We're ugly!

I think that this ranking is ridiculous, but I have to say that one of the things I love about Philly is that it is completely unpretentious. You can eat in 99% of restaurants here in jeans (that's my arbitrary statistic) and on average, I'm sure it is true that people generally spend less time getting dolled up here than they do in Miami. BUT. . . I've been to pretty much every major city in the U.S. and I think I can safely say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Last night, I found myself in a discussion about our local civic association. I don't have much contact with my civic association, because I am a renter, not a homeowner, and therefore do not receive the newsletter. I had asked someone about that at a civic association meeting one time, and she said that all new homeowners receive a welcome basket with information about neighborhood organizations, etc. I don't expect a welcome basket for signing a year-long lease on a shitty apartment with leaky ceilings, but the more I think about it, the more angry I get. Sure, a lot of renters are transient, but a lot of us love our neighborhoods but can't afford to buy a home there. And a lot of people rent their whole lives (I certainly can't see myself affording to buy a home anytime soon). Do they just not exist to their local civic associations? Does every neighborhood work like this?

I know it might not be an intentional, but it kind of feels like class discrimination to me. I have lived in my apartment for two years. I have not made a six-digit investment in the neighborhood, but I live and breathe there. I care about safety, I care about lighting and cleanliness and recycling and all that. There are lots of renters in my neighborhood who probably care about that stuff too, but don't know where to go to voice their concerns. I would think that welcoming and embracing renters into the neighborhood is a positive for everybody. I know there was a time in my life where I tried to live off the grid and under the radar. At the time, I liked to think of myself as completely independent with no one to report to and no one to look out for, but I wonder if someone had reached out to me, would I have felt some connection to the community? Would I have felt some obligation to take care of my neighborhood? Maybe I wasn't ready then. But I am ready now, and I know I am not the only renter in this city full of renters who cares about my surroundings. Homeowners, take note. We're your neighbors, too.

Please shovel your fucking sidewalks.

Love and kisses,

Kate

Last night I was talking to a fellow Temple student about the environment of our fair University. I really like going to Temple, as it is affordable (comparatively) and convenient for me. But the main campus is kind of. . . I don't know, unfriendly. I know unwelcoming campuses, as my undergraduate school was designed by a famous prison architect. Temple actually has a lot going on, but. . . not a lot to make you want to stay and hang out there. I mean, plant some flowers or something! Erect some non-institutional seeming coffee shops or bars right on campus. It's just not at all cozy, and I feel bad for kids who live in the dorms who have nothing else to do but, presumably, stay in their rooms and drink.

I guess I am naive, but I actually thought it was a good idea that someone decided to build a movie theater in North Philly. I told my classmate last night how excited I was. Then, this morning, I clicked on philly.com and read this. God, the thing has only been open two days. What is wrong with people?

I love Philly, and I also kind of love the fact that so many people other people hate it. I can totally understand why other people don't like it here, in a lot of ways, this city doesn't even try. If you are open to liking Philly, there's a lot you have to discover for yourself. It's not a destination city like New York or San Francisco. But I don't want to live in New York or San Francisco, because both of them are too expensive, New York is too overwhelming and San Francisco is too far away. I have been to most of the states in this country, and this is the place where I feel most comfortable. Yes, it's a dirty city with a corrupt government, high crime, and rude people. But it's also a city full of greenspaces and history and some of the most awesome people I have ever met. And I feel like I'm part of a secret club of other people who see Philly in this light.

I never thought I would live in a city other than New York. In fact, when I first moved here, I was full of complaints about how small everything is and how early everything closes. At my first job in Philly, I satrted a lot of sentences with, "Well, in New York. . ." and was greeted with faces that pretty much said, "Bitch, if New York is so great, why don't you go back there?" I figured every young person who lives here would rather be in New York, if it wasn't so expensive. Imagine my surprise when I found that lots of people here actually don't like New York at all. I still think New York's an awesome city, but the longer I stay in Philly, the more I know that New York is not my city. It's really hard to make New York your own city, because so many people want a piece of that city. It's a lot easier to make an imprint here, as Center City Philly is really just a big small town.

Sometimes I feel like the only person in America without a raging hard-on for the West Coast. I definitely appreciate the beauty I have seen out there, but whenever I'm there I feel a certain kind of rootlessness that lets me know it's not my home. People are always shocked to hear that I'm not interested in the West Coast. It seems like when you live in Philly, you're supposed to acknowlege that you want to be somewhere else; you're supposed defer to the "great" cities and yearn for nicer weather or whatever. But guess what, I don't. West Coast, I'm just not that into you.

I know I can't convince most people that Philly is a great place to be, and like my city, I'm not sure I really want to try. Philly turned out to be the perfect fit for me: I love history. I love tiny cobblestone streets and three hundred year old rowhomes and Ben Franklin memorobilia. I also love distinct seasons, especially crunching pretty colored leaves in the fall. I love being home drinking hot chocolate while it snows outside. I love the first days of spring when the city comes alive. I love winter fashion. I love that even though a lot of people think I'm out of my mind, there are others here who understand.

I would like to alert everyone's attention to Greater Philadelphia Cares. It's a really great organization for busy people like myself who feel guilty about not being able to commit to volunteering. The only commitment involved is attending a short orientation (ours took about 20 minutes). After that, you receive a monthly calendar of volunteer opportunities, and you can sign up for whatever suits your schedule. I'm excited!

This article in today's Inky reports that nearly one in four Philadelphians suffered childhood sexual abuse. I am almost hoping something is flawed in the study, because that number seems really really high. When I was in college, I took a rape crisis hotline training class. At the beginning of the semester, everyone indicated that they were taking the class just because they were good people who wanted to help others. But by the end of the course, everyone felt comfortable enough to share that we were all there because something terrible happened to us or someone very close to us. I can remember sitting there, feeling so shocked that so many people could have gone through so much pain and shame when they were so young, just children and teenagers. Some of them had never talked about it before. I guess the only sort of positive part of this disturbing news is that people are feeling more comfortable reporting sexual abuse now. And people can know they're not alone.

So I saw this movie last night, and, for the record, I would never have seen it if it wasn't a Philadelphia story. I love Philadelphia, and I watched my first full length football game when the Eagles made the Superbowl. . . but, in general, I do not care for football.

This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be, considering Disney made it. I have only two major complaints. First of all, a lot of the movie took place in a South Philly bar, and there was no smoke to be seen anywhere. I understand Disney does not want to promote smoking in a PG movie, but come on, that is totally unrealistic. There is a way to include realistic smoking in an unglamorous way — this just seemed too sanitized. They didn't mind showing all that drinking, after all. My other complaint is the complete lack of accurate Philly accents in the movie. The Philadelphia accent is a tricky hybrid of New York, Midwest and a teeny bit of the South. But anyone who's been here for a little bit knows it's not hard to imitate. Most obviously, the Philadelphia "o" in words like "home" or "phone" generally sounds kind of like an "ew" sound, as in "hoewme." Right in the beginning of the movie, Marky Mark turns refers to his friend Tommy as "Tawmy" and I'm sorry, Boston, but we don't do that here. The only time I hear Philadelphians put an "aw" in place of an "o" is in the word "on" which generally rhymes with "dawn" instead of "don." I did hear someone say "youse" (as in "youse guys") in the film once, and I appreciate that minor effort, but if this movie took place in another city with a regional accent, I bet they'd make more pains to get it right.

All in all, if you don't care about Philadelphia or football, don't see this movie. If you care about football and historical accuracy, don't see this movie. I'm told the football stuff is innacurate, but what do I know?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: If Philly improved public transportation, the entire city would rise up several notches. This city is not really conducive to having a car, and young people want to go out to bars and drink and not have to drive home or leave super-early to catch public transport where they will first have to wait in a urine-soaked tunnel with no SEPTA worker on duty; no police officer in sight; not even a camera to document when crime occurs. SEPTA is expensive, smelly and inconvenient. Last night I had a particularly harrowing experience with a psychotic person while waiting for the regional rail at an unlit stop without so much as an emergency phone in sight. I don't think the people who run the city or the people who run SEPTA understand that in other cities, young people actually take public transportation to get to social events. I have taken public transport many times in Boston, New York, San Francisco, D.C., and Seattle and Philly's is by far the most inefficient and the least pleasant experience. As the big wigs in charge continue to let SEPTA deteriorate, they are unwittingly driving people away from the city. Maybe they think they are just affecting us poor car-less individuals who have to use public transport, but they are actually affecting everyone's quality of life.