It’s just that I moved! To Philadelphia! And it’s been amazing! Also I’ve been buried in a heap of unpacked boxes, shelves not yet anchored to the walls, and the work of sourcing furniture that isn’t new and socializing with the neighbors, which is a very happy form of work—the people here are awesome—plus my day job as well as job-hunting and finding childcare and keeping track of daily updates on my mom and taking lots of ibuprofen for the random muscle pain of moving stuff and also picking up a heavy toddler and it’s been A LOT.
Goddamn it, I am waist-deep in Bowling Alone because of your oft-spun recommendation; and then you up and leave us all (read: me) rudderless for further edification over such things as family, motherhood, a husband, travel, a new home, work, making friends, heavy lifting, and the love of your mother. This is madness.
I was born and raised in Philly and am nowhere near able to afford buying a house in West. My rent for a tiny 1br here is $1000/mo which is obscene in this town. But ppl who move here after being priced out of NYC or DC or wherever consider it cheap, and it just blows my mind how there is no way for transplants to know about what this place was like before they got here. The city and the University of Penn and Drexel have done their damndest to sell out West to lighter and whiter and wealthier groups, while people born and raised have to leave. West Philly is not a hidden gem. It's gentrified. https://cyborgmemoirs.com/2013/07/gentry/
Please don't forget the sheer amount of privilege you have outlined so briefly. West seems cute, but people are struggling. You missed all the riots and uprisings and police occupation from summer 2020. I'm sure you'll be fine. Just don't encourage your friends to move here.
I promise I'm not ghosting you
Goddamn it, I am waist-deep in Bowling Alone because of your oft-spun recommendation; and then you up and leave us all (read: me) rudderless for further edification over such things as family, motherhood, a husband, travel, a new home, work, making friends, heavy lifting, and the love of your mother. This is madness.
Bless.
I was born and raised in Philly and am nowhere near able to afford buying a house in West. My rent for a tiny 1br here is $1000/mo which is obscene in this town. But ppl who move here after being priced out of NYC or DC or wherever consider it cheap, and it just blows my mind how there is no way for transplants to know about what this place was like before they got here. The city and the University of Penn and Drexel have done their damndest to sell out West to lighter and whiter and wealthier groups, while people born and raised have to leave. West Philly is not a hidden gem. It's gentrified. https://cyborgmemoirs.com/2013/07/gentry/
Please don't forget the sheer amount of privilege you have outlined so briefly. West seems cute, but people are struggling. You missed all the riots and uprisings and police occupation from summer 2020. I'm sure you'll be fine. Just don't encourage your friends to move here.