July 29, 2008
Seattle Overtakes Philadelphia as a Tourist Destination
We're now Number 18 on the list of American tourist destinations, the Emerald City, for all its faults, leapfrogging the City of Brotherly Love. That's the word from Global Insight, a Massachusetts outfit that counts visitors. The weak dollar and more convenient international flights (Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, etc.) make Seattle an increasingly attractive destination for European travelers, not to mention all that good press we've been getting (you know, green mayor, bicycle-friendly).
The top three cities, predictably: Noo Yawk, Dizneywhirl, Vegas. We've got a ways to go.
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It's always sunny in Philadelphia!
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I fucking love that show. And that city. Cheesesteaks are much more heart warming than grilled salmon.
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That is a great show, but it definitely says nothing good about Philly.
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I read Seattlest because I like the city of Seattle and have family here. But each post seems to be continuely more negative than the last. If it isn't the writer complaining about the events in town, it's a snarky (almost unnoticed) one liner like the one above:
"We're now Number 18 on the list of American tourist destinations, the Emerald City, for all its faults..."
Why is Seattlest so negative?
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As someone who grew up and lived in the Northeast, I can safely say that I never not once had the desire to visit Philadelphia. (Ignore the fact that I did, once, for a day, as part of a road trip. It wasn't pretty.)
So, beating them is sort of like -- well, it's exactly like -- the Mariners beating the Phillies. Woohoo.
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drafty- Um.... because it's Seattle it's negative. Haven't you noticed this about us? All cheery on the surface with a lotta negativity just below.
Romulus - good point. I went because a friend got into their film festival. Otherwise, yeah, wouldn't have had the gumption to go.
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i'm with @Troy. we're pent up because we're not allowed to honk our horns on the highway.
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I love Philadelphia for many of the things it has that Seattle lacks: real history, beautiful old buildings and neighborhoods, lots of interesting characters (including politicians), a world-class art museum, passionate sports fans, large number of colleges (and students), etc.
Of course, it has plenty to dislike: high crime, horrible roads and traffic, neighborhoods I wouldn't go near in broad daylight, etc. But then again, we're talking about tourist destinations, not places to live.
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I'm sorry BigYaz, gotta disagree. We may not have a ton of old buildings (most of our old buildings are tucked away) but that's also a matter of a few extra centuries on us. But we have interesting characters and a world-class art museum. We also have a large number of colleges and students (philly has 3x the population and only 2x the students), as well as passionate football fans.
Again, we need to understand that we're a West Coast city with only 150 years under our belt. Give us time.
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do the blue angels go to philly?
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Troy, don't be so defensive. Seattle has wonderful but *different* qualities, and I'd much rather live here. It isn't about one being better than the other.
But to address your points:
* SAM doesn't compare to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Check any list of the top art museums in the U.S.
* We have one large (and very good) public university and a few smaller colleges. Greater Philadelphia has three times as many schools, and some of the most prestigious colleges in the nation (Penn, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr). Plus, there's Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph's, Haverford, Drexel, etc.
* Don't even try to compare front-running Seattle fans to Philly's fanatics. It's no contest. (Again, that's not necessarily a positive thing in all cases...)
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Romulus-
The Phillies are NL contenders
Thanks,
Kid Who Grew Up Outside Philly
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Bigyaz,
Sorry. I was born and raised in Seattle, so I hate it but get overly defensive. When I went to Philly, I loved it. Never thought about going, but once I was there I wanted to return and shell out 150k for a house so I may enjoy their food more often.
Ultimately, I just wanted to address there will be differences between cities with over 200 years between their foundings. Those differences are, like you said, not necessarily differences of quality.
But I was watching an NFL game in Philly and wasn't too impressed. But again, it was one game in one bar. I was wearing my hawk's beenie, but nobody said a word. Sad.
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I just realized I can't find said hat.
And the (pre)season starts soon. Where are all the football posts?!