I found a great place in Roxborough/Manayunk (I love that name) and it just seems to be falling into a place I had no idea was open. It's strange. I love the look of the neighborhood, close to downtown, where I'd be working if it did happen, and hey! LOVE the sandwiches, although I've been told I haven't had a true one since I've never been there.

Aimee, I've never lived in Philly, but both my brother and mom are in the southern NJ suburbs within a 45-minute drive, so I can ask them any questions about living in the 'burbs, if you need!

I had a good time in the city, Aimée, but that might have been Deb's daughter and NSYNC more than the city itself. I do have a cousin finishing up medical school there, and she really likes it.

I went to college outside of Philly but didn't really get to know the place, which was my bad. I gather there's lots of decent in-city neighborhoods, and public transportation in general is decent.

I lived for two months in the Central City part of Philly about 5 years back. The cheesesteaks are better in the neighborhood places than on the tourist strip on South Street.

I went to school in Allentown - not in the city much. The 'burbs can be pretty conventional. But from what I remember the city had more room for the unconventional. ( and the concept of haveing a look is not like it is in LA - neat and presentable counts more than size or glamour )

Philly has its points - but when I was in college it wasn't a good place to be a woman alone. Not danger-wise, but just in creepy guy-wise. Guys yelling inappropriate comments out of car windows and people on the street glaring at you. Guy trailing along behind me trying to get me to talk to him.

But that was many years ago and things may have changed.

Now I want a cheesesteak. My friends aways got them FOKET (written like that on the foil wrapper - fried onions, ketchup) but I like just ketchup. There was a local place that delivered to my college.

No non-philly place I have ever had a cheesesteak has gotten the bread right. Most of them get the cheese wrong, too, which, how?

No non-philly place I have ever had a cheesesteak has gotten the bread right.

We have a cheesesteak place in SF that imports its bread from Philly for just this issue.

On Food Network, I saw a Chicago-theme restaurant that Joe Montegna runs in Burbank featured, and he pointed out that all of his hotdogs are Vienna Beef, and the Italian Beef bread is as close to Turano Bakery as he could get in SoCal.