Snook2, 3rd St Jazz has passed. It was not that long ago. 2 or 3 years? I think it was a sad day for lots of people. I saw the event on the tv news. Before which, I had no idea... People were scarfing up stuff like crazy during the going out of business sale. Lots of reminiscing. Reporters asking who was to blame. Answers varied from "the decline of 'real' music, to places like The Wall or Tower Records, to the migration to the suburbs(which I am a part of), to whatever". I guess the great irony is that I had never visited the store. My musical evolution was bringing me to be a diehard jazz freak just as the store closed. A twist of irony? My loss... Shubertmaniac, the rivalry between South Philly and the Great Northeast is interesting. I am only 31, it was much more profound in previous generations. I can summize that it was probably related to the hatred that Italians and Irish shared for each other. South Philly dominated by Italians(I in fact, am an Italian who spent the first part of his life there - I don't speak like Rocky Balboa, but do say "YO!"). The Northeast had a large population of Irish(along with the groups that the Italians were friendly with - Polish, German, Ukranian, Lithuanian, Jewish, etc.). I think the rivalry was one born out of work. The Irish were hated by those already here, "Irish need NOT apply". Eventually, they broke through, but faced new competition from the other, newer immigrants. Those which English was not their native tongue. I think the Irish told the other groups to give it up, go back, you'll never make it here, these are "our" jobs(all the stuff they were previously told). I was totally unaware of these things until I was about 8 years old. My best friend was Irish(I went to Catholic school). Everything was fine for about 2 years. His brothers then used to get on me for being Italian. Conversely, everyone else in the neighborhood then used to get on me for associating with "the McKinleys". A vulgar guy a year older than me once set me down, and REALLY gave me an earful. Indeed, from then on, I was exposed to all of the derogatory terms(which I won't regurtitate). I think we have finally moved forward in my generation. Part of which may be do to assimilation into the US. Moving into the suburbs totally destroys the segregated neighborhoods where these groups lived. And also the social insitutions(churches, banks, stores, schools, etc.), which belonged to each group(Funny thing - when you ask someone from the Northeast, "What are you?", they will respond, "Italian" - or whatever. When you ask someone from a different part of the country, they will answer, "American"). But there maybe also something to the fact that there are so many new immigrants in Philly now(Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indian, Middle Eastern, African, Hispanic, and Jamaican) that the delineations in the different European cultures seem less defined now. Although there is a LOT of hatred between American blacks, and non-American blacks(African & Jamaican). Chinese hate ALL of the other Asians. Same with Koreans. Vietnamese and Cambodians are the bloodiest rivalries(their hatred for each other goes back centuries), lots of gang violence between them. I was a boss at a factory where we had both Cambodians and Vietnamese, and was forever struggling to get them to work harmoniously. They both loved me(I am REALLY easy to work for), and always tried to get me to start to hate the other group(mostly by telling me petty stories, i.e. "They're devils). On to happier subjects... I love the Jersey shore. For those of which are not familiar with it, it is the shoreline from Atlantic City down to Cape May. Encompassing each sucessive barrier island heading south are: (Brigantine, Absecon, Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport), (Ocean City), (Strathmere, Sea Isle City, Townsend's Inlet), (Avalon, Stone Harbor), (Anglesea, North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest), and (Cape May). All of these places are summer vacation spots for Philadelphia area residents. Actually, each attracted it's own ethnic group. The beaches north of A.C.(Atlantic City) are mostly for the North Jersey/New Yorkers. I know the NorthEast gets a bad rap(there was a thread here on Audiogon about this, Carl_eber had a horrible welcome "up North", and hates it up here), but that is really related to North Jersey/NY. They are the antithesis of Philadelphia. A reputation for being cold, aloof, arrogant, condescending, and snobbish. Philly people are some of the most(if not the most) friendly, loud, boisterous, generous, fun loving, no BS people in the country. Please allow me to apologize to all on this site for the absurd lenght of my post. I am sorry.
