I was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Now I live in South Philadelphia. In between, I lived in Washington, DC, and in neighborhoods across Philly.
My favorite nickname for Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. People think Philadelphians aren’t nice, but it’s a misnomer. Neighbors will absolutely look out for you here—they just won’t be polite while they do it.
Our sports culture gets a lot of headlines, and even though I’m not a big sports fan, the Eagles and Phillies energy is contagious. My favorite Philly tradition is how people climb poles in celebration after a big win. Everyone spills out into the streets, and when it gets too crowded, there’s nowhere to go but up. As it turns out, we actually train for this all year: We also have an official grease pole challenge every May during the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival that’s entirely separate from sports.
The most accurate on-screen portrayal of the city is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Sometimes it feels like an ethnographic documentary about the place. So many of the characters are barely exaggerated from people I meet in real life. It captures the heart—and what I can only describe as the “dirtbag energy”—of the city. However, most TV shows and movies get Philly’s working-class accent totally wrong. The Philadelphia and Baltimore accents are closely related, so it’s easy to tell when Hollywood casts New York actors to play Philly locals.
I can’t live without good walking shoes. Philadelphia is a dense, walkable city, and my baseline is 10,000 steps a day. The streets will put a beating on your feet faster than you realize, so if you’re coming to visit, don’t make your footwear pretty—make it comfortable.
A perfect visit to the City of Brotherly Love includes people watching in Rittenhouse Square; exploring some of the city’s 67 National Historic Landmarks, including Independence Hall and Eastern State Penitentiary; and visiting City Hall. Completed in 1901, it was once the tallest masonry structure in the country. The building is adorned with 250 statues—including a 37-foot-tall bronze statue of William Penn on top of the tower.
You know you’re from Philly if you say “jeet yet?”—shorthand for, “Did you eat yet?” It’s a local way of saying, “I’ve got some extra food; do you want some?” and is how Philly shows its warmth, community, and care for its neighbors. You know you’re from Philly if you eat water ice, soft pretzels, and cheesesteaks. It’s hard to get a bad cheesesteak here, and you don’t have to stand in line for an hour to eat one off a car hood. I’ve gotten spectacular cheesesteaks from Chinese corner stores. The best cheesesteak is always the one that’s closest to you when the craving hits.
If I could transport anything from DC to Philadelphia, it would be elements of the Metro system. The architectural grandeur of the stations and those brutalist sound cushions are unbeatable. But DC can keep its humidity. I still haven’t shaken the memory of sweating through my suit while navigating downtown during my first college internship.
When I need to get away, I head to the Jersey Shore. There’s a train that goes straight from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. The shore is a beautiful escape, though sometimes if feels like you never left because Philly basically relocates to the beach for the summer. But my nest is best because of the incredible diversity, the walkability, and the impromptu block parties and hangouts. Philly is also a massive union town—people list their union status on dating apps—which creates tight-knit neighborhoods, incredible camaraderie, and communities that regularly congregate in neighborhood halls and for bingo nights. To top it all off, I love our resilient, historic, and vibrant queer community, which thrives across the entire city.