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Location: Watching half my country turn into Gilead
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I don't know why people keep mentioning cities when OP asked for a state (correct me if I'm wrong here), but even when looking at the city/metro level, I still have to recommended Delaware, all homerism aside.
Cheap CoL (no taxes), some of the best beaches in the nation, excellent public transportation in northern DE, quick access to the Poconos for snow stuff, and a strong corporate sector that caters to all of the majors OP listed. Excellent location, too--on any given weekend, I have four metropolises within 2 hours of me for sports, arts, nightlife, etc. Whether you want an urban, suburban or rural lifestyle, Delaware has great offerings for much cheaper than NJ, NY, MD and PA, while still giving you easy access to them for when you need to "go big".
I don't know why people keep mentioning cities when OP asked for a state (correct me if I'm wrong here), but even when looking at the city/metro level, I still have to recommended Delaware, all homerism aside.
Cheap CoL (no taxes), some of the best beaches in the nation, excellent public transportation in northern DE, quick access to the Poconos for snow stuff, and a strong corporate sector that caters to all of the majors OP listed. Excellent location, too--on any given weekend, I have four metropolises within 2 hours of me for sports, arts, nightlife, etc. Whether you want an urban, suburban or rural lifestyle, Delaware has great offerings for much cheaper than NJ, NY, MD and PA, while still giving you easy access to them for when you need to "go big".
Would Newark be a better than Wilmington? I actually think that Delaware is "slept on" in general due to what you mentioned and can appeal to people of various ages.
I don't know why people keep mentioning cities when OP asked for a state (correct me if I'm wrong here), but even when looking at the city/metro level, I still have to recommended Delaware, all homerism aside.
Cheap CoL (no taxes), some of the best beaches in the nation, excellent public transportation in northern DE, quick access to the Poconos for snow stuff, and a strong corporate sector that caters to all of the majors OP listed. Excellent location, too--on any given weekend, I have four metropolises within 2 hours of me for sports, arts, nightlife, etc. Whether you want an urban, suburban or rural lifestyle, Delaware has great offerings for much cheaper than NJ, NY, MD and PA, while still giving you easy access to them for when you need to "go big".
Probably because states are huge and he's asking in terms of a place to live together with his friends which should probably be more localized to a city/metro. Delaware seems fine--you can live in Newark or Wilmington and commute to Philadelphia if need be via commuter rail. Is it pretty easy to get around without a car in those cities?
Thanks for the advice everyone! Philly looks like a great place, we would be looking for an inner city apt with about 3 rooms, we were also looking at Charlotte, NC. So if anyone would have comparisons between the 2 I'd love to hear them!
Thanks for the advice everyone! Philly looks like a great place, we would be looking for an inner city apt with about 3 rooms, we were also looking at Charlotte, NC. So if anyone would have comparisons between the 2 I'd love to hear them!
If you're trying to live without a car and taking public transit, it's not even a comparison. Philly 100%. Charlotte does have a lot of finance/banking jobs and the economy there is strong overall. But I wouldn't really say it's a great place for young people looking for an urban city. The downtown (called Uptown) is pretty small. The skyline is large, but that doesn't always translate to a fun downtown with walkability and bars/restaurants for young people. I mean, if you do decide to go there, you won't be bored out of your mind and commit suicide, but Philly is the MUCH better city for young people out of college to have fun and live without a car.
Also, Charlotte doesn't get nearly as much snow. It seems to be a city usually more recommended for people who want buy a house and raise kids in a city that doesn't get a horrible winter with a strong job market. Even my parents went there for work one week. Mind you they're 60 years old. They even said it seemed really boring and too corporate and suburban and they didn't really like it. They got the impression that if they HAD to live there, they would make it work, but it was not the type of city that one looking for an urban lifestyle would fully enjoy. Not to say you wouldn't enjoy it if you found better jobs there, but I still vote Philly #1 and Baltimore #2. Probably Pittsburgh #3.
If you're trying to live without a car and taking public transit, it's not even a comparison. Philly 100%. Charlotte does have a lot of finance/banking jobs and the economy there is strong overall. But I wouldn't really say it's a great place for young people looking for an urban city. The downtown (called Uptown) is pretty small. The skyline is large, but that doesn't always translate to a fun downtown with walkability and bars/restaurants for young people. I mean, if you do decide to go there, you won't be bored out of your mind and commit suicide, but Philly is the MUCH better city for young people out of college to have fun and live without a car.
Also, Charlotte doesn't get nearly as much snow. It seems to be a city usually more recommended for people who want buy a house and raise kids in a city that doesn't get a horrible winter with a strong job market. Even my parents went there for work one week. Mind you they're 60 years old. They even said it seemed really boring and too corporate and suburban and they didn't really like it. They got the impression that if they HAD to live there, they would make it work, but it was not the type of city that one looking for an urban lifestyle would fully enjoy. Not to say you wouldn't enjoy it if you found better jobs there, but I still vote Philly #1 and Baltimore #2. Probably Pittsburgh #3.
Charlotte is probably substantially cheaper than Philadelphia, so there's that, but in that case, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland are all cheaper than Philadelphia and have more snow and better transit than Charlotte.
Thanks for the advice everyone! Philly looks like a great place, we would be looking for an inner city apt with about 3 rooms, we were also looking at Charlotte, NC. So if anyone would have comparisons between the 2 I'd love to hear them!
Ive never been to Charlotte but my impressions are that it is a very pleasant easy going vibe, nice people, friendly people. A place that time stands still. Relaxing.
Now Philadlephia is the opposite. If you are lost in the middle of the street and ask for directions , you will get cursed out be called a moron, and told to GTFO of the road by an angry driver. But its a very alive, vibrant city in a great location. Superb music, arts and culture scene. The Schuylkill River Trail was voted best usa urban park this year if you are into outdoor stuff.
Philly is Much bigger than Charlotte. Philadlephia is only an Hour or so to the beaches, 2 hours to the mountains although the Pocono Mts only has a 2,500- 3,000 feet elevation. You can also jump on a train and be in NYC,Bal in an hour and Wash DC in 2 hours.
Location: Watching half my country turn into Gilead
3,530 posts, read 4,172,934 times
Reputation: 2925
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckhthankgod
Would Newark be a better than Wilmington? I actually think that Delaware is "slept on" in general due to what you mentioned and can appeal to people of various ages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OyCrumbler
Probably because states are huge and he's asking in terms of a place to live together with his friends which should probably be more localized to a city/metro. Delaware seems fine--you can live in Newark or Wilmington and commute to Philadelphia if need be via commuter rail. Is it pretty easy to get around without a car in those cities?
I find Wilmington better than Newark, in terms of what the OP is looking for. While both are on commuter rail, Wilmington has a much more frequent schedule. It also is much more walkable than the majority of Newark, and has better bus service all around. Newark would be my second choice in northern Delaware, but pretty much everything you can get in Newark, you can get better in Wilmington. While Wilmington might lack the huge college scene that Newark has, there is still spillover from Newark, and the city does have a hipster, young professional class that parties hard, too. All of the arts in Newark revolve around the university, while Wilmington has bigger and more refined offerings.
As far as getting around without a car, yes, you can in both cities, but you'll have a much easier time in Wilmington than Newark. Newark has a walkable core (Main Street) and frequent bus routes, due to the university, but the majority of the city/area is very much car dependent. You're kind of stuck living by Main Street neighborhoods if you want to be able to walk for groceries, nightlife, etc., and you'll be waiting for infrequent buses next to busy roads if you want to venture further. Wilmington is much more walkable throughout the city, with more frequent bus service that feels organic--you usually won't be the only one waiting at some god forsaken stop like in Newark. You can actually bus to work quickly, especially if you work downtown/the riverfront or on 202, where a lot of jobs are. And I don't think this applies to the OP (could be wrong), but I know people who live in Wilmington, and commute to Philadelphia/Baltimore via SEPTA/Amtrak. It's pricey, but depending on how much the job pays, it is very much doable and non-time consuming.
Ive never been to Charlotte but my impressions are that it is a very pleasant easy going vibe, nice people, friendly people. A place that time stands still. Relaxing.
Now Philadlephia is the opposite. If you are lost in the middle of the street and ask for directions , you will get cursed out be called a moron, and told to GTFO of the road by an angry driver. But its a very alive, vibrant city in a great location. Superb music, arts and culture scene. The Schuylkill River Trail was voted best usa urban park this year if you are into outdoor stuff.
Philly is Much bigger than Charlotte. Philadlephia is only an Hour or so to the beaches, 2 hours to the mountains although the Pocono Mts only has a 2,500- 3,000 feet elevation. You can also jump on a train and be in NYC,Bal in an hour and Wash DC in 2 hours.
I've lived here almost 8 years (having moved from North Carolina - Research Triangle, not Charlotte). The bolded text above is a lot of peoples' perception of Philly, but the thing is, Philly people are, for the most part, unfiltered. This is sometimes conflated with being rude. I've never experienced outright hostility (come close to it while driving!), just what I'd say is an abrupt manner.
As for places to live: Philly, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, in that order. There's a lot to do in Philly itself (including shoveling snow), and it's easily accessible to a variety of urban and natural environments (beach, starter-size mountains, rivers, and in South Jersey, a great natural treasure, the Pine Barrens). Cost of living will be higher than the other cities, but I think that's more than offset by the cultural, location, and other benefits.
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