Way Down South in the Land of Philly
Aug. 17th, 2006 12:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellyssianSpent the day in Philly yesterday, specifically at the Marriott downtown. We had our annual developer's meeting there.
In addition to presentations by other employees, I also attended ones by Microsoft, Intel, and a few others. Scary, but I actually think some of the new tools in .net 3.0 look like they'll be fun. Not sure how much we'll do with WPF, but WCF better get some usage, or we won't be living up to corporate expectations. I haven't yet redesigned everything with the new services based architecture, but I will sooner or later. Of course, that will all be in my head, as have most of the changes that would have had us half-way along that path some five years ago. Now if I can only figure out a way to integrate our other product into a services based form, that would be fun...
Had dinner at the Hard Rock because a number of other places within walking distance of the hotel closed. Before 6pm. How can a restaurant in a city not remain open until at least 10pm? On the ride home, we noticed how many gates were pulled shut, how many places locked down. And how popular concertina wire was a roof ornament. And how many abandoned buildings there were.
Strange city, Philly. Half-expected to see anti-aircraft turrets poking out over the wire, but, I suppose their threats come from the street, not the sky. All in all, it's not that I feel unsafe there, despite all the barbed wire fences around churches and so forth, but that I feel vaguely unclean while there. So much of the city seems to be in disrepair, moreso than the other metro areas I am familiar with.
That, and, although it towers over the Lehigh Valley, it is a short city, with few exceptions.
As this was only a 16-hour day thing, I didn't make any attempt to meet up with any Phillyfolk - I expect to be there for our Client Conference in the fall, and hopefully will be there for the entire time, which will give me at least one free evening. I'll post more info when I have it.
In addition to presentations by other employees, I also attended ones by Microsoft, Intel, and a few others. Scary, but I actually think some of the new tools in .net 3.0 look like they'll be fun. Not sure how much we'll do with WPF, but WCF better get some usage, or we won't be living up to corporate expectations. I haven't yet redesigned everything with the new services based architecture, but I will sooner or later. Of course, that will all be in my head, as have most of the changes that would have had us half-way along that path some five years ago. Now if I can only figure out a way to integrate our other product into a services based form, that would be fun...
Had dinner at the Hard Rock because a number of other places within walking distance of the hotel closed. Before 6pm. How can a restaurant in a city not remain open until at least 10pm? On the ride home, we noticed how many gates were pulled shut, how many places locked down. And how popular concertina wire was a roof ornament. And how many abandoned buildings there were.
Strange city, Philly. Half-expected to see anti-aircraft turrets poking out over the wire, but, I suppose their threats come from the street, not the sky. All in all, it's not that I feel unsafe there, despite all the barbed wire fences around churches and so forth, but that I feel vaguely unclean while there. So much of the city seems to be in disrepair, moreso than the other metro areas I am familiar with.
That, and, although it towers over the Lehigh Valley, it is a short city, with few exceptions.
As this was only a 16-hour day thing, I didn't make any attempt to meet up with any Phillyfolk - I expect to be there for our Client Conference in the fall, and hopefully will be there for the entire time, which will give me at least one free evening. I'll post more info when I have it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 05:50 pm (UTC)It's funny, I honestly don't see the fences, etc. anymore, but I do wish that Center City smelled better...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 06:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-18 12:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 07:18 pm (UTC)But only cafes and coffee shops that closed before dinner time!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 07:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 08:44 pm (UTC)I'm not sure why Center City closes down so early, but it's always been the case. I think it may be due to the relatively low number of people who acutally live in center city compared to the large number who work there. Because there are so many during the day, there are a fairly large number of food selling places. Since the population drops so much at night, none of them can be sure they'll get a big enough chunk of the custom at night to make it worth it to stay open, so they close.
As you get into the edges of the city, less is closed at night, but it gets dirtier in some places. Diamond street has, at times when I've been there, literally looked like a dirt road due to the sand and dirt covering the pavement.
The shortness of the city is due to one of those bizarre ordnances that was recently changed. It used to be that no building could be taller than William Penn's hat (the top of city hall). Now buildings CAN be taller, but there are additional taxes or fees assessed on such buildings, but only on the stories above that height.
But the food, when open, is good. You might try South Street along with Chinatown for food at night, but dinnae go there, especially after hours, if you're one to be frightened by carnies. The natives are odd and proud of oddness. The food is good though.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-17 08:55 pm (UTC)Not Gino's, but one of the other big n' famous steak places.
Good stuff.
As for the oddities, they're nothing compared to some of what I've seen in Harvard Square! =)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-19 05:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-19 04:08 pm (UTC)