Potential Job Relocation (Philadelphia, Chester, Springfield: apartment, rent, condo)

[Homwtown]

I’ll be starting a new job mid 2020 potentially working at the International Airport. I never been to Philly or any of the surrounding areas. I was basically offered three locations Philly, Minneapolis, and Anchorage. So I’m trying to get as much information as I possibly can before I make my final decision. I’m leaning more toward Philly because it’s probably the best choice in terms of overall quality of life.

1. When are you moving?
Between May and August of 2020

2. Where are you coming from?
Los Angeles

3. Why are you moving?
Relocating for a new job

4. Where will you be working?
Philadelphia International Airport

5.Have you been here yet?
Plan on visiting January or February

6. Will you buy or rent?
Renting for the first first then buying after.

7. If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
My max will be 300k

8. If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?
Apartment or loft, $1,100 is my max, don’t matter.

9. Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb?
No preference as long as I’m not to far from work and in a nice, quiet and safe neighborhood and area.

10. Are you married or single? Do you have children?
Single; no kids

11. Do you prefer public or private schools?
If I have kids private

12. Do you have pets?
No

13. Do you want or need a yard?
Yes, when I buy a home

14. Are you keeping a car?
Yes

15. Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?
A little mixture of both but I lean more into calm, quiet, peaceful and scenic

16.What do you want to be closest to?
Work and basic services

17. Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
Diverse

Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water?
I lean more towards water, juice, and Hawaiian Mules. I don’t like beer or wine

[Patmcpsu]

Your biggest obstacle for living in Philly will be your budget. $300k for a house or $1100/month rent for an apartment won't get you much. Your best option will be in Delaware County which is close to the airport, and the property values are low because they're depressed by high property taxes and poor schools; if you can deal with that, you'll be good. Philadelphia-proper would be your 2nd best option, but finding a row home in the $300k range will put you in an iffy spot.

I'm a bit biased towards the midwest, and even though it's cold, Minneapolis is not to be discounted.

[acenturi]

IMO, Minneapolis in general presents a higher quality of life for the average income person than does Philly - I've lived in Minneapolis for about 5 years and Philly for about 10. Philly is definitely "more exciting". It is also close to NYC and DC for occasional weekend distractions. Minneapolis is somewhat isolated and the cold/snowy Winters can seem to never end. OTOH, unless you've lived in the Twin Cities, it is difficult to comprehend just how much the area has to offer - culturally and entertainment wise. My experience with both myself and others I've known is that those who embrace the Winters with activities, usually accept the place. Those that isolate themselves, can't wait to leave.

[TownDweller]

Coming from LA any of the choices would be a bit of a shock. Culturally and especially in terms is climate. Winters in Minnesota are going to last a very long time. Philly not as much.

[Duderino]

The oddball option is Anchorage, although that sounds like a fascinating place to explore.

Originally Posted by acenturi

IMO, Minneapolis in general presents a higher quality of life for the average income person than does Philly - I've lived in Minneapolis for about 5 years and Philly for about 10. Philly is definitely "more exciting". It is also close to NYC and DC for occasional weekend distractions. Minneapolis is somewhat isolated and the cold/snowy Winters can seem to never end. OTOH, unless you've lived in the Twin Cities, it is difficult to comprehend just how much the area has to offer - culturally and entertainment wise. My experience with both myself and others I've known is that those who embrace the Winters with activities, usually accept the place. Those that isolate themselves, can't wait to leave.

I certainly don't discount Minneapolis, as although I've never been (outside of the MSP airport), it seems like a very livable and particularly thriving Midwest city. Although the OP would likely find the Twin Cities generally "newer" like Los Angeles compared to the ancient East Coast, it is true that Philly offers the more "cosmo," coastal, and big city vibe that one likely becomes accustomed to in LA.

I've also come under the impression that, based on income and COL data that I've seen, both Philadelphia and the MSP area are very similar in the income/COL realm. Chicago, too. So I'm not entirely sure where the notion that Minneapolis offers a higher QOL comes from (although Philly proper would certainly be more dinged for urban poverty--but not all that dissimilar from LA, from what I've experienced).

As for the OP, I'd focus on towns like Lansdowne, Springfield, and Aston. All offer great value in terms of housing/amenities, and are very commutable to PHL as a plus.

Good luck!

[kyb01]

OP, if you can schedule your visit earlier, like sometime this fall, do that since January and February can be the snowiest months in Phila.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Patmcpsu

Your biggest obstacle for living in Philly will be your budget. $300k for a house or $1100/month rent for an apartment won't get you much. Your best option will be in Delaware County which is close to the airport, and the property values are low because they're depressed by high property taxes and poor schools; if you can deal with that, you'll be good. Philadelphia-proper would be your 2nd best option, but finding a row home in the $300k range will put you in an iffy spot.

I'm a bit biased towards the midwest, and even though it's cold, Minneapolis is not to be discounted.

If the OP is coming from LA I'm trying to grasp how he/she lives on a budget like that in LA(??). Maybe they "heard" that Phila is cheap and that's why they posted those numbers.

You are forgetting( you probably don't know it anyhow) that both Haverford and Radnor Twps are in DelCo, are not low property valued places and have great schools. A chunk of DelCo is on the Main Line. Stop thinking that
DelCo is just Chester or Darby. Lol.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Duderino

The oddball option is Anchorage, although that sounds like a fascinating place to explore.

I've also come under the impression that, based on income and COL data that I've seen, both Philadelphia and the MSP area are very similar in the income/COL realm. Chicago, too. So I'm not entirely sure where the notion that Minneapolis offers a higher QOL comes from (although Philly proper would certainly be more dinged for urban poverty--but not all that dissimilar from LA, from what I've experienced).

It's a very striking difference and very much depends on what you're looking for in a city. The Twin Cities has much larger swaths of middle class and working class city neighborhoods that are fairly functional and made up of a diverse mix of people who are for the most part rational and stable. And a much higher percentage of people who live in the city and send their kids to public schools even though they probably have other options. It does a lot to level the playing field for society.

Philadelphia has places like Center City and Manayunk and Chestnut Hill that are really great for those who can make that work, yet out of the reach of most people (especially considering people seem to see the PSD as a non-starter).

So yeah - the median income might be 37k for both cities. But I rarely if ever see people here recommending the neighborhoods where the people who make 37k (or the half who make less than that!) actually live. After many years in Philadelphia, I once again live close enough to the Twin Cities to take the occasional day trip, and am kind of seeing it with new eyes. Impressed at normal people taking pride in their totally normal and mundane neighborhoods and keeping them clean, quiet, nice, etc..

If you're comparing the nicest neighborhoods of both areas, it really comes down to personal preference.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

It's a very striking difference and very much depends on what you're looking for in a city. The Twin Cities has much larger swaths of middle class and working class city neighborhoods that are fairly functional and made up of a diverse mix of people who are for the most part rational and stable. And a much higher percentage of people who live in the city and send their kids to public schools even though they probably have other options. It does a lot to level the playing field for society.

That makes sense, and yes, I'd re-emphasize what I noted early about comparisons of metro areas, wherein Philadelphia's suburbs are overwhelmingly middle-to-upper-middle class, much like the MSP area.

A comparison of cities proper is arguably where the biggest divergence comes in, with Philadelphia being a quintessential case of a "haves v. have nots" city--not unlike pretty much every other major coastal city, whereas Minneapolis proper really excels at the classic socioeconomically egalitarian-type environment that's very prevalent in the upper Midwest (which, from what I've read, has much to do with the heavy historically Scandinavian influence).

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Duderino

That makes sense, and yes, I'd re-emphasize what I noted early about comparisons of metro areas, wherein Philadelphia's suburbs are overwhelmingly middle-to-upper-middle class, much like the MSP area.

A comparison of cities proper is arguably where the biggest divergence comes in, with Philadelphia being a quintessential case of a "haves v. have nots" city--not unlike pretty much every other major coastal city, whereas Minneapolis proper really excels at the classic socioeconomically egalitarian-type environment that's very prevalent in the upper Midwest (which, from what I've read, has much to do with the heavy historically Scandinavian influence).

It's also a very white place so white in fact that I wonder if the reasons are the same as the reasons Portland and Oregon are so white: black exclusion laws.