So how many people here are from the Philly area? (Arlington: car insurance, condo)

[michgc]

It seems like there are many of us Philly-area natives here. I am just wondering who else is from the Philly area.
1. Where are you from?
2. How long have you lived here?
3. Why did you trade living in one Mid-Atlantic city for another (if indeed you consider DC to be part of the Mid-Atlantic)?
4. What do you miss most about Philly?
5. What don't you miss about Philly?

1. I'm from Broomall/Newtown Square.
2. I grew up there until college and then moved to the DC area when I graduated (in 1989!). So I've been here 20 years!
3. I just wanted to try out another city, and I found a job so I stayed. I lived in Maryland (Bethesda/Rockville mostly) until 1999 when I moved to NOVA first Falls Church (for one year) and then to Vienna.
4. I miss soft pretzels the most, especially having them on nearly every street corner. I miss the Philly accent and the more "downhome" type of people there. I miss the mom and pop hoagie and pizza shops. I miss the Eagles and their fans. I miss that the schools are run by the townships not the county! (I hate wondering if my children may be reboundaried.) I miss that each town is its own town. The counties do not define the towns, for the most part. I miss seeing my family frequently. I miss Jim Gardner and Larry Kane.
5. I don't miss the obnoxious Eagles fans. but I put up with the Redskins ones instead. I don't miss their car insurance rates. I don't miss the lack of diversity in my hometown. I don't miss the extra 3 hours I'd need to drive when I drive to Florida.

Wow, I just realize I miss more than I don't! Anyone else want a turn?

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by michgc

It seems like there are many of us Philly-area natives here. I am just wondering who else is from the Philly area.
1. Where are you from? Grew up in Abington, lived in and around the city as an adult.
2. How long have you lived here? Four years
3. Why did you trade living in one Mid-Atlantic city for another (if indeed you consider DC to be part of the Mid-Atlantic)? To advance my career and my then long-distance relationship.
4. What do you miss most about Philly? I've learned to appreciate in retrospect most of what your response was here. In particular, I literally miss most Eagles games when the 'Skins are playing at the same time. And although we're in no rush to buy a place, it would be nice to know we had more buying power.
5. What don't you miss about Philly? Being three hours away from my lady, the relative lack of job opportunities in or close to the city, an "extra" week of winter, the "Cinderella" commuter trains (Regional Rail) that shut down at midnight on weekends.

.

[CHIP72]

I'm "close" in both categories - I grew up in the Lehigh Valley and currently live in Silver Spring.

[akorosdc]

1. Where are you from? East Oaklane, though I was born in Camden (eech...)

2. How long have you lived here? 2 1/2 years, since college, but if you count college (in Fredericksburg), then it's been 6 years.

3. Why did you trade living in one Mid-Atlantic city for another (if indeed you consider DC to be part of the Mid-Atlantic)? Jobs. I majored in economics and found the most applicable and interesting jobs to be in DC. I did apply to places in Philly but never heard back. I also wanted to check out another city before I moved "home".

4. What do you miss most about Philly? My family, certain foods (pizza, cheesesteaks, pretzels), proximity to the shore, and I do miss the people. It's a very different vibe there, and I love areas like Manayunk or Northern Liberties with the remodeled factories, which you don't get here. And being able to see Eagles games without going to a jam-packed bar in Georgetown or getting a lot of "feedback" from opposing fans. I also agree that I miss being actually able to afford a nice house in the area.

5. What don't you miss about Philly? The wage tax and car insurance are biggies. I also like how many people here are more concerned and knowledgable with events/issues going on around the entire country and world, rather than just the city or metro area. It's not nonexistent in Philly, I just knew a lot of people who tended to be more provincial in outlook than DC. I also don't miss SEPTA at all.

[leighland]

I spent a summer living in Corp. housing in Ritt Sq in '07 then lived in a 3 room (not bed room--3 room) condo in Bryn Mawr for a year. I hate Philly with a passion. Its filthy, beat up, dangerous and tired. Tone can go on about my hate for the place. Great Sports radio-love Missanelli-and I married into a Cowboys family so it was fun watching the Eagles lose.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by leighland

I spent a summer living in Corp. housing in Ritt Sq in '07 then lived in a 3 room (not bed room--3 room) condo in Bryn Mawr for a year. I hate Philly with a passion. Its filthy, beat up, dangerous and tired. Tone can go on about my hate for the place. Great Sports radio-love Missanelli-and I married into a Cowboys family so it was fun watching the Eagles lose.

You won't gain any more love around here than Philly by declaring your newfound allegiance to the Cowboys but other than that, I can only respect your views about your experience in Philadelphia.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by Tone509

You won't gain any more love around here than Philly by declaring your newfound allegiance to the Cowboys but other than that, I can only respect your views about your experience in Philadelphia.

Technically I married in. I'm actually a Chargers fan.

[Nebat]

Originally Posted by leighland

I spent a summer living in Corp. housing in Ritt Sq in '07 then lived in a 3 room (not bed room--3 room) condo in Bryn Mawr for a year. I hate Philly with a passion. Its filthy, beat up, dangerous and tired. Tone can go on about my hate for the place. Great Sports radio-love Missanelli-and I married into a Cowboys family so it was fun watching the Eagles lose.

Sorry to invade the thread, I'm not from Philly, but these are the reasons I love the place! Minus the crime. Cities that are old and beat up have character and stories to tell. I also prefer the actual city of Washington over any of it's close in suburbs except for Arlington, or Alexandria. I'm actually planning on spending a few days in Philly soon and looking forward to it. And geographically speaking it's in the northeast, the mid-atlantic is VA, MD, DC, WV, & DE, but that's for another heated debate. My opinion has nothing to do with a N vs S thing or culture, just geography. But yes Philly rocks and now I hand the keyboard back to the actual natives.