[KH02]

I have been to philly but only on vacation and i assume I was mostly in touristy areas, but i felt very safe their. Aside from when we visited the zoo in Philly...that area was a bit creepy to me.
But I imagine as a whole New Haven would be a fine fit for you if you're used to living in a city...I generally dont push people towards new haven if they want something 100% safe and with good schools (because they dont have good ones).
But it may be a good fit for you the city does have a lot to offer in the way of nightlife and things to do as well as museums etc...

Wish you luck!!

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by EconSean

Good evening,

My wife and I are contemplating a move to the New Haven area (job-related), and have been wondering about the city.

I do not mean to offend anyone, but I have seen plenty of posts suggesting that New Haven isn't the nicest place to live. Naturally, others will suggest that it is a great place. Of course, I take it all with a grain of salt.

So, I wanted to pose a question which may help me make better sense of the "data" (anecdotal though they may be).

We lived in Center City Philadelphia for about 5 years, and while plenty of folks will have you believe that Philly is a terrible city, we never felt unsafe or otherwise threatened, and generally really enjoyed our time there. We never ventured too far west, and similarly, didn't really go too far north (both areas can be unsafe...and maybe that is putting it too mildly).

Anyway, might anyone have experience with both cities and be able to offer a fair and balanced assessment of each? Are they comparable in terms of crime? Things of that nature.

Thank you in advance for any insight that you can provide.

Regards,

Sean

New Haven is a totally different dynamic than Philadelphia. Philly has 1.5 million in the city alone, with 5 million+ in the metro area. New Haven just has 130k in the city, and around 650k in the metro area. So, New Haven will have much fewer "big city" problems to deal with. However, New Haven has a feeling and look of a far bigger city (in my opinion) for its size. It is a very lively city with great restaurants, tons of bars, lots of culture, and a lot of energy due to the 5 colleges/universities in town (especially Yale). There are several wonderful neighborhoods--with Westville and East Rock the best. New Haven has classic neighborhoods that evoke times of old--brick sidewalks, hardware stores, delis, etc. But, New Haven has some really bad neighborhoods also--Newhallville, The Hill, and Fair Haven are pretty run down and considered "ghetto."
Good luck with your thoughts on the move.

[john_starks]

interesting thread. grew up in New Haven and currently live in Philly. Philly is eerily similar to New Haven, just on a much grander scale. the areas around the Yale campus (Church, Crown, College, Chapel streets, Broadway etc..) are extemely nice and cultured. plenty of great restaurants, bars, clubs, museums for its size. and very diverse population. i find it similar to Center City in Philly. the areas outside both are sketchy and dangerous..also schools are terrible in both cities..gotta send the kids to private schools...and pizza in NH is equivalent to cheesesteaks in Philly....

also the drive down Whalley Ave towards downtown New Haven is similar to the drive down Broad street from South Philly to Center City..of course, Philly has many more varied neighborhoods & North Philly reminds me of Harlem in the 90's...but the layout and smaller streets in center city remind me of New Haven much more than New York.. just my opinion...

so, there shouldn't be that much of a different feel except for the size...and that NH's beaches are closer and its much more of a college town..and probably overall safer....and less dirty. but if it grew to 1.5 mil....hmmm

[EconSean]

Thanks to everyone who has responded; lots of great information to consider.

John Starks, your reply was particularly enlightening, given that you have lived in both places. I prefer big cities myself, and while NH is not huge, the ability to get to NYC without too much trouble is attactive (as I noted, we lived in Philly for years, but are in Pittsburgh currently). The fact that NH does seem to have cultural aspects, decent dining, etc, is also appealing. Thank you for your time with my questions.

Regards,

Sean

[john_starks]

Originally Posted by EconSean

Thanks to everyone who has responded; lots of great information to consider.

John Starks, your reply was particularly enlightening, given that you have lived in both places. I prefer big cities myself, and while NH is not huge, the ability to get to NYC without too much trouble is attactive (as I noted, we lived in Philly for years, but are in Pittsburgh currently). The fact that NH does seem to have cultural aspects, decent dining, etc, is also appealing. Thank you for your time with my questions.

Regards,

Sean

no problem! yes, it's pretty easy to get into NYC from NH. without traffic, it takes and hour to get within city limits (Bronx) taking the Merritt Pkwy by car. from that point, its like russian roulette to get into Manhattan

or you could take metro north rail to grand central.

[uconn99]

Fresh basically doesn't like any large urban area's. He is afraid of them all and thinks they are all dumps. next thing we are going to hear is Manhatten is crime ridden dump along with Philly.

[EconSean]

John Starks,

Allow me to provide some unsolicited recommendations on dining in Philly (although if you are a vegetarian, these probably won't matter much to you).

The best cheesesteaks are at John's Roast Pork, which is near Target and IKEA, by Columbus Ave. The roast pork there is tremendous too. Unfortunately, I read somewhere recently that the proprietor had taken ill, so I am not sure what the status of the place is right now.

However, my favorite sandwich in the city, bar none, is the italian sausage with provolone at DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market.

Tons of great restaurants, as I am sure you know, but our favorite, by far, was Mezza Luna (8th and Catherine). Gnocchi made with ricotta cheese, rather than potato. Phenomenal. I get the gorgonzola cream sauce.

It's a small place in a residential neighborhood right on the edge of the Italian market. One of the owners, Canio, is such a nice guy, really makes you feel welcome. If you happen to go, tell him that Sean and Carolyn from Pittsburgh say hi.

We've made several food-centered trips just to stop at the Reading Market for lunch and then hit Mezza Luna for dinner.

Hope that you are enjoying Philly. I still miss it, its "warts" and all.

Regards,

Sean

[Fresh68]

Uconn99, It seems Fresh presented you with evidence and all you can do is respond with poor grammar and insults.If you are representing yourself as a Uconn graduate, I can see why they are in the lower percentile in english.

EconSean, having taught in New Haven for many years.I can tell you that there are a few pockets of safe areas in and around the city.The school system is in very rough shape.So If you are considering putting children in the public school system,I'd think twice.

[Uconn97]

Originally Posted by Brown6

Uconn99, It seems Fresh presented you with evidence and all you can do is respond with poor grammar and insults.If you are representing yourself as a Uconn graduate, I can see why they are in the lower percentile in english.

EconSean, having taught in New Haven for many years.I can tell you that there are a few pockets of safe areas in and around the city.The school system is in very rough shape.So If you are considering putting children in the public school system,I'd think twice.

Yes, and you reciprocated by insulting every UConn grad. Hats off to you! Information based on opinion, stereotypes and a link to info on a gang don't constitute evidence for me. Sorry, I rely on factual data, but I guess thats the obtuse UConn grad in me. This isn't a spelling or grammar contest the last time I checked.

[Fresh68]

Uconn 97-99, You are the type that could be presented with all types of evidence, but you're the type that wouldn't believe it until you moved to Hartford and saw a dead body outside your door and then still be in denial.

Uconn haha a big party school.I did go to some wild parties there