7 Things Philadelphians Are Total Snobs About

3. Philly-isms

What is this “sub” you speak of? I think you mean hoagie, and it’s best widdout onions. After you finish it, you might want to grab a wooter ice or ice cream with some jimmies. I’m about to leave this jawn and go down the shore for the weekend, so I need to get on the Schuykill before rush hour. We’ll stop at Wawa on the way because it’s Hoagiefest. Tomorrow, we’re having scrapple for breakfast and spaghetti with red gravy for dinner.

4. Beer

How many cities have an entire neighborhood named after beer? Admittedly, Brewerytown is mostly residential these days, but its enduring name stands as a testament to Philly’s love of beer. Also, I’m pretty sure you can walk into any Philly bar and ask for a lager and the bartender will give you a Yuengling by default. The city is also home to almost two dozen local craft breweries, many of which double as restaurants. I haven’t been to Northern Liberties in a week so that number has probably doubled by now.

5. Roast Pork sandwiches

Cheesesteaks are for tourists, roast pork sandwiches are for locals.

6. Mummers

For people who have spent their entire lives in Philly, it’s easy to not question the whole Mummer situation. The minute you try to explain the tradition to an outsider, you realize just how bizarre it is. We have adults parading around the city on New Year’s Day in garish costumes more ornate than anything you’ve ever worn on Halloween. The entire city pours into the bitterly cold January streets for a day of rowdiness and drinking. There were also those two years when Channel 17 only played a continuous loop of old Mummer Parade footage. The weird thing (besides the costumes and the dancing) is that no one outside of Philly has ever heard of it. The Mummers Parade is like Philly’s extremely cold Mardi Gras.

7. Our comeback story

The rundown Philadelphia of the 1970s is long gone. No longer is Philly a city of closed factories and dwindling job opportunities. After decades of population decline, the city is rebounding and has seen an increase in population every year for the past decade. Everywhere you go, new buildings and homes are being built. Neighborhoods that have been destitute for decades are transforming into centers for trendy restaurants and nightlife. We’re even getting our own High Line! Things are looking up for Philly.