July 3, 2006
Where the Heck IS Everyone?
Is it Phillyist's imagination, or is the city much emptier than usual? We realize that many locals go down-the-shore 4th of July weekend...and what's further, there's no Live 8 this year so we shouldn't be expecting last year's swarming crowds...but it's almost a ghost town around here. There were no crowds Sunday when we strolled through the kid-friendly festivites at Penn's Landing, the sidewalks were clear in Old City...and just look at this picture we snapped of Rittenhouse Park's Goose Girl over the weekend. Any other hot Saturday afternoon (or even lukewarm Saturday afternoon for that matter) the fountain would be full folks cooling their heels. This weekend she looked positively lonely.
What's keeping the crowds away? The heat? The recent flooding? The hourly promise of scattered thunderstorms?
It's not that we mind not having to wait in line...we're just a little worried that everyone else knows something we don't.
Photo by author.
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for whatever it's worth, Saturday at Penn's Landing was nearing-indescribably busier than Sunday. There was not a single booth...food vendor, demonstrator, etc, that did not have a swarm of people up front and long lines.
The Taste of Philly food festival Saturday was also teeming with hungry folks. Almost all of the restaurants' representatives said that they'd had to return to the restaurant for more supplies...some multiple times!!
Huh. I must have zigged why the crowds zagged. Just like me, to be one step behind the crowd.