Nyer's rather visit Boston than Philly? Why? (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: apartment, condo)

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by solibs

Cleveland doesn't have a Business Income Tax, NYC does and it's 25% higher than the one here. Cleveland is a hot mess. NYC is pretty well off.

And btw - LA, Chicago, NYC, Atlanta, Boston and DC all have personal taxes that add up to a tax burden that's more than or pretty close to that in Philly.

Good points, solibs. I think in the case of the aforementioned cities it's location, location, location. NYC can obviously get away with a high business income tax, because it is -- for all intents and purposes -- the economic focal point of the Northeast Corridor. Thus, NYC will continue to have the upper-hand in attracting and retaining businesses in a hypothetical business relocation matchup no business tax Cleveland, which lies in quintessentially Rust Belt Northeastern Ohio. Not to discount Cleveland whatsoever, because it seems that it's holding its own has been relatively successful in diversifying its economy, but it's still very hard for some cities to overcome regional reputation.

Although there are some who decry what is perceived as a negative business atmosphere in Philadelphia, it is vital to the city's economic redevelopment to not discount its location no more than 80 miles south of Manhattan, making it a viable and cheaper alternative very centrally-located on the Northeast Corridor. With business incentives like the Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) in PA, Philly is currently in the process of luring corporations like BlackRock.

NewPA.com : Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ)

By making this proposal to New York firms, such as BlackRock, that want to have a presence in the Northeast but not pay exorbitantly high office space rental rates (i.e., Manhattan) with discounted/abated taxes to boot, Philadelphia suddenly looks like an appealing alternative.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by Duderino

Good points, solibs. I think in the case of the aforementioned cities it's location, location, location. NYC can obviously get away with a high business income tax, because it is -- for all intents and purposes -- the economic focal point of the Northeast Corridor. Thus, NYC will continue to have the upper-hand in attracting and retaining businesses in a hypothetical business relocation matchup no business tax Cleveland, which lies in quintessentially Rust Belt Northeastern Ohio. Not to discount Cleveland whatsoever, because it seems that it's holding its own has been relatively successful in diversifying its economy, but it's still very hard for some cities to overcome regional reputation.

Philly was known as the "workshop of the world" and - with the exception of the streetcar suburbs of West Philly, the railroad suburbs of Mt. Airy & Chestnut Hill, and the auto suburbs of the Northeast - it's a city of neighborhoods built around factories.

Cleveland's economy was 2nd only to Detroit in terms of industrialization. Cars, steel and chemicals were the big ones.

New York had a lot of industry but it's always been a massive city by american standards and heavy industry wasn't a huge part of its economy like it was in a Phila. or Pittsburgh or Detroit. - and even then a large part of that industry was in Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, etc. NYC has long been the center of finance, media, fashion and entertainment for the country and beyond. There were a lot of other economic sectors to soften the blow. That's not to say that much of NYC wasn't a nasty place to live for much of the 70's, all of the 80's, and even into the early 90's.

Philadelphia has had some cultural and political problems. Some of it stems from corruption. Some of it from simple ineptitude. When the middle-class and wealthy flee the city they have a hard time getting their people elected to run things. A lot of no-talent clowns have been running things here for a long time. Mayor Mike is probably the first mayor in 50 years who understands what it means to be a big city mayor.

The other problem here is the Quaker roots of this place. It still permeates the culture. Living in Philadelphia really is like living in an anarchist experiment. If you try to take charge everyone is quick to remind you that you aren't in charge. That this is the culture here, this is how we do things, and it's not going to change until we sit down with the 4,999 other people in the neighborhood and reach a consensus.

The Bloods and Crips can't get a gang started here and the local La Cosa Nostra is the laughing stock of the entire country b/c even the criminals resist hierarchy and structure.

There's something to be said for it. OTOH, some enforcement from time-to-time isn't a bad thing.

[NJ Chutzpah]

NYers go to Boston for several reasons

it is cooler in the summer

it is further away so it feels like a real vacation, philly is a day trip

lots of colleges that NJers, LIers, Westchester like to visit

they can get lots of lobster and seafood

once there you could detour to cape cod, rhode island, maine, NH, Vermont

you would have access to the ocean

also if you should choose, you could head further north into french canada for an even different experience

the whole new england, and french canada cater to tourists more

[welder]

Solibs, What personal tax u talking about in Chicago? They dont have a city wage tax there if thats what u were refering to. Their state income tax aint much higher than Pa.'s either.

[eastcoastlady]

I think a lot of people are afraid of Philadelphia because they read the crime stats. Thing is, if you stay in Center City/ Old City/ University City you won't encounter the rampant crime and run-down neighborhoods you are expecting. It's pretty simple to figure out which areas are okay and which aren't. As soon as you set foot in a "bad area" you will know it.
That said, I can't really think of much that Philadelphia has that NYC doesn't have. Boston has a well-earned reputation for being very safe and clean.
Don't get me wrong, I've lived in Boston and Philadelphia and I'd choose Philly any day. On the other hand, I was just there last weekend and it was so hot, humid, and stinky I was happy to return to MA.

[Joe84323]

Just to chime in, I was at a bar months ago in New York, talking to a native New Yorker. I said I lived in Philly, their first response was "Don't Shoot!"

I was like WTF? It's not that bad!

[solibs]

Originally Posted by eastcoastlady

I think a lot of people are afraid of Philadelphia because they read the crime stats.

Chicago isn't that much better.

Dallas and Houston are more or less the same.

Atlanta and DC are far worse.

People just like sensationalism and, while it's petty and juvenile, they like to talk trash about other people and places because it makes them feel better about themselves.

[welder]

Solibs, I never felt nervous in Philly. Probably cause it reminded me sooo much of Pittsburgh, so I felt more at home than maybe a NY'er would .What do u think?

[nocturnal rooster]

In my opinion, there is more of a sense of community in Boston than Philly. Boston has it's own style too. It's the cultural hub of New England!

[welder]

Boston is a smaller city, hence the "more sense of community". The bigger a city gets, the more of it you'll lose. Still pretty good sense of community for a city with 1.4 million people.