South Philly Living - Taking Advantage of Jersey Without Having to Live There

I haven't blogged in a really long time, but I really couldn't pass up the opportunity to share one of my favorite things about living in the shadow of the Walt Whitman (gay!) Bridge - taking advantage of all that South Jersey has to offer, without having to actually live there. Growing up in exurban South Jersey (Marlton 's slogan should read "Over an Hour to Philly at Rush Hour!") I knew early on that I would be fleeing the well-manicured lawns and soul-crushing homogeneity of suburban living as soon as was possible.

Settling in South Philadelphia after brief stints in Virginia and Oregon, I have come to realize that South Jersey ain't all that bad. Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on moving there (unless we do the gay adoption thing, then sure, for the schools, maybe), but there are so many Jersey amenities a Philadelphian can take advantage of. As we're talking about the suburbs here, most activities do require a car. But there are even a few fun Jersey times to be had via public transportation (They call it PATCO. Which is native Lenni-Lenape for "Pea-Green Train from Seventies").

My two very favorite Jersey activities are buying gas and buying booze. They are both so much easier in Jersey, and cheaper too! Take gas - a hot topic in today's rapidly warming world. A gallon of gas, according to gasbuddy.com, is priced at $3.69 a gallon in South Philly. Gas at the Wawa in Pennsauken, NJ (just over the bridge! Then through Camden.) is priced at $3.21 a gallon. That's a savings of $0.48 a gallon. You just need to buy 6 1/4 gallons to pay for your bridge toll. And the very best part? You don't have to pump it yourself. Which really, is worth its weight in gold. Pumping gas is gross and barbaric - no disrespect to whoever will be pumping my gas next time I'm in Jersey!

Another activity that falls under the label of "Jersey - Cheaper and Easier" is buying booze. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board runs expensive, bureaucratic wine and spirit shops with very limited selection and hours. Did you know that whenever you buy alcohol in Pennsylvania, 18% of your purchase goes to help the town of Johnstown recover from a devastating flood . . . that took place in 1936? And forget about buying beer. You can either buy a case of beer at a warehouse-like beer distributor or pay an arm and a leg for a six-pack at a deli. In Jersey, you can choose from a wide variety of beer, wine, and liquor, in any size, at clean private liquor stores with helpful staff and convenient hours.

New Years Eve a few years ago fell on a Sunday. As Philadelphians know, most liquor stores are closed on Sundays in Philly. RJ and I decided to go buy some booze and champagne (OK, sparkling white wine) at our local Wine and Spirits Shop on Snyder Ave. by Ikea. This happens to be one of the few stores in Philly with Sunday hours. It was hell on earth. The line, literally, snaked through the store - twice. You couldn't even push your way up and down the aisles to make your selections. People were screaming and yelling and pushing. It looked like pandemonium was about to break out at any minute. We looked at each other, and I said "Let's go to Jersey!". In about twenty minutes, we were standing in a much shorter line at Canal's in Bellmawr, waiting to pay much less than we would have in Philly. We got home quicker than we would have had we waited at the store in South Philly. A word of caution, however. It is, technically, illegal for Pennsylvanians to bring booze over the bridge from Jersey. While the police no longer stop cars to search for alcohol, I still load my purchases into the trunk - just in case!

I realize I have just typed a whole heck of a lot about alcohol - which might make me worry a little bit. But, I still have plenty to say on the topic. As well as other Jersey activities like "Going to the Mall", "Bowling" and "Roller Skating". I will try to share as many insights as I can about using Jersey for its sparkling amenities and then high-tailing it back over the bridge to the City we all love. Thank God for E-Z Pass!