Philadelphians have always had a bit of an inferiority complex; it’s just the way things are. We’re like the ugly stepchild of the mid-Atlantic, sandwiched between the self-proclaimed “Capital of the World” to the north and the nation’s capital to the south. Our people are often ranked amongst the top when it comes to being the ugliest, rudest, and most aggressive in the United States according to various national news outlets. No wonder Philadelphia is so full of self-loathing individuals. Hell, we won’t even call the city’s metropolitan area “Greater Philadelphia”— it’s the “Delaware Valley.”

Admittedly, I used to fall victim to the same mindset. The most random, insignificant things about the city angered me. It pissed me off that the city’s natural beauty had been ravaged to create space for tenement housing a century ago— its hills flattened and rivers filled in; it pissed me off that each and every one of the city’s sports teams has a godawful history of poor ownership and mismanagement; it pissed me off that a superhighway had been built across America’s most historic neighborhood, just to displace minority residents in the 1950s and ‘60s. Every project the city seemed to undertake, from Dilworth Plaza to the President’s House, always seemed to be so incredibly half-assed despite costing taxpayers millions and millions of dollars— lining the pockets of corrupt politicians, for sure, all as the school system failed. For Christ’s sake, we’re not even one of the top three American cities in Civilization V— fucking Boston beats us out (and I’m only half-kidding when I say this bugs me).

But every city has its problems; Philly’s no different. And few cities— if any— have the collection of qualities that create a culture as vibrant as that of Philadelphia. It’s time for us to stop thinking of ourselves as a second-tier town. We’re not New York’s Sixth Borough, and we’re not just a pit stop on the way to DC, Baltimore, or Boston— seriously, fuck Boston. There’s a lot of reasons to be proud of Philadelphia, and here’s just seventeen of them.

1. Cheesesteaks

Yeah, I know it’s cliche. That’s why I put it first. But, honestly, I don’t believe there’s a single city with a better signature food than Philly with its cheesesteaks. It’s unapologetically greasy and oh-so-fattening— but few things are more satisfying than a quality cheesesteak with a Cherry Coke or Turkey Hill iced tea. And only in Philadelphia can one find himself in a verbal, and sometimes even physical, confrontation over who has the best sandwich— Pat’s and Geno’s are just tourist traps, some say, but Jim’s skimps out on the meat, shout others. But the truth is, you won’t find a bad cheesesteak in Greater Philadelphia, and you certainly won’t find a good one outside of the region— which is pretty remarkable considering it’s just chopped up beef steak with cheese and onions. Learn to cook, America.

2. The Pretzels

An old teacher of mine once told me that she didn’t think there was anything better than buying a “slightly slimy” soft pretzel from a shady street vendor on the way back to one’s car after a Phillies win. I’d wager to say that there are a few things better than Philly’s soft pretzels— like cheesesteaks, for one— but the pretzels are still damn good, and no city in America does them better. They’re cheap and easy to grab on the go— which is great because it’s impossible to have just one.

3. Water Ice

I figured I’d just stick with the food theme for a moment. A friend of mine recently returned from spending two semesters up in North Jersey, and told me that he was berated by his North Jersey friends for saying water ice, because “water ice” is apparently a stupid name— ice is just frozen water, so the name is essentially “water, frozen water.” But who cares? It’s our stupidly-named food, and it tastes great.

4. City Hall

When other cities were building massive subway systems, Philadelphia was building the world’s tallest building. Philadelphia City Hall reigned supreme from 1894 to 1908 before its height was eclipsed by the Ulm Minster in Germany, and it still stands as the tallest masonry building in the world. It’s an architectural marvel, and I think most Philadelphians would agree it’s worth the lack of a proper public transportation system today.

5. The Skyline

For most of the last century, Philadelphia didn’t have much of a skyline. A gentleman’s agreement limited the height of all buildings to be no taller than the tip of William Penn’s hat atop City Hall, and, thus, the city’s vertical growth was stunted until Liberty Place was completed in the late 1980s. But in the thirty years since, Philadelphia has made up for lost time rather well. It now has the third largest skyline in America, according to architectural rankings— several cities have greater building density, and others have more skyscrapers, but only New York and Chicago have a greater combination of density and height. The Comcast Innovation and Technology Center will be the city’s first supertall (1000+ feet) skyscraper and will be the nation’s tallest building outside of New York City and Chicago. And if Schuylkill Yards comes to fruition, Philadelphia will add another supertall and seven other towers from that project alone. The city looks beautiful from any angle, although I’m partial to the view from my hometown (see above).

6. The History

There are 250 World Heritage Cities in the world, and yet only one American city, Philadelphia, holds such a distinction. During its colonial days, the city was the second largest city in the British Empire, behind only London. And if you passed third grade social studies, then you’d know Philly is the “Birthplace of America,” the nation’s first capital and the location where the nation’s most important documents— the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution— were written and ratified. The city is home to more colonial architecture than anywhere else in the country, including what is arguably America’s most recognizable historical building: Independence Hall. Philadelphia is a history buff’s dream, and the city’s history is so rich, I couldn’t even hope to capture a fraction of it in this little blurb.

7. America’s Most Historic Neighborhood— Old City

Much of the colonial architecture mentioned above is located within Philly’s Old City neighborhood, home to the city’s most recognizable historic sites. Old City contains Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the First and Second Banks of the United States, Carpenters Hall, the Betsy Ross House, and City Tavern, among other notable landmarks. It’s easy to lose track of time surrounded by the beautiful architecture and culture that has accumulated over the last three hundred years. And there’s no better place to be than Penn’s Landing on a warm spring day, as a cool breeze blows in off the Delaware.

8. The Fairmount Park System

Surprisingly enough, Philadelphia is home to the largest urban park in the entire world. Fairmount Park is gorgeous, an escape from the reality of Philly’s concrete jungle, and is home to some of the city’s most iconic locations— the Art Museum, Boathouse Row, the Fairmount Waterworks, and the Philadelphia Zoo, among others. The name Fairmount Park also refers to the entire system of city-owned green spaces, which encompasses over 9,200 acres. One might forget he’s in America’s fifth most populous city after spending his day within Wissahickon Valley Park.

9. Reading Terminal Market

You can find just about anything you want to eat at the Reading Terminal Market. Over 100 merchants operate in the old train shed, offering everything from roast pork— I highly recommend DiNic’s— to fresh fish, to crocodile meat. There’s nothing really quite like it.

10. Spruce Street Harbor Park

Pop-up parks and beer gardens have become all the rage, and Philly’s favorite is Spruce Street Harbor Park. You can rent a paddleboat, play bocce, or simply retire to a nice hammock. And for those who can drink, there’s typically a beer garden present on Friday nights.

11. The Mummers

Not even people from Philly can explain the Mummers. I once heard someone describe them as “drag queens who hate drag queens.” But it’s hard not to take a peculiar interest in— if not enjoy— a bunch of drunken, sequin-covered string bands marching up and down the streets of Philadelphia. Just don’t walk into one of their bars and insult them: they will, without a doubt, kick the shit out of you.

12. The Accent

Philly’s accent never gets any love. In movies and TV shows, characters from Philly are often portrayed with New York accents— Bradley Cooper couldn’t have told anyone during the filming of American Hustle that people from Camden wouldn’t speak that way? We’re often mocked for how we say “water,” and people from other parts of the country seem to think we’re saying the “wall women bridge” instead of the “Walt Whitman Bridge” because, apparently, we speak too fast. But Philadelphia English truly is a thing of beauty. It’s the most studied form of American English, only rhotic accent on the eastern seaboard, and linguists consider it the toughest accent to emulate. It also sounds closest to how the American colonists and British commoners would have spoken centuries ago. Next time someone tries to tell you that you have an ugly accent, just remember that Saturday Night Live taught you that your Philly English is “classy.”

13. Going “Down The Shore”

People from the Greater Philadelphia region don’t go to the beach; they go “down the shore.” And our shore towns aren’t Seaside Heights, or Point Pleasant, or any of the other towns that vacationing New Yorkers give a bad name. We have Ocean City and Wildwood, Ventnor, Brigantine, and Cape May. Our beaches are better, and thankfully free of Snooki and Pauly D.

14. America’s Oldest One-Name, One-City Professional Sports Franchise

The Phillies are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in North American sports, dating back to their establishment in 1883. They also happen to be the losingest franchise in professional sports, having lost their 10,000th game in 2007. At least they have one of the game’s most beautiful ballparks and the world’s greatest mascot.

15. And The Rest Of The Sports Teams

For a baseball guy like me, it’s a tough truth to face: Philly’s a football town, at least since the time of the Buddy Ryan-led Eagles. When the Flyers sneak into the playoffs, the media is previewing the upcoming NFL Draft; when the Sixers own the number one overall pick in the NBA draft, sports radio is abuzz with the countdown to training camp; and even when the Phillies were in the midst of pennant races only a few short years ago, they were still playing second fiddle to the mediocre-at-best Eagles. Eagles fans are arguably the most notorious in the game, and Philly bleeds midnight green— or kelly green, for those nostalgic few. Yet while that fervor doesn’t quite extend to the other fanbases, that doesn’t mean the other teams lack for passionate supporters. Few supporters groups can compare to the Flyers’ and Union’s Sons of Ben, and no fanbase is nearly as cult-ish as those of the #TrustTheProcess Sixers. Travel and Leisure ranked Philly as America’s most sports-crazed city, and for good reason.

16. Rocky

Rocky is the greatest sports film ever made, one of the greatest films ever made. Period. End of story. If you’re from the region, you pretty much have to agree— there’s a reason the city’s most prized landmark is a bronze statue of the titular character. No other movie has such an emotional connection to the city in which it takes place; it perfectly captures Philadelphia’s culture and spirit. Rocky is a fourth-rate, blue-collar boxer who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot at the title against the undefeated champion of the world; he’s an underdog from a city full of underdogs. If you’re anything like me, you hum along to the music during the original movie’s training montage, as Rocky runs by the Walt Whitman, through the streets of South Philly, and across Fairmount Park, until, finally, he triumphantly climbs the Art Museum steps. If you’re from Greater Philadelphia and you have never seen Rocky— and I know a handful of you personally— then you deserve to be exiled. Go live in Cleveland, or Omaha, or somewhere shitty like that.

17. WaWa

I don't think this one requires an explanation.

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