I just got back from a conference in Philly. Downtown, at the convention center---talk about a bad vibe running through a city! Yeah, sure there are a few good restaurants, but not nearly enough and many close early. It was a dirty, mean-feeling, angry kind of place, from the airport to the downtown area and back again. Oh yeah--my first hint? The cabby tried to rip me off and I had to get in a loud shouting match with him for a receipt! (He wanted me to give up an extra $5 for it!) Geez. If the "tourist" areas are run down and beat up, just imagine what the rest of the city is like. I've lived in Paris and go to conferences all over the US. I'd rather be in Paris, in the 18th (rough area) at 1am, than on a downtown Philly street at 5pm. I'll avoid conferences in that city for a long time. One plus---the colonial areas are interesting, but Boston isn't far off either....
Last Visit: january 2006
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