Let's be honest with ourselves...is Philly the most 'European' feeling of all America cities?

**John Goodman** · 06-30-2012, 12:09 AM

I think so...

I believe this should be played up for marketing purposes

Only cities that are comparable are San fran and Montreal

Ny is too busy/ it's own world and Boston is frankly uncool

**John Goodman** · 06-30-2012, 12:13 AM

Also for marketing purposes... The term 'city of brotherly love' should be brought back in a big way

Philly is a city that represents a wide range of humanity better than most others. People of 2012 love that human to human connection, brotherly love would probably resonate better now than ever

**BarryG** · 06-30-2012, 12:21 AM

I agree with you do a large extent. Not sure about the brotherly love for marketing though... it's been so coopted in the media and spun around whenever there is negative news.

**DocAwesome** · 06-30-2012, 12:32 AM

Just for my sake: how are we defining European?

**NE19149** · 06-30-2012, 12:47 AM

"Bro' therly Love..... hahahahaha.....

**the mule** · 06-30-2012, 03:09 PM

Montreal is definitely more European feeling. San Francisco is up there in some ways too. I've spent a good deal of time in Europe so I can see some ways that Philly is European but I don't draw any serious parallels. On the other hand, whenever European friends come to visit they tell me this city feels the most like home compared to other cities they visit so go figure.

**eldondre** · 06-30-2012, 07:59 PM

I'm sure there are uncool European cities

**BarryG** · 06-30-2012, 08:07 PM

I was in Rotterdam a few years ago and it sort of felt like Philly in the mid-90s. I didn't see that much of the city but the downtown was very unlike most European touristy cities. The state of the transit system had echoes too, they were still using those perforated zone cards.

These days the number people you'll see eating a La carte on any given night in Center City is crazy. Even off the main drags you'll see people enjoying the open air every couple blocks or so...Definitely a bit of a euro-vibe going on. The scale of the neighborhoods reminds me of euro cities too.

**John Goodman** · 06-30-2012, 10:00 PM

The Barnes moving to town boosts our euro rating big time

**John Goodman** · 06-30-2012, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by eldondre

I'm sure there are uncool European cities

Not in the imagination of American tourists

We need to be selling that laid back cool euro image to middle america

**phillymike** · 06-30-2012, 10:30 PM

I was in Paris walking the champ elysees
and there were a few buildings that Philadelphia directly copied on the Parkway such as the Free Library and the Family court . Between these 2 buildings about a block or two up the street is a Art Museum type building . Of course you have City Hall which is done in a French architectural style. Add the small street grid and alley ways and it does have a European feeling, the only thing missing from European cities that Philly has are the more than 300 killings every year

**NE19149** · 07-01-2012, 12:12 AM

Originally Posted by phillymike

i was in paris walking the champ elysees
and there were a few buildings that philadelphia directly copied on the parkway such as the free library and the family court . Between these 2 buildings about a block or two up the street is a art museum type building . Of course you have city hall which is done in a french architectural style. Add the small street grid and alley ways and it does have a european feeling, the only thing missing from european cities that philly has are the more than 300 killings every year

bwahahahahaha!!!!

**MarketStEl** · 07-01-2012, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

I was in Rotterdam a few years ago and it sort of felt like Philly in the mid-90s. I didn't see that much of the city but the downtown was very unlike most European touristy cities. The state of the transit system had echoes too, they were still using those perforated zone cards.

These days the number people you'll see eating a La carte on any given night in Center City is crazy. Even off the main drags you'll see people enjoying the open air every couple blocks or so...Definitely a bit of a euro-vibe going on. The scale of the neighborhoods reminds me of euro cities too.

YM "dining al fresco." HTH.

But I remember how so many Philadelphians said that sidewalk dining wouldn't work here back when restaurateurs and the tourism-promotion folks started pushing for it in the early 1990s. Our sidewalks are too narrow, they said, and our climate too sticky. Well, guess what? Our sidewalks are as narrow now as they were then, and our climate is still humid, and even a little warmer. And the sidewalk dining, maybe even more than "Make it a Night," brought the city center alive in a way it hadn't been - ever.

Not to say that 300 killings a year is nothing to worry about. But - as the former 13th Streeter noted about the victims on his street - until they start offing visitors, it won't detract from the Eurocoolness of the city center. Sheesh, the area around Temple is even beginning to look nice.

**DCnPhilly** · 07-01-2012, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by John Goodman

I think so...

I believe this should be played up for marketing purposes

Only cities that are comparable are San fran and Montreal

Ny is too busy/ it's own world and Boston is frankly uncool

It would be an interesting marketing campaign. As long as its done right. After all, just because NJ calls itself the Garden State doesn't make it so.

There's a lot the city could do to promote tourism, and getting the word out is a start. I feel like most of our marketing outside our own area is spent on New Yorkers and trying to sell Philly as an historic day trip.

None of my friends in the rest of the country know anything about the city beyond what they learned in high school history class. I can't tell you how many times I post a picture of the city on Facebook and its followed with comments from people in places like Atlanta that say, "when did you go to New York?"

**Mondu** · 07-01-2012, 02:11 PM

What's so uncool about Boston? I would consider it more European than here. The big difference is the irregular street layout, which creates some wacky intersections and interesting spaces which remind me of London and Paris.

If you want to include Canada, I would say Quebec City has the most European feel to it, much moreso than Montreal.

**darthsinatra** · 07-01-2012, 02:14 PM

Philadelphia's streets were largely planned out on a grid, like Paris. Boston's street layout was pretty much determined by where the cattle and coaches made paths. At least that's what I've heard. I didn't look it up or anything.

**John Goodman** · 07-01-2012, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by Mondu

What's so uncool about Boston? I would consider it more European than here. The big difference is the irregular street layout, which creates some wacky intersections and interesting spaces which remind me of London and Paris.

If you want to include Canada, I would say Quebec City has the most European feel to it, much moreso than Montreal.

Sure street layout is similar to europe... I don't find that to be as important as everyone else seems to (it's always being brought up)

The Philly grid layout is far superior in my opinion

As for what is uncool about Boston:

Boring people
Boring nightlife
Lack of diversity
not particularly laid back

Culturally... Boston is like if manayunk were 20 times larger. Nice place but I wouldn't want to live there and I don't find it to be particularly interesting. The fact that Boston has a better nationwide rep makes my blood boil but that will change with time, Philly is truly the superior town. Boston has nothing that packs the punch of center city and they have nothing as hip as no libs/fishtown. Nothing truly authentic and affordable like south Philly.

I think Boston represents the typical boring suburban American culture fairly well

As for Quebec city never been there but I don't think it's large enough to be in the discussion. We compete with major cities while places like buffalo would compete with places like Quebec city

**OffenseTaken** · 07-01-2012, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Not to say that 300 killings a year is nothing to worry about. But - as the former 13th Streeter noted about the victims on his street - until they start offing visitors, it won't detract from the Eurocoolness of the city center. Sheesh, the area around Temple is even beginning to look nice.

You probably knew this already, but I thought I'd point out that, contrary to popular belief, most categories of violent crime really aren't that different on either side of the Atlantic. There are many European cities where you're actually at a greater risk of assault or robbery than you are here. Murder is the exception, but it's also the violent-crime category that should worry people the least. In my experience, foreign visitors in America understand that they don't really run a risk of being killed here that is any greater than what they face back home (unless they hang out in slummy areas and start socializing with drug dealers, etc.)

**John Goodman** · 07-01-2012, 03:20 PM

Another thought.... Are you allowed to bring your dog indoors in other cities?

I'm at good karma right now and someone has this nice dog inside. It truly brings a smile to my face

That's the type of unspoken laid back coolness that I am talking about. How do we convey this image to middle America?

**Mondu** · 07-01-2012, 03:36 PM

I would agree that in general, Boston is overrated and Philly is underrated, but you're way off on your depiction of Boston being boring. You should spend some more time up there. It's far more interesting and diverse than you give it credit for.

Quebec is fairly small, but it's still a city so I thought it would fit the criteria of the original question.