that article was a bunch of b.s.

here's a letter that I think about sums up the philly response.
cosmic

To the Editors:

Look, the New York Times is writing about Philadelphia again. I bet we
can guess how this is going to go:

First, the story will be imbued with an air of exoticism, curiously
introducing New Yorkers to this strange place called "Philadelphia."
It's only 90 miles south, but when you're in the Center of the Universe,
it might as well be Brigadoon.

Next, look for the same tired citations standardized by Jere Longman:
booing; MOVE bombing; cheesesteaks, Rocky. That's all the effort the
Times cares to make anymore when it deigns to report on Philadelphia.

But this piece of...really goes the ultimate distance in its zeal to
sneer: "Philadelphians occasionally refer to their city - somewhat
deprecatingly - as the `sixth borough' of New York..."

This -- the entire premise of the story, the thesis statement -- could
conceivably be the ultimate insult to Philadelphians. But in a clever
turn, the story puts this unsubstantiated, unattributed insult *in our
own mouths.* In so doing, the Times and reporter Jessica Pressler
surrender any credibility with Philadelphians because we know the
underlying thesis is wrong.

Born and bred in Philadelphia, where my family has lived for a few
hundred years, and a lifelong resident except for four years in your
fair city, I have occupied every corner of Philadelphia, both literally
and figuratively: from the paneled rooms of the Union League to
beer-soaked union halls, from private school to working in construction,
tending bar, playing in bands, producing theater, and far more. I know
every seam of this city and every type of person in it, and I know this:

Never once has any Philadelphian uttered such a piece of b.s., nor would
one.

As a journalist now for almost two decades, I would remind the Times --
which has had some problems with this -- that transparency in the source
of information is the foundation of credibility. Yet, there is not one
shred of attribution for the thesis statement in this story. No one is
quoted. That's because, in all probability, it was made up. Was this
reporting started when Jayson Blair was still on staff?

There's more: Inserted into that fabricated assertion was one last
little dig: When we refer to our city as the sixth borough of New York
-- which we don't, ever -- we do it deprecatingly.

(to be continued)

rest of the letter

Because at the New York Times, Philadelphians are incapable of speaking
about themselves or their city without self-deprecation. We're the
Rodney Dangerfield of U.S. cities, right?

Without wasting another 500 words, I'll say it's pretty well established
that New York, in this nation's infancy and beyond, couldn't find its
elbow without Philadelphia's help -- in finance, in commerce, in
industry, in the arts. Yeah, times change, and New York became the
bigger target. I mean city. Sorry. City.

But in the intervening 200 years, while New York has been masturbating
furiously at the sight of itself, Philadelphia has continued to be
Philadelphia. Until now, that is.

No, now we can probably look forward to underproductive, overgrown
children driving up real estate values and clogging restaurants, museums
and streets while contributing little.

"Look how cheap everything is. We can totally get over on this town."

The city's prospects for working its way out of its hole and undoing the
wage tax (Oh, yeah: Hey, newcomers -- have we got a paycheck surprise
for you...) won't get any better if our new population all wants be in a
band.

No, those New Yorkers who come to live in Philadelphia should bring
industry with them or get a job. Here in Philadelphia, we work for a
living. Transplants also should leave behind all assumptions about how
life should be here because of how it was there.

Once again, the New York Times has willingly assigned and published a
long, insult to Philadelphia. Though the story appears, on its surface,
to celebrate the city, it's really another imperious smirk.

Philadelphia needs Brooklynization about as much as a frog needs a
bicycle. To those intrigued at the idea, come down if you want to learn
some manners. Otherwise, stay where you are. We're doing just fine
without your seal of approval.

Those from any other city are most welcome.

C. Thompson
Northern Liberties

Awesome letter- i'm glad you posted it.

Yeah, Philly should be pissed about the article--rather than talk about how the place has a scene (graduates from Tyler, Curtis etc. making art and music) and how the gallery scene is bursting at the seams, how the place is totally gentrifying (northern liberties being hipster central), they paint it devoid of having a culture beyond that of NY. The problem is, unfortunately, that I think young hip people there are embracing the idea of being the sixth borough. There is still a major undercurrent that you've "made it" when you're finally out of philly and in NY.

This is the sorta thing that makes me want out of NY so badly. Oh look, lucky Philly, they get to be the sixth borough! You're finally a city, congratulations!