This time around high gas prices aren’t the main reason, and the trend is more about a basic shift in attitudes about how people travel in their cities, as well as a generally strong urban economy.
Check out the rest of the article here.
Related:
Taras Grescoe’s Straphanger: learning from car-taming and public transit successes (The Montreal Gazette)
Analysts envision ‘Peak Car’ within a decade (Boston Globe)
The end of car culture (New York Times)
Car-sharing popularity surges in Germany (CBC News)
It appears once again that a list has been made in regards to our beloved Philadelphia. This one looks to be much different though because it’s coming at our city from a place of admiration and respect, rather than ridicule and confusion. I’m actually excited to read this article because I’ve long believed that Philadelphia is underrated in lots of different ways, so much so that I did a post about it a while back along with things that I felt were overrated. Lets see what the Huffington Post (a website I got respect for, by the way) had to say about our fair city:
1. It has over 200 BYOB restaurants—and almost none of them have corkage fees.
It sure does, and that’s awesome. Glad this made the list.
2. It’s the most thrilling, raucous place to watch a sporting event.
That can definitely be the case. Philly sports fans have given me the goosebumps, both the good kind and the bad kind other the years. However, with the exception of the Sixers, Philly sports fans are definitely loyal, loud, and show up to support their teams regardless. I agree.
3. It is an American history nerd’s promised land
As an American history nerd, I couldn’t agree more. I have been to the museums and sights in Philadelphia more times than I can count, and I never get tired of them.
4. The “Citywide Special” consists of a shot of Jim Beam and a can of PBR beer for just $3.
I don’t drink liquor any more, but this is an awesome deal and it’s cool so many bars in Philadelphia have latched on to this idea. If I still drank liquor, you better believe I’d be a huge fan of the Citywide Special. Good looks on this one, Huffington Post.
5. Addison Street is arguably the prettiest street in the entire Northeast
Philadelphia has plenty of pretty streets to choose from, and Addison Street in Rittenhouse Square is definitely high up there. It doesn’t even feel like you’re in Philly when you’re there, and that’s what’s so amazing about Philly is that there are areas where you feel like you’ve temporarily left the city and gone to a small town somewhere. I really like the picture they chose for this one as well. I agree.
6. The soft pretzels will change your mind about street food
Our soft pretzels are definitely awesome, and they definitely hit the spot when you’re absolutely starving and don’t have a lot of money in your pocket. My only gripe on this mention of Philadelphia’s street food scene is that the writer didn’t mention all the awesome food trucks we have circulating around. That’s a small thing though. This was a good thing to include!
7. Or score pretzels from an actual establishment on the midnight Pretzel Ride.
I don’t know anything about this, but it sounds awesome. I want to do this!
8. It’s home to Wing Bowl, one of the wildest eating contests you’ve ever witnessed.
This is probably the only thing on the list that I really have any kind of issue with. I think Wing Bowl is a disgrace, and sets our city back. If you want to read more, here’s why.
9. The city’s massive Eastern State Penitentiary is the best time you’ve ever had at a prison.
Agree. Eastern State is awesome, and so are the people that work there. Always love going to Eastern State.
10. It’s insanely easy to navigate thanks to Walk! Philadelphia, the largest comprehensive pedestrian sign system in North America.
I never thought about this before, but this is definitely pretty wonderful for our peoples from out of town. I assumed all cities have this, but I also never really bothered to look or investigate. Now that I think about it, all cities don’t have something similar to Walk! Philadelphia, and these maps are pretty detailed and complex. If I were from another area, these signs would be of great use to me. Nice one, Huffington Post. I agree with this.
11. The legendary cheesesteaks live up to the lore
Cheesesteaks are quite good, AND the Huffington Post shouted out my people at John’s Roast Pork, which I have written about countless times on there. So much respect for that. They even said, “Sure, you could go to Pat’s and Geno’s,..” before mentioning that John’s Roast Pork has won a James Beard award for their cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches. Someone did their homework, and I love to see the good folks at John’s Roast Pork getting much-deserved love. Well done.
12. The Phillies stadium, Citizens Bank Park, has dollar dog nights
Yes they do, and there’s something magical about those tin-foil wrapped dogs in that they just taste absolutely amazing. This was a great choice for their list. I agree.
13. The Phillies stadium was also rated #1 vegetarian ballpark
I’ve never tried the vegetarian food at Citizens Bank Park, but the fact there are so many options available is definitely pretty wonderful.
14. The Barnes Foundation is one of the quirkiest art museums in America
The Barnes is a pretty amazing place, but you have to suspend yourself from the reality of how the museum got to where it is today in order to enjoy it (in my opinion). Barnes didn’t want his collection of art to ever be in Philadelphia, but there was also a good case to move it out of Merion, where it had been before. The documentary “Art of the Steal” does a good job detailing the story behind Alfred Barnes and his incredible collection of art. Regardless of how you feel about it, these artworks are too amazing to be ignored and must be seen immediately.
15. But if you want a major, mega art museum like the Louvre or the Met, Philly’s got that, too.
A mention of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and not a single reference to the Rocky statue or the Rocky steps? I completely approve. I’m giving a standing ovation right now. The focus was on the art, the way it should be in my opinion. Awesome work with this one.
16. Reading Terminal Market sells almost any kind of cuisine you can think of — including authentic Amish food.
Every time I am entertaining visitors from out of town, I make sure to take them to Reading Terminal Market. Other cities have something similar to this, but Philadelphia’s is probably the most diverse and consistently good. There are so many good places to eat at Reading Terminal Market it’s almost impossible to make up one’s mind. I don’t think anyone could ever accuse this place of being a tourist trap because a lot of locals love it too. Good choice with this one, I agree.
17. Philadelphia will be getting its own bike-share program, and it will actually be accessible
It’s about damn time, and that’s awesome because I’ve used bike-share programs in other cities and I loved them. I constantly found myself wondering why Philadelphia, a city that is easy to bike in as far as terrain goes, didn’t have one yet because I think a lot of people would use it. So happy that a bike-share program is coming to town. This is one of those things that will help propel Philadelphia to a higher level. Happy this made the list.
18. Beer is really, really cheap.
Obviously depends on where you go and when you go, but compared to other cities, like say New York, where everything is expensive just because it’s New York, beer is pretty cheap here. I agree with this.
19. In fact, America’s oldest brewery is right in Philadelphia’s backyard.
My love for Yuengling doesn’t get mentioned enough on this site, but I do truly love a good lager. I love that I can go to any bar in the area, Philadelphia or suburbs, order a lager, and receive a Yuengling. That’s great. The Yuengling tour is great too, and you should definitely make the trek out to Pottsville in Schuylkill County if you haven’t because you’ll get some free beer out of it. My only issue with this, and this is nit-picky, is that Pottsville is not in Philadelphia’s backyard—it’s almost two hours away from here. That’s minor though, nice job with the inclusion of Yuengling.
20. The music scene is fierce, independent and embodying Philly’s “fight the man” attitude.
Philly does have a great independent music scene, and the writer even mentioned the great work R5 Productions is doing to promote the local music scene. Fantastic!
21. Federal Donuts is so good, you’ll never eat at Dunkin Donuts again.
THIS IS SO TRUE I HAVE TO USE ALL CAPS FOR IT. First off, I hate donuts, but l love the ones at Federal Donuts and go out of my way to get them for myself, friends, and family. Second, I was offered a donut from Dunkin recently. I took one small bite, and was repulsed. It was so sweet I felt like I was going to get insta-diabetes. Federal Donuts is just incredible—and their fried chicken is awesome too. Happy to see this place getting publicity, they’re good people over there.
22. The Philadelphia Eagles have the best fight song of any football team.
The Eagles fight song is really fun to sing, especially when you’re trying to taunt opposing fans you might be watching a game with either at home or at a stadium. It’s good to see the fight song getting love here. Nice!
23. Boathouse Row is one of the most beautiful places to run, hike, or stroll.
It’s beautiful, absolutely. How many times have you almost crashed your car on the Schuylkill Expressway from gazing at the beauty that is Boathouse Row? Too many to count for me. Good addition to the list.
24. It boasts some of the most accessible, scenic races for runners.
I don’t do races, but I definitely could see this being true.
25. It’s bursting with a vibrant arts community, including numerous artist-run collectives.
I definitely didn’t expect to see this on the list, but I’m glad it was on there because it’s definitely accurate. Huffington Post did their homework on this. Great job.
26. Some of the best restaurateurs in the world have set up shop in Philadelphia.
Absolutely. Philadelphia is cementing it’s reputation as one of the best restaurant cities in the country, and rightfully so. I don’t even eat at fancy restaurants, but I have enough friends that do and their Instagram pictures of food look amazing.
27. Fairmount Park is one of the largest city-owned parks in the country.
And as the writer said, “It’s drop-dead gorgeous.” It sure is. We’re in agreement, lets move on.
28. Native New Yorker Jay Z set his “Made In America” festival in Philly.
Made in America was a good time when I went last year. It was very well organized and well-run. I left when I started to feel uncomfortable due to the large crowds, which I don’t do too well with, but everyone seemed to be having a good time and enjoying themselves. It’s cool this is in Philadelphia.
29. If you love drag, you can get a weekly fix at Bob & Barbara’s.
This might be one of my favorite items on this list. Drag shows are a lot of fun, and the people at them are usually really cool as well. How often do you see anything about Philadelphia drag shows on a list about the city? Never, until now. So glad this was included. Bob and Barbara’s is a good place as well.
30. The Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride is a bold celebration of body image.
Yes, yes it is. Another event that I wholly endorse and appreciate. Nothing more to say here. I agree.
31. Wawa.
It’s what I missed most when I was away at college, and something I take for granted all the time. Wawa is excellent, their food is excellent, the experience is like going to church. Two thumbs way up for this. Well done Huffington Post.
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In conclusion, this is by far, one of the best lists ever done about Philadelphia. It was well-written, and an excellent tribute to many things that make our city great. I would have liked to see less things about food, and more things about Philadelphia’s culture and sights, but in general I think this article paid our city appropriate homage and tribute. All too often, articles about Philadelphia only mention the touristy things, and leave out the little quirks that really make a place special. This article not only mentioned some of those quirks, but celebrated them. I’m really happy with this, and it warms my heart that so many people have sent it to me.
If you have the energy, you can print a complete playable board game using our free PDF files. These are the meat-and-potatoes free games from Cheapass Games.
I’ve played a few of these games and they’re worth it. Also: why NOT share free games?
These seven urban qualities have not surprised planners and real estate people in the region. Rather it confirms what is already known that people in Stockholm search for walkability and high quality public space.
This past year, fourteen cyclists died on the streets of London.
With the dangerous city roads in mind, British architect Norman Foster has unveiled Skycycle: a network of car-free bicycle paths elevated above London’s railways.
If this concept is approved, it could actually appear in 20 years.
Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season! Thanks to all of you — readers,contributors, rebloggers, retweeters, and lurkers — for another rewarding year at the helm of Transit Maps. I really couldn’t do it without you!
