I will preface my statement by saying I have spent time in several big cities. Philly is the only one I've ever been nervous in, however. Last time I was there, I was staying at a very nice hotel, in the good part of town and decided to walk to dinner. Big mistake! My buddy and I weren't accosted, but in the 3 or so blocks between our hotel and the restaurant we passed what appeared to be a group of Russian mobsters, a couple groups of urban thugs guarding their respective stoops, and a guy who walked about 50ft behind us yelling incoherently for about a block and a half. Philly's department of tourism should include these lovely folks in their next brochure.
Swoop