What is the deal with Philadelphia?

[HEyHEY]

Okay as a guy who grew up on the West Coast of Canada.... my impression of Philly is this city, that's just kinda there.
But what is the real deal with Philly?
Why does no-one seem to care about it? What is its history?

[GOPisEvil]

1. Home of the Continental Congress. Lots of history.

Plus, it's in a good location. Very accessible to New York, DC, Baltimore, etc.

[HEyHEY]

Yeah, but why does it seem to suck?

[GOPisEvil]

3. I've been there. It's a nice place with good people.

Not my favorite place on the planet, but I've had good times there.

[name not needed]

9. It's next to Camden

and Camden is America's asshole.

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Three Words.

Broad. Street. Bullies.

The biggest badasses in NHL history.

[HEyHEY]

4. Hey man, their captain was from Flin Flon Manitoba... there was no avoidin

That reputation!

Only team to ever actually jump the boards and brawl with the fans... In my hometown (Vancouver) by the way..

I still say we kicked their ass.

[The empressof all]

5. Philadelphia is a great City

It's totally under-rated as far as I'm concerned. Great Art Museums including the Barnes Foundation which has the best collection of Matisse in the country. It has fabulous music, universities, diverse population and terrific food.

I loved living there when I did and in fact it is one of the few places I would consider living in again if I needed to move to the East Coast.

[swag]

6. I always had trouble finding the "real" Philadelphia, and I tried many

times. I was told by a native last year (before she moved home) that Philadelphia mostly happened inside peoples' homes. She was a white alterna-girl in her late 20s, so she obviously doesn't speak for all of Philadelphia.

I love the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It houses the major works of Marcel Duchamp, including one very sinister one that very few have ever heard of. And that's just a very small part of the vast collection there. The place is about the size of the Met, and houses a ton, including much regional art (huge Eakins collection), amazing furniture, and many lynchpins from the history of art.

The Rodin Museum is also great. Overwhelming, really.

South Street, well they say it isn't what it used to be. What it used to be is also hard to gauge.

Philadelphia. It hides itself.

[Pale Blue Dot]

7. I love Philadelphia.

If I had the money, I'd live in Center City. In the right sections, it has a terrific artistic, bohemian-type atmosphere. There are lots of great restaurants, and you get almost as much culture as, say, New York, without feeling overwhelmed and boxed-in.

You should try it some time. The Duck tour's on me.

[swag]

8. I guess I'll try Philadelphia again soon.

Thanks for your suggestion.