Trying to decide between moving to Pittsburgh or Philly (Philadelphia: best neighborhoods, neighborhoods)

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by ebyrnes

Trying to decide between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Portland, ME

I wonder what made the OP wait 4 months to post the same question here.

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I wonder what made the OP wait 4 months to post the same question here.

Maybe they are not in a big hurry to move and are taking lots of time to think about things and do their research?

[Burgher-Brad]

Originally Posted by cxm123130

Thanks everyone! The posts that I've read are very helpful so far. I have to say that after reading all of this and the stuff that I have received in Philly, I am leaning more towards Philly. No offense to Pittsburgh, I love both cities. Its just Philly seems to have more of what I am looking for in terms of transit, education, culture, and proximity to other things.

It sounds from your list of requirements that you're a skinny-jeans wearing hipster type. I would say Center City in Philly better meets your needs as a non-driving barista.

However, be warned that if you do get a car then Philly is a total nightmare for driving. Expect huge traffic jams on all their major arteries at all times of the day, whereas in Pittsburgh it can get bad during rush hour but usually clears up pretty quick. Philly is an old city that was never built for cars, and you can see the painful consequence of that in modern times.

Also, Philly has a LOT more crime than Pittsburgh. Your chances of being killed, assaulted, robbed, or raped is prolly 3 or 4 times higher in Philly than in the Burgh. Pittsburgh people are more laid back with a friendlier attitude, but maybe that doesnt matter to a skinny-jeans guy like yourself.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Burgher-Brad

It sounds from your list of requirements that you're a skinny-jeans wearing hipster type. I would say Center City in Philly better meets your needs as a non-driving barista.

However, be warned that if you do get a car then Philly is a total nightmare for driving. Expect huge traffic jams on all their major arteries at all times of the day, whereas in Pittsburgh it can get bad during rush hour but usually clears up pretty quick. Philly is an old city that was never built for cars, and you can see the painful consequence of that in modern times.

Also, Philly has a LOT more crime than Pittsburgh. Your chances of being killed, assaulted, robbed, or raped is prolly 3 or 4 times higher in Philly than in the Burgh. Pittsburgh people are more laid back with a friendlier attitude, but maybe that doesnt matter to a skinny-jeans guy like yourself.

Center City isn't all that hipster compared to many other desirable Philly neighborhoods, Pittsburgh traffic isn't much better, and Philly's crime is by-and-large confined to specific areas that no "skinny jeans-wearing hipster" would dare venture into .

[Burgher-Brad]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Center City isn't all that hipster compared to many other desirable Philly neighborhoods, Pittsburgh traffic isn't much better, and Philly's crime is by-and-large confined to specific areas that no "skinny jeans-wearing hipster" would dare venture into .

Desirable neighborhoods like where? Center City is the only place where you can walk and have easy access to all the amenities sought after by skinny-jean barista types.

Pittsburgh traffic is MUCH better than Philly. I've lived in both cities so I know from personal experience. I lived in North Hills and my daily commute from my apartment to downtown usually only took 15 minutes. Try doing that in Philly. Of course the Burgh tunnels get congested at rush hour but otherwise you're smooth sailing from one end to the other. In Philly, expect major congestion on the "Surekill Expressway" on Sunday mornings and every other hour as well. How does anyone with a sane mind actually like driving on Roosevelt Blvd? And bridges are FREE in Pittsburgh, whereas in Philly you pay $5 to cross one.

Crime is crime, but I'll take my chances in Pittsburgh on any given night. Many parts of Philly are nothing but bad attitude and some thug looking to clean your wallet.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Burgher-Brad

Desirable neighborhoods like where? Center City is the only place where you can walk and have easy access to all the amenities sought after by skinny-jean barista types.

Although close to Center City, places like Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Fairmount, University City, and Bella Vista/Southwark technically aint in it. And East Falls/Manayunk aren't even close to it and popular with the gentry set.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Burgher-Brad

Desirable neighborhoods like where? Center City is the only place where you can walk and have easy access to all the amenities sought after by skinny-jean barista types.

Pittsburgh traffic is MUCH better than Philly. I've lived in both cities so I know from personal experience. I lived in North Hills and my daily commute from my apartment to downtown usually only took 15 minutes. Try doing that in Philly. Of course the Burgh tunnels get congested at rush hour but otherwise you're smooth sailing from one end to the other. In Philly, expect major congestion on the "Surekill Expressway" on Sunday mornings and every other hour as well. How does anyone with a sane mind actually like driving on Roosevelt Blvd? And bridges are FREE in Pittsburgh, whereas in Philly you pay $5 to cross one.

Crime is crime, but I'll take my chances in Pittsburgh on any given night. Many parts of Philly are nothing but bad attitude and some thug looking to clean your wallet.

What Eschaton said re skinny barista type distribution.

I lived in both cities too, and PGH traffic is no picnic. The backroads in Philly make a lot of traffic easy to avoid (e.g., West River or Kelly Drives instead of the Schuylkill), and however bad the Schuylkill may be, I'd say the Parkway East is even worse. Maybe 1 time out of 10 I could get past Edgewood/Swissvale heading Eastbound during mid-day and not hit a wall of traffic. And don't get me started on Penn Ave!

And again, the parts of Philly that are imminently dangerous are areas you probably have no reason to be in unless you're buying drugs.

[cxm123130]

Well thanks for all the responses guys. Let me first say that I am not the skinny jeans hipster barista type. I live without a car because Im a self-supporting college student who had to sacrifice his car in order to build a savings because Im a barista which means that I don't make that much. Ive been planning to move to PA for 6 months now and I am moving in May after I graduate with my BS in chemistry. Ive been taking my time and doing as much research as I can so that I can make a good decision. I had my sights set on Philly pretty early on but after the initial excitement wore off I felt like I should post in the Pittsburgh forum to get a more well-rounded assessment of both cities before I made the official decision. Again thanks everyone for the info that you have given me.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

What Eschaton said re skinny barista type distribution.

I lived in both cities too, and PGH traffic is no picnic. The backroads in Philly make a lot of traffic easy to avoid (e.g., West River or Kelly Drives instead of the Schuylkill), and however bad the Schuylkill may be, I'd say the Parkway East is even worse. Maybe 1 time out of 10 I could get past Edgewood/Swissvale heading Eastbound during mid-day and not hit a wall of traffic. And don't get me started on Penn Ave!

And again, the parts of Philly that are imminently dangerous are areas you probably have no reason to be in unless you're buying drugs.

I'm no cheerleader for Philly.. I too have lived in both cities for considerable amounts of time.

Philly / Burgh - Traffic is equally bad... Twins almost - Schuylkill Exp / Parkway West... exactly the same experience. i-95/Parkway East, again about the same. Roosevelt Blvd/McKnight Road = Same.

Philly while more Crime, it has calmed down a lot lately from what my BFF who lives in NE Philly tells me. My time in Philadelphia the city was an absolute war zone.

I stated this from the beginning and I stand by my opinion... Center City, its the perfect Downtown (could stand to have more jobs located there though) and bests Downtown Pittsburgh in just about ever way (again except for the central location of Jobs). I will take Center City Philadelphia over Manhattan to be quite honest.

Now Neighborhoods, I still will take Pittsburgh's collection of neighborhoods over Philly's... That's me ... The Burgh's neighborhoods stand on there own independent of what happens in the Core. Philly most "Hip" Non-CC neighborhoods are those close to it and border it, therefore benefit from its success as the gentrification spreads outward from the Core. A lot of Real Estate Agent will sell these same Non-CC nabes as being Center City. It's like selling someone that the Strip or Central North Side is Downtown when its not.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

I'm no cheerleader for Philly.. I too have lived in both cities for considerable amounts of time.

Philly / Burgh - Traffic is equally bad... Twins almost - Schuylkill Exp / Parkway West... exactly the same experience. i-95/Parkway East, again about the same. Roosevelt Blvd/McKnight Road = Same.

Philly while more Crime, it has calmed down a lot lately from what my BFF who lives in NE Philly tells me. My time in Philadelphia the city was an absolute war zone.

I stated this from the beginning and I stand by my opinion... Center City, its the perfect Downtown (could stand to have more jobs located there though) and bests Downtown Pittsburgh in just about ever way (again except for the central location of Jobs). I will take Center City Philadelphia over Manhattan to be quite honest.

Now Neighborhoods, I still will take Pittsburgh's collection of neighborhoods over Philly's... That's me ... The Burgh's neighborhoods stand on there own independent of what happens in the Core. Philly most "Hip" Non-CC neighborhoods are those close to it and border it, therefore benefit from its success as the gentrification spreads outward from the Core. A lot of Real Estate Agent will sell these same Non-CC nabes as being Center City. It's like selling someone that the Strip or Central North Side is Downtown when its not.

Fairmount, NoLibs, Grad Hospital, and Bella Vista/Queen Village can be included within the Greater CC sphere of influence, although they're distinct in their own right. University City/Clark Park, Fishtown, Manayunk, etc. are entirely separate.