters" that the city of Scranton, PA has had in quite some time. Through my photo tours, essays, newspaper editorials, etc. I try to highlight what is to love about the Electric City from my perch in the suburbs, even though the vast majority of the city's own residents don't have a kind word to say about it (or me for that matter).

I think this stems from Pennsylvania's old blue-collar, downtrodden industrial roots that have led to the formation of an "entitlement" mentality. People here still think that graduating from high school means that they are "owed" 30 years of earning $20/hr. at a factory with full benefits, and when they don't get that they start blaming "the area" for their own professional shortcomings. Pennsylvanians seem to be unique in that when something doesn't go right for them personally the take out their frustrations upon where they live. Is it fair? Not at all. All this incessant pessimism does is continue to make it harder for the Commonwealth's "boosters" to override their negativity in hopes of luring new families into our aging state (the second-grayest in the nation in terms of age may I add).

What I don't understand is why people who are VERY miserable where they're living don't do the logical thing and RELOCATE?

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

What I don't understand is why people who are VERY miserable where they're living don't do the logical thing and RELOCATE?

I think you're generally correct about the OLDER segment of PA's population -- but I think that "who needs college?" mentality is dying off pretty quickly, given the need for higher education in our ever-changing, largely service-based economy (this is not to slight blue-collar workers, as they're essential to our economy, too, but those industries are clearly not the heart-and-soul of our economy today as they were, say, 50 years ago). However, I'd stop short wondering why people just don't "relocate." Think about it -- this is where they grew up, where their roots and families are. Not to mention it costs money to move, something that's not the easiest thing to do when you're living on a fixed income (which most seniors do).

So, not to be too tangential, but yes, while negativity seems to have become a tradition stemming from PA's blue-collar roots, a new day has dawned. It's definitely not a quick nor an easy process to restructure and diversify an economy that was based purely on industry, but I'd say Pennsylvania is genuinely doing its best to reposition itself for the future. A new generation is gearing up to take the helm and further lead this revitalization in cities like Philadelphia (and Scranton ). Some people will focus and recollect too much on a troubled past, but we can counter that by living in the present and planning for the future.

[etjudge]

Hey,

I was born and raised in inner city Philly - that's why I don't care for it. It's too much crime, hatred, unfriendly folks, run-down neighborhoods, high rental rates, old properties...I don't care for Philly. I plan to relocate down south...Philly sucks. And, if everyone is saying the same thing - that should confirm it!!!

[Hobokenkitchen]

Originally Posted by etjudge

Hey,

I was born and raised in inner city Philly - that's why I don't care for it. It's too much crime, hatred, unfriendly folks, run-down neighborhoods, high rental rates, old properties...I don't care for Philly. I plan to relocate down south...Philly sucks. And, if everyone is saying the same thing - that should confirm it!!!

What does 'inner city' mean? Does that mean 'Center City' with all the neighborhoods I mentioned in the original post? I can't imagine that it does, but would be interested to hear.

I guess it could as you complain about 'old' properties, which is one of the things I love about Philadelphia, the beautiful old homes. Gorgeous! High rental rates could also be Center City - but they are low compared to most cities, so I'll disregard that complaint.

Unfriendly. Hmm. Don't know what to say about this. Borrow my dog for 5 minutes and go for a walk and see how 'unfriendly' everyone is. Everyone I go past smiles and makes a comment about how cute she is. Doesn't seem unfriendly to me! Maybe it's the attitude that YOU put out which people find off putting?

If 'inner city' means one of the neighborhoods that we got lost in on our exploration trip, then I don't blame you for disliking it. Still wouldn't tar the whole city with that brush though.

You can hardly call Society Hill or Rittenhouse Square 'run down'. They're beautiful!!

[FightinPhils]

Why would anyone hate Philly? Sure it has some problems with crime in the ghettos, but what big city doesn't have crime-ridden ghettos? Hell, even smaller PA cities like Allentown, Harrisburg, and Reading have ghettos that might be as bad as Philly's. I like Philly for the history, always something to do, South Street, cheesesteaks, and nothing beats a summer night at a Phils game or a fall Sunday at an Eagles game.

Sure, as far as somewhere to live, I like my small-city life in Scranton, but I like that Philly is only 2 hours down the northeast extension.

[aquakttn]

Originally Posted by Duderino

I think you're generally correct about the OLDER segment of PA's population -- but I think that "who needs college?" mentality is dying off pretty quickly, given the need for higher education in our ever-changing, largely service-based economy (this is not to slight blue-collar workers, as they're essential to our economy, too, but those industries are clearly not the heart-and-soul of our economy today as they were, say, 50 years ago). However, I'd stop short wondering why people just don't "relocate." Think about it -- this is where they grew up, where their roots and families are. Not to mention it costs money to move, something that's not the easiest thing to do when you're living on a fixed income (which most seniors do).

Agreed, it is pretty frustrating to watch your children grow up and know they need a college education to survive well in your town. Dad's worked at a factory and could support their wife and 3 kids. Now they are watching their children struggle.

We do not like this area. It's got a lot of things going for it, but mainly the weather. Our plan is to save up as much money while getting our college degrees and relocate somewhere warmer. But relocating isn't easy. It's expensive - and you have to pick the "right place for you." How do you know what the right place is? That keeps a lot of people right where they are - and for the fact that family is near by.

Now, we've lived 5000 miles away before without family near by so we know we can do it without feeling homesick in the least. This time, we'll at least still be on the mainland and can get back when we need to.

So here's hoping the economy will be strong enough so we can relocate.

And ETJudge has every right to his opinion about the Philadelphia area. People are generally unwelcoming and rude. It's the culture of this area. It took me awhile to adjust to a place where people actually said HI and routinely smiled at strangers out in public.