Philly bounces to #1 city for culture according to T&L (Philadelphia: how much, theatre)

[Dub King]

What a difference a year makes! I'm sure the naysayers will pounce on this one, but Philly just got a boost from Travel & Leisure voters who named it the #1 place for cultural outings (not culture overall) in the whole darned USA.

It's been a great year for Philly's reputation, first with GAWK elevating us from gamma world city to Alpha- and now this.

Inquirer Editorial: EDITORIAL The same magazine that called Philadelphia grimy now says it's the top town for cultural outings. | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/03/2011

It's time to erase the old stereotypes and check out Philly. The city is just getting started flexing its cultural muscles. Too bad people are still such slobs, I see kids tossing bottles into the gutter all the time, drives me crazy. On the flip side, this city really does have too few public garbage receptacles so the blame goes both ways.

Here's the official discalimer: "While acknowledging such surveys are unscientific, city culture czar Gary Steuer calls the new rating "a great barometer of the growing stature and recognition of the cultural scene in Philadelphia, which encompasses both arts and heritage."

[BPP1999]

I'm a big Philly booster, but I will always question any poll that does not have NYC as #1 for culture.

[Dub King]

It's a tough one to swallow, Philly actually beating NYC... but that's what unscientific polls are all about! You can;t just have NYC always be number 1 or else it gets boring. I'll bet that one mitigating factor to the average tourist is how much easier it is to get through a night out in Philly, with everything in walking distance and cabs that are actually easy to hail... but yeah... Philly has no answer for Broadway, among other things.

I do think this highlights the fact that Philly is really entering the big-leagues now and is experiencing an artistic rennaissance. It can't be stressed enough how much of a gem Benjamin Franklin Parkway is becoming. It's already one of the great museum districts, but soon it will be truly elite. Within a couple years, the Gehry expansion of the Museum of Art, combined with the relocated Barnes will make Philly THE must-visit city for the French, who are already the most common foreign tourists in this city - a legacy of their shared history in art and politics.

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I'm a big Philly booster, but I will always question any poll that does not have NYC as #1 for culture.

[LINative]

Originally Posted by Dub King

What a difference a year makes! I'm sure the naysayers will pounce on this one, but Philly just got a boost from Travel & Leisure voters who named it the #1 place for culture in the whole darned USA.

It's been a great year for Philly's reputation, first with GAWK elevating us from gamma world city to Alpha- and now this.

Inquirer Editorial: EDITORIAL The same magazine that called Philadelphia grimy now says it's the top town for cultural outings. | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/03/2011

It's time to erase the old stereotypes and check out Philly. The city is just getting started flexing its cultural muscles. Too bad people are still such slobs, I see kids tossing bottles into the gutter all the time, drives me crazy. On the flip side, this city really does have too few public garbage receptacles so the blame goes both ways.

Here's the official discalimer: "While acknowledging such surveys are unscientific, city culture czar Gary Steuer calls the new rating "a great barometer of the growing stature and recognition of the cultural scene in Philadelphia, which encompasses both arts and heritage."

I love Philadelphia but come on, this is unbelievable.

Quote from the article: "Philadelphians probably don't have to read about that in a magazine, either. They're already experiencing it by visiting the wealth of historic attractions, or taking in exhibits at the Art Museum, a touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre, or a Philadelphia Orchestra or chamber music performance at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts".

"Taking in exhibits at the Art Museum"? Do these peeps know how many art museums there are in NYC, including the Metropolitian? And what about the Smithsonian in Washington DC? "Touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre". Thats nice but what about the city that actually has Broadway!

Regardless of this strange poll, nationally Philadelphia is behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC in culture. The real question is where Philadelphia ranks among Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Houston and possibly other cities like New Orleans?

[Dub King]

Nope, that's not a question... culturally Philly has always ranked with those cities. the question is whether Philly is elevating itself to a higher level. I'd say yes for fine arts, no for popular arts.

It's not a strange poll at all, it's one of the most popular and represents nothing more than people's collective perception of a place. The category was 'cultural outing', not culture as a whole, wish I had made that clearer in the post's title. I can accept the results - Center City is perfectly sized and laid out for this kind of day out, and the quality is there - The Philadelphia Orchestra, financial issues not withstanding, is on-par with NY, SF and Chi and just completed a very successful tour in Europe, to sold-out audiences. The Philadelphia Ballet did all the dance work for 'Black Swan', only Natalie Portman's double was from the NY ballet. The Van Goghs and Monets in the Philadelphia Museum are among the best examples. The Barnes is the largest collection of Renoir , bar none. The Rodin Museum is the largest collection of his sculpture outside of Paris. The Mutter museum is unique to Philly.

The same qualities that allowed Providence, RI to lead in the cultural outing category apply to Philly, but amplified.

Originally Posted by LINative

I love Philadelphia but come on, this is unbelievable.

Quote from the article: "Philadelphians probably don't have to read about that in a magazine, either. They're already experiencing it by visiting the wealth of historic attractions, or taking in exhibits at the Art Museum, a touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre, or a Philadelphia Orchestra or chamber music performance at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts".

"Taking exhibits at the Art Museum"? Do these peeps know how many art museums there are in NYC? And what about the Smithsonian in Washington DC? "Touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre". Thats nice but what about the city that actually has Broadway!

Regardless of this strange poll, nationally Philadelphia is behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC in culture. The real question is where Phiadelphia ranks among Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Houston and possibly other cities like New Orleans?

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by LINative

I love Philadelphia but come on, this is unbelievable.

Quote from the article: "Philadelphians probably don't have to read about that in a magazine, either. They're already experiencing it by visiting the wealth of historic attractions, or taking in exhibits at the Art Museum, a touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre, or a Philadelphia Orchestra or chamber music performance at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts".

"Taking in exhibits at the Art Museum"? Do these peeps know how many art museums there are in NYC, including the Metropolitian? And what about the Smithsonian in Washington DC? "Touring Broadway-style production at the Forrest Theatre". Thats nice but what about the city that actually has Broadway!

Regardless of this strange poll, nationally Philadelphia is behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC in culture. The real question is where Philadelphia ranks among Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Houston and possibly other cities like New Orleans?

Agree in many ways, though Philly is a great city for culture and arts but to your point the offerings in NYC and to lessor extent Chicago and DC may exceed though to me only NYC is truly head and shoulders above. On the whole these surveys are to be taken with a grain of salt and IMHO the best thing that can be taken is that Philly in many ways continues to become a better city, and people are understanding and experiencing this as is playing out in many polls. Something the city can be proud of as it has worked hard in the last two decades to improve upon a great base.

On the cultural perspective the Barnes which will open in its new location next to the rodin museum and two blocks from the art musuem will only enhance the concentration with the largest collection of impressionist art outside of France and a tremendous collection of african art.

I say good work Philly but agree top honors is a little suspect, regargless am happy to see the city getting positive accolades.

Maybe Nationaly Geographic was right about 5 years when they proclaimed Philly as the next great city...

http://www.barnesfoundation.org/

Addtionally with the recent Jewish History museum and Constitution center opening and the construction of the National Revolutionary War Museum and Atwater Kent being redone (Philadelphia History Museum with context on the revoltuion, industrial, scientific, city service, and medical contributions of the city to the country and world) these aspects get even better. This all coupled with some of the most important American History sites etc makes for a great set of offerings.

So kudos to the City even if objectively quantifying this accolade is likely not realistic.

[pman]

Philly easily beats or plays in the same league as DC and Chicago for culture...stop being so hard on yourself. Philly has better food, beer, and equals most things not named federally funded museums that DC has. what it doesn't match is jobs, particular inside city limits..but that's not what this poll is about

[LINative]

Originally Posted by kidphilly

Agree in many ways, though Philly is a great city for culture and arts but to your point the offerings in NYC and to lessor extent Chicago and DC may exceed though to me only NYC is truly head and shoulders above. On the whole these surveys are to be taken with a grain of salt and IMHO the best thing that can be taken is that Philly in many ways continues to become a better city, and people are understanding and experiencing this as is playing out in many polls. Something the city can be proud of as it has worked hard in the last two decades to improve upon a great base.

On the cultural perspective the Barnes which will open in its new location next to the rodin museum and two blocks from the art musuem will only enhance the concentration with the largest collection of impressionist art outside of France and a tremendous collection of african art.

I say good work Philly but agree top honors is a little suspect, regargless am happy to see the city getting positive accolades.

Maybe Nationaly Geographic was right about 5 years when they proclaimed Philly as the next great city...

The Barnes Foundation - Home

Addtionally with the recent Jewish History museum and Constitution center opening and the construction of the National Revolutionary War Museum and Atwater Kent being redone (Philadelphia History Museum with context on the revoltuion, industrial, scientific, city service, and medical contributions of the city to the country and world) these aspects get even better. This all coupled with some of the most important American History sites etc makes for a great set of offerings.

So kudos to the City even if objectively quantifying this accolade is likely not realistic.

When I was a kid living in NYC (Queens), we took a day long school trip down to Philadelphia one time. The cities are that close. I do not remember much of we saw, except it is was first time I saw the Liberty Bell and more interestingly, a street car! But I picked up a local history book as a souvenir and I have been hooked on history ever since.

It is difficult for me to picture Philadelphia as having "more culture" than the much larger NYC. I suppose that Chicago and Washington DC are more debatable.

I noticed you left Los Angeles out of your post. I am not really a fan of LA, but IMO they have alot more going on than many of us on the East Coast realize.

[rotodome]

Philly is fantastic for a day out, or a cultural outing one night. Or a fun weekend. I guess that's where this ranking comes from, and I'm ok with it.
Where Philly would fall far behind a place like NYC would be trying to say, have a week, or a month of unique cultural outings without getting repetitive or bored. But that's a very short list of places.

[Dub King]

Now this thread is doomed. Oh well, should have made it a city vs. city thread, lol.