Jenice Armstrong: What's great about Philly

NOT TO BRAG, but when I happened across a story in yesterday's Daily News by my colleague Catherine Lucey about how more people are calling Philly home these days, I couldn't help but do a little chest-thumping.

The City of Brotherly Love is the bombdiggedy, as they say.

We already know the cost of living in Philly is way cheaper than Washington and New York City, and the city's neighborhoods are all that . . . but here are my reasons why Philadelphia is a great place to live.

Let's hear it for 215-pride.

10. Fairmount Park's Kelly Drive. Just being out on the bike path with all the cyclists and joggers makes you feel athletic even if you did down a hoagie from Lee's the night before.

9. We have both a high-end fashion strip and a low-end one; it's only a short walk from Eternity Fashions, where pleather peep-toe boots go for just $24.99, to Joan Shepp, where you can buy a yellow Balenciaga peacoat for $1,995. Who says the two can't be worn together?

8. Speaking of fashion, where else does Fashion Week drag on and on the way ours does? This year, the city's fashion season started on Aug. 20 with "17 . . . Days of Fashion" and is still going on. Last night, yet another round of Philadelphia Fashion Week activities kicked off, this one at the Armory. More shows are scheduled through Oct. 9. Yes, there's a whole lot of duplication, but it's a style voyeur's paradise.

7. Philly has to be the hair-weave and braid-extension capital of the Free World. If you've seen the grocery-store-sized beauty-supply store called Hair Town in Cedarbrook Plaza behind Walmart, then you know what I mean. Pink or electric blue hair? Not a problem. And the store clerks won't even look at you weird.

6. The eating is good here, and I'm not talking about just the high-priced stuff, although I can get with that, too.

Cheesesteaks may be our hometown staple, but I had never heard of tomato pie before I moved here. I love it. And although there's never any legal parking on Ritner Street when I go, that doesn't stop me from going to Mama Cacia's for it. And let's not forget Geno's fried fish cakes, Ishkabibble's cheese fries, Rita's "wooder ice" and the soft pretzels sold through car windows.

5. The nightlife has improved somewhat, thanks to all the cool spots in Northern Liberties. (The city still has a way to go with that, but that's another column.)

4. There's always some sort of intriguing political theater happening. In what other city would the former mayor have the audacity to accuse the current mayor of not being black enough - and to a newspaper person no less? I'm still trying to figure out why John Street thinks he's blacker than Mayor Nutter and why that would even matter.

3. Philadelphians have attytood. Here, you stake a claim to a parking space merely by placing a kitchen chair on it and no one will challenge you. Where I'm from, no one would even think of trying to get away with that stunt.

2. No other National Football League franchise can touch our quarterback drama. Even people who don't like football (and yes they do exist) can't help but get sucked into it. Whether it's Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb, everybody has an opinion.

1. The Phillies, and especially Mr. No-Hitter, Roy Halladay. Enough said, OK?

Send e-mail to heyjen@phillynews.com. My blog: http://go.philly.com/heyjen.