In the aftermath of the Times article about the Brooklynization of Philadelphia, not to mention our title as the Next Great City, I got an e-mail from a stranger in New York. His question is best posed to the group:

I live in Brooklyn with my partner, and we're thinking that it is time to move on from New York. It is the eternal 'keeping up with the rising costs' factor that make us feel like this is just not our cup of tea. Can you tell me your honest feelings about Philadelphia and whether you would recommend it to others? I've been quite a few times and we are considering a few places, Philly being one of them.

So what would you say? It's tough to be objective. The obvious pro is cost, since Philly is still much less expensive than other urban areas on the East Coast. And I enjoy the small-town feel of the city, though that's not for everyone. Also, the food is good (keep quiet, all you NYC pizza slice snobs).

Okay, people, there is more to life than politics. Baseball, for example. Now that the Grapefruit League is in full swing, Phillies weblogs everywhere are coming out of hibernation. A new addition to the group is Phreakin' Phils: another freaking Phillies blog.

The site is less than a week old, but proprietor Wade Bloggs has already offered innovative ideas to improve our beloved and beleaguered baseball team. For example, after comparing General Manager Ed Wade to Mayor Street, claiming that "they have each taken old, marginally successful franchises and made them a laughing stock in other cities," Bloggs suggests that full control of the Phillies should be given to the Phanatic.

Phreakin' Phils is a little negative*, but the commentary so far is fun and a welcome diversion from sports sites that focus mainly on recaps and statistics. Philly Future links to a few Phillies weblogs, but if you have a favorite that's missing, put it in the comments, and maybe the fine editors of this forum will add it to the blogroll.

*Are there any Phillies weblogs that aren't negative?

In case you didn't hear the good news, Philadelphia is represented in the 2005 list of Bloggie finalists. Mac and pesky'apostrophe are contenders for best tagline:

pesky'apostrophe: always better than an unexpected period.

I just got an e-mail from P Diddy, and he says that we should all vote in the Bloggies, or the Eagles will lose the Superbowl.