Philly--good fit for me? (York, California: rent, insurance, neighborhoods) - Philadelphia - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

jessemh431 · 05-22-2015, 05:35 PM

Hey guys. So I'm currently a law student in Louisville. Originally from Los Angeles. I have to start thinking about what states I'll be taking the bar exams for. I've been thinking about taking the PA bar so that I can work in Philly. I've never been, but on paper it seems like a place I'll really like. So, my question is, will I? Lol

I want to live in a city when I can do nearly every thing by public transit. Walk or take a subway to work, walk to bars and restaurants, etc. Right now my top city to move to is Chicago for that reason. I like how urban it is. The L runs 24/7. It's very walkable. Great food and nightlife. Affordable (compared to California and NYC). I'd consider the option of maybe like Zipcar or if I didn't own a car at all, the money saved on payments, insurance, gas, etc. could be spent on taking Ubers and Lyfts places.

So is Philly a place, like Chicago or NYC, where you can live without a car and not feel stranded to a small urban core (like in LA)? Are the nightlife options as impressive as Chicago (I'm into the EDM scene)? I love being able to sit outside at restaurants in summer; is that a common thing there? I'll definitely visit before I make my decision, but just wanted some local input. Biggest thing is I know the urban core of Chicago is huge and there is plenty of culture and activity for miles up the North Side. Outside of Center City and nearby areas, does the density/culture/activity continue at all?

pman · 05-22-2015, 08:06 PM

The regional transportation system is fairly robust and unlike chicago it is actually on stable footing (still weird to say that). You can live that life in philadelphia in certain areas. Yes it is common to sit outside in the summer (and fall) to enjoy the weather. Subways run 24 hours on weekends

Twinmom24 · 05-23-2015, 01:11 AM

I say anything outside Louisville is a wonderful place to live! I am an ex- Philly gal. Philly has many great little cities with in the city that are right off the train. Chestnut Hill is one of my favorite. It is very lively. Abington is also great. I would stay away from Germantown. There is a town called Maneunk I know I spelled it wrong however it is awesome. as is New Hope. Of course come summer all the parties are at the shore....the Jersey Shore. New York City is just a short train ride away. quicker ,though a bit more expensive if you take Amtrack. South Philly is where all the fun times are.

I would go back in a heart beat but I HATE snow. so Florida is where my heart is.

Sammy215267 · 05-23-2015, 06:11 AM

You can live here without a car in most areas.....and you pretty much have alot of places in your reach via train, bus, plane, car...PHilly is pretty snazzy i like to think of it as a underated album track that people know and love but doesn't get it's due....but Philly has it's own vibe,....I think you will like it.

Becca8377 · 05-23-2015, 06:29 AM

I was looking to move to Chicago a few years ago, but ended up in Philly instead.

Public transit here is NOTHING like Chicago, IMO. Compared to Chicago, it's pretty awful. Most of the transit lines are regional rail, not subway, so they do not run continuously. During peak hours, yes it's fine. But on weekends, you're looking at once an hour and they don't run 24 hours. Some stop as early as 11:30pm on weekends (my friend lives off one of these train lines, so she always has to Uber back home). So from a public transit perspective, as long as you're on a transit line, yes it's fine most of the time. If you live right in center city, it's even less of a concern. We have 2 subway lines and those are similar to Chicago and run 24 hours, but since there's only 2 of them they do not provide access to a lot of areas.

I have a friend here that's into EDM and she travels a lot for it, so I don't think it's as popular here as in Chicago. I know she's popped over to Jersey a few times for it. Sitting outside in summer here is VERY common, you'd have no issue with finding places like that. Philly is similar to Chicago in that it's really just a collection of neighborhoods, each with its own identity. So yes, there are many neighborhoods outside of CC that would provide lots to do (example: I live in Manayunk). I don't feel it's as much as Chicago, but it's definitely there. Rent here is super affordable, definitely cheaper than Chicago.

MikeNigh · 05-23-2015, 07:39 AM

I haven't used my car in over 6 months and that was to drive to the other side of the state. I would recommend living near the MFL. I get everywhere easily by train / bike / cab.

There is an incredible amount to do in the city. It only hits me on the rare occasion when I leave that I don't even notice that I never leave it. Also NYC is only a $20 round trip that you could easily go in the morning and come back at night. Easy and cheap to get to atlantic city and DC too.

kyb01 · 05-23-2015, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twinmom24

I say anything outside Louisville is a wonderful place to live! I am an ex- Philly gal. Philly has many great little cities with in the city that are right off the train. Chestnut Hill is one of my favorite. It is very lively. Abington is also great. I would stay away from Germantown. There is a town called Maneunk I know I spelled it wrong however it is awesome. as is New Hope. Of course come summer all the parties are at the shore....the Jersey Shore. New York City is just a short train ride away. quicker ,though a bit more expensive if you take Amtrack. South Philly is where all the fun times are.

I would go back in a heart beat but I HATE snow. so Florida is where my heart is.

Chestnut Hill, Germantown and Manayunk are not towns. They are neighborhoods WITHIN the city of Phila. 's boundaries. Let's not confuse the OP from the outset.

Mimidae · 05-23-2015, 10:03 AM

I will second the idea that while Philly's transportation system is decent, it's nothing like Chicago's multiple lines that can really get you anywhere in the city, anytime. Philly's is decent - but more limited. Someone mentioned stability being superior in Philly. That may be - I can't speak to that.

It is a great walking city, and is becoming more bike-friendly. You should come visit as soon as you're able to - that will tell you a lot.

pman · 05-23-2015, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hallouise

I will second the idea that while Philly's transportation system is decent, it's nothing like Chicago's multiple lines that can really get you anywhere in the city, anytime. Philly's is decent - but more limited. Someone mentioned stability being superior in Philly. That may be - I can't speak to that.

It is a great walking city, and is becoming more bike-friendly. You should come visit as soon as you're able to - that will tell you a lot.

Metra is where septa was before the transportation bill. Chicago's transit is definitely better but not without its issues. For example the l is extremely slow because the rich people asked it to slow down in their neighborhood.

jessemh431 · 05-24-2015, 02:54 AM

So basically what I've gathered is that I will like Philly. It's urban and walkable enough so that I can live entirely car-free, maybe occasionally relying on Uber/Lyft or Zipcar. However, the public transit throughout the entire city isn't as adequate as Chicago. I'm sure living without a car and walking/taking subways places in Philly is much easier than in LA, but still not as easy as Chicago, NYC, or DC. Am I correct in my understanding?

Manayunk seems like a pretty cool little neighborhood. Abington and Chestnut Hill seem more residential/suburban though. That's what it seems like from Google Maps at least

I checked where a lot of DJs will be playing when they come to Philly. I'm guessing since it's summer, most of them are skipping Philly and doing AC. I guess I would need a car to get there. Maybe during winter months they come to Philly though. But the ones going through the city often are at Rumor, The Underground Arts, and Soundgarden. Those seem to all be downtown. And I obviously don't have a job yet, but as in most cities, I'm sure most of the law firms will be downtown. I guess I would probably just live somewhere in downtown then, and then I would have the easiest access to public transit and the least need for a car ever, right?

I guess it might also be worth it to add this. I'm not the "LA" stereotype. Yes I like nice things and expensive things (especially on sale), but many people do. But I've always worked for what I have and haven't had everything handed to me. I know in LA and Louisville what neighborhoods to avoid to run into those people. You know...the ones that make it known when they buy something brand name and the ones who make sure people know how wealthy they are. If any of you know LA enough, I want to avoid Beverly Hills and the "north of Montana" crowd of Santa Monica. I like areas like Venice Beach, Mid Wilshire, etc. where they're safe, plenty of nice shopping and restaurants and bars around, but labels and brands and money aren't bragged about.