Carrie Bradshaw once said, “Year after year, women in their 20’s come to New York looking for the two L’s – labels and love.” New York is idolized by women across the world as a place full of love, fashion, fun, success, the list goes on. Nearly every classic rom-com is centered in the great New York City. Don’t even get me started on Los Angeles. My question is: why is Philadelphia so undeserving of this praise?
Bias may play a role in my curiosity – I have lived in Philly my entire life and I chose to attend a college in my city as well – but I still cannot understand all this hype surrounding these overpopulated, expensive, overrated cities. Philadelphia has so much to offer that is just swept under the rug!
We may be infamous for our intense love for the Philadelphia Eagles and the extent to which our love for them can take us, but what’s the problem with that? I say it gives us character! No city has celebrated quite like us when we won the 2018 Super Bowl – and I don’t another city ever will. Eagles fans are what keeps Philadelphia so lively. You will never find a dull Sunday in the City of Brotherly Love.
Aside from our passion for football, Philly is filled to the brim with exciting events. While many Pennsylvanians enjoy their Labor Day weekends at the Jersey Shore, those looking for a party scene over the holiday weekend may find themselves at the Made in America music festival. If you happen to wander onto the Ben Franklin Parkway the first weekend of September, chances are you’d find a ferris wheel, food trucks, headliners such as Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Travis Scott, and many more, and girls decked out in red, white, blue, and glitter. Concerts hosted on the Ben Franklin Parkway are a rarity, but luckily Philly has tons of other venues, as well as hundreds of thousands of concerts a year, like The Fillmore, Electric Factory, Union Transfer, Festival Pier, and my all time favorite, The Mann Center. Believe me, nothing could beat listening to Mac DeMarco or Juice WRLD while taking in an idyllic view of the city skyline from The Mann.
For those more interested in visual arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the best art museums in the country. Their walls are covered in Renaissance, American, modern, and impressionist art, their sculpture collection is massive, and who could forget about the iconic Rocky sculpture waiting to greet every tourist at the steps of the building? Other fascinating sites include the Please Touch Museum, perfect for those children at heart, and the Franklin Institute, for those looking to constantly learn more.
Have you ever heard of Stephen Starr? He practically invented restaurant life on Philadelphia. His creations span the entire city, with restaurants like Continental Midtown, Parc, Dandelion, POD, Buddakan, and many more, every category of food imaginable can be found right within Philadelphia city limits. And that’s just Stephen Starr’s restaurants. A delicious restaurant or lively bar can be found on every block in Philly.
Maybe it’s a lot to ask teenagers of the world to come make their dreams come true in Philadelphia rather than the Big Apple, but consider giving it a little more credit. Perhaps a new classic rom-com set in our beloved city?
HCXO,
MK