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The top link paints a bleaker picture. You'll notice I said "for a city its size". Philly is 1.5 million. It's just ahead of Nashville and below Austin. So you're own puff pieces confirm my point. It feels like a city half its size (Boston is less than half its size) or worse.
Despite its smaller city limits, it's pretty well-recognized the Boston is an urban core that serves a pretty large urban area comparable in size to the Philadelphia area. In this sense, city population is arbitrary.
At any rate, I think the larger point here is that one could find scores of things to do in a matter of seconds via Google. Even aside from the "touristy stuff"--which I don't quite understand why they don't have merit in your eyes, as tourist spots are often very legitimately interesting places to see and are unique to each city--you can find plenty of more off-the-beaten-path festivals and events on any given weekend, as in any large city.
Every city has poof pieces like that. They're meaningless. Those are standard touristy things. Site seeing tours, then a little later on the list, city tours. Whoop dee doo.
The top link paints a bleaker picture. You'll notice I said "for a city its size". Philly is 1.5 million. It's just ahead of Nashville and below Austin. So you're own puff pieces confirm my point. It feels like a city half its size (Boston is less than half its size) or worse.
There is one thing I think is great about Philly (and not the food, its ok) its the art scene. It has a long and vibrant history in the arts and some of my favorite artists come from it.
Okay if you don't want to explore an urban environment, there are plenty of top art museums, history museums, medical museums, cultural institutions, good nightlife (especially bars), and despite what you think, the food is top notch. On top of that Philly has superb urban parks, great urban and historic neighborhoods and locales. Then, there are events, conventions and festivals and sporting events (which are pretty much going on every single week).
Philadelphia has a ton more to do than Austin, Nashville, Seattle, Houston, Dallas and a slew of other cities.
PS - the first list was a ranking in # of events and festivals going on in a city, not a ranking of cities with the most things to do.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SMotts
One of the densest and most urban cities in the US feels half its size?
As far as things going on, yes. I'm not saying Philly is a bad city. It isn't. It's pretty good. I'd live there if the right opportunity presented itself. I just think it is overrated. That's all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duderino
At any rate, I think the larger point here is that one could find scores of things to do in a matter of seconds via Google. Even aside from the "touristy stuff"--which I don't quite understand why they don't have merit in your eyes, as tourist spots are often very legitimately interesting places to see and are unique to each city--you can find plenty of more off-the-beaten-path festivals and events on any given weekend, as in any large city.
Each to their own. They don't appeal to me. When I went to SF did I want to ride cable cars and walk the golden gate bridge? Nope. Not really on my list of things to do.
As far as things going on, yes. I'm not saying Philly is a bad city. It isn't. It's pretty good. I'd live there if the right opportunity presented itself. I just think it is overrated. That's all.
I've never heard of Philly being overrated lol; if anything I think it's underrated as a 6 million metro that's overshadowed by DC to the south and NYC to the north. But maybe it's hyped up where you're from? *shrugs*
Each to their own. They don't appeal to me. When I went to SF did I want to ride cable cars and walk the golden gate bridge? Nope. Not really on my list of things to do.
I gotcha, the link he did post was mostly touristy stuff. However you mentioned music as a downside. I still would disagree to an extent. I have done some weird stuff in Philly over the past couple years including going to multiple raves in abandoned factories, World Café Live always has really interesting stuff going on, go to the other river and you can get your fix with all kinds of indie bands at Union Transfer, or if you like EDM or anything like that you can head over to the Sound Garden. Live Music is a toss up, a lot of bars will have bands in their upstairs or stage area on the weekends. I think the most famous of these places would be Johnny Brenda's or if you are looking for more of a dancing area (and you are young) the Barbary has a lot of local people.
Here are a few bands that are like actually making it. Not to the big time, but enough to go tour around:
I also have no problem defending 88.5 XPN Public Radio as one of the best radio stations in the country even if it has changed up a bit.
I didn't even mention the Electric Factory, Susquehanna Bank Center, or Wells Fargo where the mainstream national performers come. Sorry, I just can't see how Philadelphia is overrated really when nobody ever says "Philly's Music scene is the best!!". I think most people think of music to come out of Philly it sounds a little something like this:
I've never heard of Philly being overrated lol; if anything I think it's underrated as a 6 million metro that's overshadowed by DC to the south and NYC to the north. But maybe it's hyped up where you're from? *shrugs*
I think that poster is a Bostonian upset at the majority opinion on this thread of Boston/DC= Overrated and Philadelphia underrrated.
I like Boston and DC a lot but are they worth having the same cost of living as NYC?-to me absolutely not.
I gotcha, the link he did post was mostly touristy stuff. However you mentioned music as a downside. I still would disagree to an extent. I have done some weird stuff in Philly over the past couple years including going to multiple raves in abandoned factories, World Café Live always has really interesting stuff going on, go to the other river and you can get your fix with all kinds of indie bands at Union Transfer, or if you like EDM or anything like that you can head over to the Sound Garden. Live Music is a toss up, a lot of bars will have bands in their upstairs or stage area on the weekends. I think the most famous of these places would be Johnny Brenda's or if you are looking for more of a dancing area (and you are young) the Barbary has a lot of local people.
Here are a few bands that are like actually making it. Not to the big time, but enough to go tour around:
I also have no problem defending 88.5 XPN Public Radio as one of the best radio stations in the country even if it has changed up a bit.
I didn't even mention the Electric Factory, Susquehanna Bank Center, or Wells Fargo where the mainstream national performers come. Sorry, I just can't see how Philadelphia is overrated really when nobody ever says "Philly's Music scene is the best!!". I think most people think of music to come out of Philly it sounds a little something like this:
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,938 posts, read 36,935,179 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2e1m5a
I think that poster is a Bostonian upset at the majority opinion on this thread of Boston/DC= Overrated and Philadelphia underrrated.
I like Boston and DC a lot but are they worth having the same cost of living as NYC?-to me absolutely not.
Well Boston doesn't have NYC costs. And I'm not. Boston is a pretty small city, really. It packs more for a punch that equivalent cities its size, easily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77
I've never heard of Philly being overrated lol; if anything I think it's underrated as a 6 million metro that's overshadowed by DC to the south and NYC to the north. But maybe it's hyped up where you're from? *shrugs*
Well I'm not really from anywhere. I move around a ton. I mostly identify with Wisconsin though, that is where my heart is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2e1m5a
Keep in mind that poster mentioned DC as having one of the best music scenes.
It does or did. Certainly it did in the 1980s and 1990s. Just the Dischord scene alone crushed it. Never mind the Go Go scene.
Well Boston doesn't have NYC costs. And I'm not. Boston is a pretty small city, really. It packs more for a punch that equivalent cities its size, easily.
Well I'm not really from anywhere. I move around a ton. I mostly identify with Wisconsin though, that is where my heart is.
It does or did. Certainly it did in the 1980s and 1990s. Just the Dischord scene alone crushed it. Never mind the Go Go scene.
And Boston is a renter-heavy city (65%) while Philly is a home-owner city (47% renters).
You just don't seem very objective about Boston or knowledgeable about Philly and the music scene/history.
Just seems like you have an ax to grind -Philly is your favorite city for art yet you can never find anything to do here?
To me it's just that Boston and DC are very overpriced compared to Philadelphia. I still enjoy both cities though I don't think they are on the same scale as Philly.
Last edited by 2e1m5a; 03-05-2015 at 08:28 AM..
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