In your too-brief months, our city really shines. Even though you came in this year with rainfall of biblically epic proportions, this didn’t stop any of us from filling our senses with your sights, sounds, tastes, smells or amazing activities.
On Memorial Day, inaugural barbeques in Fairmount Park immediately gave the city air that signature eau de grill, and we all knew another delicious summer was afoot. With our patio gardens soon sprouting overgrown mint plants, we mixed up icy cold mojitos and sipped them on our rooftops as we watched the late sunset behind the Philly skyline. Once your notorious heat and humidity kicked in, nighttime walks for Capogiro’s frutti di busco gelato or John’s lemon water ice became absolutely essential to survival.
Nothing was more excruciating than work days spent stuck inside, while outside you were in full glory, so we spent the lunch hour basking in your rays at Rittenhouse Park. As soon as we left our desks for the day, we hit your streets ready to make some evening fun. We hopped on the Broad Street line to cheer on our World Champion Phillies at Citizens Bank Park and watched movies under the stars in our neighborhood park. On weekends we rode our bikes to Clark Park and Headhouse Square to pick up fresh, local veggies that your sunshine helped to grow. We ate hours-long dinners with friends on Liberties Walk, followed up with live music—and more Phillies games on the big screen—at the new Piazza at Schmidts.
You just wouldn’t be you without the Fourth of July. Is there a better place to celebrate this country? The Art Museum’s fireworks show was the place to be. People poured in from cookouts and block parties around the city, showing you and our country so much love.
As wonderful as you always are to us, we can find your perfect complement an hour away, trading asphalt for sand down the Shore. It’s nothing against you, but your proximity to the ocean gives us the best of both worlds. Even when we leave you for a relaxing weekend at the beach, we already miss the constant action of city life. Time apart only makes us appreciate you that much more.
Our days together are almost over, and soon we’ll be counting down another nine months until we’re reunited again. Fall will be stepping in for you soon, and with the cool days, Sunday football and crunchy leaves, her months can be just as glorious.
