A Year In Philadelphia
My stay in Philadelphia began on 10 December 1998. Before that, I had spent 2 ˝ months in Athens, Greece, at the end of my 1998 European Adventure. I returned to the USA as I needed to make some money to plan my next move. I had some relatives in Philadelphia who said I could stay with them, and I took them up on their offer. My plan was to stay in Philadelphia for a month or two, then move to Florida. However, as you can gather by the title of this article, I stayed longer.
The idea of living in Philadelphia, before I got there, didn’t appeal to me. I had no desire to live there (or in the northeast for that matter), except for being able to save money. I figured that a month or two wouldn’t kill me. I guess that I had an old stereotype of Philadelphia in my mind (of it being a dirty place that no one in their right mind would want to live). I am overjoyed that I was very wrong.
So, after an 11-hour flight from Athens via Rome (including an interrogation at the Rome Airport in which they asked me for some kind of proof other than my passport (!) to that I was an American) to Newark and then three commuter trains to Philadelphia, I eventually arrived in the "City of Brotherly Love" (my luggage arrived at 3h (!) on Dec 15…. Continental Airlines FINALLY found it, after a multitude of phone calls to their unresponsive customer service center). My first priorities were to take a shower, have a decent meal, and sleep. Then, I would proceed with life.
I began to look for a job immediately. After a bit of looking, I found a job with GE in their accounting department and was ready to start right away. However, due to the Christmas holidays, and the fact that they were upgrading their computer system and it would be unavailable until after the beginning of 1999, I didn’t start my job until 4 January.
In the meantime, it had been suggested that I go to what I was told was a great parade (the Mummers Parade) in Philadelphia on New Year’s Day, but, since I had no idea what it was, and the fact that it was -5C (20F) degrees outside, I didn’t go. I stayed home and watched other parades on the tellie. I regret not taking advantage of that opportunity.
The day came for me to begin working. It was close to where I was living, and, at that point in time, I was just happy to have a decent paying job. At first it seemed great, but after a couple of months, it became boring and routine. Who would have ever thought that I would have lasted there for 10 months ?!? I guess that some of the main reasons for that were that it was in a convenient location, the hours were flexible, the pay was decent, I had internet access, I was able to listen to good radio programs on my Walkman while working, and I worked with fun people (Barb, Jan (good luck in your retirement), Bob H, Mary, Larry, and Bill P.....ŕ thanks everyone for making it tolerable and occasionally even fun). My last day there was 3 November. Mary and Jan had a much appreciated Bon Voyage breakfast for me (bagels, cream cheese, and orange juice).
My main method of getting around in Philadelphia was public transportation. A car is not necessary there. SEPTA, the public transportation provider, has an excellent system of Regional Rail (commuter trains), trolleys (trams), light rail, subway, EL, and busses. Their entire system is reliable and frequent, except for the busses, which can sometimes be frustrating. Also, if you live outside the city limits, a monthly pass can be a bit pricey, but, when you’re going into or out of the city on the train system, and you speed by scores of people sitting in cars on freeways that aren’t moving (and won’t be for quite a while), you realize that it’s well worth it.
In my spare time, I went out to explore. I did the usual things that one does in Philadelphia, such as seeing the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Penn’s Landing, the Art Museum, etc. I found good places to hang out (such as Mako’s - 3rd St. and South St. and Cheers To You on 5th St. and South St.) and eat (the best Cheesesteak in Philadelphia is to be had at Jim’s Steaks (4th St. and South St.), although Casey’s in Berwyn (on Lancaster – a 5 minute walk west of the Berwyn Station) holds a close second place). I also found some places to visit that were off the beaten path, such as the Mummer’s Museum (they have free live music in the amphitheater behind it on Tuesday evenings in the summer at 8pm) and Fireman’s Hall (a free museum about the history of firefighting in Philadelphia). Seeing Boathouse Row after sundown is also not to be missed (buses 124 and 125 give you a good view from the freeway).
I read the free weekly newspaper "the Citypaper" (available on Fridays) to keep up with the happenings in the city. It also has a humorous column called the Bell Curve, in which the editors take a look at what has gone on in Philadelphia the previous week and find some way to poke fun at it (for example, on the topic of raising bridge tolls for the bridges going from New Jersey into Philadelphia, they said "Low turnouts at hearings to raise bridge tolls prove that people will pay just about any price to get out of Jersey").
I felt somewhat like a stranger in the east. The lifestyle is very different there. It is a lot more hectic and fast paced than I am use to (at least in major cities). Everybody wants everything done yesterday !!! Everyone is very direct and to the point at all times, no "sugar coating" of anything. They MUST HAVE the answer to their question or their information that they have requested RIGHT NOW !!! Easterners need to chill. However, I must say that, overall, I found people in the east to be quite nice.
Philadelphia definitely has a four-season climate. In the winter, it was cold, however there was not a lot of snow (only about 10 inches the entire winter), but it did snow on 23 December, so we had a white Christmas. There also was an ice storm, but not nearly as bad as some that they’ve had in the past. Spring was uneventful. The summer was quite interesting. We were in a drought for a lot of it, and there were water restrictions for most of the season. July of 1999 was one of the hottest on record for Philadelphia. The temperature during the day was between 33C – 36C (97F – 102F) EVERY DAY, and it was also VERY VERY VERY humid. It was not fun. Then, in September, as summer was ending, Hurricane Floyd hit us. We had very high winds and 11 inches of rain in an afternoon. The city shut down around noon. There was massive flooding and the five county Philadelphia area was declared a disaster area. There were a lot of trees down and some of the commuter train system was down for a few days due to downed trees on the tracks and flooded tracks (my line ran fine). However, we fared better than others that were hit by Floyd (such as the Outer Banks of North Carolina). Autumn was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I had never seen such spectacular color on the trees than I did this year. I was told that the leaves were not as good as they usually were due to the drought, however, they were the best I’d ever seen.
The Independence Day Celebration (also known as The Fourth of July) is by far the best in the USA. In Philadelphia, the Birthplace of America, it is a 10-day celebration, beginning on 25 June, and going through 4 July. It is by far one of the best celebrations I have ever attended. I went to ALL of it. I attended many different parades, a Gospel Festival, a Native American Festival, A Medal of Peace Ceremony, free outdoor Philadelphia theme movies (such as "Rocky" and "Philadelphia"), and many many other activities. The finalé on, 4 July, was a big street fair, a great parade, a concert including the Philadelphia Symphony who opened for headliner Dionne Warwick, and an excellent fireworks display. All I can say is that I had a great time and I highly recommend it as a great time to visit.
I attended a family picnic on July 18th in the Pocono Mountains. It was fun. I saw many rellies that I hadn’t seen in a long time (some as long as 1982). We swam in the lake, talked, ate, played badmitton, blew bubbles, and played frisbee all afternoon and evening. A grand time was had by all. This was the second or third year that they had done an activity of that kind, and I hope they keep having it. However, I don’t anticipate ever being in that area of the USA at that time of year again to be able to attend future get-togethers, if the event continues.
On July 20th, found out that a friend of mine from Arizona, Douglas Kleiber, passed away on July 17th. He was born with a bad heart and it was a surprise to many of us that he had lived that long. He would have been 28 in November. I still remember the first time I met Doug in 1995 at a Dairy Queen in Mesa, Arizona, when some friends and I were meeting to hang out, and one of our friends brought him. I have fond memories of Doug (who usually had a smile on his face and an outstretched had to shake) including the dance he did when many of us went dancing (we called it "Doing the Doug"), seeing the movie "The Cure" for his birthday in 1995 (it turned out to be one of the best movies I have ever seen and to date is still my favorite), and letting Doug drive us in his car when we went out so we could get a better parking place (because of his heart condition, he was entitled to handicapped license plates). R.I.P. Doug. I’m glad that you’re no longer suffering and are no in longer pain. However, I want you to know that you’re already missed and will never be forgotten.
Not all was fun and games, though. In August, I began having severe headaches. It turns out that I was having a problem with my teeth. One of my wisdom teeth needed to come out, and a tooth adjacent to it needed either several root canals or to be pulled. I chose the latter. I wish I could begin to explain how the pain felt, but I can’t. I guess the best way to describe it would be if you were hit in the mouth repeatedly with a very large board !!! By the way, that analogy was for after the surgery was done, including being on all kinds of interesting painkillers. Also, the oral surgeon was a butcher! He didn’t novocain my mouth enough and I was able to feel part of the drilling at first. I finally got him to stop and give me more novocain. I will do everything I can to make sure I never go through anything like that again.
Autumn was good a good season for me. On October 9th, I was able to attend a good friend’s wedding (Peg and Jake, I am honored that you invited me) in Millerstown (an hour north of Harrisburg) and also spend a bit of time in Harrisburg on my way there. Central Pennsylvania is very beautiful, and Harrisburg, which I found to be a quaint small city, seems to be quite livable. I was also able to visit Gettysburg, Lancaster, and the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival in October. In Philadelphia, throughout the autumn, I attended Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Polish Festivals. I was even fortunate enough to be able to find a city cruise to see the SS New Jersey battleship welcomed into the Philadelphia Naval Yard at the end of it’s voyage home, on 11 November. I also continued to scour all parts of the city, looking for new things and places to see, do, and experience. I was never bored.
The time finally came for me to leave that fantastic place. My original plan was to go overseas again on 2 January 2000. However, I found a job that I felt would suit me well and accepted it. The only catch was that the needed me there 15 November 1999. I had planned on visiting to Boston over Thanksgiving and spending much of the Christmas season enjoying all the special events that go on in New York City and Philadelphia at that time of the year, including ringing in the new Millennium in Time Square, then watching the Mummer’s Parade in Philadelphia on New Year’s Day. However, Boston will be there when I return, and, even though I can’t ring in the Millennium in Time Square, I will be able to ring in a future year (maybe 2001, when the real Millennium begins). Also, the Mummer’s Parade will happen every year. I knew that the opportunity I was offered overseas might not be available in a few years. I agreed to the job and the starting date. I do admit that I was a little sad. I spent my last days in Philadelphia taking care of last minute things, and visiting all the places, museums, restaurants, etc., that I loved, knowing that if I was ever to visit them again, it would only be briefly on a holiday.
Farewell Philadelphia, it’s time that I move on. I’ll always treasure the time I spent enjoying all that you have to offer. There will always be a part of me that longs for you, and a big part of me that loves you. Anyone that doesn’t hasn’t spent enough time getting to know you and enjoying your splendor. I promise to spread the word worldwide about what a great place you are. You’ll always be a very special city to me.
Also, special thanks to Mayor Ed (Rendell). I know that you’re quite responsible for helping the people of Philadelphia to realize the excellent possibilities that their fine city holds.
