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Being a native, I have always noticed the slights to the city. Some are deserved - like Filthadelphia - for some reason the town has always been a litters paradise; but even with the amount of litter it is an absolutely beautiful city. And with just a little more care could be one of the most beautiful in the country. (IMO a anti-litter campaign that lasts a few years - with huge fines is just what the city needs.)
But it is also a underdog. I am not sure why this is but it is probably related to being between a colossus like NY and the Nation's Capital. You see it in news papers where they almost always report the result of games as "Washington Loses" instead of "Philadelphia wins," or "Cowboys cannot overcome Eagles lead" as if Philadelphia was spotted 20 points and that is why Dallas lost.
Have you noticed that when sportscasters come to town they display beautiful pictures of the city and then almost always comment on how they didn't know the town was so attractive - this when they were just there a few months ago.
What Philadelphia lacks is promotion. I've lived all over the country and I have NEVER seen an ad promoting the city - outside of the metro area. There is often bad news (robberies, Move house bombed, police corruption stories), but seldom is there a positive story.
There are a lot of events that nobody knows of:
The Tour of Philadelphia used to be great advertising for the city. Is that still going on?
I remember many years ago, there used to be an Octoberfest on BF Blvd. it took up the whole area between the Art Museum and St. Pete's - used to be packed - and there was very little trouble reported - does that still go on? (I went one year, I think there were 500,000 people in attendance).
The zipity do dah parade?
If these things are still going on, Why aren't they televised nationally? Who would know anything about Pasadena if it weren't for the Rose Bowl parade?
I remember too (I think) that at one time, there was an opportunity to have IndyCar street racing through the City via the River drives. but Rizzo squashed that.
And don't get me started on the Mummers' Parade. Probably the only thing that shouldn't be broadcast nationally and it is. An embarrassment at best.
Philadelphia's Biggest problem I think is that it doesn't take advantage and generate real tourist dollars. The historical stuff is great, but there could be so much more.
Being a native, I have always noticed the slights to the city. Some are deserved - like Filthadelphia - for some reason the town has always been a litters paradise; but even with the amount of litter it is an absolutely beautiful city. And with just a little more care could be one of the most beautiful in the country. (IMO a anti-litter campaign that lasts a few years - with huge fines is just what the city needs.)
Just my opinion. If you come to Philadelphia for business for a day or 2 you will be pleasantly surprised. More vibrant than many people expect and when the weathers right its an amazing city like Manhattan vibrant.
If you are an out of state student at Penn you'll probably enjoy your 4 years in a good college city.Not sure you'll want to make it home just yet but in 20 years? Maybe
If you come for the history you'll be pleased. No disrespect to Boston and other historic cities but Philadelphia is the countrys most historical city and its not even close.
If you want an urban adventure for a day or 2 ? You will have a blast.
But Philadelphias not the place to go imo if you want a traditional overnight vacation stay like LA-SF-NY-Chi.. There are jewels to be explored but 1. Its landlocked a negative in this case. 2. Theres just some dumb things with this city like building the airport next to a sea of oil refineries , junk yards , sewage treatment plant etc etc.. Too many close-in seedy areas. 5 minutes off the plane and most visitors are probably saying get me out of here. Before they even reach Center City.
Needs better design aimed at beautification/ tourism and a massive powerwashing leading into Center City. It would take 1/2 Billion dollars aesthetic upgrades but Philadelphia could become a major tourist destination, it has that potential.
Needs better link/relationship and outside marketing with the beach towns of South Jersey. South jersey has some incredible beach towns but the South Jersey Coast is pretty much just a Philly region hot bed and is also very popular with the fine citizens of Quebec. Unknown to most others, thats a shame and needs to change.
I think what's already been said in this thread is all that needs to be said in terms of negatives. A combination of better promotion campaigns (which I think visitphilly, for example, is fantastic but needs to branch out geographically) and much more widespread and intensive beautification/revitalization would make the city a true world-class gem. The bones, resources and fundamental culture are already there.
Looking to the future, I do think that it's important to note that the city is on the best track it's been on in over half a century: population growth, job growth and real estate appreciation that's OUTPACING the suburbs (which literally has never happened in the area's history), a constant flow of development and institutional growth and more and more cultural/public space enhancements with each passing year being added to an already impressive repertoire.
Not to mention, it possesses a location that, despite being seen as "over-shadowed," is secretly among the most lucrative in the US from a business and human capital standpoint. Add to that a legacy public transit system that outside of the "Big 6" will likely never be replicated elsewhere, gorgeous suburbs, an impressively wealthy/high-income and highly-educated metro area, and you have a true package deal of a region.
Philly grappled with a very challenging period in its history and clearly many issues remain/stem from that. Nevertheless, it is very poised to continue to shake off its rust and continue to shine itself up to the extent that, as time progresses, this very conversion will become less and less relevant.
Some great comments and on a city data very little if any city "fights"
I think location is both an advantage and disadvantage. A few key things people mentioned
1. If Philly was located in the mountain west or really any other region it would really shine more. With its history, its neighborhoods, passionate sports fans, shopping, dining, cafe's, etc.
That said the location of being close to NYC, Baltimore, and DC is amazing for weekend trips are offered for those who love cities better than any other city I can think of in the U.S.
2. In my opinion, Philly needs something or some place that people congregate to(again just my opinion, I am not a native, been there many times, but have never lived there and just my opinion). Chicago(I use this as an example for I live here, in the suburbs) has so many of these areas. Many are new in Chicago and that is why i think Philly can do it.
Walking along the Penn Landing I just see so much potential. The Deleware Riverfront I see(again as a tourist) as unused. I know native Chicagoan's cannot stand Navy Pier, but it has been revamped into the NO. 1 tourist destination in the midwest. Also Mill Park and Maggie Daley Park are new(esp Maggie) and has beautified the city so much.
The shopping on Mich Ave is the most beautiful shopping district in the U.S. and maybe the world. The wide boulevard, architecture, Chicago river, shopping, cleanliness, flowers in different seasons.
Ok enough Chicago, what I am trying to get across is that Philly needs an "it" area. Yes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall is a great meeting place and for history lovers unmatched, but more is needed. Market street is kind of bland and even though the city does have obviously plenty of shopping/restaurants, its kind of just pushed all over and in some cases you miss it.
Also when flying in i take the train into downtown where I always stay(Holiday Inn in gayborhood). The train is usually half crowded, but I look out and always here comments about all the trash on the side's of the tracks. LIttle things make a big impact for the stereotype's erupt.
Yes nitpicking on Philly, only because it is a great city and this is just a message board. The positives in which I hope people dont take for granted is the Italian Market area, the Rocky locations(Rocky is America, the underdog who keeps fighting and does not stand down), the history, cafe's. Philly is without a doubt one of American's greatest cities.
No offense to cities like Houston and the like,but Philly is what I equate to a great American city.
I'm thinking that the poor perceptions are coming more from people over 40 . I say this because most students on the Penn and Drexel campuses love Philly and find the city to be great place to live and work if fact about 66% plan to stay after graduation . Philly has made some fundamental changes as to how it treats businesses and still changing for the better, that has made Philly a major player in the world of life sciences , robotics , nano science and materials , energy .
Parks are a big part of what's currently being done to keep college grads ; i.e. elevated rail park and a $250 million Penns Landing park which was just funded . In the next year over 1.6 million ft.^2 on new retail will be added to Center City . As far as vitality go's Philly has some of the busiest pedestrian intersections of any city bar N.Y.C. .
Philly being landlocked and not really making as great tourist use of its rivers really kind of hurt it. When you can't really say you have a waterfront like Boston, NYC, or hell even Baltimore, that hurts. DC doesn't need an amazing waterfront when it has the White House and monuments. Philly has...an unimpressive river with industrial seafaring barges and a heavily industrialized New Jersey. At least Pittsburgh has a scenic river feel. So does Cincinnati. Louisville's is also decent. But these are all flyover country cities. Philly is in the coastal Elite class. Except it isn't coastal. Baltimore at least has the Harbor. Philly has...two huge rivers and yet do people even really know? One of Philly's biggest letdowns for the geographically challenged is the fact that it isn't actually a coastal city. Yes it's at an Estuary wow big deal smh
Philly, give people a reason to appreciate your natural beauty. Your cricks and the wooder in them lol. People barely realize there's a Philadelphia countryside but when they it they sh i t brix lol. Give people more than "eooh hey youz we got a Rocky statue anymore" or some "cats needa go eat at Max's steaks Cuz". Philly should showcase its music history more. Doo wop. Philly soul. Disco. Heck G Love even. Beanie Sigel. Your residents are all loyal to your sound. Make it more known to tourists who care.
Stop making people remember you for WaWa and annoying sometimes deadly sports fanatics but instead for your unique city culture of many Islamic blacks, heavy Puerto Rican food, agricultural spirit, and the fact that you actually have hills. It isn't all Rocky and douchebag Italians like Steve Martorano. Give people a more accurate impression of Philly than some attempted New York borough. Philly is a letdown for many people expecting a mini New York and instead getting a city that while very educated and cosmopolitan still can give off a vibe of a hick town in the Midwest. But this is a unique city. It doesn't have to be like New York or Boston because it's Northeastern. It is still very much a "almost halfway" city on the East Coast. The metro of Philly can at times feel more like rural Maryland than Westchester County New York. I know Philly has the Main Line but it also has Bucks county and Hillbilly South Jersey next door. But these are all very cool things. Philly seems to give off a vibe that uninetionally it is trying to be New York which is the letdown.
I am not really understanding some of the comments. All of this Philly trying to be like New York is really wearing on me , i don't see that at all. I've lived here all my 26 years. First, people should not come here expecting it to be "ANYTHING"........Philly i feel is one of those cities that is noticed, but not too much attention and that is just fine and alright. That keeps things unique in my view. People keep saying there is liter on the railroad tracks and vice versa....what MAJOR CITY does not have that ??????? . Philly is a old city and it is what it is. The city is changing and coming into its own groove...some people really want it to be more and over the top at times as it seems. Let people come here and discover and figure and feel for themselves. If anything you got most ppl from out of other parts of the country saying "OMG Really ?". I love my city and i appreciate what it is ...in your face and upfront and all the other things. No city is perfect.
While Philly's visitors bureau is quaking nervously when it learned that a handful of CD posters think the city is (inexplicably?) trying to "be NYC," they must feel somewhat heartened from the views of less influencial sources:
"U.S. News & World Report recently named Philadelphia the second best place to visit in the U.S. in 2017, and our city has gained similar rankings in recent years such as Lonely Planet’s No. 1 city to visit in 2016 and The New York Times’ No. 3 place to visit in the world in 2015."PHL: A global destination | Metro US
Philly being landlocked and not really making as great tourist use of its rivers really kind of hurt it. When you can't really say you have a waterfront like Boston, NYC, or hell even Baltimore, that hurts. DC doesn't need an amazing waterfront when it has the White House and monuments. Philly has...an unimpressive river with industrial seafaring barges and a heavily industrialized New Jersey. At least Pittsburgh has a scenic river feel. So does Cincinnati. Louisville's is also decent. But these are all flyover country cities. Philly is in the coastal Elite class. Except it isn't coastal. Baltimore at least has the Harbor. Philly has...two huge rivers and yet do people even really know? One of Philly's biggest letdowns for the geographically challenged is the fact that it isn't actually a coastal city. Yes it's at an Estuary wow big deal smh
Philly, give people a reason to appreciate your natural beauty. Your cricks and the wooder in them lol. People barely realize there's a Philadelphia countryside but when they it they sh i t brix lol. Give people more than "eooh hey youz we got a Rocky statue anymore" or some "cats needa go eat at Max's steaks Cuz". Philly should showcase its music history more. Doo wop. Philly soul. Disco. Heck G Love even. Beanie Sigel. Your residents are all loyal to your sound. Make it more known to tourists who care.
Stop making people remember you for WaWa and annoying sometimes deadly sports fanatics but instead for your unique city culture of many Islamic blacks, heavy Puerto Rican food, agricultural spirit, and the fact that you actually have hills. It isn't all Rocky and douchebag Italians like Steve Martorano. Give people a more accurate impression of Philly than some attempted New York borough. Philly is a letdown for many people expecting a mini New York and instead getting a city that while very educated and cosmopolitan still can give off a vibe of a hick town in the Midwest. But this is a unique city. It doesn't have to be like New York or Boston because it's Northeastern. It is still very much a "almost halfway" city on the East Coast. The metro of Philly can at times feel more like rural Maryland than Westchester County New York. I know Philly has the Main Line but it also has Bucks county and Hillbilly South Jersey next door. But these are all very cool things. Philly seems to give off a vibe that uninetionally it is trying to be New York which is the letdown.
Like "New York???" lol....Well, there's gonna be some slight similarities since both cities occupy the opposite ends of Jersey. I'm seeing more and more New York license plates each week, and even their airport taxis and shuttles throughout the city. (Maybe they're having a bit of un-intentional influence here...lol j/k) I've lived a lot of places and my work takes me "TO" a lot of places and I KNOW Philadelphia does not give off a "Hick Vibe.." Not even close. My lady is from the Bronx as well as her family and some of mines from Brooklyn have never even hinted at anything like that...
Philly DOES need to return to street sweeping with actual people like only Center City District has maintained and also the street cleaning trucks I remember as a kid. Plus have a lot of these lazy lama beans clean up their own blocks, and that includes business owners as well....The 4700 block of N. Broad looks like it was built on a dump. Lastly I am tired of seeing "Pats & Genos" every time there's a sporting or major event televised., and people running up the Art Museum steps, etc;.... There's so much more to the city than that.
Add to that a legacy public transit system that outside of the "Big 6" will likely never be replicated elsewhere, ...
Actually I would rate Philly's transit system at least 5th, maybe better. Only NYC and DC's Metro are clearly better than Philly. But Chicago and Boston are close. Chicago's L is bigger than Philly's heavy rail, but Chicago is much bigger in area and the L misses a number of areas forcing commuters to transfer from buses, ... or bus all the way in to the Loop. The L is anachronistically interesting, esp downtown in the Loop, but it's antiquated nature -- narrow stairs, exposed wooden platforms, slow sharp and/or 90-degree turns, outdoor, leave the station transfers or, in the case of Blue-to-Red (and vice versa), walking throw a block long foreboding tunnel and, in some cases (esp the far north Red Line) station stops every few blocks. And L cars, given the old elevated structure's tight turns, are by necessity small and tight. I recent study comparing the Chicago train ridership to Berlin and (I think) Milan (maybe Barcelona) noted Chicago's was far lower despite being slightly bigger. Modern commuters demand more speed and creature comforts or they will seek alternatives, like driving...
Boston does have better subway coverage than Philly given the former's small size, but the T's Green Line tunnel congestion and extreme slowness takes points away plus the 30-year-old Orange Line relocation from Washington Ave (the elevated) west to the Amtrak/Providence commuter open cut hurt T coverage by removing the up-the-gut HRT.
And neither Chicago nor Boston have Philly's fully electrified (save the small NJT Atlantic City line) commuter rail network that serves many areas of the city not served by the subway and the el. To me, Philly's rail network loses its most points, ironically in light of its hugeness, by its lack of coverage of some close in Center City (corner) neighborhoods, like South Street/Society Hill, the museum district and Fitler Square.
... outside of those 4, there's LA, SF and a few other honorable mentions. But right now, Philly beats them in my view.
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My lady is from the Bronx as well as her family and some of mines from Brooklyn have never even hinted at anything like that...
