Philly Living

Having completed my undergrad at Villanova University, which is located in a suburb right outside of Philadelphia, I thought I knew a few things about the city. I had done a bus tour with my parents; attended Villanova basketball games at the Wells Fargo Center; eaten out during restaurant week; and gone exploring with friends a few times.  I have learned this year that being a visitor cannot compare to the true experience of living in Philadelphia and being a part of the community that you serve.

I serve daily at Health Center #4 in West Philly and live a ten-minute bus ride away. I have a gym membership in West Philly, attend church two blocks from where I live and sometimes feel like I never leave my three mile radius. But there are a number of things that I have come to love about Philadelphia and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to become a part of this city.

1. SEPTA: Many people complain about Septa, and I am sometimes among them, but growing up in Stockton, California, public transportation was a relatively new thing. Taking the same route to service every day means that I have the same bus driver every morning. We'll exchange pleasantries and make small talk, and whenever he sees me running for the bus he waves me on and waits no matter how packed it is. I've also talked to some unique individuals riding around on Septa like the "Carrot Cake Man" who sells delicious homemade carrot cake from a cart as he rides throughout the city.  While it may sound questionable, he is a Philly staple that you can't replace. Riding Septa every day is also one of the experiences that I share with my patients; it shows that while I am not originally from Philadelphia, we do have things in common.

2. The Restaurant Scene: Besides the deals you get during Restaurant Week, Philly is filled with delicious food of every culture and price--and has more than just great cheesesteaks! From food trucks and hole-in-the-walls to cafes and high-end dining, Philly is a foodie's heaven. Within four blocks of my apartment I frequent Dock Street for pizza, Mood Cafe for chaat and lassi, Fu-Wah Market for hoagies and banh mi, and Le Bercail, my roommate's favorite French-African place. If you do venture out of “Best Philly,” I mean West Philly, Reading Terminal Market has something for everyone and Chinatown is right around the corner. And no, none of these places are paying me to advertise for them.

3. The Community involvement: At our AmeriCorps launch in September, I realized how many other young people there were in this city who were ready to serve.  Philly is a young city with a number of colleges and universities, many of which have graduates staying in the area. Since the launch, I have met countless other community members involved in non-profits, education, environmentalism, and people who are determined to strengthen Philadelphia in a variety of ways.

4. The relative quiet: Despite being an urban city, Philly still feels safe and familiar. There are great places to run, a park down the street from my house, and people sitting under their covered porches enjoying the day. It has been easier than I thought to find a sunny place to read outside or just find some quiet in a busy city.

It took some time, but Philadelphia has become my home this year. This has been the perfect place to spend my first year post-college and I'm not sure I'll be able to leave when my service term ends!
 

This post was written by PHC member Amy Komure.
Amy serves at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health - Ambulatory Health Services as a Patient Assistance Program Advocate.