We met some Philadelphians at Fashion District and asked them the same question: What made you fall in love with the city?

With the World Cup around the corner, the Fashion District has a new interactive installation: “Philly Love Stories.” Despite the name, this is not about romance; it’s about Philly love and pride.

Two three-dimensional hearts shaped to look like a pink cloud welcome folks in through Fashion District’s 9th and Market Street entrance and visitors share their musings on love in Philly. The initiative comes from a Visit Philadelphia video series with the same name.

On Saturday afternoon, as people stopped to write their notes and see the exhibition, The Inquirer asked people for their Philadelphia love stories. For some, the city has brought their family together and for others, the love affair with the city has remained a long-distance relationship. Here, some found the strength to cope with the grief of a child’s death while some made loving feline bonds.

Here are some of our favorites:

In their 16 years of marriage, Tito and Janitza Nyemah have found in Philly a place for their love to bloom.

The Bensalem residents come to the city for romantic getaways or, like Saturday, to celebrate their anniversary.

“Day to day, you get wrapped up on family, kids, and work, but we come here and we feel connected to each other,” Janitza Nyemah said. “We walk through the parks, and never go twice to the same restaurant because the food scene, it’s top notch. So there is always something new to try.”

Reading the love stories written by residents and tourists on the prop wall, Nyemah hoped visitors coming in for the World Cup will try to seek out the city as much as they can, and explore beyond the clichés.

“Cheesesteaks for sure,” she said. “But the more you get to know Philly, just know the more you’ll love it.”

Binta Willoughby, 48, hugged her youngest son, Quamire, for the last time in early May.

The 26-year-old was sitting outside his home in North Philly with his friend when an unidentified car passed by and the driver opened fire at random, striking Quamire, Willoughby said.

“He was very friendly, will help you out any way he can,” she said.

Far from pushing her away from the city, the incident only deepened her connection to Philly.

On Saturday, she and Quamire’s girlfriend wrote on the wall about their love for the city and Quamire alike.

“It was an unfortunate thing, but we have been here our whole lives, and there has always been more good than bad,” Willoughby said. “Philly is my home, my whole life; the city where my kids were brought up, people here are kind.”

In 2016, Sophear Chansath held her newborn daughter and kissed her husband goodbye, as he left Cambodia to work in the U.S.

After a decade apart, Philly has now become the city where the high school sweethearts, now both 38, have now reunited and are raising their family.

With the help of her daughter Jessica, 10, Chansath wrote about how charming and kind her husband is, and what Philly means to them.

“We love the food and the people are kind,” Jessica, 10, said, translating for her mother.

The family loves walking in Center City parks and visiting Chinatown. Handmade noodles are Jessica’s favorite meal.

Raising her daughter in a city so far from her native home, Chansath has faith that Philly will provide a safe and nurturing space where Jessica can grow up.

“She takes good care of me and wants me to be a good kid and have a nice job here,” the daughter said.

For Damaris and Andres Outlaw, love in Philadelphia involves a long-distance marriage.

“I’m writing about a Jersey boy that fell in love with a Philly Latina queen and now has to travel,” said Damaris while pinning her note into the exhibit’s wall.

Her husband Andres’ job keeps him in New Jersey and he often commutes for 45 minutes each way, multiple times a week, to be with his Philly born-and-raised wife.

“I want to be there for her because I love her,” Andres said. “It is a sacrifice, but we can see one another.”

“Philadelphia has a lot to give,” Damaris said. “We are full of friendly people, good food, and great experiences, think about the pretzels and water ice.”

Staring at the wall of notes, Wen Lee, 24, and Matt DeMarco, 31, couldn’t help but think about what they love the most about Philly: Cats.

DeMarco grew up in the city, but Lee moved from Texas two years ago for work.

They met at an anime conference in the suburbs and soon began dating. Lee eventually decided to move to Philly, wanting to experience the city’s art, music, and food scene. They also found themselves doing something they hadn’t planned for: rescuing stray cats and taking them to shelters.

“Philly cats are wonderful; we like looking at them, taking care of them, and helping them,” Lee said.

Last winter, they found a cat in the middle of a snowstorm and gave him a forever home.

“His name is Moos. We don’t know how old he is because he has no teeth, so they can’t tell,” she said. “He is our little baby boy.”

With Philly’s incoming influx of tourists, they hope more people fall in love with Philly’s cats and help find them homes.

“Give the cats food and water, and if you can catch them take them to a shelter,” DeMarco said. “And if you want a cheesesteak, don’t go to Pat’s or Geno’s.”