15 Undeniable Signs You Are a True Philadelphian

Brought to you by PhillyBite Magazine and WherePhilly

Philadelphia has a distinctly fierce identity. If you grew up in the City of Brotherly Love—or have spent enough time navigating its quirks to be adopted by it—certain undeniable traits, habits, and shared experiences bind us all together.

Here are 15 surefire ways to tell you are from Philadelphia:

1. You know that everything and anything can be—and is—a "jawn." Jawn is the ultimate linguistic chameleon and the most versatile word in the English language. It can seamlessly replace any noun in the Philadelphian dictionary. Need the remote? "Hey, pass me that jawn." Lose your cell phone? "Where did I put that jawn?" Someone offers you some lima beans? "Get that jawn off my plate!" It requires no explanation to a local, but leaves out-of-towners completely baffled.

2. You've been mocked for your accent. You'll get no sympathy from Boston, New York, or Chicago, because the way certain words roll out of a Philadelphian's mouth always grabs attention. Out-of-towners love to make our unique dialect a topic of discussion or the butt of a joke. Actual linguistic studies have shown that the Philly accent is one of the strongest in the country. "Water" is eternally pronounced "wooder," the Eagles are the "Iggles," and you can easily pick out a Philly native halfway across the world just by the very specific, drawn-out way they ask for the "beh-throom."

3. You avoid driving because—ugh. Parking! Parking is at an absolute premium in Philadelphia, and the vultures—professionally known as the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA)—are always circling, especially in dense neighborhoods like Manayunk. Of course, if you're in South Philly, "legal-illegal" parking is a recognized way of life. That means utilizing the emergency median down Broad Street or stacking cars up down the middle of Oregon Avenue without a second thought.

4. You don't expect to ever be on time for anything. Traffic on any major highway in the area—looking at you, Schuylkill Expressway—is an absolute abomination at all hours of the day. And while SEPTA is the lifeblood of the city's transit, it has its own schedule. When you're on the train in the morning, you see the same weary commuters day in and day out. And despite decades of name changes, you still accidentally slip up and call the regional rail lines the R2 or R5.

5. Going on vacation means going "down the shore." In Philly, you don't "hit the beach" or "spend time on the coast." In Philly, you sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway for what should be a quick drive to southern New Jersey, and you go down the shore. It is a lifelong evolution. In your youth, you blister in the sun, get saltwater up your nose, and stroll the boardwalk for Pizza. As you get older, the tradition matures into packing up the family for a relaxing dinner at The Watering Hull in Stone Harbor, or organizing summer boat outings with friends that end with bayside drinks at the Lazy Bass Bayside Bar and Grill or the Rock n' Chair.

6. Your food preferences are hyper-specific and non-negotiable. When it comes to food, it can be done the Philly way, or the wrong way. An Italian hoagie on a fresh Amoroso roll is a delicacy worthy of the highest culinary honors. To outsiders, Wawa is just a convenience store, but Philadelphians know it is a sacred way of life. When it comes to cheesesteaks, you won't find us standing in the tourist lines in South Philly. We rigorously debate the merits of a seeded roll and track the true heavyweights through brackets like the 7th annual PhillyBite Cheesesteak Madness tournament. If you want the real deal, you know to head out to Springfield for an incredible sandwich at Johnny Paisano's, or join the locals flocking to Dalessandro's in Roxborough.

7. If you miss The Mummers Parade, you're incredibly disappointed. This annual, carnival-like New Year's Day tradition features over 10,000 people decked out in vibrant, extravagant costumes and feathers. They strut, dance, and play string band music all the way up Broad Street. Meanwhile, Philadelphians, properly insulated with Miller Lite and Fireball, gather in the cold to welcome the new year. Of the 10,000+ participants, approximately six are completely sober.

8. Everyone you know went to Penn State. With dozens of universities in the city limits, Philly is essentially a massive college town. But Penn State is less than four hours away, and what Penn State has that the city schools don't is an overwhelmingly enormous and vocal alum network. Penn Staters—easily spotted in their head-to-toe blue and white collegiate attire—are everywhere in Philly, often causing a bit of friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) tension with the local Temple, Drexel, Penn, and St. Joe's scholars.

9. You completely ignore the local history. When you grow up with Independence Hall, the Betsy Ross House, and the Liberty Bell sitting squarely in your backyard, you visit the historical sites on a mandatory third-grade field trip and then never go back—unless you are forced to play tour guide for out-of-town relatives.

10. You don't believe in the "Philadelphia Inferiority Complex." Some people think that Philly gets outshone by the massive powerhouse cities to our north and south. But we don't feel trapped in anyone's shadow. We are a top-tier populous city with world-class dining, arts, and culture. Every Philadelphian can rattle off a long, unprompted list of reasons why Philly is much, much better than New York, DC, or Los Angeles.

11. You've bought a bag of pretzels from a guy in the middle of traffic. Whether it's on Cottman Avenue or the Roosevelt Boulevard, you've definitely purchased a brown paper bag of soft pretzels from a guy weaving through cars at a red light. So what if the exhaust fumes add to the flavor? Those pretzels are delicious and perfectly salted.

12. The words "there's always next year" are a mantra. It is the battle cry of the Philadelphia sports fan, muttered in the dark days of winter and the sweltering heat of late summer, except, of course, for 2008 and that magical Super Bowl run in 2018. Those years were pretty alright.

13. You're a hardcore, spiritual sports fan. Every town considers itself a sports town, but Philly is a different breed. Picture this: Sunday morning mass. Among the old ladies in their dresses, the pews are packed with anxious fans proudly donning their midnight green Eagles jerseys. After the sermon, the priest actually leads a prayer to keep the players safe and pull out a win against Dallas. That's Philly. We have a reputation for being obnoxious, but we know it's just raw, unfiltered passion.

14. If you're having a party, you're making TWO stops. Thanks to Pennsylvania's notoriously archaic liquor laws, stocking up for a backyard barbecue requires strategic planning. You have to swing by the beer distributor to lug out a case or two of suds, and then you have to drive down the street to the state-run Fine Wine & Good Spirits store to pick up the hard liquor.

15. You've got famously thick skin. From a young age, you are taught to hold your own, stand up for yourself, and ignore the hate that outsiders seem to direct toward this proud city. It is subtly ingrained in you that you do not take disrespect from anyone. It's a rough, gritty town, but it truly is the City of Brotherly Love. As former Mayor Michael Nutter once said, "Philadelphians are a gritty, tough people who will help you when you're down." We know that to be true.

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