Across the Ist-a-Verse
Dear Philadelphia:
Congratulations!
Just a day after The Inquirer reported that violent crime was down across the city, we received a press release from the GPTMC extolling all your other achievements in 2007. You deserve a big pat on the back for the national and international media mentions you've garnered this year. People are paying attention to you. You're like a celebrity now.
On the Food front, The Today Show decided that Vesuvio Restaurant's Cheesesteak BLT was America's Best Sandwich, proving once and for all that the only way to improve upon perfection is to add bacon. The Cira Centre's Rae, helmed by Cherry Hill native Daniel Stern, was lauded by Esquire Magazine as one of the best new restaurants of 2007. Cooking Light named Philadelphia number nine on its Best Cities List, a ranking it earned, according to the GPTMC, for "the number of highly rated restaurants; farmers’ markets; city residents consuming five or more fruits and vegetables per day; the good health of locals; and its prime walkability." And whatever one thinks of PETA, it's still pretty cool that they named Citizen's Bank Park the “Most Vegetarian-Friendly Ballpark” for its abundance of faux-meat products.
But there's more to us than tastiness. In the fall, Rolling Stone Magazine featured your "Hot Music Scene" and Out Magazine called Woody's, a hotspot in my neighborhood, one of The 50 Greatest Gay Bars in the World. You're also apparently down with technology, being the second bloggiest city in America (curse you, Bostonist, and your top position!) according to outside.in and fDi Magazine called you a Top North American City of the Future (on a delightfully un-futuristic website).
But best of all for you, Philly? People want to be with you, either to live or to visit. Places Rated Almanac ranked you fifth on its list of Top Ten Livable Cities and Forbes called your Chestnut Hill neighborhood a Top Urban Enclave. Plus, Travel + Leisure named two of your hotels to its list of the Top 100 Hotels for the Continental U.S. and Canada: The Four Seasons at 85, and The Rittenhouse at 95. T + L also teamed with CNN Headline News on its annual America's Favorite Cities poll. The GPTMC's press release synthesized some of the answers, noting that "Philadelphia placed second on the historical sites/monuments list; third on the sports fan’s vacations and farmers’ markets lists; fourth on the culture overall, museums/galleries and antiques lists; and fifth on the food and dining list." Your complete rankings are here.
In all, not a bad year for you, Philly. Think we can make 2008 even better?
Image via Flickr user Jonathan & Jill.
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It's so nice to get some good news!
I maintain that Cities of the Future list can't be taken too seriously. Phoenix (5th most populous city in the country) & Philly (6th) are in the category of cities allegedly smaller than Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Miami, Pittsburgh, Seattle. And none of those cities have even close to 2 million people, which is (allegedly) the criterion for the major city category.
Good news in some ways there, but I agree with Ross. How do they choose which cities to compare? The nation's 4th largest, Houston, isn't even included in the list. Neither is the 8th (San Antonio) or 10th (Detroit). Does this mean Philly would have beaten them all?