Moving to Philadelphia discussion
Neutral reviews
Josh
Philadelphians may have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble (thanks, Eagles fans), but don’t be intimidated. At the heart we’re a population of softies. We will welcome you with open arms, talk your leg off on the street, and happily lend a hand when you’re in need. You’ve picked a great new place to call home.
anonymous
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/15-things-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia
If you are moving to Philadelphia, it’s a good idea to understand how the change will impact your budget. SmartAsset’s cost of living calculator can help you figure out how your new home compares to your old.
A financial advisor can help you navigate big life changes like a move, or just with identifying and meeting your financial goals in general. A matching tool like SmartAsset’s SmartAdvisor can help you find a person to work with to meet your needs. First you’ll answer a series of questions about your situation and goals. Then the program will narrow down your options from thousands of advisors to three fiduciaries who suit your needs. You can then read their profiles to learn more about them, interview them on the phone or in person and choose who to work with in the future. This allows you to find a good fit while the program does much of the hard work for you.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/03/what-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia/
All 25 of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods have parks and playgrounds. Plus, there’s a brand new children’s museum, and the best children’s hospital in the nation.
As you’d expect from a city with as much history as Philadelphia, there’s tons to do—plus, its close proximity (and competition) to places like D.C., New York, and Boston have helped to create a thriving cultural scene, with great food, bars, and shopping. We’ll see you in Philly.
Philadelphia
Philly's pretty typically East Coast - one of the original cities, beautiful and with a local culture that is brusque-bordering-on-rude. Apart from that, it's a small-town type city. Clannish, even outside the obvious neighborhoods like South Philly, with a lot of people having long family ties to the place. For outdoorsy appeal, you have the ocean and beaches about 2 hours away, the Delaware Bay, the Pine Barrens about 1 hour away, and the Poconos about 2 hours. Most of these are easy drives.
One caveat. Much of what you read about Philadelphia is filtered through the very biased lens of the considerably larger city to the north, which takes an unseemly older-brother glee in tweeking its smaller neighbor at every opportunity. Chicago undoubtedly exists as THE major city in its region. Philadelphia does not. New York will always be the world capitol nearby, and New York-based writers and reporters and newscasters, etc., etc., have an appetite for Philly blood. You need an ego to live here, to hear the constant refrain of "Philly has an image problem," "Philly lacks self-confidence," "Philly isn't New York" and shrug it off.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
In relation to other cities that are similar in size, Philadelphia’s cost of living is extremely reasonable, with a one bedroom apartment close to downtown running around $1,400, and a one bedroom away from the city center closer to $1,000. In addition, utilities cost around $160 monthly, with most residents spending about $60 on internet.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
Public transportation is widely used throughout the city, and it’s easy to get where you need to go, even without a car. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) subway runs north to south along Broad Street, which is the main street in Philadelphia. The Market-Frankford line connects West Philadelphia to the Northeast neighborhoods, with multiple stops downtown. Trolleys and buses have dozens of routes throughout the city and suburbs, and the regional rail trains bring in people from surrounding towns, making the daily commute from the suburbs to the city a breeze.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
Philadelphia’s population is around 1.5 million, with its metropolitan statistical area reaching more than seven million people.
Philadelphia’s largest employers, after the city and federal governments, are the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s famous sandwich is the cheesesteak, made up of beefsteak and melted cheese, served on a long roll. Order it with onions, mushrooms and peppers for an authentic experience.
With more than 75 colleges, universities and trade schools in the metropolitan region, more than 300,000 students call the Philadelphia area home.
Fairmount Park features over 2000 acres of walking trails, bike paths, and natural beauty. There are always plenty of activities planned in the park year round.
If you’re looking for a big city with a lot of diversity and opportunities for growth, moving to Philadelphia is a great choice. Get your fill of delicious food, history, and art, all in one place.
Zwierzycki
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/970a6i/thinking_of_moving_to_philadelphia/
Ive lived in several place around the country, and honestly, the people of Philadelphia are the most willing to engage in conversation that I have ever come across. Even if they are busy, Philadelphians will at least acknowledge you and try to help (that is if you are not begging). I will qualify that the vast amount of my experiences here are in Center City. I could have moved anywhere and decided to move here because of the people.
illie_Main
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/7xnekt/moving_to_philly_looking_for_advice/
My girl and I wanted to move to Philly and spent about a week scouring the internet for apartments in many different parts of the city. We had no idea which parts were nice and which parts were shit, so we tried our best to spread out and see a bunch of different places.
Some were nice. Some were...not so nice.
Thanks to research, but mostly first hand experiences, we found the perfect place and have been here for a year and a half. You guys know what you want waaaaay more than a bunch of internet strangers.
obi1_215
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/91wrvw/thinking_of_moving_to_philly_advice/
The mass transit is not the greatest here in Philly. With only two subway lines, the mass tranit system relies heavily on buses. We have trolley lines and a regional rail system that is a work in progress. NYC is definitely better in terms of mass transit and nightlife. Last call is 2 AM. We do have great neighborhoods with good bars and restaurants. You can really find some gems around the city. Some events around the city are very cool and worth checking out. Our parks are great. We have some of the best parks in the world that are great for exploration. I think the city government is fairly corrupt. We have a wage tax and other taxes that are brutal. $33 million in tax payer money went missing and the response was just whatever. We have crime like any other city. I love the city and I wish some things would change.
kip_tracer
As someone from Philadelphia, who has spent a considerable amount of time in Pittsburgh, I can say without a shadow of doubt our sandwiches are better. Fuck Primanti's.
Soccermom233
Philadelphia is significantly more concentrated than Pittsburgh.
Positive reviews
anonymous
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/15-things-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia
Philadelphia – whether you know it by its government name or as the City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the City that Loves You Back or Quaker City – has a lot going for it. It’s a major city with a small-town feel, a thriving cultural sector and a relatively affordable housing market. Thinking of moving to Philadelphia? Here are 15 things you should know.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia offers the benefits of a big city without the intesity that you find in many of them. We have unbeatable US history, great sports, a huge park system, excellent performing and fine arts, a wide array of smaller museums of less common subjects, and a very inviting, walkable, livable (how I miss it!) downtown called Center City. Philadelphians are generally unpretentious and warm. There is a real soul to Philly, as manifested by its abundant public art and quirkiness (Mummers parade, a crowd spontaneously line-dancing the Electric Slide when Obama's victory was declared, cheesesteak culture, actors walking around in Colonial Era garb, etc.) Public transportation is very good, and like Owlyn, I did not own a car when I lived in town.
thearctican
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/91wrvw/thinking_of_moving_to_philly_advice/
I'm moving to Philly in September and didn't ask any questions. Want to know what I did? I visited. I toured all of the neighborhoods that were at the low end of my price range, and at the upper end. I went to bars and restaurants and talked to people there about the place. I took the time to get to know the city as well as I could in the time I had.
I'm excited to be there. See you all soon.
Neutral reviews
Josh
Philadelphians may have a reputation for being rough-and-tumble (thanks, Eagles fans), but don’t be intimidated. At the heart we’re a population of softies. We will welcome you with open arms, talk your leg off on the street, and happily lend a hand when you’re in need. You’ve picked a great new place to call home.
anonymous
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/15-things-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia
If you are moving to Philadelphia, it’s a good idea to understand how the change will impact your budget. SmartAsset’s cost of living calculator can help you figure out how your new home compares to your old.
A financial advisor can help you navigate big life changes like a move, or just with identifying and meeting your financial goals in general. A matching tool like SmartAsset’s SmartAdvisor can help you find a person to work with to meet your needs. First you’ll answer a series of questions about your situation and goals. Then the program will narrow down your options from thousands of advisors to three fiduciaries who suit your needs. You can then read their profiles to learn more about them, interview them on the phone or in person and choose who to work with in the future. This allows you to find a good fit while the program does much of the hard work for you.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/03/what-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia/
All 25 of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods have parks and playgrounds. Plus, there’s a brand new children’s museum, and the best children’s hospital in the nation.
As you’d expect from a city with as much history as Philadelphia, there’s tons to do—plus, its close proximity (and competition) to places like D.C., New York, and Boston have helped to create a thriving cultural scene, with great food, bars, and shopping. We’ll see you in Philly.
Philadelphia
Philly's pretty typically East Coast - one of the original cities, beautiful and with a local culture that is brusque-bordering-on-rude. Apart from that, it's a small-town type city. Clannish, even outside the obvious neighborhoods like South Philly, with a lot of people having long family ties to the place. For outdoorsy appeal, you have the ocean and beaches about 2 hours away, the Delaware Bay, the Pine Barrens about 1 hour away, and the Poconos about 2 hours. Most of these are easy drives.
One caveat. Much of what you read about Philadelphia is filtered through the very biased lens of the considerably larger city to the north, which takes an unseemly older-brother glee in tweeking its smaller neighbor at every opportunity. Chicago undoubtedly exists as THE major city in its region. Philadelphia does not. New York will always be the world capitol nearby, and New York-based writers and reporters and newscasters, etc., etc., have an appetite for Philly blood. You need an ego to live here, to hear the constant refrain of "Philly has an image problem," "Philly lacks self-confidence," "Philly isn't New York" and shrug it off.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
In relation to other cities that are similar in size, Philadelphia’s cost of living is extremely reasonable, with a one bedroom apartment close to downtown running around $1,400, and a one bedroom away from the city center closer to $1,000. In addition, utilities cost around $160 monthly, with most residents spending about $60 on internet.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
Public transportation is widely used throughout the city, and it’s easy to get where you need to go, even without a car. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) subway runs north to south along Broad Street, which is the main street in Philadelphia. The Market-Frankford line connects West Philadelphia to the Northeast neighborhoods, with multiple stops downtown. Trolleys and buses have dozens of routes throughout the city and suburbs, and the regional rail trains bring in people from surrounding towns, making the daily commute from the suburbs to the city a breeze.
anonymous
https://www.zumper.com/blog/2018/01/moving-to-philadelphia-the-ultimate-guide/
Philadelphia’s population is around 1.5 million, with its metropolitan statistical area reaching more than seven million people.
Philadelphia’s largest employers, after the city and federal governments, are the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s famous sandwich is the cheesesteak, made up of beefsteak and melted cheese, served on a long roll. Order it with onions, mushrooms and peppers for an authentic experience.
With more than 75 colleges, universities and trade schools in the metropolitan region, more than 300,000 students call the Philadelphia area home.
Fairmount Park features over 2000 acres of walking trails, bike paths, and natural beauty. There are always plenty of activities planned in the park year round.
If you’re looking for a big city with a lot of diversity and opportunities for growth, moving to Philadelphia is a great choice. Get your fill of delicious food, history, and art, all in one place.
Zwierzycki
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/970a6i/thinking_of_moving_to_philadelphia/
Ive lived in several place around the country, and honestly, the people of Philadelphia are the most willing to engage in conversation that I have ever come across. Even if they are busy, Philadelphians will at least acknowledge you and try to help (that is if you are not begging). I will qualify that the vast amount of my experiences here are in Center City. I could have moved anywhere and decided to move here because of the people.
illie_Main
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/7xnekt/moving_to_philly_looking_for_advice/
My girl and I wanted to move to Philly and spent about a week scouring the internet for apartments in many different parts of the city. We had no idea which parts were nice and which parts were shit, so we tried our best to spread out and see a bunch of different places.
Some were nice. Some were...not so nice.
Thanks to research, but mostly first hand experiences, we found the perfect place and have been here for a year and a half. You guys know what you want waaaaay more than a bunch of internet strangers.
obi1_215
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/91wrvw/thinking_of_moving_to_philly_advice/
The mass transit is not the greatest here in Philly. With only two subway lines, the mass tranit system relies heavily on buses. We have trolley lines and a regional rail system that is a work in progress. NYC is definitely better in terms of mass transit and nightlife. Last call is 2 AM. We do have great neighborhoods with good bars and restaurants. You can really find some gems around the city. Some events around the city are very cool and worth checking out. Our parks are great. We have some of the best parks in the world that are great for exploration. I think the city government is fairly corrupt. We have a wage tax and other taxes that are brutal. $33 million in tax payer money went missing and the response was just whatever. We have crime like any other city. I love the city and I wish some things would change.
kip_tracer
As someone from Philadelphia, who has spent a considerable amount of time in Pittsburgh, I can say without a shadow of doubt our sandwiches are better. Fuck Primanti's.
Soccermom233
Philadelphia is significantly more concentrated than Pittsburgh.
Positive reviews
anonymous
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/15-things-to-know-before-moving-to-philadelphia
Philadelphia – whether you know it by its government name or as the City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the City that Loves You Back or Quaker City – has a lot going for it. It’s a major city with a small-town feel, a thriving cultural sector and a relatively affordable housing market. Thinking of moving to Philadelphia? Here are 15 things you should know.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia offers the benefits of a big city without the intesity that you find in many of them. We have unbeatable US history, great sports, a huge park system, excellent performing and fine arts, a wide array of smaller museums of less common subjects, and a very inviting, walkable, livable (how I miss it!) downtown called Center City. Philadelphians are generally unpretentious and warm. There is a real soul to Philly, as manifested by its abundant public art and quirkiness (Mummers parade, a crowd spontaneously line-dancing the Electric Slide when Obama's victory was declared, cheesesteak culture, actors walking around in Colonial Era garb, etc.) Public transportation is very good, and like Owlyn, I did not own a car when I lived in town.
thearctican
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/91wrvw/thinking_of_moving_to_philly_advice/
I'm moving to Philly in September and didn't ask any questions. Want to know what I did? I visited. I toured all of the neighborhoods that were at the low end of my price range, and at the upper end. I went to bars and restaurants and talked to people there about the place. I took the time to get to know the city as well as I could in the time I had.
I'm excited to be there. See you all soon.