If Philly participated in the Facebook 10-year challenge, here’s what it would look like

There’s no avoiding the 10-year challenge.

The latest in-your-face internet trend that encourages social media users to upload comparison photos from 2009 and now has been all the rage in 2019. From celebrities and brands to that girl you haven’t spoken to in years, the “challenge” has been used largely as an excuse to show off.

Still, some have held off on sharing, speculating how social media platforms could be using the information as a facial recognition tool. Can you blame them after the year Facebook had?

If the City of Philadelphia participated in the craze, there’d be a lot to mention — both good and bad. Here are a few photos illustrating ways Philly has changed in about a decade.

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In the last decade, there have been additions on both sides of the Schuylkill, with the FMC Tower and Comcast Technology Center — Philly’s newest and tallest skyscraper — being some of most notable. In total, Philly has nine skyscrapers.

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Known as John F. Kennedy Plaza upon its dedication in the late 60s, you may know this spot better by its “LOVE” Park nickname thanks to its pop-art sculpture from the late Robert Indiana. The park reopened last year after a $26 million renovation that began in February 2016.

Before it became Philly’s version on New York’s High Line, the Rail Park was just an abandoned stretch of the Reading Viaduct attracting its share of urban explorers. The first phase of the renovations opened to the public in June.

Mayor Jim Kenney is up for reelection next November, but in 2009, he was still a city councilman — a position he was elected to in 1991. Now, you may better know him from the soda tax or his work with the city’s parks system.

If you’re looking for the finer details of his tenure, the Inquirer and Daily News delved into Kenney’s first 1,000 days back in October, looking at what promises he’s fulfilled so far.

Ten years ago, the word “gritty” was just a word you’d use to describe the platform while waiting for the Broad Street Line. Now, you better associate it with the Flyers' new mascot, who became a cult sensation after he was brought into the world in September 2018. Gritty shared his own #10yearchallenge this week true to his backstory. Before his introduction, he was just a creature lurking somewhere in the Wells Fargo Center. Though, some may argue his roots lay deep somewhere in Delco.

This isn’t your grandmother’s 30th Street Station. In the past decade, the transit hub has seen millions in facade restoration while Amtrak shortlisted development teams that would oversee further redevelopment. What other changes are to come? The iconic 30th Street flipboard is slated to be removed this year, but a push from a private company and a local congressman may lead to different plans for its future.

Last year, Philly bid farewell to the SEPTA token. The transportation agency stopped selling tokens to most riders in the spring, but said at the time that it would accept the mode of payment for the “foreseeable future.” Though if you haven’t already, it may be a good time to get your hands on a SEPTA Key Card.

An unchanged before-and-after photo of the Cottman Avenue exit along I-95 got its fair share of social media attention this week. Truth is funnier than fiction, after all. Construction along I-95 should end by the time you have grandkids.