How the hell do young people afford Philadelphia? That’s the question on today’s Men At Work (like, subscribe, share). I’ll be honest I think I’ve finally gotten ahold of living in Philly financially. It only took me a decade, but I think I’ve finally come to grips that all my money from my paycheck is going to my credit card and rent + bills until I grow up and move to the suburbs. That might sound like a terrible way to live, but not me. As long as I get paid enough to cover the credit card and rent and tuck some sheckles away for a rainy day that’s L-I-V-I-N LIVIN’ BABY!

It’s better than how I used to live. Storytime…

I remember when I first got out of Temple I had just gotten fired from my first job in sales. I didn’t sell jack shit for an entire year. I think they saw “potential” in me – they were wrong. We used to have to hit a certain number of calls a day and by like month number four I was just dialing companies and sitting in the automated inbox for 30-60 seconds to make it look like I was “grinding”. Would have conversations with myself to no one on the other line so my boss would think I was showing effort. But anyway I finally got fired like a week before rent was due and I remember crying at my counter because I was going to have like $30 in my checking account after rent and bills. I cried because I sucked at my job and I wasn’t even getting paid $4 million for it. Looking at you Alec Bohm. I had already rented an apartment that was out of my price range with an ex-girlfriend who was just as poor. It fucking sucked. Sidenote: crying is one thing. Standing and crying is a whole different beast. If you stand and cry to yourself you’re bordering on a mental breakdown. That’s when you know it’s bad. Not even being able to go lay in your bed or on a couch or in the slightest sit in a chair to do your crying should make you know how bad my situation was. Your shoulders are hunched over, head bowed, two hands on the counter, which is the only thing keeping you from collapsing. The tears are bigger and the breaths in between are larger. I remember thinking to myself in that second I’m never going to be able to afford this city and look at me now! A decade later I’m still here barely affording it, but god dammit I survived! A modern day success story. So if you’re in your 20s and you’re wondering how you’re going to afford this city after racking up a hefty bill at McGillin’s over the weekend the answer is you’re not. Not at this time, but trust me it gets better.

 

 


We hung out in Fishtown to see how young people afforded one of the richest neighborhoods in Philly. It’s not just all bad luck murals and hipsters anymore it’s now a place with too many coffee shops with $6 iced coffees (I’m a hypocrite because I’m writing this in one as we speak), a lot of yuppies (I am one), some of the best food in the city, million dollar housing with a beautiful views of the highway, and easy access to New Jersey and I-95. It’s the Mecca and not just because I live here. And if you don’t give a shit about this topic still consider tuning in. We also talk about Matt’s humiliation ritual he had to do for a Disney World deal and I tell the story about how I funded a war lord in college. An episode relatable for everyone!

Listen on Spotify and Apple if you don’t want to stare at our dumb faces for an hour: