Philadelphia will host Welcome America! from June 26 to July 4. Basically a big promotion for the city, it should draw 3 million people, especially for the fireworks and the Elton John concert on July 4. On top of that, Live 8 is holding one of its concerts here on July 2, starting at 8 a.m. with videocasts of the European acts. That show is free and should draw a million plus.
I figure the idiots will start arriving in droves on Friday, July 1, and stay basically constant until Tuesday the 5th. A large chunk of center city will be shut down on July 1-2. Forget going out or getting something to eat. Foot traffic only on July 2-4. Paradoxically, though, I think things like grocery stores will be empty, and starting July 5 the city should be extraordinarily quiet, because a bunch of people will just leave town for the week.
You have been warned.
Yeah, tell me about it. We're getting married on the 26th, and there are at least four major events going on in the city that weekend. Traffic will be a clusterfuck, and there were no hotel rooms (except on orbitz, etc., though even those weren't cheap). At least in Philadelphia you CAN get around on foot; that's really not possible in Chicago. All things considered, I think I'd rather be in Philadelphia, but that's true generally in my life, so . . .
Posted by: emma goldman | June 13, 2005 at 10:51 AM
I keep hoping that, since I work on the Parkway, I get an extra day off out of this. Like July 1. This joint is going to be awash in assholes.
Posted by: mac | June 13, 2005 at 12:51 PM