77 Comments
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Eileen Dougharty's avatar

I always say if you get a smile from a stranger on the street in Philadelphia, you earned that shit.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

HAHAHA THAT IS SOO REAL!! 😂🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

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Jenovia 🕸️'s avatar

Baby, you've already arrived and we're all just trying to catch up.

This had me on a rollercoaster of emotions.

Howling laughing from, "We broke up as two people with mostly vowels in their names do"

and "while mice parkoured around our ancient kitchen".

Beautiful, spectacular, bittersweet. What a beautiful goodbye and a gorgeous hello to a new beginning.

I'm proud of every version of Dia it took to get here. ❤️‍🔥

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Those mice were noooo joke dude 😩😩😂😂😂😂 LOVE YOU SO MUCH

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Roman Newell's avatar

Fucking delectable.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

GRATEFUL FOR YA ❤️

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Caroline's avatar

That Pennsylvania stench will cling to you for life…like Louisiana to me. It’s awful and fucking magical. This piece is as good as it gets. So are you. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Louisiana girls and PA girls — there’s something that binds us and I think we just discovered it 🫣😍

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Caroline's avatar

And now we send formal/boss bitch emails 🤣

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Eleanor's avatar

Slam dunk of an essay. Holy shit.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Appreciate that so much 🥹

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Isabel Cowles Murphy's avatar

Holy shit, Dia. I'm back biking down Spruce at ten pm, getting my front tire caught in the trolly gauge, standing up in the orange glow, wondering who saw me. Nobody but the street. What is it about leaving the city where you were young? All the dreams you had clacking like footsteps on the pavement while you unfurl into yourself? Those streets are witnesses. This is some of the best writing I've ever read.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

How do I say “you’re the fucking best” in a less vulgar, more sentimental way??? I think “you’re the fucking best” is it

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Erin Shetron's avatar

From one Philly girl to another, I fuckin loved this. Go birds.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

*fist bumps you hard af* HELL YEAH

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biglittlemia's avatar

As someone who lives in Philly, I completely get the mark it leaves on you. ❤️

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Whaaat I love meeting Philly representation on Substack 😍 thanks for reading! ❤️

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Rachel Leeke Alexis's avatar

Lovely read. Laughing at feeling you had to run the city (marathon) to be a part of it and the badass mice in your old apt. 😂

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Those mice did not fck around!!! 😂😂😩 thanks so much for reading 😍

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emily north's avatar

you captured the essence of philly so perfectly- whenever people ask me if i like it i say “i don’t like it necessarily but i do love it- i feel so innately at home whenever i first see the art museum or skyline… but i don’t want to live there” i feel homesick after reading this but in a good way 💘💘

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Ahhhh you have no idea the joy it brings hearing people who know Philly interact with this! Thank you so much for reading 😍

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Tom Harari's avatar

I didn't know I could love a piece of writing about Philadelphia as much as I did with this. Excellent.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

The highest compliment THANK YOU 🥹

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appleton king's avatar

a love song

sent it to ex pat buddy in london who will be watching eagles kick off at 1 am (his time)

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Many, many thanks 🥰

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Brette Reichart's avatar

Family and boyfriends have never understood why I love Philadelphia so much, the special place it holds in my heart that aches whenever I start to feel old. I’m going to show them this piece to help explain it!

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Ahhh thank you babe!!! Your fam is Pittsburgh fans aren’t they? I feel like I remember that hahah (mine are too) … but Philly is too goddamn special

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Brette Reichart's avatar

Yes they are! Pittsburgh just feels so… cold? In an unwelcoming way. We did a college visit to Duquesne and my dad was so upset that I hated it lol. Still proudly wore my Steelers jerseys and took the heat willingly because what else are you gonna do? 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Dia Lupo's avatar

HAHA I ALMOST WENT TO DUQUESNE!!! So funny.

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David Roberts's avatar

Fitting ode to a rough and sometimes charming city. I went to school in Philly in the early '80s and spent time visiting our kids there in school from 2006 to 2016. Lots of surface changes. But the smells remain the same.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Those smells won’t die! Thanks so much for reading 😊

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F.D.'s avatar

This is so beautiful and incredible. I love your voice and am so excited to read more of your work. I only went to Philly once and it had a beautiful sort of grime to it that I loved.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Appreciate you 🥲🫶🏼 real ones get the beauty in the grime

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Gabbie's avatar

I love seeing my city experienced by others. I love this stupid smelly town.

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Dia Lupo's avatar

Hell yeahhhh 😍 Philly in the house

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