One of Us: Meryl Levitz
My full name is … Meryl Levitz.
I am … a happy and productive person most of the time.
I was born in … Chicago.
I’ve lived in Philadelphia for … 40 years.
The thing I like most about myself is … that I give everyone a chance.
The thing I would change about myself is … I would be more patient. Maybe.
My greatest extravagance is … daydreaming.
The place I’d most like to live someday is … Paris, for part of the year.
My fictional hero is … Anne of Green Gables, since I was 9.
My real-life hero is … Winston Churchill.
The best thing I own is … I don’t know, but the worst is my hair dryer.
Cheesesteak or roast pork? Roast pork, and I’m just down the street from Tony Luke’s.
The question I get asked the most is … “Want to hear my idea for a love letter?” And I love hearing them.
One thing this city doesn’t have that it really needs is … public schools that every parent wants their kid to go to.
If I could do anything for an occupation, I’d be … a singer/songwriter.
The best book I ever read is … the book of fables my husband wrote for me.
I’m just so sick of … people saying with surprise that Philly’s dining scene is more than just cheesesteaks. We’ve had fabulous chefs, restaurants and BYOBs for a long time now.
My favorite place to shop is … Les Puces, the big flea market in Paris.
The person I most envy … I don’t. Nobody has it all wrapped up.
I always take my out-of-town guests to … the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, if they’re first-timers.
If I could switch places with one person for a day, it’d be … my 3 1/2-year-old granddaughter Mae. How do kids see things, anyway?
My favorite spot in the city is … Reading Terminal Market. It’s all of Philly under one roof.
I found the love of my life … in my college classroom. (He was the teacher.)
The coolest person in the city is … ?uestlove … and soon, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The best Rocky movie is … the first one, Rocky.
My last meal on Earth would be … a bottle of great champagne and a perfect pomegranate.
