New Town, Same Me

So the move to Philadelphia is complete. It's been just over 2 weeks and we're already settling in nicely and learning the area. Helps that we're in a lively neighborhood with plenty of bars, restaurants, shops, etc within walking distance. And I already managed to find myself a job. 6-month contract gig at a medical company. Hopefully it goes well for both parties and we can make it permanent in '12.
Another upside is that this is an extremely dog-friendly area. There always seems to be people walking their dogs everywhere. Anyone with outdoor seating has no problem with dogs chillin' under the table while you eat/drink. In fact, most shops have bowls of water on the sidewalk and treats at the counters. It's great. Now we just need to get Tyler to realize he's a 70lb monster and can't act like a puppy when we're in public.
Now then, the bad side. Seems that every major city in the north-east and mid-atlantic has to have some terrible city planning thing going on. Boston had that maze of twisting 1-way streets combined with an apparent fear of signs. Our little neighborhood of Manayunk has an even better problem. For whatever reason, they decided that streets should maintain their names even if the street ends for 3 blocks before picking up again. Let me give you great example (Dexter St in 19128 if the link fails):
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=dexter+st+19128&hl=en&ll=40.026037,-75.215642&spn=0.005529,0.011362&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.543597,93.076172&z=17
Dexter street starts nearby at Green Lane, goes for 1 block to Lyceum, takes a heathly jog, continues to Monastery and takes another jog, then goes for 3 blocks before ending at Roxborough Ave. But wait, that's not the end. It resumes 5 blocks later at Shurs Lane. And that's not an isolated case. Most streets in this area seem to just stop and start randomly at some point. So combined with the frequent 1-way streets it makes navigating by car a bit of a challenge. And since it's built on a pretty steep hill, I get lots of clutch work.
And naturally there are annoying blue laws. Beer can only be purchased from authorized distributors and only by the case. Except that some bars can sell 6-packs at horribly inflated prices. Wine and liquor? Those have their own special stores. So not only do I have to abandon my habit of buying 6-packs of lots of things to try, if we're having a party we'll have to hit 3 different stores to get the required adult beverages.
Car titling and registering? That was outsourced to the private sector. So you go to the DMV to get your license, then head over to a private business in order to get your plates and PA title.
All in all it's been a great couple weeks. The bars here have an incredible array of microbrews from around the country and globe. (An especially great one is roughly 100 paces from my front door. And we're on a first-name basis with the manager already.) We met a great group of people that bring their dogs to the park every day for some off-leash play time. The array of trails along Wissahickon Creek is a short 5-minute drive from our place. That includes some serious mountain bike trails as well as some more tame cruising trails along with miles of walking trails.
So here's to hoping that my job goes well, that Hayley settles into her new hospital well, and that this is more than just a 3-year bump in the road for us.
Also, if anyone is in or from the Philly area feel free to pass on any tips on favorite places to visit, eat, drink, etc. There's only so much we can figure out on our own.
PEACE!!