10 Signs You Were Born And Raised In Philadelphia

Philadelphians and those who grew up in the Philadelphia area have certain things that pertain to them that “outsiders” find weird. There are telltale signs that people grew up in the area, and they likely fit you to the tea. If they don’t right now, they will after you’ve spent your college career here. Here are 10 signs you were born and raised in Philadelphia.

1. You took field trips to historic Philadelphia in grade school

When family members who do not live in the Philadelphia area come to town, they want to go to places like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It is likely that you went to these places in grade school for field trips and have not been back since. Those places are constantly busy with tourists, so you avoid those areas unless you need to go back for a project.

2. Most of your friends either went to Penn State or Temple

These two schools are the most popular schools in the Philadelphia area, and very few people choose to go elsewhere. If your friends went to community college first, they likely transferred to Temple or Penn State. However, your “smarter” friends likely ended up at Bucknell. Very few people opt to leave the state if they choose to go out of state for college.

3. You know what “Jawn” is

“Jawn” is a noun, adjective, verb, and any other part of speech you can think of. It means anything and everything you want it to be and can be used in any context. It can be used in place of “jam” (i.e. “That’s my jawn.”). If you do not hear “jawn” at least ten times while walking down the street in Philadelphia, you are not in Philadelphia. If you understand this, you were absolutely raised in Philadelphia.

4. You refuse to trust restaurants outside of Philly who say they make “Philly” cheesesteaks

When you travel outside of the Philadelphia area, even if you stay in Pennsylvania, you are leery when restaurants offer “Philly” cheesesteaks. You often laugh at the thought that these places think they could come close to replicating such a classic dish. However, you are also hesitant to go to Pat’s or Geno’s since they are the tourist places to get cheesesteaks.

5. You call “downtown” Philly Center City

Most cities have “downtown,” which refers to their version of what Philly calls “Center City.” You hear “Center City” being used on the news and on Septa Regional Rail. It can be confusing for those who are in from out of town, but you do not know it any other way.

6. You know what “wooder” is

“Wooder” is the Philadelphia-accent version of water. “Wooder ice” is water ice, known to most others as Italian ice. This is just one of many instances where Philadelphia’s accent is way different than others, and Philly natives are so used to it that it has become second nature.

7. Your favorite New Year’s Day tradition is watching the Mummer’s

This is definitely something that confuses people that are not from the area, but most people who move miss dearly. Every year, groups of people, known as the Mummers, strut (known as the Mummer’s Strut) down the street in Center City to music they perform. If you go to Ocean City, New Jersey over the summer, you have witnessed them on the boardwalk and have had to explain it to someone at least once in your life.

8. You are passionate about Philly sports teams or have been heckled for liking another team

If you are a die-hard Philly sports fan, you could never imagine ever rooting for anyone but the Sixers, Flyers, Eagles, or Phillies. However, if you are a fan of another team, you have likely been forced to keep it a secret out of fear of being beaten up (it happens). However, even if you like another team, you likely have one Philly team that you are loyal to.

9. Tastykakes are your jam, I mean, jawn

Tastykakes are like Hostess snacks, only a million times better. They are only available at stores in the Philadelphia region, on the east coast, and throughout the southeast and southwest. You absolutely cannot imagine your life without them, and you have a favorite that you buy every time. If you were raised in Philadelphia, you’ll understand this one for sure.

10. You run on Wawa

You laugh when you see Dunkin Donuts commercials that say “America runs on Dunkin.” You know that if the rest of America knew of the magic and awesomeness that is Wawa, they would run on that. They have the best food and the best coffee, and basically the best everything. You cannot wait to see more places that are introduced to this heaven on earth. But you know that they have expanded to at least a few places outside of the Philadelphia region.