Philly Piles on the Romance in US Rankings

Philadelphia is a pretty romantic place. We don’t have the nickname of “the City of Brotherly Love” for no reason. Okay, so maybe not just fraternal love. Philly is a city rich in amor. And I’m not speaking from a place of bias. We really know how to do romance ’round these parts. It’s official: grocery delivery service Instacart named Philadelphia the fourth most romantic city in the country.

Philadelphia is a city full of romance, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Who was deemed to be more lovey than Philly? We were out-smooched by Boston, the number one city (for the second year running), out-snuggled by Atlantic, and out-cuddled by Austin. I figure that fourth is pretty good for Philly, however, considering our latest foray into the national spotlight – winning Superbowl LII – heavily featured grown men in full-body green sliding down Crisco-coated lamp poles and shouted obscenities about the New England Patriots while swilling full cups of beer. We have a softer side, it’s true.

According to the Daily Philadelphian: “To determine the ranking, Instacart tracked relative spikes in “romantic” search terms by millions of consumers on both its app and website on the week of Valentine’s Day, which included chocolate, flowers, candy, strawberries, champagne, valentine, truffle, cookies, dessert, roses, and wine. ”

Other cities that scored high on the love-o-meter were Charlotte, Oakland, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

Interested in where NOT to go for romance? Scoring at the bottom of Instacart’s dubiously-scientific study were Orlando, Raleigh, and Indianapolis. As a former resident of Orlando (it’s the home of my alma mater), I can attest that the place is a Mickey-eared, tourist-choked hellhole with the deadliest highway in the country winding through it. Give me the tender embrace of a sweaty, exuberant Eagles fan any day. Romance is within reach here in Philadelphia, fellow single ladies and gents. It’s been proven.