Philadelphia’s latest campaign has natives falling in love with our fair city all over again. Postcards, t-shirts and one-of-a-kind promotions have convinced us that loving the City of Brotherly Love is back in style. Well, we've jumped on the bandwagon. We're unable to resist our hometown crush, so let us show our devotion to our Philly favorites.
Dear Philadelphia, Nothing gets us Penn kids through the week like a Thursday night BYO. While sitting in lecture daydreaming about last week’s penne alla vodka, we find ourselves drooling over the sprinkled Parmesan — only to forget that it’s really the copious amounts of wine making the food taste oh-so-good. And after witnessing the eternally-rowdy Penn crowd, you’d think BYOB stood for Bring Your Own Barbarism. We might provide great business for restaurants, but somehow the let loose atmosphere brings out the inner beast in all of us. But in Philly such savage behavior appears acceptable: we have our well-deserved fun and never worry about messes made. Here's to the Philadelphian BYO: home of the affordable meal and a guaranteed good time. We’ll drink to that. — Alexandra Levine
Dear Philadelphia, It doesn't take much to become an explorer of your streets and alleyways. The grid layout makes it nearly impossible to get lost once you know the order of the street names. The address of any location tells you just that — its location, street number and all. Not only does this keep us from getting lost, but it also makes us feel unbelievably sophisticated when visitors ask for directions. This feeling of navigational confidence has instilled in us a newfound affinity for adventure. For the first time, we're the ones walking into Center City and scoping out new restaurants and stores, not hiding away in our Penn bubble. For longer journeys, SEPTA seems eager to facilitate our curiosity, providing understandable public transit all around Philadelphia. It’s a comfort to know that no matter where we go, we will always find our way home. So Philadelphia, thank you, and your urban planner, for never leaving us stranded. —Colette Bloom
Dear Philadelphia, October 30, 2008: the day Philadelphians will never forget. The streets were red with parading (and rioting) Phillies fans — people of all ages and all backgrounds, from the blue-collared to Mayor Nutter himself. They were cheering for the baseball team (your baseball team!) that had just been crowned World Champions. Last week, something similar happened. It wasn’t a parade, but it sure sounded like one. Diehard Phillies fans were doing what they do best: celebrating. You don't have to be a Philly native to feel the excitement — heck, you don't even have to be a true baseball fan. And that's why we love you, Philadelphia. Such team loyalty is not only unrivaled, it's also sure to come out in the final World Series stretch. We'll be watching. — Valentina Zarya
