A Quick Drive Through South Philadelphia

Geno's Steaks --
one of South Philadelphia's main cheesesteak joints

I spent this past weekend in Philadelphia on business. After business was completed, my wife and I went for a quick drive through South Philadelphia, an amalgam of cheesesteak kingdoms, restaurants either hip or hopeless, and elbow-to-elbow row housing. In a sense, South Philly is its own world, with unique reference points, neighborhood history, and unmistakeable look. If one is a person of color, South Philadelphia has not always offered a heartfelt benvenuto. Still, the neighborhood has an unmistakable sense of personality.

My wife, a fine art photographer, quickly noted South Philly's pictorial qualities, especially as we drove along the Italian Market's narrow streets that were quiet on a late Sunday afternoon. She has already put in her interest in a return trip, and I'm game.