20 Things Only A Philadelphian Can Relate To
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20 Things Only A Philadelphian Can Relate To

Cheesesteaks, pretzels, and the City of Brotherly Love

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20 Things Only A Philadelphian Can Relate To
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Disclaimer: We do not call ourselves Philadelphians. We don't even have the time or patience to say Philadelphia. We simply say "I'm from Philly", which sounds more like "Im from feeel-lee"

1. Jawn is in your everyday vocabulary.

Let's define the word jawn: noun - can be a person, place, or thing. Literally. Jawn can be anything.

You see that jawn? I was at the jawn last night. That jawn was crazy.

2. You spent all your summers “down” South Street.

First things first, in Philly, saying one is going “down” somewhere is saying you’ll be somewhere. South Street is a famous street covering Center City to South Philly. The area is a mix of urban, alternative, indie, hip-hop, punk, pretty much any genre you can think of. South Street is filled with dozens of clubs, restaurants, and shops, so it's almost impossible to be bored. Walking up and down South Street in the summer was some sort of ritual.

3. You pronounce water like wudder.

Amongst other words we pronounce weird, water is probably the most commonly known. Check out these articles here and here about Philly dialect.

4. Wudder-ice (water ice) and soft pretzels were basically a meal in the summer.

Soft pretzels are an unofficial trade mark of Philly. Accompanied by the best friend water ice (which is more commonly known as Italian ice) satisfied all food related needs during the blazing summers.

5. You're into the great cheesesteak debate.

Max's vs. Dalessandro's vs. Ishkabibbles vs. Geno's

Another staple symbol of Philly is the cheesesteak. Native Philadelphians care very much about food, as it is a culture in itself of Philly. Depending on your location, where you get your cheesesteak is important.

6. Every class field trip was to The Franklin Institute.

In elementary school, a school year wasn't complete without a visit to the best science center in the city, The Franklin Institute. As you explored the human anatomy or outer space, the trip usually ended with an educational movie in the IMAX theater.

7. You’ve never been to the Liberty Bell.

We live at the birthplace of freedom and independence right? The field trips might have ended at The Franklin Institute, but curiosity goes far beyond.

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8. When Septa went on strike you felt stranded.

Need I say more?

9. When someone says they're from Cheltenham/Abington/Upper Darby/Lansdowne/Yeadon you're automatically turned off.

Philadelphia covers the 215/267 area code and is 1,799.5 square miles of urban land. However, this does not include the surrounding suburbs. People from Philly often look down on those from the surrounding suburbs. Guess our egos are pretty big!

10. You sang Summertime by Will Smith at the top of your lungs.

A Philly anthem.

11. The Gallery was the hangout spot.

After school, downtown was filled with eager teenagers to mix and mingle. One of the most popular sports was The Gallery, the only mall in Philly.

12. You turned a skating rink into a night party.

From Wow to Jams to Rolling Thunder: the rise and fall of the skating rink. Day time skating to night time dancing. This was the place to make a name for yourself in Philly.

13. Going downtown and seeing all the street performers.

Such a lively city we live in!

14. Salty isn’t a taste…it’s a feeling.

Just like jawn, salty is a word unique to Philly vocabulary.

I woke up late and rushed to class just to find out it was canceled...I was salty.

15. Taking a trip to Wildwood or Atlantic City was an adventure because Philly is encompassed by land.

Wildwoods beach (which we often just drop the 's' on the end) and Atlantic City beach, both located in New Jersey were the get away spots.


16. Admiring murals on almost every building.

Philadelphia is the number one city for murals. We just ooze creativity!

17. Proudly supporting the Eagles, 76ers, Phillies, and Flyers.

No matter how much you disliked a team, you still had to be supportive of your hometown. Win or lose, Philly sports teams -- and fans -- go hard for their own!

18. Thinking Rocky Balboa was a real person.

Rocky Balboa made the infamous run and celebratory dance at the top of the Art Museum steps. The success of the movie earned an honorary Rocky statue.

19. Thinking you were going to find love at Love Park.

The name, so misleading, yet serves as a symbol for Philly's motto: "Brotherly love".

20. Knowing Philly is the best city on Earth!


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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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