I Heart Philadelphia (most of the time)
I’m visiting my parents in Philadelphia. They moved here two years ago. And everytime I visit I am reminded how weird this city is…I lived here for a year myself, in NE Philly (near the Frankfort Street Station), where we’d cruise the boulevard on Saturday playing “who can spot the hookers”…a game everyone ends up winning. That is a part of Philly, no doubt – total poverty, joblessness, racial tension…there was a bar a block from our house where a cop got shot in the head the year before we moved in. And yesterday, I overheard a little girl at the Wa-Wa (the Philly 7-11) tell another girl she wanted to “be a crack whore” for Halloween…so Philly can be dangerous and infuriating, there’s a reason they call it Killadelphia (or Filfthadelphia)…
For instance, and I swear this isn’t a joke, I was at this showing of Benjamin Buttons last Christmas Eve:
Annoyed Viewer Shoots Noisy Man in Movie Theater
PHILADELPHIA — A family talking during a movie enraged a nearby viewer so badly that he shot the father in the arm, MyFoxPhiladelphia reports. Philadelphia police say James Joseph Cialella Jr, 29, shot the man after a brief altercation inside the Riverview Movie Theatre.The victim suffered a gunshot wound to his left arm. Cialella was still inside the theater when police arrived. He was found with a black Kel-Tec .380 handgun on the front of his waist. Police arrested and charged him with attempted murder, aggravated assault, violation of uniform firearms act, possession of an instrument of a crime, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
My mom and I were ten feet away. And now, I can look back and see the humor – I mean, Benjamin Buttons of all movies? Really? You wanted to see the end that much? But at the time, it was far from funny. In fact, I still get nervous in movie theaters.
So Philly can be rough…but, that said…just like so many other cities, despite the faults, Philly can also inspiring and beautiful.
There is a lot of support for the arts here…amazing theater, galleries, and a program that funds murals around the city. And sometimes they will just shock you. You turn the corner in a rough neighborhood and there they are, gorgeous and bigger than life:
And in what other major metropoliton area can you stop at a red light, look in the rearview mirror, and see a horse licking the trunk of your car?
If you are a real Philadelphian, you wear your affection for Philly like a badge of honor. You belong to the city, and it belongs to you…and real Philadelphians a ferociously proud of their home…and underneath their gruffness is a true sense of honor and pride. I mean, this is the birthplace of America! And where else will you see a homeless guy yelling at people outside the Betsy Ross House?
Anyway, here are a few of my favorite things in Philly.
South Philly is so cool…it has a real sense of community and neighborhood….old Italian couples scream at each other, and people park illegally in the middle of the street (as they have been doing for generations – the parking spots go back that far – don’t try it if you aren’t a native, though). Not to mention, the Italian food and the best espresso in the world.
The train station…all the historic buildings, really. The fact that it is the old mixed in with the new in this disconcerting and breathtaking way….
Paddy’s, the bar that “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is based on…where I never fail to meet the coolest and most diverse crowd of people…from factory workers to professional French bicyclists to hilarious, cool-ass lawyers (yeah, cool-ass lawyers exist! Who knew?) A place where I was once invited to a underground magic show (literally underground – in the basement. I politely declined), given the opportunity to dance on top of the bar (hell ya I did it), and where people can still smoke inside…
if you haven't seen this show, you got to...it's pretty offensive, and I mean that as a compliment. be sure to see the "dumpster baby" episode. The "glory hole" one is good too.
A few blocks away from Paddy’s is this shirt store (right across from the oldest post office in America)…
this shirt store is catty-corner to another shirt store which is an EXACT REPLICA…as I learned when I was teaching at Philly U, seems these two stores are owned by brothers who were angry about the division of their inheritance…so they opened competing stores..recently one closed, and I was sad, because I had almost convinced my dad to buy a purple suit there (two suits for $200…how great a deal is that?)
The piers, especially Pier 3 by Penn’s Landing:
The view of the river (that’s my dad):
The great young artists and designers, like this cool chick Carrie I met…she studied Urban Design at Cincinnati, and then opened this store in Fishtown called Fabric Horse. Her stuff is ingenious and earth-friendly:
And one of the best vintage clothing I’ve ever seen, with the coolest owner (Amanda):
Something else I love…the people who dress up in Colonial costumes in Olde City and really stay in character. PS obviously, I didn’t pay enough attention in history class….
And, of course, The Duck Tours:
Needless to say, not everyone likes the duck tours…P.S. how great is my dad’s New York accent?
In fact, Will Smith I (the actor’s dad) is a friend of mine (I know, I’m a name-dropper, but he really is the coolest guy ever…and really talented). And everyday the Duck Tour goes by his condo twenty or so times and the guy says in the megaphone “Will Smith’s father lives right here, in the condo to the left” which, of course, annoys the shit out of Will Senior. But he won’t sue, ’cause he’s a good guy.
Duck Tours suck…but everyone can agree on one thing, it is both justifiable and fun to fuck with the duck tours (and now you know where I get my need to bother strangers…apple doesn’t fall far and all that, huh?):
