Philly Plain Dealer

Many people who grew up in the 80s or 90s will look back fondly on the warm, peach-orange glow that radiated from the incandescent street lights of the time. The high-pressure sodium bulbs cast an ethereal light that blanketed all the memories of years gone by in a warm, sepia tone. On summer nights, they made the world feel smaller and softer like the entire city was a small neighborhood. Their faint buzz served as the soundtrack for many late-night treks.

These old bulbs have served the city well for decades: they were first installed in the 1960s due to their longer lifespan compared to older models of incandescent bulbs. Their characteristic color, once considered a drawback, had become an endearing and comforting feature for people who grew up during their heyday. As snow fell on the Philly streets, the orange hue nearly put the entire city in Sepia tone.

But alas, the march of progress waits for no bulb. The city of Philadelphia began its much-publicized Streetlight Improvement Project in August of 2023, aiming to replace all incandescent street lights with much brighter and more efficient LEDs within two years. It’s necessary to improve nighttime visibility and safety and reduce power consumption in the city. Sodium bulbs have much in common with the divas of the ’80s and ’90s: They were energy-intensive, temperamental, and had short life spans. And while their signature sepia glow is nostalgic, they are rather dim. Many of us can remember a time when a streetlight began flickering, only to burn out days later. So often did they flicker that it became a hallmark of their existence.

In contrast, LEDs are cheaper and brighter, but are they too bright? As many Philadelphians have noticed, the switch to LEDs has been abrupt. Citizens have flocked to message boards like Reddit to complain about the searing light penetrating their living rooms after dark. One Redditor expresses “Why the fuck are my block’s streetlights set to ‘bright as the fucking sun?’”

However, the city claims that the brightness can be adjusted block-by-block. The crews who replace the old bulbs with these LEDs have had enough practice: They’ve replaced over 100,000 bulbs already. 

The familiar orange glow of these now-defunct bulbs will be only a memory for older Philadelphians, as LED lights become our reality.