South Street

PATRIOTIC REVIEW #1776!
Every time I come back to Philly, I make my way to South Street. My demographic has changed and so has South Street’s. However, I still make it a point to have a cheese steak at Jim’s and I do enjoy the people watching and calibrating how the neighbourhood has changed over the years.
Normally I walk here from around William Penn’s Hat and what I really enjoy is exploring old, new, and interesting sights on my way to South street one way and coming back another. And if that wasn’t the case, I would agree with Karen F. that South Street can easily play out for us «sedate» folk.

The star rating changes with your age and demographic.
As a 14 – 17 year old it woulda been 5 stars for sure. PARRRRRRRTY!
But as a sedate 30-​something — it’s kinda played out for me.
Fun for tourists and teens.
A few good restaurants left — plus whole food and superfresh right next to each other.
Jim’s Steaks.
That’s about it.

This place has changed so much so (strictly on the east side of broad), that I can’t say I’ve enjoyed it in a long while. I would visit south street religiously a decade ago. Now, I can’t seem to get far enough away from it. The cell phone stores, cheap,/crappy/whore clothing stores have taken over the street. That coupled with the ignorant kids that seem to overrun the street (flash mobs, acting ridiculous and disrespectful) are all the more reason not to visit. There’s only a handful of places that are worth visiting nowadays (moo tattoo, rita’s, retrospect). The one redeeming quality of this area is the farmers market at head house row. The west side of south street (past broad) is a different story. There are a few cute restaurants and local bars I really enjoy — sans flash mobs.

South Street used to be a destination. And I’m not talking in the seventies (I wasn’t alive then) but I remember going through a grunge phase in 1993 and NEEDING a wool sweater from Imagine. I begged my mom and she drove me on my first trip to South Street, and I was amazed. I mean, I was thirteen, I thought it was SO COOL.
I don’t think South Street is very cool at all anymore.
I have given up hope now Pearl has closed. The only reason I ever go to South Street is to shop at Retrospect or eat at Maoz. Even then, I walk as far as possible on Bainbridge to avoid actually walking ON South Street, which is filled with assholes. Lots of stupid kids and groups of girls all wearing leggings and Uggs, and slow walking couples and people who shop at trashy stores. Every time a business closes, a cell phone store is quick to open in its place. Who goes to all these cell phone stores anyway?

A couple passes below my open, 2^nd floor window.
Woman: Do these jeans make my ass look fat?
Man: Nah baby, your ass makes your ass look fat… and juicy.
[Slap]