The City of Brotherly Love shines.

I think Philadelphia has been getting a bad rep. Sure, it leads big cities in murder rate and robbery is at a five year high, but is that really a big deal? I lived in Baltimore for a little while on the Johns Hopkins Campus and it was the best summer of my life. In Philly the streets are narrow and intimate and the Georgian and Federal architecture looms over you like parents watching a child wander the city blocks. Bars line the streets in Center City and after a hard night drinking you can still get a solid Whiz Cheese Steak at Jim’s to burn off your hangover.

With the crime rate so high in the city, the police department has their hands full keeping order; straight off a conversation on the virtues of JDate, my friend Brandon and I were leaving an apartment last Saturday with a couple of pockets-full of Yuengling. He cracked one open as we were leaving and I asked:

“Can’t you get an open intox here for that?”

He looked at me and shrugged, shaking his head politely.

“The police here have other things to do”.

Sweet. It’s just like being in Vegas. So next time your college roomate or your high school prom date asks you to stop by Philly for a visit, give it a good thought. The people, history, food and culture that abound in Philadelphia won’t let you down.