💔 Philly is so single | Morning Newsletter

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday.

How about that snow yesterday? Parts of the Philadelphia region have just experienced what was by far their biggest snowfall this winter, but in much of the city, Tuesday marked the case of the missing snow. Temps won’t be getting out of the 30s today as whatever is left of the white stuff (hopefully) melts away with the sunshine.

It’s Valentine’s Day and love is on the brain — even in Philly, which is apparently the most single big city in America. Ouch. Why are we so dang single? Or, what makes Philadelphians so noncommittal? Our lead story dives into the data.

— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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It’s hard out here for Philadelphians looking for serious love. If it’s not a situationship breaking our hearts, it’s whatever a long-term, long-distance, low commitment casual girlfriend is, or something else altogether.

Philly is the most single (unmarried) big city in the United States, according to data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

This fact may be nothing new to anyone who’s been done wrong by a Philly guy or gal, but there are more interesting tidbits about our dating habits:

💔 Philadelphians of all ages and races are less likely to be married than in any of the 10 most populous U.S. cities.

💔 Philly men are among the least likely to be married, and for Philly women, the gaps are even starker.

💔 Only Philly proper is an outlier. The larger metro area has a marriage rate in line with its peers.

What’s driving these figures? There’s no one answer, but the explanations range from income inequality (Philly is also dubbed “America’s poorest big city”) to the refusal to date across Broad Street.

Notable quote: “The things that make [Philly] a great place for singles to live are also what makes it challenging,” said Tatyannah King, 28, who moved to Southwest Philly in 2020 from Durham, N.C. She said Philly has more options, but that she found that potential partners might not want long-term relationships.

We talked to 11 Philadelphia singles, two matchmakers, and three social scientists to learn about Philly’s statistical single-dom. Keep reading to hear from them and look closer at the data.

On Tuesday, Philadelphia prosecutors opened their case against former Philadelphia Police Inspector Joseph Bologna, who faces charges of simple assault and possessing an instrument of crime for allegedly beating a Temple University student during a 2020 protest following George Floyd’s killing.

Catch up quick: Bologna, 57, is accused of striking Evan Gorski, then 21, in his head area with a baton. Video of the incident was widely circulated on social media. Gorski was later treated at a hospital for a head injury, and Bologna was suspended and ultimately fired from the police department.

The incident happened during protests over racial justice and aggressive policing, when the city’s police department was heavily scrutinized for its use of force against participants.

What’s at stake: Prosecutors are asking jurors to consider if Bologna’s use force was unnecessary. If the jury finds Bologna guilty, it would be the first criminal conviction of a Philadelphia law enforcement officer who responded to that summer’s protests.

The trial is expected to resume Wednesday morning. Read on for more on what happened in the courtroom and look out for new developments at inquirer.com.

The city’s tourist organizers are planning a major celebration of which classic Philly film later this year?

A) The Sixth Sense

B) The Young Philadelphians

C) Rocky

D) Creed

Think you know? Check your answer.

❤️ Taking: Dating tips from OG heartthrob Billy Dee Williams.

⚾ Asking: 9 questions for the Phillies as spring training opens.

🥶 Keeping: Our skin moisturized throughout the rest of winter.

🥍 Greeting: The Waterdogs, our new Premier Lacrosse League team.

Hint: One of Philadelphia’s biggest annual attractions and fundraisers for the conservation, sustainability, and beautification of the city’s green spaces 🌷

HALLOWED HAPPIER WOLFISH

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kathleen Henry who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Wanamaker Building.

That’s all for now. Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer.

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