New York vs. Philadelphia (Fairmount, Boston: transplants, condo, crime rate)

[sroper33]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

Well, I prefer New York because there's so much to do at all hours of the day and night, and there is an energy to the city that is hard to describe unless one has lived in NYC. I prefer the varied neighborhoods, safe streets, fantastic food options (and being vegetarian, that's a good thing), and the culture that abounds in museums large and small, theatre, music offerings, and to a certain extent the geography. There's something about the confluence of islands and hills that make up NYC that imparts a great feeling of uniqueness in setting. Central Park and the New York Botanical Gardens are favorites as well, and it's easy to go for a boat ride or sailing in close proximity to the city.

I don't discount Philadelphia, but I can say that I do not feel safe and secure on the streets outside Center City. And, it's a smaller place, which is fine, but to me seems more difficult to find one's niche, since there are only so many places where one can explore. Some of my friends who live in Philadelphia actually come to NY for the theatre and shopping because it's so close and comparative offerings are a little lacking in greater Philadelphia.

There are some great museums in Philadelphia, and the pace is a little slower, so from that standpoint I can certainly see the difference when lookng solely at Manhattan. It is easier to drive in and around the city itself, however, compared to NY, which is a plus if you like to drive as I do. However, even given its hassles at times, there's nothing like New York, and certain times of the year are just magical in the city, little vignettes of life that can only come alive in New York. New York is an experience, and there's a premium attached to it in terms of time and cost, but when one makes the right connections for whatever lifestyle they want to lead, they can find much to support it in NY.

Safe Streets??? You sure your talking about NY?

[MosX]

Originally Posted by sroper33

Safe Streets??? You sure your talking about NY?

I definitely feel safer in NYC than Philly. I know I'm not the only one...

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by sroper33

Safe Streets??? You sure your talking about NY?

Yes, I most certainly am talking about NYC.

[Transpl]

As a recent transplant from the Philly burbs (KoP) to the NYC burbs (LI), this is a tough one. I love the pace and energy of working in Manhattan and living within walking distance to the beach. The commute is great with LIRR. I miss the home town, south Philly, pretzel and mustard, rolling o's (dooon't ask me to explain

Frankly I think both are excellent cities, both have there own vibe and energy. I love both cities, currently enjoying NY. The energy of the city (Manhattan) is indescribable.

[analyticalkeys]

Originally Posted by sroper33

Safe Streets??? You sure your talking about NY?

You do know that NYC is consistently in the top 10 for being one of the safest cities in the U.S., right? ..even more so, Philadelphia is consistently in the top list of most dangerous cities. This isn't meant to discredit Philly at all, but that's just the way it works, unfortunately. The only real problem I've seen that no one's seemed to have mentioned is that a lot of people from Philly seem to have this mental trauma in thinking their city is the worst there is, and they don't really understand why people would move there. Not everyone is like this, of course, but it's a lot more prevalent in Philly than in NYC, where everyone is beaming from cheek to cheek to be a NYer.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Police

Which city do you like better: New York or Philadelphia? Why?

NYC. It's much larger, more exciting, more vibrant, has amazing culture and is pretty much in a league of its own. No other city in the United States can compare--and few in the world.

[dman72]

Philly still reeks of urban decay in most areas, where as in NYC, many formerly "bad" areas are booming now.

[Soju]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

NYC. It's much larger, more exciting, more vibrant, has amazing culture and is pretty much in a league of its own. No other city in the United States can compare--and few in the world.

No doubt about it. NYC is maybe three to four times larger. But the cost of living in NYC is maybe two to three times Philly as well. I know in recent years many New Yorkers moved to Philly because of this, especially those who want to start a family as Philly suburbs are very affordable and safe.
Center City Philly is much smaller than Manhattan but has become very vibrant with many restaurants, museums, etc. sort of like mini Manhattan without the overcrowding. Its very walkable.
Philly is only two hours away come on down to visit.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by dman72

Philly still reeks of urban decay in most areas, where as in NYC, many formerly "bad" areas are booming now.

Perhaps "some" areas would have been a better choice of words.If you think most of Philadlephia reeks of urban decay you are ignorant on the subuject or misguided.


Obviously NYC is much larger than Philly but the fact remains there are 1,500,000 people in NYC living below the poverty line. Philadlephia 340,000. I think per capita data has its moments but when you are dealing with stats like murder and poverty then "per capita" stats becomes a tonic to help ease the actual pain. The reality of the situation is that there have been 2.5x as many people murdered in NYC than Philly this year, and there are 5x as many poor people in NYC than Philly.

I also might add that NYC has the greatest disparity of wealth of any city in the usa. Meaning that the top 20% of your population takes in nearly 60% of the income. The other 80% of NYC residents accounts for the remaining 40% of income. The bottom 20% makes a measly 3% of the income.

20% of 8.2 Million=1.8 M.

1.8 M people make a paltry 3% of the income of NYC. That is not good gang.Who are we trying to kid here?


Watch out little brother Philly is sprouting up quickly and before you know it he'll be kicking your ass while your girlfriend begins to develop a lustful wandering eye..

props to the photo snappers of Philly

[solibs]

I grew up in and around New York and the city lost it for me in the late 90's. Now to find the real NY you have to venture deep into the outer boro's. Manhattan is just too Disney now and the same thing is happening to much of Brooklyn.

I'm not saying it's a bad place. It's just not for me. The creative energy the place once reeked of is, for the most part, gone.

I'll also add that if you think that many once "bad" areas of Philly aren't also booming you don't know much about this city. There's so much to explore outside of Center City and some NYers don't do it because they think they're supposed to be scared. That's their loss.

Williamsburg is far more dumpy (and probably more dangerous) than a lot of comparable places in Philly but it doesn't stop me from going to check it out for myself.