Wow, this is a really cool thread. Thanks, whitebird!
Mulletman...I will be in Houston for a seminar for four days (March 17-21)...Maybe we can hook up for dinner or something
... Any good concerts coming your way in that time period? I'd love to hit a concert or something...I have nights free
...
Anyway, on to the topic. I haved lived in Philadelphia, Pa., for almost four years now. This is my first big-city experience, and so far, I like it a lot. I'm on the outskirts of the city in a residential area that is almost burb-like. It still lies within the city limits, though. I believe it's the fifth-largest metro area in the country, with 5 million plus people in the city proper and suburbs combined. I think the city itself has more than a million people. It's very diverse population-wise: Asian, African American, whites, you name it, it's here, which makes things pretty interesting and tense at the same time.
Historically, it's been a Democratic town. In fact, it's been decades since it has had a Republican mayor. It suffers the same big-city problems as many other American cities, such as high crime, poverty, unemployment, drugs. At the paper at which I work, there are daily stories about drive-by shootings, gang shootings, that sort of thing.
On the plus side, it's a cultural gold mine, IMO. There are countless colleges, from the Ivy league to community colleges, to those that specialize in the arts. It is also a big medical research community. There are university hospitals and some of them have been ahead when it comes to research in lung and heart disease. It has one of the top art museums in the country and is home to a thriving music scene, many genres, including Blues, jazz, rock, pop, you name it...It's also a big sports town, at least for the home teams. I find that most sports fans here ignore the playoffs in the four majors once their team is out of it. They are nuts for their Eagles here, though. Basketball and boxing are also huge here. The Blue Horizon has been a boxing mecca for decades, and in boxing's heyday, all the greats boxed here. Philly is also known for its food.
There is a ton of really good ethnic eating in this city as well, all kinds. A few weeks ago, I ate in an Afghani restaurant. The food was outstanding! The people on the whole are pretty friendly, though I can't say that I know my neighbors in the apartment complex I live in because I work odd hours and don't see them very often. I'm far enough away from the concrete where there is grass and trees. I couldn't live downtown because it's just not green enough for me, hehe. I need my grass and trees. There is a very cool city park, though, which reminds me a lot of New Hampshire. It's hard to believe it sits in the middle of the concrete jungle. It's great, though.
I have made a lot of nice friends through work and all, and of course, all the Feeders in the area
, you know who you are. I like the diversity here and the access to other parts of the country this location affords.