Philly Wannabe's (Philadelphia, Allentown, Scranton: work, sick, suburban)

[john_starks]

Originally Posted by BeenAroundTheBlock

I lived in the Philadelphia suburbs for over 25 years and I tell people I'm from Philly all the time. For me, it's not because of convenience, it's because I feel that the Philadelphia region is "Philly". I'm connected to Philly by spending time there, by being a Philadelphia sports fan, by watching the Philadelphia news, etc.

I also lived in Southern California for 14 years. Do you think that people who live in in the city of Los Angeles are the only ones that call themselves from LA? There are hundreds of towns that make up the LA basin. Many people just say... "I'm from LA". To each their own I guess!

good point, we have close friends who told us they lived in LA. we flew out one year to visit them, but when we left LAX, we discovered they lived in Costa Mesa. do you know how long that drive took? jeez lol.

[Bwads31]

I always say that I am from suburban Philadelphia to the people who don't live in the area. BTW the suburban counties are pretty nice (the stats prove that) and I really like living in Chester County so I never say that I am 'from Philadelphia'.

[nocturnal rooster]

Originally Posted by Duderino

Wow. This has to top as one of the most IRRITATING threads I've ever read on this board.

1.) As a Philly suburbanite, I've never ONCE said I was from the City of Philadelphia -- only "outside of Philly," which is for the sake of convenience in the fact that the podunk-sounding suburbs outside of the city are places the vast majority of people outside of PA have never heard of. In my experience, most people who say they're from Philly but not are from South Jersey.

2.) For those of you who are avoiding letting people think you live near Philly like the plague, shame on you too. Suburban Philadelphia is one of the most desirable places in the country, and if you're trying to separate yourself from one of this country's most historically significant and important cities, that's nothing short of ridiculous. Blighted it may be, but I'm more than proud to have grown up in the area. Philadelphia has and always will be the cultural and metropolitan center.

General note: I've noticed the negativism on this board has increased more than ever. I sincerely believe there is much more good than bad not only in the suburbs but the city of Philadelphia as well. The future is very bright here, and those who can't see this are either blatantly standing in the way/completely disregarding positive developments or those who have outdated perspectives from a city that was certainly on the decline years ago but is now regaining economic footing. If you are a part/were a part of this region and don't want to associate with it -- that's your prerogative, but don't propagate unnecessary negativism clearly based on feelings of bitterness.

Wow you are a loose cannon.

I take pride in saying that I'm from Boston. I don't think Killadelphians can pull that off though I'm afraid, lol.

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Hell, I say Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to people out of the area, and even though we have a population of nearly 600,000, people still ask me "Is that near Philly?" It's amazing the sheer ignorance of the American public when it comes to geography. It seems as if our public educational institutions are failing American children. If I can point out Dubuque, Iowa and Spokane, Washington on a map, then I expect everyone else to be able to point out Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on a map. I suppose the dolts are too busy watching American Idol to care.

Maybe it's too small and insignificant of a town for anybody to care.
But I guess it's comforting to know that Scranton is known for one thing, "The Office". When you don't have much, you gotta hold on to what you got, right?

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by nocturnal rooster

.Wow you are a loose cannon

I take pride in saying that I'm from Boston. I don't think Killadelphians can pull that off though I'm afraid, lol.

I wasn't meaning to be derisive of anyone -- just adding my impassioned perspective. I apologize if it came off as "snapping," but I just felt like counterbalancing the negativity that is at times overwhelming. Also, both Boston and Philly are great cities -- I'd take pride in either despite the discouraging nicknames.

[Police]

Originally Posted by dorado0359

Folks, with all due respect, would you individuals who reside within the suburbs, e.g. Quakertown, Doylestown, Paoli, Devon, Bucks County, DELEWARE, etc., please refrain from trying to impress your girlfriends, boyfriends, acquaintances and family members by telling them that you are from Philly. You are not from Philly! You are from the suburbs of Philadelphia.

It' not rocket science people, if your zip code does not lie within the boundaries of the City of Philadelphia, you do not qualify to wear the proud badge and having the distinction of being from Philly.

Once again folks, if you live within the boundaries of the City of Philadelphia you are from Philly. If you live someplace else...well, with all due respect...you are just a Philly wannabe.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

While "Philadelphia" may technically refer to the city proper, in colloquial conversation it refers to the metropolitan area. Also, many people don't know where Paoli and Devon are, so it makes more sense to say that you're from the Philadelphia area. Also, if a girl gets impressed merely because you're from Philadelphia, well, there's something to be said about that girl, with all due respect.

[keriish]

Originally Posted by john_starks

good point, we have close friends who told us they lived in LA. we flew out one year to visit them, but when we left LAX, we discovered they lived in Costa Mesa. do you know how long that drive took? jeez lol.

haha... okay, that's hilarious.

I could say, "I live in Shandon." Or, "I live just past Whitley Gardens..." and people who live 20 miles from here don't even know what I'm talking about. *LOL* So... I work in Paso. I'm from Paso.

I bet you guys don't know where Paso Robles is!

But when I say, "It's about half way between San Francisco and LA" everyone goes... "oooooooh..."

*L* Oh well.

[Tone509]

I admit I've never heard of Shandon but I do know of Paso Robles. Right down the way from San Luis Obispo, no?

Getting back to topic... FWIW, I tell people that until a few years I lived in and around Philly.

[keriish]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I admit I've never heard of Shandon but I do know of Paso Robles. Right down the way from San Luis Obispo, no?

Getting back to topic... FWIW, I tell people that until a few years I lived in and around Philly.

Shandon is 20 miles east(ish) of Paso. If you are willing to risk your life on "Blood Alley," that is.

I hate HWY 46. It's the Devil.

[maestro]

people "claim" a city no matter where you are. It's definitely not a Philly thing. I guess I just feel this is a weird post.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by nocturnal rooster

Maybe it's too small and insignificant of a town for anybody to care.
But I guess it's comforting to know that Scranton is known for one thing, "The Office". When you don't have much, you gotta hold on to what you got, right?

Dubuque is? Spokane is? Saugatuck, Michigan is? We're talking about basic domestic geographical identification here---not rocket science. People in America are just becoming dumber and dumber with each passing year, and I blame this upon how far television has slid since the 1990s. Frasier, which was a rather "intelligent" comedy used to be a hit sitcom. Now people watch shows like "Who wants to marry my 78-year-old Vietnamese prostitute step-father?" Asking people to recognize the nation's formerly 36th-largest city (Yes, Scranton), is not like asking them to perform cardiac surgery. People just need to stop being so stupid!