Like many young urban professionals, I grew up in the sterility of the suburbs. Cherry Hill, NJ is one of those places with manicured lawns, great public schools and a strip mall with a convenience store at every major intersection. Great place to spend your fort-building-in-the-backyard years. Having Philadelphia so close was a nice luxury, but I never thought that I'd actually live there. When it came time to pick where I would go after high school I selected a University in a suburban setting near a big city — comfortably similar to my hometown.However, at some point during my time at Towson, something changed inside of me. The car dependent lifestyle started to not make sense to me — I would wonder, "why do these 1,000+ people who are all going to the same office park at 9am need to drive individually? Why is the office park so far away from mass transit?" The abundance of corporate chains and big box retailers versus the lack of local ma and pop establishments made me angry — "What ever happened to the American dream of owning a business and treating your customers like family?" It all just didn't add up to me. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was missing from my life but I knew I needed a change of scenery for my own sanity.
During summers and long breaks from college I would come back to South Jersey and spend a lot of time in Philadelphia. I would go "urban hiking" with friends and walk the pristine streets of Society Hill and Rittenhouse Square and even explore what seemed like the great-unknown: Queen Village and Northern Liberties (cut me some slack, this was 2001ish and the mentality was don't go below South Street or above Spring Garden, ever). I became enthralled with the architecture, the grit, the grid, the buzz, the intensity and the density of it all.I was home.
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"A house in the 'burbs and a bitchin' SUV is how I'm never gonna wind up" - Jonah Matranga
5 comments:
I love coming home to the city after being in the suburbs or the great outdoors...even the most quaint streets in Old City feel like Time Square. Lights! Camera! Accessibility!
Well said, Berger.
Better song to quote/post: Talking Heads "The Big Country." Check it out...
I'm all weepy.
Funny how a "suburbanite" pines for Philadelphia and a native couldn't wait to leave. But, wait.... you speak only of CENTER CITY Philadelphia. I'm sure you and your hardcore Philly bros don't have the same feelings for the pale, washed-out and sad Northeast?
I guess the grass is always greener Mr. Pincus.
The Northeast? Isn't that part of Bucks County? But seriously, I have love for the Northeast, I just wish they would have built that Roosevelt Blvd Subway.
Leave it to someone from the Northeast to start dumping on someone's pride!
Don't worry, most people don't consider that the city anyway...especially not natives of every other city neighborhood. So, since it doesn't even really count as Philadelphia, it makes complete sense that you wanted out of where you are from in the same way that Erik did.
Most only grew up in the Northeast because their ancestors hated Center City* and thought they were running away to the suburbs...so what if it still said "Philadelphia" on their mail? It is in the genes of all Northeast natives to complete that exodus, even if it was delayed a few generations.
It LOOKS like the burbs up there to me anyway, and it sure is far enough to be. Erik's beloved Cherry Hill High School East is a mile closer to City Hall than George Washington High in the Northeast, as the crow flies. Cherry Hill West is a mile closer to City Hall than either Northeast HS or Lincoln.
So, no, no Philly Hardcore love for the Northeast because it doesn't count as actual Philadlephia, and nobody there wants to be included as Philadelphia anyway (unless a pro sports team is winning.) It is like loving Cherry Hill because it is in the same US Census Designated Metropolitan Area.
Besides, there do exist some who choose to leave the suburbs for parts other than Center City or Manayunk. I'm in North Philly for chrissake!
:)
*Really, they should have...ALL American cities were terrible then.
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