🏙️ Philly’s not rude — we’re honest | Morning Newsletter
And the man who backflipped into the flooded Vine Street Expressway speaks out
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
Happy Friday. Congratulations on making it to your holiday weekend.
I don’t know about you but I’m ready to take advantage of the last ounce of summer. I’m headed to Ocean City this weekend for a quick camping trip with my family. Reply with your plans. And if you don’t have any yet, we have a guide for that.
Also, you’ll have the perfect weather for whatever shenanigans you get into. Expect sunny skies and a high of 85 to lead into your holiday weekend.
Let’s get into it.
In today’s newsletter:
🏙️ Defending Philly’s honor: A survey tried to call us the rudest. Clearly, it is misinformed.
🗳️ City Council campaigns: It’s heating up as more contenders eye a run in next year’s election.
📰 One recap: President Joe Biden gave a speech last night in front of Independence Hall warning against “MAGA Republicans” threatening democracy.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Once again, the city is just misunderstood.
Preply, a language learning app, says it surveyed 1,500 residents of the 30 largest metro areas in the nation and asked them to rate the rudeness of their own cities.
In an article outlining its incendiary findings, Preply said it conducted the study to “help travelers determine what to expect when visiting”
Here’s what to actually expect when visiting Philly, as my colleague Stephanie Farr eloquently put it: cool sites, great food, and a level of honesty from the city’s people that some whiny babies are obviously not prepared for.
It’s true that Philly people won’t mince words. But would you rather someone not tell you when there’s food in your teeth? And if you are acting like a jerk, chances are you already knew that before someone called you out for it (and they will). People from Philly don’t say anything that isn’t true.
I understand how it can be jarring initially if you’re not used to it but I would argue it’s the ultimate form of kindness. We’re not a fake city. Also, if someone gives you a compliment, no one is doing it to be “nice.” They meant it. If anything, we’re the most genuine city there is.
Philly models one major rule: Show respect, get respect.
Philly is all about matching energy. When I moved onto my block in Brewerytown from West Philly last year, I made a point to introduce myself to my neighbors the day before I moved in. You know what happened? I ended up getting a plate full of food from someone’s cookout that day and help moving my stuff into my new home the next.
I could go on all day but you should read Farr’s defense that doubles as a love letter to the city.
What you should know today
President Joe Biden’s speech from Philadelphia last night heavily focused on threats to democracy ahead of the midterm elections in November.
State. Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, touted an endorsement from a rabbi who promoted a Qanon conspiracy.
Former president Donald Trump vowed to pardon rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol if he gets reelected in 2024.
Dozens of families in South Jersey are still not back in their homes a year after a tornado that accompanied the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
We told you earlier this week how life expectancy declined because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, according to the CDC. A Nobel-winning economist speaks to The Inquirer to make sense of the news.
A cofounder of the progressive group Reclaim Philadelphia is making moves to run against Mark Squilla for City Council.
The Clam Bar, the popular Jersey Shore bay restaurant known as Smitty’s, will return next year.
We needed some levity, and he came when we needed it most.
A year ago this week, Hurricane Ida’s remnants left a trail of destruction through the Philadelphia region. Justyn Myers — a 41-year-old architect and amateur cliff jumper — left work, stripped down to his underwear, climbed the guardrail along the 22nd Street overpass, and backflipped into the filthy floodwaters on the Vine Street Expressway.
Necessary context: The flooding of the highway through Center City drew national attention.
The storm displaced hundreds of residents and caused at least $120 million in public infrastructure damage.
One year later, Myers said the backflip was his way of making the best of a bad situation.
“That was an easy one,” he said. “If the water wasn’t so dirty, I’d do that one again.”
He wasn’t the only one who got intimate with the dirty waters. Another man was photographed tubing down the highway with a baseball hat and what appeared to be a cold beverage. Officials had to release an odd warning: Don’t swim in the flooded highway, and if you already did, get a tetanus shot.
Reporter Max Marin details what Myers has been up to since (and yes, it includes more cliff-jumping).
🧠Philly Trivia Time đź§
When will Philly Burger Brawl return?
A. Labor Day Weekend
B. October
C. January
D. November
Find out if you know the answer.
What we’re...
🍔 Reminiscing: About H.A. Winston & Co., which helped usher in the Philadelphia restaurant renaissance.
🏖️ Reading: About Inkwell Beach, the hub of Black joy at Martha’s Vineyard.
🎉 Planning: Our weekend lineup. It’s Labor Day weekend and there’s a lot to do.
Photo of the day
Enjoy your holiday weekend. I hope you get off work early and are headed to someone’s cookout. My fellow newsletter writer extraordinaire Ashley Hoffman has you covered this Sunday.