We get the pain. Sometimes you have to move away. But there will always be things you miss about Philadelphia.
For many reasons, people sometimes have to move away from Philadelphia. It’s a pain like no other, especially for those who’ve been here since birth. It’s one of those things no one can prepare you for until you do it.
The rest of the world isn’t like what we have here. They just don’t do things like we do ’em. From food, to culture, to social scenes, the rest of the world just feels so…weird.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not right, it’s not wrong, it’s just different. Other places are entitled to their own things. But when you’re a lifelong Philadelphian, everything everyone else does feels so foreign. How do you expect a Philadelphian to thrive in an environment that DOESN’T put thinly sliced steak smothered with cheese on a fluffy seeded roll? Or an environment that DOES, but does it SO wrong?
There’s more to the culture shock than cheesesteaks, too. You find yourself in a hostile environment that doesn’t like your favorite sports team. Heck, they may even HATE your favorite sports team! Such blasphemy. They may even hate our icons, like Rocky. They may not have even watched the movie. It’s exhausting.
Others don’t live like we do. So as a Philly transplant in another area of the country or world, you’re bound to miss what we have here. It’s the curse of coming from a great city with rich culture and amazing food. We understand your pain, and hopefully can put it into words for you.
Here are 7 Things people who’ve moved out of this area miss about Philadelphia:
A Proper Cheesesteak
Photo By Mitchell Leff/Getty Images for Harlequins
This one is to be expected, I presume, but it’s so hard to deal with. A lot of places have no IDEA what a cheesesteak is. Some are even turned off by the idea of it. What is there to hate about meat and cheese on a roll? The most offensive scenario, though, is when a shop outside of Philly touts themselves as a “Philly Cheesesteak” place. First of all, if you’re putting the word “Philly” in front of it, you’re probably not authentic. Then you try it, and it’s the most vile excuse for a cheesesteak ever. Can we start up a real cheesesteak mail service maybe?
Wawa
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Oh, Wawa. How we love you Wawa. Don’t get it twisted, Wawa is expanding. New stores are popping up all over the east coast. But what about those slightly west of us? It must be horrible to not hit up a Wawa on the way to the shore on a hot summer day. Some would even call it torture. Also, when you’re outside of Philly, why does no one call it a hoagie? What is with that? It’s not a sub or a grinder. It’s a hoagie.
Being Surrounded By Birds Fans
Photo By Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images
It is so great to commiserate with all of the other Philly sports fans in this area. The struggles and triumphs. We get each other. We know each other. Wearing an Eagles jersey? You can’t walk down the street without hearing a “go birds!” This goes for all Philly sports teams. You make some pretty instant friends in bars when you start talking about Bryce Harper or the season the Flyers have been having. Plus, the close proximity to all of the stadiums. Our sports complex is unbeaten and accessible. Septa is right there! It’s just so hard to live without. Not to mention, some other cities are hostile to Philly fans. They straight up dislike us. It’s hard to have a “no one likes us, we don’t care” attitude when you’re outnumbered.
Real Soft Pretzels
Photo By Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR
This is probably not the first thing you’d think you’d miss when moving out of Philly, but when you miss them, you REALLY miss them. Other places just don’t get it right. The pretzels aren’t soft enough. They don’t have enough salt. They don’t have a wide enough variety of dips. People DON’T bring pretzel trays to parties. What? It’s all too much to bear.
The Shore
Photo By Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Being from Philly you have a certain privilege that you don’t appreciate until it’s gone. We are so close to the shore. Like, so close. If you want to take a random day-trip to Ocean City or Wildwood, you can. Nothing is stopping you. And seriously, there’s nothing like the Jersey Shore. In the middle of the country, you physically can’t get to the ocean. You have to settle for swimming in lakes and rivers. How sad is that? We are so lucky to have our boardwalks and all that comes with the shore so close to us.
New Years Day Celebrations
Photo By Jacky Bam Bam
Newsflash. Outside of Philly, pretty much no one celebrates New Years Day. As in, all the parties are the night before and they all relax the next day. Its insanity. How does nowhere else have Mummer culture like we do? That is a STAPLE of our existence. Like, what do you mean people don’t go out and drink, and stand in the cold, and watch brightly colored, costumed humans strut down the street? The Mummers Parade is so fun, whether you participate in person or not. And yeah, you can’t even get it on TV elsewhere. Ludicrous.
Our Beloved City Icons
Photo By Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
There are so many people and places and characters that give this city its unique identity. Take Reading Terminal Market for example. You have to go there as a Philadelphian. It’s a must. But that doesn’t exist elsewhere. Just like the Art Museum steps and Rocky. There’s nothing like it anywhere else. We claim Will Smith, The Boss, Kevin Bacon, Frank Rizzo, for Pete’s sake. We are a gritty city filled with brotherly love. You can’t get it anywhere else.
