Since I am single, I will throw my arms around Philadelphia

Do you remember that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie decided she didn’t need a man because New York City was man enough for her? Well, I think I’m starting to feel the same way about Philly. 

Sometimes I confuse cities with gigantic living, breathing organisms. They are in a constant state of flux, always moving and changing and evolving. If Philadelphia was alive, I’d imagine the Delaware River would be its lifeblood and Fairmount Park would be its soul. 

It’s an amazing feeling to walk out your front door and into a world that opens itself up to you everyday. There is always some new back-alley bar to discover or a gallery  opening or another adorable street lined with dogwoods and brownstones. I could spend hours upon hours just walking around my own city like a starry-eyed tourist soaking it all up. 

Autumn in the city is especially stellar. Once the air cools and I can sleep with my windows wide open at night, I get this giddy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s the kind of puppy-like excitement I suffered from as a child on Christmas morning. It’s that feeling that anything is possible and everything is yours. Fall always made me feel this way, but the feeling is particularly acute in the city. It causes me to want to go out every night and discover something different. 

There’s a part of the Schuylkill up near 23rd and Spruce that I discovered one night a little over a year ago. It has these old-fashioned Parisian-style bridges with lights on them and everything and you can see the the headlights and taillights on the expressway on the other side of the river and Center City is literally right above your head. I feel it is completely possible, in spots like that, to be in love with a city the same way you would be with a person.