Philly vs NYC (Philadelphia, York, Columbia: 2010, to rent, crime)

[NewGrad2009]

Now, I'm not asking which city is better. Don't get me wrong I've been all over this board looking for places to live and DC is a big choice for me, but considering how little I'd get back in return after paying up to $1000 for a studio in a city with lil nightlife compared to others, crappy neighborhoods, etc, doesn't seem worth it sometimes.

So I started looking at Philly, which is a big city with a lot of life and culture to it. It's also cheaper than most big Eastern cities. However, I heard people are "fleeing" Philly because of crime and bad neighborhoods, etc. Then there's NYC, which....c'mon. New York City IS the American dream in a lot of ways. I'd love to live there, despite the cold But it's so expensive to live there.

I'm afraid also that if I try moving to either, I'll be rejected from any job because I live so far away (South Carolina atm).

My questions I guess:
Which city would my dollar go further?
Nightlife in both?
How bad is the crime in NYC/Philly?
What are the job markets like in both? Do I have a good shot at getting a nice paying job?

[StrugglingMusician91]

I can vouch for NYC because im from the area but not really for Philly although I am looking to rent in philly. New York City is New York City. Its got the greatest nightlife in the country. However, your dollar goes no where. Philly you can rent a 3br house in a decent neighborhood for the same amount of cash that would get you a closet in a ****ty neighborhood in NYC. Also, i cant speak from experience but crime in Philly is higher from what I hear, also keep in mind NYC is the safest large city in America. That is not to say it doesn't have its crime. But most of the crime that happens in NYC happens in small pockets throughout the 5 boroughs usually in the projects and the immediate surrounding areas.

hope that helped

[john_starks]

ok, i'll give it a shot:

Which city would my dollar go further? philly
Nightlife in both? nyc lol. philly seems to be more of a neighborhood city with a lot of bars, so i would equate the nightlife to one of the outer boroughs maybe? but still nowhere comparable.
How bad is the crime in NYC/Philly? philly is probably worse, nyc has its rough areas as well, but generally safe for a big city. personally, i never felt uncomfortable in Manhattan. a lot of foot traffic and good street lighting helps. and mayor giuliani's zero tolerence policy made the city the double baby stroller-friendly city it is today however, mayor nutter is trying to do the same thing here in philly. the center city area is very safe.
What are the job markets like in both? Do I have a good shot at getting a nice paying job? not sure, since i've been in the same job for several years. having lived in both cities, i had a hard time finding a job in either in my field of work

and i agree with everything SM91 mentioned. nyc is in a league of its own, but philly has a lot of great attributes and only 90 miles away. kinda like san diego to LA. decent analogy?

[MoorestownResident]

Originally Posted by NewGrad2009

Now, I'm not asking which city is better. Don't get me wrong I've been all over this board looking for places to live and DC is a big choice for me, but considering how little I'd get back in return after paying up to $1000 for a studio in a city with lil nightlife compared to others, crappy neighborhoods, etc, doesn't seem worth it sometimes.

So I started looking at Philly, which is a big city with a lot of life and culture to it. It's also cheaper than most big Eastern cities. However, I heard people are "fleeing" Philly because of crime and bad neighborhoods, etc. Then there's NYC, which....c'mon. New York City IS the American dream in a lot of ways. I'd love to live there, despite the cold But it's so expensive to live there.

I'm afraid also that if I try moving to either, I'll be rejected from any job because I live so far away (South Carolina atm).

My questions I guess:
Which city would my dollar go further?
Nightlife in both?
How bad is the crime in NYC/Philly?
What are the job markets like in both? Do I have a good shot at getting a nice paying job?

I think you should reconsider anywhere in the Northeast at this time. Finding a job in the NE is going to be very difficult in this deep recession. The unemployment is currently 7.2% and rising. It might top out around 9% which is very dramatic. Recent grads are going to be hurt most since they lack any experience. Places like Texas and Colorado will be far better economically than Philly, DC or NYC in 2009/2010 - especially with all the layoffs by the banks and brokerage firms.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

I think you should reconsider anywhere in the Northeast at this time. Finding a job in the NE is going to be very difficult in this deep recession. The unemployment is currently 7.2% and rising. It might top out around 9% which is very dramatic. Recent grads are going to be hurt most since they lack any experience. Places like Texas and Colorado will be far better economically than Philly, DC or NYC in 2009/2010 - especially with all the layoffs by the banks and brokerage firms.

I hear what you're saying... but I think DC will be an exception to that Northeastern rule. The concentration of government jobs and other related companies will help buoy the economy down there.

IMO while the Philly metro has a diverse economy, it's hasn't had many booming industries in recent years beyond healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The relatively high cost of doing business within the city limits doesn't help. On the other hand, I'd imagine the cost of doing business in NYC is even higher because, well, "it's NYC". I also think there's a point in a city's gentrification where it crosses over from being "safe" to "expensive". Philly has a way to go before reaching that but NYC (and DC) has long since past it.

[gfspeople]

I have lived in both and I have to say that the dollar will go so much farther in Philadelphia. Everything is cheaper, and you can get a better home for so much less in Philadelphia than any place good in New York. The nightlife is probably better in New York but I disagree with john starks here:
"nyc lol. philly seems to be more of a neighborhood city with a lot of bars"
That is not true. Philly gets more night life credit than it is getting here. The jobs and economy is pretty much the same in both cities.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by NewGrad2009

My questions I guess:
Which city would my dollar go further?
Nightlife in both?
How bad is the crime in NYC/Philly?
What are the job markets like in both? Do I have a good shot at getting a nice paying job?

1. Your dollar will go further in Philly for sure.

2. The nightlife in NYC is great if you can afford to live near it and if you can afford to go out more than once a month. The nightlife in Philly is abundant, accessible and affordable.

3. You have to compare where you'd be living in NYC to where you'd be living in Philly. My guess is that you can't afford to live in Manhattan so you should be comparing the Brooklyn neighborhoods you're looking at to Philly neighborhoods in the same price range.

4. IMO there are more opportunities in NYC but there's also a lot more competition. Both cities are going to be better than any market in SC. I've heard Columbia is one of the worst job markets in the country right now.

[14thandYou]

Originally Posted by MoorestownResident

Places like Texas and Colorado will be far better economically than Philly, DC or NYC in 2009/2010 - especially with all the layoffs by the banks and brokerage firms.

Don't know about Philly or NYC, but the federal government presence pretty much ensures that DC's economy will be damaged significantly less than other cities hit by this downturn. Any city that is a financial hub is going to be hurting for some time, but DC's economy is likely going to remain among the most stable in the country.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by NewGrad2009

My questions I guess:

Which city would my dollar go further? Philly. NY is one of (if not the) most expensive areas in the country. If you think that the prices in DC are hard, it's even worse up there. Most people I know who work in Manhattan can't live in Manhattan, while their counterparts in DC have a slightly lower wage and live in Dupont Circle (I'm thinking of a consulting firm I know of down here).
Nightlife in both? Both have good nightlife. Obviously, NYC has more options, but Philadelphia's pretty decent too. If you're more into the "trendy" club scene, then I'm sure NY is much better (I'm not, so I can't say how Philly compares).
How bad is the crime in NYC/Philly? NY is safer, but that's not to say that living in Philadelphia is guaranteed to get you shot/mugged/etc. I grew up in the city and never had a problem, nor did the vast majority of the people I know. There are reports of people "fleeing" Philadelphia (although I've seen articles lately that found this trend is slowing or reversing), but also keep in mind that there are also a good number of NYers leaving NYC for Philadelphia to get a cheaper COL.
What are the job markets like in both? Do I have a good shot at getting a nice paying job? What kind of job are you looking for? Just by sheer number there are more jobs in NY, but also more competition (as someone else mentioned)

[bryson662001]

Just a few points. The unemployment rate is lower in the NE right now then most parts of the country. Yes it will be hard unless you are in healthcare but probably not as bad as anywhere else (except DC of course). The "Philly crime" thing is an urban myth. Stay out of the bad neighborhoods, which isn't that hard and it is a non issue. Philly and NY are very much alike in feeling except that of course there is so much more of everything in NY. The standard of living in Philly is so much higher then NY (unless you are rich and then it doesn't matter)