Philadelphians NEVER LEAVE!

[desolate]

Karen Heller: Pennsylvania, home of people who stay in Pennsylvania

By Karen Heller

Karen Heller: Pennsylvania, home of people who stay in Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/30/2010

Inquirer Columnist

Know what Pennsylvania has too many of? Pennsylvanians.

This is what's known as a sticky state. People stick to the commonwealth, for better or worse, like a marriage. Or a pest strip.

Four out of five native Pennsylvanians will most likely die here. People may move to other homes, but rarely to other states. It makes us think small, no further than the neighborhood. This reminds me of the time, because I can't help myself, when Councilman Jack Kelly couldn't be located because the international jet-setter was "out of county."

Is this good? No, it is not.

Love can be blind, and also confining. People so love the city, the region, and the state that they never leave. There are benefits to such loyalty, but also huge challenges.

Chauvinism is a popular stance too often built on ignorance. We insist our hometown is better than anywhere else without the experience or knowledge to claim otherwise.

Imagine if the Phillies operated this way. Or the Eagles. OK, forget the Eagles.

For a seemingly cosmopolitan city, Philadelphia shares an equally high percentage of native-born residents - approximating 80 percent - as the state. Almost all Pennsylvania counties boast big native populations, far above the national average of 67 percent. (Elk County, 92.1 percent!) The exceptions are Monroe and Pike, the latter the state's fastest-growing because of its proximity to New York City.


Continued....

Karen Heller: Pennsylvania, home of people who stay in Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/30/2010



I knew those damn hipsters were new!

[OldCityTans]

Why would I leave? Its awesome here... short drive to all the east coast cities AND some mid-western, mountains & snow & winter sports AND easy drive to shore, lakes & summer sports. Lots of culture, AND lots of countryside, tons of really good schools/ universities. What else...??? Some of the best spray tans and chat forums ever available here...

[Seanibus]

I have often thought there is some strange force that prevents people from leaving, native born or not. We came here for just a year, intending to leave at the first opportunity, and here we are six years later with no prospect of going anywhere. I know many other people in the same situation - they were just passing through one afternoon and WHAMMO it's 10 years later and they're still in Philadelphia. The Eagles should have called it "Hotel Pennsylvania": You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

[Marc]

I was born here, true; I may die here--that remains to be seen.

Where does this fluff piece consider the many years of travel and/or other places I've resided between start and end?

[cugat]

Calling a Karen Heller article a "fluff piece" is an insult to fluff pieces.

[Insoluble]

Calling a Karen Heller article a "fluff piece" is an insult to fluff pieces.

My thoughts exactly. Must have been a slow news day. She doesn't seem to be able to discern between lack of immigration into Philadelphia, and low rates of out migration.

[eldondre]

seems a little late in the game to be reading the 2000 census

according to the 2000 census

[luchobucho]

I kind of understand what she's trying to say.....however poorly she's articulated it.

I think Philadelphia sometimes comes across as a really provincial place which is generally compounded by an overabundance of natives. Its hard for a place to progress when the natives (many of whom never leave), are the overwhelming majority.

Philadelphia is a great place, and I understand why people want to be here. That being said, however, I think it is healthy for people to go other places and come back. I know that there are plenty of natives who have left (to experience life somewhere else) and come back, but it sounds like a great many of our fellow citizens haven't. This leads to a stagnation of thought and ideas, in my opinion, and probably in some remote manner explains certain things about this city.

[Salad Days]

Its a silly article. I think aside from places like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and maybe a few other places, most people don't live too far from where they were born. Most places are pretty provincial.

[Insoluble]

Actually, I agree with you luchobucho. Having lived in several different cities (not to mention countries) myself, I think it's absolutely a great idea to get away from your home town for a little while to experience and live in other places. I also think it would be an incredibly healthy thing for this city to get an infusion of people from elsewhere moving in to Philly for a while. The universities help a little with this, and foreign immigration has seen a bit of an uptick in recent years from what I understand (as eldondre pointed out, the article was based on 2000 census stats).

[luchobucho]

Its a silly article. I think aside from places like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and maybe a few other places, most people don't live too far from where they were born. Most places are pretty provincial.

I would think that would apply to most bigger cities.

[Burholme06]

"We insist our hometown is better than anywhere else without the experience or knowledge to claim otherwise."

Where in the heck is she from? I'll fix it for her:

"We insist our hometown is WORSE than anywhere else without the experience or knowledge to claim otherwise."

[CHIOSSO]

I kind of understand what she's trying to say.....however poorly she's articulated it.

I think Philadelphia sometimes comes across as a really provincial place which is generally compounded by an overabundance of natives. Its hard for a place to progress when the natives (many of whom never leave), are the overwhelming majority.

Philadelphia is a great place, and I understand why people want to be here. That being said, however, I think it is healthy for people to go other places and come back. I know that there are plenty of natives who have left (to experience life somewhere else) and come back, but it sounds like a great many of our fellow citizens haven't. This leads to a stagnation of thought and ideas, in my opinion, and probably in some remote manner explains certain things about this city.

When do you want us provincials to clear out?

[Eames]

I am not from PA, and immigrated into the state and then to Philadelphia. I agree that we need more people to move into the city from other states, but it's also nice to see that there is a rather stable lot who remain here.

I look at North Carolina and thanks to immigration over the past 30 years, it's gone from some KKK redneck state to a dynamic and diverse state. It keeps the gene pool healthy.

I remember when I lived in the far NE. At the gym, small-talking to guys (they were life long NE residents) about a club, bar or whatever in center city, I was surprised at how many of them said they didn't know much about center city because they'd only been there 3 or 4 times! And these were guys in their early 20s, and CC is a 20 minute ride down 95 from Woodhaven Rd. You'd think I was talking about Miami.

[raider.adam]

Data may be correct, but the conclusion could be wrong. It may not be that Pennsylvanians are stickier than other states. It could be that our percentages of native born are high because no one is moving TO the state from other states or countries.

Need a bit deeper analysis.

For 50 decades Philadelphia had population loss and from 1970 to 1990 PA had relatively flat population growth.

[jazzcat]

Calling a Karen Heller article a "fluff piece" is an insult to fluff pieces.

I agree 100%.

She should be sneaking up on her 75k paycheck.

[luchobucho]

When do you want us provincials to clear out?

I wasn't suggesting that anyone clear out.

and not suggesting that everyone was provincial....but I was simply positing that philadelphia comes across as a very provincial town and the stats that whats'her'name provided seemed to jibe with that.

[luchobucho]

Data may be correct, but the conclusion could be wrong. It may not be that Pennsylvanians are stickier than other states. It could be that our percentages of native born are high because no one is moving TO the state from other states or countries.

Need a bit deeper analysis.

For 50 decades Philadelphia had population loss and from 1970 to 1990 PA had relatively flat population growth.

True, more data and a more in-depth analysis is needed to make any sort of valuable conclusion.

I still maintain that new blood brings ideas as does the natives leaving and coming back.

[phillycat]

I thought Sean was moving to Colorado?

[jazzcat]

I think she mst not have a computer.

Look who is number 1.

And see how many States are 75-80%


Percent of the Native Population Born in their State of Residence statistics - states compared - StateMaster