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I’m not in Nebraska anymore

Published: November 5, 2013

Philadelphia is different from Omaha. Profound, right? Obviously they’re different. The 2 cities were founded almost 200 years apart, more than 1200 miles separate their centers, and their respective states have sported opposing colors on every election infographic I’ve ever seen.

The differences between life on the East Cost vs. one in the Midwest have been written about elsewhere, but I want to add my own voice to the conversation. Here are some of the I’m not in Nebraska anymore moments I’ve had since moving to the City of Brotherly Love in August.

One. The sidewalks are lawless in Philadelphia. It’s the Wild West of walking. In Nebraska, people ALWAYS walk on the right side of sidewalks. They walk by the same rules that govern traffic–stay on the right side of the direction you’re traveling. It’s an unspoken but sacred rule. “Thou shalt not impede or in any way disrupt the path of any man or woman traveling in the direction opposite your own.”

Apparently this rule isn’t universal, because absolutely NO ONE in Philadelphia abides by it. In Philadelphia, people walk wherever the hell they want. No side of the sidewalk is sacred. I’ve mastered the art of defensive walking since moving here to avoid getting bowled over by oncoming foot traffic. Keep your head up, and be ready to weave and dodge.

Two. There are no “push to cross” buttons at any intersection I’ve seen. From what I can tell, traffic lights always assume people are waiting to cross. They’re usually right.

Three. Amazon collects sales tax in Philadelphia, and it sucks.

Four. I haven’t run into many people from the Midwest, and I’ve met zero who hail from the golden plains of Nebraska. There are literally people here from every corner of the planet, but somehow Midwesterners are underrepresented. If you move to the coast from a place like Nebraska, prepare to be a novelty.

Five. Sirens are constant. Every afternoon, all afternoon. Every night, all night. Sirens. Maybe there are more emergencies that need responding to in Philadelphia. Maybe firefighters, police, and paramedics take joyrides with the lights on to keep the population in check. It’s amazing how quickly sounds of the city become white noise.

Six. There are bike lanes everywhere! If you’ve ever wanted to ride your bike 18 inches from 4 lanes of 50mph traffic, Philadelphia is the city for you! Bike riders in big cities are fearless. Riding my bike around Philadelphia at night with big city traffic is one of the most terrifying and exhilarating things I’ve ever done. I recommend lighting your bike up like a Christmas tree for safety before taking to the streets though.

Seven. Homeless people are more heartbreaking in Philadelphia. In Omaha, you’ll see the occasional homeless person asking for money at an intersection. In those situations it’s easy to keep your windows up, and drive on like no one’s standing there in need of help. Not in Philadelphia. Here, the homeless walk next to you on the sidewalks. You brush shoulders with them. It’s impossible not to hear their stories. There was one man I ran into who was walking around showing people his Veteran ID Card. These encounters are hard to shake from your consciousness.

Things are certainly different. Some things are great, some things are sad, but I’m enjoying myself so far.

Cheers.

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Image credit: Crucifix Jean-Luc