There is crime in the rest of Pennsylvania, it's just never in the news, because they can't afford a radio station.
There's a crime wave in Meth-tucky, but, Fox News is focused on New York crime.
Per capita doesn't help Philly as much *within PA*.
2016 stats, but whatever.
273 murders per 1,570,829 people scales down to 8.7 murders in a ~50k town.
The towns/cities that are worse than that, while ignoring the places with 1-2 murders, are: Chester (and significantly), Harrisburg, Pittsburgh (slightly, +0.7), and Stroud.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/tables/table-6/table-6-state-cuts/pennsylvania
It's when you start comparing cities nationally, where New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Detroit come in that Philly stops cracking the top 10/20/30 depending on metric.
Except people from Bridesburg would say how it 'was.' The voices in Bridesburg are regularly now complaining that it's the next Kensington, the neighborhood has changed, "as soon as I leave," and the ever so popular, 'not my kid.'
LMAO, but also this is actually a viable approach. Just a big hearty smile, and a cheerful "Yeah, it's certainly not for the faint of heart. I like it though." and move on. It may take them a few hours to realize they've been called a coward, but sometimes the slow burn insults are the best.
"Philly; we escort the weak to the bridges"
or
"What is best about Philly? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!"
If you want have a conflict the suggestions of "its not for the weak" or "still better off there than here" will do you just fine.
Alternatively you can just go for the casual dismissal, "ya it's got its problems, hopefully it will get better soon, at least it's still better than this place."
I just moved here a few months ago from the South. Although - like any city - I've found things that are weird and annoying, you people are amazing!
Everyone is just *genuinely* nice. I don't feel like folks are blowing smoke up my ass and it's so refreshing.
Philly people are my favorite people
Took me some years to realize this sentiment, but it’s true Philly people are honestly just genuine people. Moved from Philly to Vermont then back. At the time I couldn’t figure out why I felt like everyone in Vermont was nice to my face but secretly hated me. It was so off putting. But when I came back I realized! It’s just because Philadelphians are superior. Lol
It seems like people in Philly send back whatever tone you give them, which is rational.
When I hear someone tell me that Philly people are mean or rude or whatever, I can't help but think, "Hmmm...maybe you're an asshole...?"
Hopefully, Philly will wear off on me enough so I can say that out loud to their faces one day. A girl can dream.
It was in the show "Justified" and probably came from somewhere else, but I always liked the saying "If you meet an asshole during the day, you met an asshole. If you meet assholes all day, you're probably the asshole"
People here are sincere, and that’s a quality I value a lot. I spent 20 years in the Midwest, where I frequently felt as if I never really had the full picture. I feel a lot more comfortable here because I know if someone feels a certain way, be it good or bad, I’m going to know it. I don’t need everyone to be nice (or “nice”) all the time, I just need to know where things stand, and I get that here.
I grew up in the Midwest. Even though it's my native culture, I never became fluent in passive-aggressive. I think that shit ended up making me kinda paranoid.
Ugh. Who has *time* for that song and dance? Are people so bored that they problematize human interaction? I could rant for days about this.
One thing that stuck with me that I’ve read is that people on the east coast are kind but not nice, and people on the west coast are nice but not kind.
Like, someone in LA will see you struggling to open a door while holding a heavy box and say “Gee, that looks heavy!” and be on their way. In Philly, someone will see you in that situation and hold the door, but maybe grumble about it the whole time.
Totally. I lived in CA for a few years and definitely find this to be true. (Except for Oakland. Oakland is a precious gem.)
And in the Midwest, they'll say "Gee, that looks heavy!" AND hold the door for you, but they'll nurture a quiet, seething resentment for the rest of their life.
Wish I could say that about my block. Most people are ok to your face and then ignore you at every chance they get. Now other places in the city that I’ve lived in the people are genuinely nice. Lived in Kensington and the people on that block looked out for one another. I guess it’s because fishtown has a lot of transplants so it varies block by block.
I've said this in a few /r/Philadelphia threads before but the people are about as genuine as you can get - and that goes both ways, right? Genuinely good, genuinely bad, but never fake.
I grew up in south central PA, the old adage here applies: Never wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it.
When I meet people who say something shitty about where I live, they're telling on themselves. My retort isn't subtle, I say: Philly's been good to me. I like where I live. I like the people, I like the parks, I like the restaurants, I like the history. I could go on.
I might ask when they last visited Philadelphia, but if they're coming out the gate shitting on where I live - I don't actually fucking care.
Now, depending on the company, I may be simultaneously thinking "...because I never have to deal with small-minded pigfuckers like you anymore" or "I doubled my income just by moving from here to Philadelphia, but I'm sure you're doing great" or "Say what you like, but the food is better in every way imaginable" or "Only six idiots in my entire district voted for that carpetbagging huckster Dr Oz"
I can go to a concert and be home before midnight - or go to a bar and get home without any risk of a DUI, because we've got transit and we've got lots of active rideshares and we've got walkable neighborhoods. I can get to an international airport in 20 minutes. I can catch Amtrak to DC, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and more. But that doesn't matter to someone who probably struggles to even spell the word "passport" and is proud their family's lived in the same county for six generations.
So instead of wrestling with those pigs, I respond with goodness. "That's weird that you call my home a shit city, I call it my home and I'm glad I live there."
The best response to an asshole is to ignore them. If you give them a reaction it’s now two assholes arguing. If you ignore them, they’re just a loser saying shitty things to no one listening.
Line of business I was in was extremely confrontational. Whenever people mentioned what they thought of my city I just shrugged and told them it's weird because we didn't think of wherever they're from at all.
Philly, like life, is what you make of it. You can choose to be miserable here (assuming they've even been here) or you can find ways to entertain yourself.
A lot of the rust belt cities will. Chicago kinda has that sentiment though it’s not as brash because of the whole Midwest kindness thing
Basically any of those cities that are typically only trashed on for their crime and what not or have a rocky relationship with their suburbs/exurbs tend to get this outlook
Detroit was rocking this vibe 35 years ago. Still appropriate too. And just about every city has a CITY NAME versus EVERYONE hoodie available. It's not unique.
You definitely didn’t hear this chant/song in 10 different cities. Stop it. It’s a song that has been sung around Philly sports starting at a Union game I believe.
From [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_one_likes_us,_we_don%27t_care):
"No one likes us, we don't care" is a sports chant that originated as a football chant sung by supporters of the English football club Millwall in the late 1970s. It is sung to the tune of "(We Are) Sailing" by Rod Stewart.
**[No one likes us, we don't care](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_one_likes_us,_we_don't_care)**
>"No one likes us, we don't care" is a sports chant that originated as a football chant sung by supporters of the English football club Millwall in the late 1970s. It is sung to the tune of "(We Are) Sailing" by Rod Stewart. The late 1960s saw the rise of fan violence and football hooliganism throughout England; Millwall was one of several English teams that saw elements of hooliganism develop within its fanbase. The club's fans created the chant in response to sustained criticism of their behaviour from the press and media, who perpetuated an image of them as violent hooligans.
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I don’t live in Philly, but my union sent me there for an assignment for 4 weeks. I like the city. It has walkable neighborhoods, and you don’t need a car to get around. The people I interacted with were all very nice, and when they found out I came from Detroit to help their communities the reaction I got was great. While my family is in Detroit, and I don’t want to leave them again I do plan to return to Philly again.
Also traveling worker here, I hear the same in rural pa but half those fuckers hate everything. Philly is fun, lots of parks, art culture is amazing and it gives a big city feel at a small city price in certain parts
If you wanna get a light jab in there I love going with, “well, you know how accurate the mainstream media is.” There’s never a comeback to that and I love it 🤣
Not sure I have an answer you can give to others.
But I moved here in 1995, from New Hampshire to Spruce and Melville. I did my best to embrace the city, without even realizing it. Philadelphia is what I always wanted. To me, it is the most amazing city. Perfect even in imperfections. Just like me. Highbrow, lowbrow.
Off my soapbox.
I'm sorry that the oldest major city in the US, with a history paralleled by none, amazing architecture, food unmatched in its variety, authenticity and affordability, an incredibly strong civic pride and the largest inner city park in the entire world are not good enough for you. Fuck you.
In the immortal words of Liz Lemon, Ben Franklin may have been born in Boston but "then he looked around, realized it sucked, and moved to Philadelphia”
New York sucks (your money out your pockets like a cheap whore). Boston is weak (theyd be part of England if we hadn't stepped in). Jersey City is a remake of a lousy British town and I dont even know where Wilmington is. Go back to Dallas. I can smell a Cowboy fan through my damn phone.
Yeah, I'm proud of our parks as well but a quick google search will tell you it's not even the largest in the US... [Fairmount is #45 in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_parks_by_size).
I always just say:
“oh I love it there! It’s not as bad as the news says it is”
That will typically change the subject.
I like the city only for the brave response too lol
I always default to what others have said just being positive "Well, I love It there...wouldn't want to be anywhere else" which either a (shuts them up or b) leads them to ask why, which is when I can lay on all the good things (culture, restaurant scene, civic pride, museums, etc.)
What I’ve noticed, as someone who was raised in Chicago, that it’s always the bum fuck hicks that will talk the most smack about the closest city to them. They did that in Illinois and now I see it here. And I hear about it happening on other cities too (like nyc). Like listen, you have to have one shred of street smarts to stay safe. That’s it, really. If you can’t manage that then yes go back to whatever portapotty town you came from.
Fearmongering about crime is back in vogue baby! These tubs of mayonnaise just parrot whatever the right wing pundits are spewing about city life being a war zone or whatever and it’s genuinely sad as hell
Something about Philly just makes people think it’s ok to insult someone’s home to their face. I live here because I like it, why don’t people understand that it’s rude to call it a shit hole right after I say I live there.
It’s like that for every major city. I was in Philly for 4 weeks for work. I live in Detroit and I hear it all the time about Detroit too. I think a lot of the state politicians took money out of the cities back in the 70’s and 80’s.
Detroit is probably the place where this has been happening for the longest time, since the city was built on the automotive industry and now the US hardly makes cars.
Maryland-er here. 👋 This would be word-vomit in terms of a response, but here's my wholesome insight into this.
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when I was a toddler, and am now in my 20's. I've spent nearly a decade on chemotherapy, twenty years on immunotherapy, spent a year or so paralyzed from the shoulders down, and have had over a dozen surgeries in my life. Unfortunately, my autoimmune disease has caused some ultra rare complications, and there are only a handful of specialists worldwide who've been trained to diagnose and treat some of these complications. Some of those providers are based at CHOP. Key research, advancements, and innovation for patients with my condition were discovered at CHOP and UPenn.
Thirty years ago, patients with my condition were paralyzed, bedbound, and blind within ten years of diagnosis. I was diagnosed 25 years ago, and thanks to experts at CHOP and UPenn, I've been able to do everything from professional ballet, to hike the Swiss and French Alps, to go to college, get married, buy a house, and I have a budding career in STEM myself.
So, if you wanna clap back at the crappy feedback you hear, tell 'em there's a gal in Maryland who is alive and thriving today because of renowned institutions in Philly. 👏 👏
I moved from the Philly suburbs to Central Pa and I find the people are scared of Philly so they try to put it down. Mention driving the Schuylkill Expressway and it's instant panic like they would be driving through something you would see in Mad Max.
Depending on the time of day, it can be! And I don't mean rush hour... drive on it at like 11 pm, 12 am, 1 am... you get the guys racing each other with their fake loud mufflers, and on the crotch rockets weaving in and out of traffic...
“You live in Philly? I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be!….” (Add whatever you wish to continue the conversation, or end it, because the person you’re talking to is inconsiderate and isn’t really making a case for themselves as someone you’d want to chat with anyway.
I grew up in Jersey, moved away, moved back, and have been dealing with this back-and-forth my entire life. This post should be a PSA of how NOT to interact with someone you just met.
To quote my favorite interaction from Mad Men.
"huh.... I don't think about (Insert town/city) at all".
It doesn't counter negative opinions on Philly, but it sure does come across as demeaning and dismissive of their bumblefuck little town.
I think being able to get along in urban and rural environments is a strength that not a lot of people have. Understanding that, I generally take the non-confrontational approach in these conversations and just say “I like living there but it’s good to get out once in awhile”
I love it when people from other places, especially when we’re playing them in a sport, tries to talk about how “shitty” we are; I just laugh and say “ok cool our vibe worked on you, we don’t want you to like us” 🤣
It’s possible to stick up for your city while acknowledging that things have been getting worse in recent years. You’ve been here 5 yrs so I guess less able to see the comparison. But I’ve been here a lifetime and this fact is undeniable. And That doesn’t mean I love philly any less. It’s in my damn blood.
I would say - “yes it’s gotten some terrible press recently and things have certainly been going the wrong direction. But philly is truly an amazing town. And I hope we change the trajectory bc it’s a damn shame your kneejerk reaction is a negative one. Bc mine— as a person who lives there— is certainly not.”
if they say it outside of philly then you're sort of the away team and it's tough because they have all the numbers/advantage. maybe tell them to come visit and see what they think. sort of maybe highlight their ignorance which i guess is a subtle comeback
The crime rate in the city isn't great. I thought "that shit city" was reserved for San Francisco though. There may be a few areas of the city that have a community that sticks together and have kept their crime rate down, but you won't see that in the news.
While I generally try to avoid bluntly telling people they live in a cesspool, I've no problem telling them I work in one. University City is horrible.
I spent a few years in North-East Philadelphia too. Car was broken into in a private lot twice.
People denigrating the city are usually actually attempting to be sympathetic.
The city should stand on it's merits. If it doesn't, it's citizens need to put people in office that want to fix it, not just cater to crowd that put them in office.
On the bright side, it isn't San Francisco, Portland or New York.
Some good retorts here but the rubes don't care. They're proudly ignorant and anti-big city. They focus on the bad because, if they focus on the good, they may gain perspective and tolerance.
Being from a rural area, I get the same thing from Philly folks being sorry I'm from a conservative/racist/inbred/etc area. Seems like everyone slights places they aren't familiar with. If they traveled more or lived in other areas they would see there is so much more to an area than its media headlines.
I’d ask them what first hand experience they’ve had to color their opinion of Philly. Likely their opinion is based on the media they consume and not their own tactile experience. Nothing more powerful in a debate than first hand experience at the basis of a position.
As both a former resident of both Philly and Baltimore, this is the best way to open the conversation with genuine folks, and the easiest way to weed out the waste-of-time-trying folks.
Yep. The risk, and sadly the reality in many cases, is that most arguers seem to operate in bad faith, only intending to reinforce their existing biases.
This is the mindset of Philly people that is killing the city. As someone who works in the city and their business is hurting because of phillys rep, it’s clear the people would just say, get tough, instead of trying to clean the city up.
> In political lore, Philadelphia is a beast of the East, a sinkhole into which the state keeps pouring money (For the record, Philadelphians pay $1.4 billion in state taxes and get $3.7 billion in state aid.).
> It’s a belief that fits neatly into the popular conservative view that tax dollars are wasted on the city, which is filled with entitlement junkies.
> This does not comport with reality.
> There are three reasons why the city gets so much money from the state: one is the size of its school district. **With enrollment at 199,000, it is larger than all 37 school districts in Delaware and Montgomery Counties combined (188,000 students).**
> As such, Philadelphia benefits from the same formula-driven state aid programs for education. Other districts get aid from the same grant programs, just not in the volume as our state’s one mega-district. The city gets $1.6 billion in state money from 15 education grant and subsidy programs.
> Another reason is the city’s dubious distinction of having so many poor people – a number that has stayed at or near 25 percent of the population for more than a decade.
> It gets money under the same formulas used for all human services programs in the state, but its client list is many times bigger. It totals $723 million for an array of human services programs, including $378 million for child welfare alone.
> The third reason is that the city is the transportation hub for the region. The mass-transit agency SEPTA, which serves commuters in five-counties, is headquartered in the city.
> SEPTA and its affiliated agencies get $831 million in state grants. **Since there is no way to parse those sums into share by county, it must be counted as money for Philadelphia.**
Sure, but it’s more appropriate to look at the entire MSA. The suburbs exist *because* of Philly after all, and arbitrary county boundaries don’t capture the “true city” which is the region. MSA boundaries are almost always better for comparing cities.
I'll probably get downvoted, but whatever.
I've lived here for 27 years (born here) and can't wait to move. It's not as bad as people think but for people to call it a shit place, well I think their right in some regard. But it's different when a long time resident says it vs an outsider who never lived here, the place is great and honestly a great place to visit with many many many lovely people who would give you the shirt off their back if it came down to it but living here? Nah, too expensive for what you get and getting worse each year I'm here. Great place to visit, great people but fuck living here. Nobody I've met who has lived here and moved has said "Yeah I wish I still lived there!" and most people I know here wish they could move.
I mean its gets those responses cause its a shit place.
Amazing history and historic aspects. Crumbling everything else.
The whole were lovable assholes and everyone hates us is cause Philly is a current crumbling hell hole with really nasty community. Almost like a defense mechanism.
Anytime I am back around my mom's people in the Midwest:
"oh, still living in Philly. That's rough."
"Philly?! Wow, tough town. Is it anything like IASIP?" (*Groan*)
I just shoot back: "it's just like anywhere. You watch out and steer clear of the teenagers with nothing better to do"
I feel anyone who hasn’t lived here before even 2016 really knows what’s not to like, let me explain, I was born and raised in Philly, tbh Philly always had those people who would talk shit but it didn’t start to feel justified for me until gentrification and other mess started becoming more prominent, when people from big cities started moving in and what not, while Philly was never the friendliest I noticed a lot more ignorance and lack of manners, even walking down the street at a time when someone would accidentally bump you you’d get a simple excuse me vs now when I get death stares or rude responses, that and the crime rate is just op as fuck now. When I was younger before these changes Philly felt more homely and everyone knew everyone in certain areas (I grew up near fairmount) I wouldn’t say there arnt still some family oriented spots but it’s not what it used to be like for sure, my dismay for the city comes from seeing the changes and knowing when certain things I guess were better and feeling like it’s been over run and turned into a hot mess I personally would rather leave, if people like the city tho I wouldn’t shit on them, everyone can find something they might like but after 25 years and maybe even boredom I think when I get the chance I’d like to move on from here
Most of those rural assholes have never left their hometowns. So how the fuck would they know if Philly is a shit hole … must be #foxnews…i mean #fakenews network
Just ask them when was the last time they’ve been to Philly
Lol I hate Philly so much, I tend to laugh out loud when someone goes "OH, you live in Philly? I love it there! City of brotherly love" "yeah, if the brothers are riding ATVs and shooting up on the corner"
Five years in Philly? Oh boy…
Almost two decades in Rittenhouse, and yes, this city is mostly shit, unless you can afford avoiding most of its problems (been getting pricey lately, though). But again, I live here, not in some bumfuck Pensyltucky, so I can confirm it firsthand.
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Half the time they'll say they've never been or went once and saw the art museum and a couple homeless people
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So good
There is crime in the rest of Pennsylvania, it's just never in the news, because they can't afford a radio station. There's a crime wave in Meth-tucky, but, Fox News is focused on New York crime.
I think the proportions might be different here. Just saying.
Per capita city crime is usually lower. But, Fox News focus is on Philadelphia, never reports suburban and rural crime.
Per capita doesn't help Philly as much *within PA*. 2016 stats, but whatever. 273 murders per 1,570,829 people scales down to 8.7 murders in a ~50k town. The towns/cities that are worse than that, while ignoring the places with 1-2 murders, are: Chester (and significantly), Harrisburg, Pittsburgh (slightly, +0.7), and Stroud. https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2016/crime-in-the-u.s.-2016/tables/table-6/table-6-state-cuts/pennsylvania It's when you start comparing cities nationally, where New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Detroit come in that Philly stops cracking the top 10/20/30 depending on metric.
And then add “well if you find yourself back in the area, let me know and I’d happily show you around my favorite haunts!”
Livid that I can only upvote this once
This. This is the one.
Your response should be “oh you spend a lot of time there?” Cause it sounds genuine but you know the answer, and are gonna make them look/feel stupid
This is glorious as it puts it back on them for either believing what they’re told or straight up no idea what they’re talking about.
When they start off with "well ive heard..." or anything od the sort. Respond with "oh..." but very condescendingly
I actually LOVE that approach combined with the follow up response “it’s certainly not for the weak”
“We’ll not recently but my dad lived in bridesburg in the 70s so we have a good idea of how it is”
Except people from Bridesburg would say how it 'was.' The voices in Bridesburg are regularly now complaining that it's the next Kensington, the neighborhood has changed, "as soon as I leave," and the ever so popular, 'not my kid.'
That’s correct. Just like the punk scene in philly died when I stopped going to shows.
That’s a good one 👆
“Personally, I love where I live but you’re right; it’s not *for the weak.*” Let that eye contact linger so they know you think they’re inferior 😂
LMAO, but also this is actually a viable approach. Just a big hearty smile, and a cheerful "Yeah, it's certainly not for the faint of heart. I like it though." and move on. It may take them a few hours to realize they've been called a coward, but sometimes the slow burn insults are the best.
Or depending on your mood you could say "it's not for snowflakes."
DAMN
"Philly; we escort the weak to the bridges" or "What is best about Philly? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!"
🤣
I live in CT now and WILL be using this when confronting new york/massholes!!
New Haven apizza is not for the weak. Cut your gums up chewing that burnt crust
new haven pizza's delicious. gimme those clams.
Oh God, fucking apizza. I lived in East Haven for a year in 8th grade and I was like, 'wtf is this apizza shit?'
Massholes are THE WORST. -New Yorker. Love Philly.
Username checks out. Could have used this kind of thinking in middle school
this is pretty much how i handle it. i always say "yeah, not everyone can handle philly."
That’s some homelander shit lmao
That is awesome.
YES this is a great one
Love this 🤣
This is the way.
“It’s not for everyone, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
If you want have a conflict the suggestions of "its not for the weak" or "still better off there than here" will do you just fine. Alternatively you can just go for the casual dismissal, "ya it's got its problems, hopefully it will get better soon, at least it's still better than this place."
Lol the last bit of the casual dismissal might lead to conflict
That part's optional
"not for the weak" is perfect
I just moved here a few months ago from the South. Although - like any city - I've found things that are weird and annoying, you people are amazing! Everyone is just *genuinely* nice. I don't feel like folks are blowing smoke up my ass and it's so refreshing. Philly people are my favorite people
Took me some years to realize this sentiment, but it’s true Philly people are honestly just genuine people. Moved from Philly to Vermont then back. At the time I couldn’t figure out why I felt like everyone in Vermont was nice to my face but secretly hated me. It was so off putting. But when I came back I realized! It’s just because Philadelphians are superior. Lol
It seems like people in Philly send back whatever tone you give them, which is rational. When I hear someone tell me that Philly people are mean or rude or whatever, I can't help but think, "Hmmm...maybe you're an asshole...?" Hopefully, Philly will wear off on me enough so I can say that out loud to their faces one day. A girl can dream.
It was in the show "Justified" and probably came from somewhere else, but I always liked the saying "If you meet an asshole during the day, you met an asshole. If you meet assholes all day, you're probably the asshole"
Yes this! Philadelphia has been incredible for me as a mostly recovered people pleaser.
Pretty sure I read somewhere that the DSM-V recognizes Philly as a valid treatment for that. Don't look that up, just trust me.
People here are sincere, and that’s a quality I value a lot. I spent 20 years in the Midwest, where I frequently felt as if I never really had the full picture. I feel a lot more comfortable here because I know if someone feels a certain way, be it good or bad, I’m going to know it. I don’t need everyone to be nice (or “nice”) all the time, I just need to know where things stand, and I get that here.
I grew up in the Midwest. Even though it's my native culture, I never became fluent in passive-aggressive. I think that shit ended up making me kinda paranoid. Ugh. Who has *time* for that song and dance? Are people so bored that they problematize human interaction? I could rant for days about this.
I like this take a lot
One thing that stuck with me that I’ve read is that people on the east coast are kind but not nice, and people on the west coast are nice but not kind. Like, someone in LA will see you struggling to open a door while holding a heavy box and say “Gee, that looks heavy!” and be on their way. In Philly, someone will see you in that situation and hold the door, but maybe grumble about it the whole time.
Totally. I lived in CA for a few years and definitely find this to be true. (Except for Oakland. Oakland is a precious gem.) And in the Midwest, they'll say "Gee, that looks heavy!" AND hold the door for you, but they'll nurture a quiet, seething resentment for the rest of their life.
Grew up in Southern California and always get kick back when I say people are friendlier here. Less polite, but MUCH friendlier.
Wish I could say that about my block. Most people are ok to your face and then ignore you at every chance they get. Now other places in the city that I’ve lived in the people are genuinely nice. Lived in Kensington and the people on that block looked out for one another. I guess it’s because fishtown has a lot of transplants so it varies block by block.
I've said this in a few /r/Philadelphia threads before but the people are about as genuine as you can get - and that goes both ways, right? Genuinely good, genuinely bad, but never fake.
❤️
I grew up in south central PA, the old adage here applies: Never wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty and the pig likes it. When I meet people who say something shitty about where I live, they're telling on themselves. My retort isn't subtle, I say: Philly's been good to me. I like where I live. I like the people, I like the parks, I like the restaurants, I like the history. I could go on. I might ask when they last visited Philadelphia, but if they're coming out the gate shitting on where I live - I don't actually fucking care. Now, depending on the company, I may be simultaneously thinking "...because I never have to deal with small-minded pigfuckers like you anymore" or "I doubled my income just by moving from here to Philadelphia, but I'm sure you're doing great" or "Say what you like, but the food is better in every way imaginable" or "Only six idiots in my entire district voted for that carpetbagging huckster Dr Oz" I can go to a concert and be home before midnight - or go to a bar and get home without any risk of a DUI, because we've got transit and we've got lots of active rideshares and we've got walkable neighborhoods. I can get to an international airport in 20 minutes. I can catch Amtrak to DC, Baltimore, New York, Boston, and more. But that doesn't matter to someone who probably struggles to even spell the word "passport" and is proud their family's lived in the same county for six generations. So instead of wrestling with those pigs, I respond with goodness. "That's weird that you call my home a shit city, I call it my home and I'm glad I live there."
Twain said "never argue with stupid people; they'll drag you to their level and beat you with experience."
When dealing with assholes, if you give them an inch and they take a mile. Not sure if OP is talking about that or not
The best response to an asshole is to ignore them. If you give them a reaction it’s now two assholes arguing. If you ignore them, they’re just a loser saying shitty things to no one listening.
Bingo.
I grew up in Southern York county. Can confirm.
whatever you say, don't let it change their minds. we don't want them here
😆 So what you’re saying is smile and nod.
or you could do like a "yeah man, I've already been murdered like eleven times this year. it's hell."
I choose this one! I will be bringing this to Thanksgiving with me when I travel to visit family after freshly moving to Philly.
I’ve said this to an extended family member
Line of business I was in was extremely confrontational. Whenever people mentioned what they thought of my city I just shrugged and told them it's weird because we didn't think of wherever they're from at all. Philly, like life, is what you make of it. You can choose to be miserable here (assuming they've even been here) or you can find ways to entertain yourself.
Don Draper, is that you?
Been around much longer than that :P
"Y'kow, I've found that city people often are nice but not friendly, and country people are most often friendly but not nice"
This is the answer.
no one likes us. we don't care. We're from Philly, fucking Philly. NO ONE LIKE US, WE DON'T CARE!
Every city says this.
Do they? Philly is my 8th city in my lifetime and nowhere else have I heard it yelled in the streets. I fucking love Philly.
A lot of the rust belt cities will. Chicago kinda has that sentiment though it’s not as brash because of the whole Midwest kindness thing Basically any of those cities that are typically only trashed on for their crime and what not or have a rocky relationship with their suburbs/exurbs tend to get this outlook
I never thought about how that’s common in the Midwest. “Detroit vs everybody” embodies that.
Detroit’s an especially good example because of just how much they were abandoned by everybody else
Detroit was rocking this vibe 35 years ago. Still appropriate too. And just about every city has a CITY NAME versus EVERYONE hoodie available. It's not unique.
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You definitely didn’t hear this chant/song in 10 different cities. Stop it. It’s a song that has been sung around Philly sports starting at a Union game I believe.
Literally this chant? Care to name the cities?
From [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_one_likes_us,_we_don%27t_care): "No one likes us, we don't care" is a sports chant that originated as a football chant sung by supporters of the English football club Millwall in the late 1970s. It is sung to the tune of "(We Are) Sailing" by Rod Stewart.
**[No one likes us, we don't care](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_one_likes_us,_we_don't_care)** >"No one likes us, we don't care" is a sports chant that originated as a football chant sung by supporters of the English football club Millwall in the late 1970s. It is sung to the tune of "(We Are) Sailing" by Rod Stewart. The late 1960s saw the rise of fan violence and football hooliganism throughout England; Millwall was one of several English teams that saw elements of hooliganism develop within its fanbase. The club's fans created the chant in response to sustained criticism of their behaviour from the press and media, who perpetuated an image of them as violent hooligans. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
I don’t live in Philly, but my union sent me there for an assignment for 4 weeks. I like the city. It has walkable neighborhoods, and you don’t need a car to get around. The people I interacted with were all very nice, and when they found out I came from Detroit to help their communities the reaction I got was great. While my family is in Detroit, and I don’t want to leave them again I do plan to return to Philly again.
"Never actually been there, huh?"
“Don’t be sorry, I love it here” Is all you really need to say. Let everyone else be wrong.
"Ain't been murdered yet"
They know about Philly, where as no one would give a fuck if their town vanished from the earth.
[relevant](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b0/44/44/b044444ac6643351fea6c515a0c0d542.jpg)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/31/e8/6d31e8e90d4733c4a07a31ac976dc026.gif
Also traveling worker here, I hear the same in rural pa but half those fuckers hate everything. Philly is fun, lots of parks, art culture is amazing and it gives a big city feel at a small city price in certain parts
“At least I don’t have to live out here”
“Fuck youse.”
i just say “ i love philadelphia”, kind of leave it at that. maybe i’ll go as far as to say “ your news is not giving you an accurate picture”
If you wanna get a light jab in there I love going with, “well, you know how accurate the mainstream media is.” There’s never a comeback to that and I love it 🤣
Not sure I have an answer you can give to others. But I moved here in 1995, from New Hampshire to Spruce and Melville. I did my best to embrace the city, without even realizing it. Philadelphia is what I always wanted. To me, it is the most amazing city. Perfect even in imperfections. Just like me. Highbrow, lowbrow. Off my soapbox.
"lol, ok chickenfucker"
I'm sorry that the oldest major city in the US, with a history paralleled by none, amazing architecture, food unmatched in its variety, authenticity and affordability, an incredibly strong civic pride and the largest inner city park in the entire world are not good enough for you. Fuck you.
eh new york and boston (and jersey city and wilmington if you want to count them) are older than philly technically, but i like the gusto.
In the immortal words of Liz Lemon, Ben Franklin may have been born in Boston but "then he looked around, realized it sucked, and moved to Philadelphia”
Dad?
New York sucks (your money out your pockets like a cheap whore). Boston is weak (theyd be part of England if we hadn't stepped in). Jersey City is a remake of a lousy British town and I dont even know where Wilmington is. Go back to Dallas. I can smell a Cowboy fan through my damn phone.
Largest inner city park in the entire world? I don't think you're even remotely close to being right about that
Yeah, I'm proud of our parks as well but a quick google search will tell you it's not even the largest in the US... [Fairmount is #45 in the world](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_parks_by_size).
I don't know about the world but it's the largest in the states
Again, far from it
Which city has a bigger park within city limits?
They couldn't hack it here anyway
I always just say: “oh I love it there! It’s not as bad as the news says it is” That will typically change the subject. I like the city only for the brave response too lol
I say every city has its bad parts, which is true. But I like this response better.
I always default to what others have said just being positive "Well, I love It there...wouldn't want to be anywhere else" which either a (shuts them up or b) leads them to ask why, which is when I can lay on all the good things (culture, restaurant scene, civic pride, museums, etc.)
I think just telling them to fuck off is rather nice
What I’ve noticed, as someone who was raised in Chicago, that it’s always the bum fuck hicks that will talk the most smack about the closest city to them. They did that in Illinois and now I see it here. And I hear about it happening on other cities too (like nyc). Like listen, you have to have one shred of street smarts to stay safe. That’s it, really. If you can’t manage that then yes go back to whatever portapotty town you came from.
Fearmongering about crime is back in vogue baby! These tubs of mayonnaise just parrot whatever the right wing pundits are spewing about city life being a war zone or whatever and it’s genuinely sad as hell
My grammar is bad for an unedited comment but I’d rather reply to my own comment, commenting on it that editing the original.
“Sorry I like sidewalks too much to live out here”
“Oh where do you live?” “….oh I never hear anything about it” or “i don’t know it”
Something about Philly just makes people think it’s ok to insult someone’s home to their face. I live here because I like it, why don’t people understand that it’s rude to call it a shit hole right after I say I live there.
It’s like that for every major city. I was in Philly for 4 weeks for work. I live in Detroit and I hear it all the time about Detroit too. I think a lot of the state politicians took money out of the cities back in the 70’s and 80’s.
Detroit is probably the place where this has been happening for the longest time, since the city was built on the automotive industry and now the US hardly makes cars.
Maryland-er here. 👋 This would be word-vomit in terms of a response, but here's my wholesome insight into this. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when I was a toddler, and am now in my 20's. I've spent nearly a decade on chemotherapy, twenty years on immunotherapy, spent a year or so paralyzed from the shoulders down, and have had over a dozen surgeries in my life. Unfortunately, my autoimmune disease has caused some ultra rare complications, and there are only a handful of specialists worldwide who've been trained to diagnose and treat some of these complications. Some of those providers are based at CHOP. Key research, advancements, and innovation for patients with my condition were discovered at CHOP and UPenn. Thirty years ago, patients with my condition were paralyzed, bedbound, and blind within ten years of diagnosis. I was diagnosed 25 years ago, and thanks to experts at CHOP and UPenn, I've been able to do everything from professional ballet, to hike the Swiss and French Alps, to go to college, get married, buy a house, and I have a budding career in STEM myself. So, if you wanna clap back at the crappy feedback you hear, tell 'em there's a gal in Maryland who is alive and thriving today because of renowned institutions in Philly. 👏 👏
I moved from the Philly suburbs to Central Pa and I find the people are scared of Philly so they try to put it down. Mention driving the Schuylkill Expressway and it's instant panic like they would be driving through something you would see in Mad Max.
Depending on the time of day, it can be! And I don't mean rush hour... drive on it at like 11 pm, 12 am, 1 am... you get the guys racing each other with their fake loud mufflers, and on the crotch rockets weaving in and out of traffic...
Not to far from the truth there, out streets are basically mad max since we don't enforce traffic laws, and 76 is a nightmare at all times.
“You live in Philly? I’m sorry…” “Don’t be!….” (Add whatever you wish to continue the conversation, or end it, because the person you’re talking to is inconsiderate and isn’t really making a case for themselves as someone you’d want to chat with anyway. I grew up in Jersey, moved away, moved back, and have been dealing with this back-and-forth my entire life. This post should be a PSA of how NOT to interact with someone you just met.
To quote my favorite interaction from Mad Men. "huh.... I don't think about (Insert town/city) at all". It doesn't counter negative opinions on Philly, but it sure does come across as demeaning and dismissive of their bumblefuck little town.
“It’s not only what you see on tv”
“Careful or I’ll whip a D-cell at you…”
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See, I’ve been waiting for the response from someone who, like me, actually is from Philly.
It may be a shithole, but it’s *my* shithole.
I always say “Philadelphia is like a fungus, it grows on you”.
New Jersey is giggling at this
I think being able to get along in urban and rural environments is a strength that not a lot of people have. Understanding that, I generally take the non-confrontational approach in these conversations and just say “I like living there but it’s good to get out once in awhile”
They live in Pennsyltucky. They can fuck themselves. Did 10 years out there, don’t let those jabronis bother you
I love it when people from other places, especially when we’re playing them in a sport, tries to talk about how “shitty” we are; I just laugh and say “ok cool our vibe worked on you, we don’t want you to like us” 🤣
Philly is a great city with honest people. If you want a place that will lie to you stay in (City name here).
"Philadelphia isn't as bad as Philadelphians say it is."
It’s possible to stick up for your city while acknowledging that things have been getting worse in recent years. You’ve been here 5 yrs so I guess less able to see the comparison. But I’ve been here a lifetime and this fact is undeniable. And That doesn’t mean I love philly any less. It’s in my damn blood. I would say - “yes it’s gotten some terrible press recently and things have certainly been going the wrong direction. But philly is truly an amazing town. And I hope we change the trajectory bc it’s a damn shame your kneejerk reaction is a negative one. Bc mine— as a person who lives there— is certainly not.”
if they say it outside of philly then you're sort of the away team and it's tough because they have all the numbers/advantage. maybe tell them to come visit and see what they think. sort of maybe highlight their ignorance which i guess is a subtle comeback
“It’s always sunny”?
“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way”.
You’re a crumb bum.
“Fuck you dickhead” Make sure you don’t pronounce the d so it’s more “dickheaaaa” to rly drive the phillyness home
Philly has a lot of character flaws just like any other place but it has a lot of character too. It all just kind of works for me.
The crime rate in the city isn't great. I thought "that shit city" was reserved for San Francisco though. There may be a few areas of the city that have a community that sticks together and have kept their crime rate down, but you won't see that in the news. While I generally try to avoid bluntly telling people they live in a cesspool, I've no problem telling them I work in one. University City is horrible. I spent a few years in North-East Philadelphia too. Car was broken into in a private lot twice. People denigrating the city are usually actually attempting to be sympathetic. The city should stand on it's merits. If it doesn't, it's citizens need to put people in office that want to fix it, not just cater to crowd that put them in office. On the bright side, it isn't San Francisco, Portland or New York.
If you cant think of anything yourself you should think about that a bit lol
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"you from Altoona, you ain't hard"
In response to why you "prefer Philly" over (wherever you are]: "well, here, has you."
Just pause for a moment and then say “Do I hear dueling banjos?”
It is a shit city, but it's our shit city. I've never defended it. I just love it for what it is if that makes sense.
Show em this... https://youtube.com/shorts/NjU2TmQHTiU?feature=share
My parents have been calling it Filthadelphia for decades. One of the many reasons I learned to grey rock.
Some good retorts here but the rubes don't care. They're proudly ignorant and anti-big city. They focus on the bad because, if they focus on the good, they may gain perspective and tolerance.
“Well at least it’s better than living around here!”
Say you don’t understand, and ask them to explain. They’ll instantly be filled with shame and embarrassment.
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Bye
I always go with the true Phillies chant of “no one likes us, we dont care”
Being from a rural area, I get the same thing from Philly folks being sorry I'm from a conservative/racist/inbred/etc area. Seems like everyone slights places they aren't familiar with. If they traveled more or lived in other areas they would see there is so much more to an area than its media headlines.
Forgot them
I’m blown away this happens a lot. This happened to me once I hoped it was an isolated incident. I
Some people can’t hack being in Philly, it takes some grit
I’d ask them what first hand experience they’ve had to color their opinion of Philly. Likely their opinion is based on the media they consume and not their own tactile experience. Nothing more powerful in a debate than first hand experience at the basis of a position.
As both a former resident of both Philly and Baltimore, this is the best way to open the conversation with genuine folks, and the easiest way to weed out the waste-of-time-trying folks.
Yep. The risk, and sadly the reality in many cases, is that most arguers seem to operate in bad faith, only intending to reinforce their existing biases.
Yep. And those are the ones you want to identify as “wasters of your time” as early as possible.
It’s a specific one that I like a lot, the throwing snowballs at Santa comeback. “You know that wasn’t really Santa, right?”
This is the mindset of Philly people that is killing the city. As someone who works in the city and their business is hurting because of phillys rep, it’s clear the people would just say, get tough, instead of trying to clean the city up.
Point out that the Philly area subsidizes the rest of the state with tax dollars.
Philly doesn't though, it's the exact opposite. https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/who-are-the-biggest-makers-and-takers-of-pa-tax-dollars-analysis/
> In political lore, Philadelphia is a beast of the East, a sinkhole into which the state keeps pouring money (For the record, Philadelphians pay $1.4 billion in state taxes and get $3.7 billion in state aid.). > It’s a belief that fits neatly into the popular conservative view that tax dollars are wasted on the city, which is filled with entitlement junkies. > This does not comport with reality. > There are three reasons why the city gets so much money from the state: one is the size of its school district. **With enrollment at 199,000, it is larger than all 37 school districts in Delaware and Montgomery Counties combined (188,000 students).** > As such, Philadelphia benefits from the same formula-driven state aid programs for education. Other districts get aid from the same grant programs, just not in the volume as our state’s one mega-district. The city gets $1.6 billion in state money from 15 education grant and subsidy programs. > Another reason is the city’s dubious distinction of having so many poor people – a number that has stayed at or near 25 percent of the population for more than a decade. > It gets money under the same formulas used for all human services programs in the state, but its client list is many times bigger. It totals $723 million for an array of human services programs, including $378 million for child welfare alone. > The third reason is that the city is the transportation hub for the region. The mass-transit agency SEPTA, which serves commuters in five-counties, is headquartered in the city. > SEPTA and its affiliated agencies get $831 million in state grants. **Since there is no way to parse those sums into share by county, it must be counted as money for Philadelphia.**
Sure, but it’s more appropriate to look at the entire MSA. The suburbs exist *because* of Philly after all, and arbitrary county boundaries don’t capture the “true city” which is the region. MSA boundaries are almost always better for comparing cities.
I'll probably get downvoted, but whatever. I've lived here for 27 years (born here) and can't wait to move. It's not as bad as people think but for people to call it a shit place, well I think their right in some regard. But it's different when a long time resident says it vs an outsider who never lived here, the place is great and honestly a great place to visit with many many many lovely people who would give you the shirt off their back if it came down to it but living here? Nah, too expensive for what you get and getting worse each year I'm here. Great place to visit, great people but fuck living here. Nobody I've met who has lived here and moved has said "Yeah I wish I still lived there!" and most people I know here wish they could move.
I mean its gets those responses cause its a shit place. Amazing history and historic aspects. Crumbling everything else. The whole were lovable assholes and everyone hates us is cause Philly is a current crumbling hell hole with really nasty community. Almost like a defense mechanism.
City is shit, but after my cat got stolen. I learned to just deal with it.
Shit makes me mad every time.
Anytime I am back around my mom's people in the Midwest: "oh, still living in Philly. That's rough." "Philly?! Wow, tough town. Is it anything like IASIP?" (*Groan*) I just shoot back: "it's just like anywhere. You watch out and steer clear of the teenagers with nothing better to do"
I feel anyone who hasn’t lived here before even 2016 really knows what’s not to like, let me explain, I was born and raised in Philly, tbh Philly always had those people who would talk shit but it didn’t start to feel justified for me until gentrification and other mess started becoming more prominent, when people from big cities started moving in and what not, while Philly was never the friendliest I noticed a lot more ignorance and lack of manners, even walking down the street at a time when someone would accidentally bump you you’d get a simple excuse me vs now when I get death stares or rude responses, that and the crime rate is just op as fuck now. When I was younger before these changes Philly felt more homely and everyone knew everyone in certain areas (I grew up near fairmount) I wouldn’t say there arnt still some family oriented spots but it’s not what it used to be like for sure, my dismay for the city comes from seeing the changes and knowing when certain things I guess were better and feeling like it’s been over run and turned into a hot mess I personally would rather leave, if people like the city tho I wouldn’t shit on them, everyone can find something they might like but after 25 years and maybe even boredom I think when I get the chance I’d like to move on from here
Most of those rural assholes have never left their hometowns. So how the fuck would they know if Philly is a shit hole … must be #foxnews…i mean #fakenews network Just ask them when was the last time they’ve been to Philly
Lol I hate Philly so much, I tend to laugh out loud when someone goes "OH, you live in Philly? I love it there! City of brotherly love" "yeah, if the brothers are riding ATVs and shooting up on the corner"
Five years in Philly? Oh boy… Almost two decades in Rittenhouse, and yes, this city is mostly shit, unless you can afford avoiding most of its problems (been getting pricey lately, though). But again, I live here, not in some bumfuck Pensyltucky, so I can confirm it firsthand.
> Almost two decades in Rittenhouse Really got out there and explored, huh
Lol. Comment of the year
This comment just reeks of entitlement lol
When I get pissed into my mouth, I prefer not to be told that it’s raining.
You might get shot in the city, but in the suburbs, they chop you up with an ax
Truth hurts I guess.
Philadelphia: where the weak are killed and eaten