12 People

A Sunday afternoon with 12 strangers inside (or outside) the Independence Mall.

This is Dawn Casello, to the left, and Stacey Donovan, at right. They've resided in Philadelphia all their lives and have witnessed many strange things. "I saw a man walking today who didn't have feet,"Dawn exclaims. "You see it all when you've lived here a long time," Stacey replies.

This is Dre, a lifelong resident to Philadelphia. He is apprehensive at first but then jokes that he "is Philadelphia, I'm in the phonebook."

This is Lonie, a Philadelphia born citizen and a recent graduate from the University of the Arts. "I wish I could find a better job," he said, himself an Hard Rock Cafe employee.

This is Ty, a lifelong Philadelphian, who was caught a little off-guard by the picture. He was hard to photograph because he moving about, sweeping and ignoring the camera.

This is Vince. A permanent resident to Philadelphia, who stays loyal to his city. His only complaint- Septa. "I really don't like it," he replies.

This is Donald, a native of Philadelphia, a loyal event goer, on his way to the Auto Show. He has found an interest in art and architecture, due to a recent retirement, and recommends "Philagrafika" to anyone.

This is Pedro. He has been living in Philadelphia for 40 years. I gathered what I could but a language barrier distorted our conversation.

This is Natalia. She was born is Russia and moved to Florida in 2007 to live with her parents. She was 20. She's been living in Philadelphia since April 2009. She enjoys the city but misses the Florida warmth. "It's 85 there today," she says.

This is Raymond Lewis. He's born and raised in Philadelphia and is here for good. "I've been other places, but I would never leave Philadelphia," he says.

This is Ray, a security guard at Hallmark. He is originally from Philadelphia and likes everything about it. "It's all I know, all my friends and family are here, I'd never leave." He was less than enthusiastic about this picture, saying "they don't like us getting our picture taken, for security reasons."

This is Kim Fox. She is an Allied Barton security guard on the ground level at Independence Mall, after she was transferred from the Art Museum. She's originally from Philadelphia, but can't wait to get back to Kansas. She lived there for several years, but when she lost her father and sister within months of each other, she moved back to be with her mother.