Philadelphia is home to some pretty well-known traditions, from cheesestakes to Rocky, but here are 20 things that all Philadelphians know to be true about our city.
1. Wawa
We LOVE Wawa. Wawa is a gift to the world. We could, and at some points do, sustain ourselves exclusively on Wawa. For those who don’t have the privilege of knowing what Wawa is, think 7-Eleven-meets-Subway but much better than either of those places. They have custom hoagies, salads, milkshakes, mac & cheese, quesadilla, and pretty much anything you could imagine.
Going to Wawa is a life-changing experience (out-of-town family members of mine can confirm that it’s fantastic), and, believe me, we take our hoagies seriously. Hoagiefest happens every summer which is a glorious period of time in which hoagies are discounted. They make t-shirts and everything. Also, their goose logo is one of the most reassuring symbols one can see after having been away for extended periods of time.
2. Cheesesteaks
Oh man, do we love cheesesteaks... though I’ve honestly never had one! That said, even as a life-long vegetarian I can tell you that Delessandro’s has the best cheesesteaks. Some people tend to side with Geno’s which is fair, but if you say anything else then you are wrong. (P.S. Chubby’s is overrated.)
3. Septa
We have a love-hate relationship with Septa. Earlier today, my train was early which has happened exactly three times now. That said, we were taking that train because the one that had come earlier was too crowded. I’m talking “we would have to stand” crowded and “the conductors would not let anybody else on the train because they physically did not fit” crowded. We use Septa to get anywhere and everywhere. Between the trains, subways, and busses, Septa’s definitely got a monopoly on public transport in Philly.
4. The Shore
Oh, man, do we love The Shore. As much as we hate on New Jersey (and, trust me, we do), people go to the Jersey Shore constantly. Trying to get to The Shore on a nice Saturday morning is nearly impossible,ut don’t get me wrong, we will pursue any and all opportunities to make fun of New Jersey. If you’re from South Jersey and try to claim that you’re from Philly, you best believe that we will call you out.
5. Billy Penn and Sports
Philadelphians love their sports, especially the Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles, and it’s not uncommon to see a massive eagle covering the entire side of a Septa car. Philadelphians will fight verbally or, if necessary, physically for their team.
This also leads to the curse of Billy Penn. You see, what started as a gentleman’s agreement which guaranteed that no building would be built taller than City Hall, which prominently displays a statue of William Penn, became a full-fledged curse. In 1987, a building which exceeded that height was created which theoretically led to the failures of Philly-based teams. In 2007, a smaller statue of Billy P. was placed on top of the newly-built Comcast Center and, the following year, the Phillies won the World Series!
6. Tourists
I’m sure this is true of all cities, but, man oh man, do tourists stick out in a crowd. I always notice when people order a “Philly Cheesesteak” or a “Philly Pretzel” which we just call cheesesteaks and pretzels. Tourists rarely venture beyond Center City, which is nice and all, but, honestly, y’all are missing out.
Another big tip off is when you see people trying to emulate Rocky at the Art Museum. I promise that if you’re ever in town, you’re not going to find a Philadelphian running up the steps. It’s not even fun walking up them, let alone running.
(P.S. We really like pretzels too! Philly Pretzel Factory basically took over any and all of bake sales I've witnessed.)
7. Queer Spaces
The most prominent “queer space” in Philly is probably the Gayborhood. Yup, the Gayborhood! Located in Washington Square West, it’s got rainbow crosswalks and street signs and it is known for hosting events such as OutFest. Woody’s Bar, arguably the most well-known gay bar in all of Philadelphia, is also in the Gayborhood.
8. Famous Run-Ins
There are little things which every Philadelphian secretly hopes to see. It’s not super uncommon to know somebody who ran into "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia" being filmed. It's worth noting that the show is actually kind of accurate.
The local celebrity is Philly Jesus who is known for dressing as Jesus and reciting Bible verses around Center City. It’s always fun to see Philly Jesus, regardless of your religious beliefs.
9. Historical Landmarks
When you’re visiting the Birthplace of America, you’d probably expect to see some historical monuments and what you might not expect is that almost everything is a monument. Marked by distinct blue signs with paragraphs of gold writing, you learn a lot just from reading the signs on the side of the road.
Philadelphia houses many famous monuments: The Liberty Bell (which makes me laugh. Don’t stand in line to see a bell. It’s right in front of a massive window. Just walk by the building. It’s not any better inside the building!), Betsy Ross’ house, Edgar Allen Poe’s house, Independence Hall, Benjamin Franklin’s grave, and so on. We also have Old City, which is where William Penn and the Quakers first settled as well as home to many of the of the aforementioned historical sites and the oldest street in America, Elfreth’s Alley.
10. Museums
Growing up, the Franklin Institute and the Please Touch Museum were the big ones. The Academy of Natural Sciences is also a win. You haven’t lived until you’ve walked through a massive, anatomically correct human heart or gotten nauseous while watching an IMAX movie. While still fun, as you get older you learn to appreciate the Art Museum, the Mütter, the Barnes Foundation, the Museum of Jewish American History, and the UPenn museum of Anthropology and Archeology which is my personal favorite.
11. Accents
We have kind of gross accents, I’ll admit it. Nobody loves hearing about wuhder (water), behgels (bagels), crowns (crayons), the ehgles (eagles). But, hey, at least it’s distinctive.
12. Vernacular
Even worse than our accents are the words we use. Jawn, hoagie, jimmies, “young boul”, water ice, and youse are all words you will hear on any given day in Philadelphia. For those who don’t know, a jawn is pretty much any person, place, or thing. It’s interchangeable with just about anything. A hoagie is what some might call a “sub”, and jimmies are “sprinkles”. A young boul (pronounced “bull”) is a dude (one might call someone else “young boul”) and water ice is very similar to Italian ice. Lastly, “youse” is sort of our version of “y’all”, though one would generally say “youse guys."
13. The View
No, not the TV show and not the skyline either. Boathouse Row and the Zoo Balloon are probably the most recognizable images of Philly, along with the Love Statue and the Rocky statue (we’ll get back to Rocky, don’t worry.)
By the way, Ikea sells a photo of Boathouse Row, but a true Philadelphian knows that it’s been photoshopped because the Zoo Balloon, a hot air balloon owned and run by the Philadelphia Zoo, is on the wrong side.
14. Schuylkill
It’s a river, it’s a highway, it’s way of life. Good luck spelling it though because it’s pronounced “SCOO-kill”.
15. Spelling
Speaking of Schuylkill, we’ve pretty much all accepted that we’ll never be able to spell everything in the area. Conshohocken, Manayunk, Tulpenhocken, and Miquon are all fun to spell. For whatever reason, the Philly area is very into the letter “Y" as seen with Bala Cynwyd, Bryn Mawr, Gwynned Valley, Penllyn, Wynnewood, Wynnefield, Penn Wynne, and so on.
16. Alcohol Laws
If you’re looking to pick up both wine and beer, you’re going to both a state store and a beer distributer. If it’s Sunday, you might be going to New Jersey depending on the time. Pennsylvania law around where alcohol can be sold is incredibly strict, and, while underage kids are allowed in state stores, they have to be accompanied by an adult. It’s still surprising to walk into a grocery store outside of PA and seeing alcohol.
17. States within states
Okay, we don’t actually have states in PA, but we have a ton of places that are named after other states. If you see an “IUP” bumper sticker then somebody in that car goes to Indiana University of Pennsylvania. We also have the California University of Pennsylvania, which is in Washington County. Can’t forget Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, or Ohio, Pennsylvania.
18. Celebrities
We have some pretty cool celebrities, I gotta say. Will Smith is a proud Philadelphian as well as Dick Clark, Grace Kelly, Leslie Odom Jr., Chris Matthews, The Roots, Boys II Men, Coltrane, Pink, and Taylor Swift.
19. Traditions
The first one that probably comes to mind is the Mummers Parade on New Years Day, which is a massive parade including costumes, music, and incredible theatrics. Other favorites include The Nutcracker at the Academy of Music, Christmas Village at City Hall, the Eastern State Penitentiary becoming a haunted house for Halloween (Terror Behind the Walls), New Years Eve fireworks at Penn’s Landing, and, of course, Made in America for the Fourth of July.
20. Rocky
I would honestly love if we as a city could move past Rocky. I understand that it’s a beloved movie and whatnot, but, honestly, there’s more to us than this movie. There’s been a long-standing debate as to whether or not the Rocky statue actually constitutes as art and whether it should it in or outside the Art Museum. I promise, you don’t need a picture with the statue or the run up and down the steps. That said, if it has to still be this much of a cultural phenomenon 40 years after its debut, at least it’s our cultural phenomenon.
