{"id":41619,"date":"2015-06-10T14:44:44","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T21:44:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=41619"},"modified":"2015-06-10T14:44:44","modified_gmt":"2015-06-10T21:44:44","slug":"things-to-know-about-living-in-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/things-to-know-about-living-in-philadelphia\/","title":{"rendered":"31 Things You Need To Know About Living In Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Philly Is A Big City With A Small City Feel<\/h2>\n

\"couple-with-ice-cream-cones\"
\n<\/a>Source: Manayunk.com Facebook
\nIt\u2019s the fifth-largest city in the country with around 1.5 million residents, but somehow Philadelphia<\/a> still maintains a small-city feel.
\nResidents are fiercely loyal to their neighborhoods and whether you live in South Philly or the Northeast, you have what you need close by and it\u2019s probably at a deli.<\/p>\n

2. It Should Be Called The City Of Brotherly Love And A Little Bit Of Attitude<\/h2>\n

\"boy-wearing-philadelphia-shirt\"
\n<\/a>Source: Pinterest
\nPhilly is filled with good-hearted people but with that also comes a little bit of attitude. They don\u2019t sugar coat things and they don\u2019t need to talk behind your back.
\nThey\u2019ll tell you straight to your face what they think. But they\u2019ll also help you out if you need it.<\/p>\n

3. The People On Your Block Are Now Your Extended Family, So Be Nice<\/h2>\n

\"guys-hanging-out\"
\n<\/a>Source: Manayunk.com Facebook
\nNeighborhoods can vary block to block in a lot of parts in the city. So when you move here, it\u2019s a good idea to get a feel for your block first because that is what will make or break your Philly experience.
\nPick a good one, be friendly and trustworthy and your neighbors will watch out for you, your home, your car, and your kids. You might get a pretty sweet block party every summer, too.<\/p>\n

4. Philly Is Really Hip These Days<\/h2>\n

\"friends-on-porch-at-restaurant\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia \u2013 visitphilly.com
\nThe city\u2019s growth has made Philly ridiculously hip. The Riverwalk, the Made In America tour, the newly launched bike-share program, the endless museums, the food<\/a>, and all those pop up beer gardens! Hipsters officially love Philly.<\/p>\n

5. But It\u2019s Also Family-Friendly<\/h2>\n

\"kids-at-fountain\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art Facebook
\nThanks to museums like the Franklin Institute and the Please Touch, the Philadelphia zoo, cool urban playgrounds and mini golf found at Franklin Square, seasonal favorites and awesome events, Philly is definitely a city where there\u2019s no shortage of things to do with kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. The Truth About The Cheesesteaks<\/h2>\n

\"philly-cheesesteak-sandwich\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia \u2013 visitphilly.com Facebook
\nOkay, could you eat cheesesteaks every day for the rest of your life? Of course you could. From the right place (not Pat\u2019s or Geno\u2019s), they\u2019re to die for. But you won\u2019t.
\nWhy? Because they\u2019re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the food to love in Philly and the truth is that roast pork sandwiches are a million times better than the cheesesteaks. There, I said it.<\/p>\n

7. Get A Gym Membership And Use It<\/h2>\n

\"guy-jumping-on-museum-steps\"
\n<\/a>Source: Flickr user Martyn Smith
\nOtherwise, you\u2019re going to need to buy bigger pants fast. The food doesn\u2019t just stop at cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches.
\nHoagies are a Philly institution as well as tomato pies, soft pretzels, water ice\u2026 You get the idea. This isn\u2019t Los Angeles \u2013 salads are a side, not a main course in Philly.<\/p>\n

8. The Hardest Decision Of Your Day Will Be Made At Wawa<\/h2>\n

\"coffees-from-wawa\"
\n<\/a>Source: Wawa Facebook
\nHoagie or a meatball sandwich? Iced tea or an ICEE? Should you go for the 20 ounce coffee or the 16? French roast or Hazelnut? Krimpets or Peanut Butter Kandykakes? Fill it up regular or premium?
\nThese are tough choices. But don\u2019t worry, tomorrow is another day and you\u2019ll be back.<\/p>\n

9. Everything You\u2019ve Heard About Philadelphia Sports Fans Is Complete Bull<\/h2>\n

\"eagles-fans-at-game\"
\n<\/a>Source: trbimg.com
\nPhilly sports fans are not the monsters they\u2019ve been made out to be. They\u2019re fiercely loyal and full of passion. Sometimes that means booing a player who decides to quit on his team.<\/p>\n

10. \u2026Except When It\u2019s Not<\/h2>\n

\"eagles-fans-fighting-at-game\"
\n<\/a>Source: CBS Philly
\nOkay, Eagles court at Vet Stadium didn\u2019t exist for no reason. Yeah, you can find the occasional rowdy fan in the crowd but I dare you to visit any stadium in the country and say different.
\nBut for the sake of discretion, leave the Cowgirls gear at home.<\/p>\n

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11. You\u2019d Do Well To Learn The Eagles Song<\/h2>\n

\"eagles-fans-at-mulligans\"
\n<\/a>Source: Tumblr page Philly Founder
\nThis really is Eagles Country. The fastest way to fit in and make friends is to get a jersey and head to your neighborhood dive during a game.
\nBut don\u2019t go without knowing how to \u201cE-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!\u201d or you\u2019ll be marked for life.<\/p>\n

12. Why The Philly Phanatic Is The Mascot Of All Mascots<\/h2>\n

\"philly-phanatic\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia Phillies Facebook
\nWhether the Phils are winning or losing, there\u2019s never a drop of love lost for the Phanatic (of course, it\u2019s always better when they\u2019re winning.)
\nHe\u2019s Philly\u2019s homeboy, just as misunderstood and awesomely strange as they are and they\u2019ll never quit him, whatever he is.<\/p>\n

13. The Dive Bars Are The Best Bars<\/h2>\n

\"murals-on-side-of-building\"
\n<\/a>Source: Dirty Frank\u2019s Facebook
\nDon\u2019t turn away from the bars that look a little rough around the edges. They\u2019re usually the best ones in the city.
\nPhilly\u2019s dive bar scene is top notch so don\u2019t waste your money in those uppity joints.<\/p>\n

14. And There\u2019s A BYOB Almost Everywhere<\/h2>\n

\"victory-beers-on-outdoor-table\"
\n<\/a>Source:
\nBecause PA\u2019s weird liquor laws make it hard to get a license to serve, the city has over 250 restaurants where you can bring your own, saving you major bucks.
\nShow your Philly love and bring some local selections like Yards, Philadelphia Brewing, Victory, or the PA favorite, Yeungling.<\/p>\n

15. About That Accent<\/h2>\n

\"keanue-reeves-meme\"
\n<\/a>Source:
\nPhiladelphians will fight you on this one hard. \u201cWater\u201d becomes \u201cwooder\u201d and \u201cdog\u201d become \u201cdawg\u201d and the really thick accents even change \u201cEagles\u201d into \u201cIggles.\u201d
\nHardly anyone in Philly admits to having this accent, of course, but almost everyone who grew up here has at least a touch of it.<\/p>\n

16. And Then There\u2019s This Jawn<\/h2>\n

\"jawn-meme\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philly Mag
\nSpeaking of accents, Philly has a smidge of its own language, too. The plural of \u201cyou\u201d becomes \u201cyouse\u201d or even \u201cyouse guys.\u201d And when someone says the word \u201cjawn,\u201d they\u2019re just describing a thing that they probably couldn\u2019t think of the word for immediately.
\nSo, \u201chey, check out this jawn\u201d basically means \u201clook at this.\u201d<\/p>\n

17. Philly Is Way More Progressive Than You Thought<\/h2>\n

\"women-at-liberty-bell\"<\/p>\n

Source: Visit Gay Philly Facebook<\/div>\n

Philadelphia was just named the sixth gay-friendly city in the country, so fly your flags proudly while you\u2019re here. Everyone is welcome.<\/p>\n

18. And History Is Way Cooler Than It Was In High School<\/h2>\n

\"historical-celebration\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia \u2013 visitphilly.com Facebook
\nBeing the first for everything? It\u2019s kind of special. And one stroll through Old City and you won\u2019t forget it.
\nGranted, the last time a Philadelphian visited the Liberty Bell was during their 5th grade field trip, but they all love having it and the rest of the country\u2019s history right here.<\/p>\n

19. Don\u2019t Believe The Crime Hype\u2026 Well, Not All Of It<\/h2>\n

\"city-street-at-night\"
\n<\/a>Source: Visit Gay Philly Facebook
\nPhiladelphia has definitely had its share of crime issues. But what big city hasn\u2019t? This is not the war zone outsiders think it is, but if you don\u2019t have common sense, develop it fast.
\nPay attention to your surroundings, keep your head up, walk with a partner at night, avoid obvious red flags, don\u2019t keep valuables in your car and you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p>\n

20. Be Careful How And Where You Park That Car Unless You Want A Ticket<\/h2>\n

\"giant-joke-parking-ticket\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philly.com
\nThe Philadelphia Parking Authority (locally known as the PPA) is not messing around. If you think you can park in that handicap space on South Street for two minutes to grab a cup of coffee, you\u2019re going to come back to find a $300 ticket.<\/p>\n

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21. You Never Have To Worry About Getting Sick<\/h2>\n

\"childrens-hospital-at-night\"<\/p>\n

Source: Huffington Post<\/div>\n

With CHOP there for your kids and other prestigious medical facilities including those at Hahnemann, Temple, UPenn, Jefferson and more, you\u2019ll rest a little easier knowing that if anything were to happen, you have the best care available.<\/p>\n

22. Looking For An Education? You\u2019re In The Right Place<\/h2>\n

\"college-graduates\"
\n<\/a>Source: University of Pennsylvania Facebook
\nBecome a lawyer, a doctor, or an engineer at prestigious colleges including The University of Pennsylvania, Temple, and Drexel University.
\nOr become a professional dancer, musician or artist thanks to schools like Tyler and The University of the Arts. Whatever you\u2019re here to learn, Philly\u2019s got it.<\/p>\n

23. Only Your Neighborhood Is Walkable<\/h2>\n

\"people-cycling-through-city\"<\/p>\n

Source: Philadelphia \u2013 visitphilly.com Facebook<\/div>\n

The city is surprisingly big and it\u2019s very spread out. Even walking downtown from one end to the
\nother becomes a mission.
\nYour neighborhood will still be walkable, but unless you have a car, you\u2019ll want to look into public transportation or the new bike share program.<\/p>\n

24. SEPTA Will Get You Where You Need To Go, But You\u2019ll Probably Be Late<\/h2>\n

\"septa-train\"
\n<\/a>Source: Biconews.com
\nYou\u2019ll curse SEPTA out at least three times a week. But it\u2019s still a pretty great way to get around the city.
\nAnd if you work downtown, it beats finding and paying for parking every day. Just allow yourself extra time.<\/p>\n

25. You\u2019ll Never Get Lost<\/h2>\n

\"traffic-commuting\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia \u2013 visitphilly.com Facebook
\nThe city is set up in a nearly fool-proof grid pattern with every other street running one-way east, the other one-way west. This is great because even when you don\u2019t know where you\u2019re going, you\u2019re never really lost.
\nBut the commutes around the city will still test your patience, especially when the Schuylkill, the Blue Route, and the evil Boulevard are involved.<\/p>\n

26. You\u2019ll Become An Art Snob Whether You Want To Or Not<\/h2>\n

\"people-hanging-out-at-magic-gardens\"
\n<\/a>Source: Philadelphia\u2019s Magic Gardens Facebook
\nWith a city full of murals, the Avenue of the Arts, art students attending the top-schools, museums, galleries, and random guerilla art, it\u2019s impossible not to love art when you live in Philly.<\/p>\n

27. Philly Had The Italian Market And Reading Terminal Markets Long Before Farmers Markets Became Trendy<\/h2>\n

\"people-shopping-at-farmers-market\"
\n<\/a>Source: City Data
\nBut don\u2019t worry, from spring through fall, there are a ton of farmers markets, too. But you\u2019ll still find yourself at the Italian Market and Reading Terminal more.<\/p>\n

28. Philly Hates Jersey But Loves The Jersey Shore<\/h2>\n

\"people-on-jersey-shore-boardwalk\"
\n<\/a>Source: Triporati
\nAnd not the show. Summers are spent dodging Tram Cars and seagulls at the Jersey Shore boardwalk.<\/p>\n

29. Philly Is Really Weird\u2026 And That\u2019s A Good Thing<\/h2>\n

\"people-in-costumes-on-stage\"
\n<\/a>Source: Visit Gay Philly Facebook
\nPhilly is undoubtedly one of the quirkiest cities in the country, and I mean that in the best way possible. The stuff that makes it weird, like the Mummers, is exactly what makes it so cool.<\/p>\n

30. Do Philadelphians Really Love Rocky?<\/h2>\n

\"woman-in-front-of-rocky-statue\"
\n<\/a>Source: Lindsay Fincher
\nIn a word? Yeah.<\/p>\n

31. When You Hear \u201cDrums, Please!\u201d Drop Everything And Represent<\/h2>\n
Source: YouTube Channel DJJazzyJeffVEVO<\/div>\n

Will Smith is Philly\u2019s golden child. But you don\u2019t need to get jiggy with it. And if you don\u2019t know the words to the full Fresh Prince theme song, you\u2019re not alone.
\nBut when you hear the intro to \u201cSummertime,\u201d you roll down the windows, turn it up, and cruise the streets, proud to call Philly home.
\nLike This Post? You\u2019ll Definitely Love These:<\/b><\/p>\n