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What it’s like recently moving to Philly. (Photos: Tyler Thrasher)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Congratulations! You just moved to the City of Brotherly Love! You’ve moved into your new apartment, unpacked your boxes and have already picked up on the scent of cheesesteak in the air. 

The city has an infectious way of making you want to throw yourself straight into the culture; but before you do, there are a few unwritten rules and local truths that a born-and-raised Philadelphian will surely make sure you know. It’s not just a city, it’s a way of life, and here’s your crash course on how to fit in (from someone who just moved here in July):

Welcome to Philly

What I’ve Learned:

First things first, you will get roasted if you do the Philly accent wrong. And if you come in with Boston, New York, New Jersey or even Delco, you will be reminded how “awful” your attempt was. Trust me, this is from personal experience. The reel below was posted after living here for three weeks. There was much, much more to learn. And the comments sure didn’t hold back.

“Go Birds”

Within seconds of moving to the Philadelphia area, the first major thing you will learn is they do not play around about their football team: The Philadelphia Eagles.

“Go Birds” is not just an enthusiastic chant — it is a greeting. It has replaced “hello” and “goodbye.” Parents pray the phrase is their baby’s first words. If someone says “Go Birds” to you, it is viewed as disrespect to not say it back with reflective enthusiasm. When you are at the altar for your wedding, the priest will say, “You may now kiss the bride, Go Birds!”

Congrats! You are an Eagles fan now. You actually don’t have a choice. It was in the fine print of your Philadelphia indoctrination when you signed your apartment lease.

Saying “Go Birds” everywhere is now a thing. It has no jurisdiction. From Philadelphia to the Philippines, and New Jersey to New Zealand – it’s Go Birds. 

Also, we do not mention the Cowboys here. It is more than a rivalry. It is an oath.

Bonus points: You are also now a Phillies, Flyers, Union and 76ers fan, too! They don’t joke about their sports teams. It is a religion of its own. And it comes with fearsome loyalty and a helping of losing your voice every time you are at the Linc.

Brotherly Love

“Brotherly Love” is not just a sentiment, or the Greek origin of the word Philadelphia, but it is a spirituality. Philadelphians get a rep of being aggressive and intimidating, but after living here for a short amount of time, you will quickly realize this is just how they show love! 

A popular phrase, “Go Birds, DH!,” is a term of endearment, not an insult. I think. It still feels personal. Just know that fighting words are often interpreted as affection.

Stay out the left lane

If you are moving up from somewhere that looks at the speed limit as a rule rather than a recommendation, you may be in for a shock. Drivers in Philadelphia (though they may point the finger at New Jersey and say they’re worse) do not like you slowing down their commute.

You will be able to legibly read the words on the person’s t-shirt in your rear-view mirror if you loaf in the left lane, or they will weave around you with more precision than a crochet needle at a nursing home. And don’t fail to lift your foot quick enough off of the break once the light turns green, or you will experience a car horn blare with the same intensity as someone yelling E-A-G-L-E-S at their TV during a Cowboys matchup.

Down the Shore

Don’t say you are “taking a trip to the beach” if you are in Philly. You are going “down the shore” – or “down-a-shore” to be more phonetically correct. 

Also, once you get there, there are few things you must know:

1. Not every part of the shore is “down the shore,” and people from Philly will make sure you know that. If you go up to Belmar, you are not “down the shore.” Wildwood and Cape May? You are down the shore. 

2. Don’t hold your pizza too loose. There is a positive chance you will get your grub snatched by a seagull. If you aren’t going to eat your food as soon as you get it, you better keep that grip tight or it’ll be a bird’s breakfast.

3. You go “down the shore,” but one you are on the sand, you are “at the beach.” This one took a while to understand. And to be honest, I am still afraid to get it wrong.

4. You might get called a “shoobie.” This is a slang term typically from New Jersey natives for primarily daytrippers visiting the beach in the summer. It was used to make fun of people who brought their food from outside of the area, ultimately being blamed for ruining the economy by not buying locally. I bought a pizza and still got called a “shoobie,” so who knows if the definition has changed.

For the love of Wawa

The first Wawa broke ground in Delaware County, and has since become a food staple in the Philadelphia community. A classic hoagie and a large Wawa coffee is one of the most appreciated parts of life for many. I have made friends in the coffee line at my local Wawa like it is a tailgate.

Jawn.

This is the most important lesson you will ever learn. “Jawn” can be a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. It is the ultimate Swiss Army Knife of words. Example: “Yo, can you pass me that jawn?”

For something so simple, it has become a sacred word in the Philadelphian vernacular. It is printed on t-shirts in almost every gift shop you walk past. It is even worked into advertisement billboards in the city.

Big picture view:

Some new people moving into Philly for the first time may be intimidated by the things you hear along the grapevine, but once you are settled in, you quickly realize how wrong those stigmas are.

Philadelphia is a city of real love, great food, incredible music and raw passion for the things they care about. You can see that the moment you step foot through the Italian Market, walking through the historical Old City or anywhere a SEPTA train can take you. There are endless pockets of culture, good times and energy that cannot be replicated anywhere.

And once they accept you into the family, it is truly hard to ever let go of that true brotherly love. 

View of the Philadelphia skyline from inside the Lincoln Financial Field. (Photo: Tyler Thrasher)

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