Expats of all stripes embrace Philly’s brand of Americana at the Eagles’ London game

– Jim Saksa

Officially, the American embassy in England is in Vauxhall, in Southwest London.

But in Fitzrovia, in Central London, there’s a Philly-centric consulate called Passyunk Avenue. And, in true Philly fashion, this Philly-themed dive bar closed down the street Sunday for a block party in honor of the Eagles’ matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars at London’s Wembley Stadium.

In true London fashion, it costs £20 (or about $26) a head just to get in. The block party sold out weeks ago – over 500 people bought tickets, and more showed up day-of, decked out in Eagles gear, pushing the fire code limits, which are strictly enforced.

Philadelphia can be a small town. If you spend enough time there, it quickly becomes impossible to walk down the street without seeing someone you know.

London is not a small town. The English capital is perhaps the most cosmopolitan city in the world. But with the Birds game on at Passyunk Avenue, it’s still impossible to go long without running into someone you know.

(WHYY.org, 2018, United Kingdom, <https://whyy.org/articles/expats-of-all-stripes-embrace-phillys-brand-of-americana-at-the-eagles-london-game/>)