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Just for fun.
Pennsylvania's 2 biggest cities: The city of brotherly love and the city of steel! Which one do you think is better?
Which city wins in each category?:
My two favorite cities.
Location - Philadelphia (Closer to other big cities and the beach, although Pittsburgh is no slouch either)
Geography - Pittsburgh (Philly seems flat to me, then again everywhere I go seem flat. Pittsburgh's topography is very unique)
Size - Neither (Due to being extremely subjective. Philly is for BIG city life, Pittsburgh is for Big city life; I could be happy in either, but prefer Pittsburgh)
Lifestyle - Pittsburgh (Again subjective, but I prefer the climate in Pittsburgh [colder, snowier] and access to mountains for skiing is important for me)
Safety - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia isn't the crime ridden hell hole people make it out to be or it once was, but still isn't as safe as Pittsburgh)
Less Crime - Pittsburgh (see above)
Walkibility - Philadelphia (Neither is a slouch, but Philadelphia is flatter and more grid like making for easier commutes via walking)
Skyline - Wow, such a subjective thread. Pittsburgh's is more unique and in a better natural setting, Philadelphia has more larger buildings.
Downtown - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's is rapidly improving, but CC is already threre)
Architecture - Tie (Both are top notch in this regard)
Food/Restaurants - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's foodie scene is quickly catching up, but Philadelphia is top notch here)
Education - Tie. (Whoever keeps implying Philadelphia is better here needs to be realistic here they are VERY comparable)
Diversity (neighborhoods) - Pittsburgh. (90 neighborhoods, and 130 sub neighborhoods, ranging from Appalachian backwoods [HAYS] to concrete jungle [OAKLAND] to South Philly [EAST ALLEGHENY] and everything in between)
Weather - Pittsburgh No contest. I hate heat.
Jobs/Economy - Pittsburgh (Both are doing "Okay" but terms of job growth, Pittsburgh is leading)
Things to do - Philadelphia
Better Reputation - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia still has a very negative tone about it, that's undeserved)
Sports - Pittsburgh No contest. The only city that can touch Pittsburgh in terms of successful sports is Boston.
Weather - Is on here twice.
Shopping - Philadelphia No contest.
Transportation - Philadelphia (SEPTA is much better than PAT, because SEPTA is a top 5 transit system. PAT is very good for its size, still top 10 for the country)
Vibrance/Nightlife Isn't a word. But TIE. (Philadelphia's downtown is far more vibrant, but Pittsburgh has MANY nodes of nightlife and vibrancy that isn't matched throughout the city in Philadelphia)
This is true. My point was that there are more native Midwesterners living in the Pittsburgh metro than there are Northeasterners from states other than PA. That's only natural since Pittsburgh is 60 miles closer to Detroit than it is to Philly.
Since you are referring to the Pittsburgh MSA, I'd wager a bet that most of the mid-westerners are from eastern Ohio, and most of the southerners from northern and NW West Virginia. Detroit is farther away, mentally, than Baltimore/DC. Chicago and even Cincinnati are in a different country. Pittsburgh beams east to southeast, not midwest.
This is true. My point was that there are more native Midwesterners living in the Pittsburgh metro than there are Northeasterners from states other than PA. That's only natural since Pittsburgh is 60 miles closer to Detroit than it is to Philly.
You're WRONG!
Again, Pittsburgh far and way Trades more Population with the Northeast than it does any Midwest City, even Ohio ... mean more people move to and from Pittsburgh to/from other Northeast Cities. Midwest cities have almost no relation with Pittsburgh.
Washington DC
Philadelphia
New York City
These are the 3 biggest cities that Pittsburgh trades population with, same order both inbound and outbound.
Cleveland is the closest Midwest city and its comes in like number 6.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
I've never understood the Philly hate. I've run into a lot of people from Pennsylvania who have a strong disdain for it.
OMG, Thank you .... These Philly Booster really live in a land of Make-believe. They have the sense of a Wall, called NOT Northeast, and Pittsburgh is on the other side.... Any sane, non-Booster that has been to both Pittsburgh and Philly, know they have more similarities in their structures and personalities than they do differences.
Definitely no rivalry. To be honest, I feel that the two cities are so far apart that they hardly think about each other. I would imagine that there's more of a rivalry between
Cleveland and Pittsburgh than there is between Philly and Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh and Cleveland? There isn't a competition, you clearly don't know what you are talking about.
I would like to point out the fact that West Virginia (which is a southern state according to the census) is 50 miles from Pittsburgh and Ohio is 56 miles (a midwestern state) from Pittsburgh. A state by state comparison would be better.
It's not that close. Philly and Pittsburgh are on different levels in terms of cities. It's like comparing Atlanta to Savannah in the state of Georgia. They're just on different tiers. The gap widens even further when you include the surrounding suburbs of each city. Pittsburgh can't compete with that.
Location: Philly
Geography: Philly
Size: Philly
Lifestyle: Philly
Safety: Pittsburgh
Less Crime: Pittsburgh
Walkibility: Philly
Skyline: Pittsburgh
Downtown: Philly
Architecture: Philly
Food: Philly
Restaurants: Philly
Education: Philly
Museums/Art: Philly
Festivals: Philly
Tourist attractions/landmarks: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Generally nicer/friendlier people: Pittsburgh
Parks: Philly
Diversity (people): Philly
Diversity (neighborhoods): Philly
Weather: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Jobs/Economy: Philly
Things to do: Philly
Better Reputation: Pittsburgh
Sports: Edge to Philly(more diehard and loyal fans)
Weather: Philly
Shopping: Philly
Transportation: Philly
Vibrance: Philly
Cost of living: Philly (more bang for your buck)
Proximity to other places: Philly
Suburbs: Philly
That's not boosting. He has an opinion but his opinion is predicated on facts.
This is what you call, NOT BEING A BOOSTER! , opinion predicated facts, Study it!
Quote:
Originally Posted by speagles84
My two favorite cities.
Location - Philadelphia (Closer to other big cities and the beach, although Pittsburgh is no slouch either)
Geography - Pittsburgh (Philly seems flat to me, then again everywhere I go seem flat. Pittsburgh's topography is very unique)
Size - Neither (Due to being extremely subjective. Philly is for BIG city life, Pittsburgh is for Big city life; I could be happy in either, but prefer Pittsburgh)
Lifestyle - Pittsburgh (Again subjective, but I prefer the climate in Pittsburgh [colder, snowier] and access to mountains for skiing is important for me)
Safety - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia isn't the crime ridden hell hole people make it out to be or it once was, but still isn't as safe as Pittsburgh)
Less Crime - Pittsburgh (see above)
Walkibility - Philadelphia (Neither is a slouch, but Philadelphia is flatter and more grid like making for easier commutes via walking)
Skyline - Wow, such a subjective thread. Pittsburgh's is more unique and in a better natural setting, Philadelphia has more larger buildings.
Downtown - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's is rapidly improving, but CC is already threre)
Architecture - Tie (Both are top notch in this regard)
Food/Restaurants - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's foodie scene is quickly catching up, but Philadelphia is top notch here)
Education - Tie. (Whoever keeps implying Philadelphia is better here needs to be realistic here they are VERY comparable)
Diversity (neighborhoods) - Pittsburgh. (90 neighborhoods, and 130 sub neighborhoods, ranging from Appalachian backwoods [HAYS] to concrete jungle [OAKLAND] to South Philly [EAST ALLEGHENY] and everything in between)
Weather - Pittsburgh No contest. I hate heat.
Jobs/Economy - Pittsburgh (Both are doing "Okay" but terms of job growth, Pittsburgh is leading)
Things to do - Philadelphia
Better Reputation - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia still has a very negative tone about it, that's undeserved)
Sports - Pittsburgh No contest. The only city that can touch Pittsburgh in terms of successful sports is Boston.
Weather - Is on here twice.
Shopping - Philadelphia No contest.
Transportation - Philadelphia (SEPTA is much better than PAT, because SEPTA is a top 5 transit system. PAT is very good for its size, still top 10 for the country)
Vibrance/Nightlife Isn't a word. But TIE. (Philadelphia's downtown is far more vibrant, but Pittsburgh has MANY nodes of nightlife and vibrancy that isn't matched throughout the city in Philadelphia)
- Better airport
- More cosmopolitan
- Hotter
- Better location to access more cities
- Big city
- Has its own culinary scene with its own local cuisine (I don't even like Italian food at all but tolerate it just fine in Philadelphia, so that's saying something -- the bread and sauce seriously helps)
- More broader based economy and an ace in several knowledge based industries
- Works perfectly into my field in consultancy and programming
- Near the coast (I consider Philadelphia a coastal city, all you need are suburbs on the coast and I'm good with that)
- If I wanted to, I could theoretically transfer to a school in Philadelphia to finish graduate school there and the quality of the school would be on par with the London School of Economics and Political Science.
- Given its relative affordability, I bet hot neighborhoods like Rittenhouse Square, Queen Village, Society Hill, and others in the core would be great places to invest in the city. It is not like you are paying Boston prices but you are getting amenities and a city on par with Boston. Makes it an investment opportunity, a unique one.
You get the point. Pittsburgh is the "prettier" city but with the relative isolation, the climate, the smaller market size, the less cosmopolitan nature of the city, I go with Philadelphia over it.
It's not that close. Philly and Pittsburgh are on different levels in terms of cities. It's like comparing Atlanta to Savannah in the state of Georgia. They're just on different tiers. The gap widens even further when you include the surrounding suburbs of each city. Pittsburgh can't compete with that.
Location: Philly
Geography: Philly
Size: Philly
Lifestyle: Philly
Safety: Pittsburgh
Less Crime: Pittsburgh
Walkibility: Philly
Skyline: Pittsburgh
Downtown: Philly
Architecture: Philly
Food: Philly
Restaurants: Philly
Education: Philly
Museums/Art: Philly
Festivals: Philly
Tourist attractions/landmarks: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Generally nicer/friendlier people: Pittsburgh
Parks: Philly
Diversity (people): Philly
Diversity (neighborhoods): Philly
Weather: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Jobs/Economy: Philly
Things to do: Philly
Better Reputation: Pittsburgh Sports: Edge to Philly(more diehard and loyal fans)
Weather: Philly
Shopping: Philly
Transportation: Philly
Vibrance: Philly
Cost of living: Philly (more bang for your buck)
Proximity to other places: Philly
Suburbs: Philly
It's not that close. Philly and Pittsburgh are on different levels in terms of cities. It's like comparing Atlanta to Savannah in the state of Georgia. They're just on different tiers. The gap widens even further when you include the surrounding suburbs of each city. Pittsburgh can't compete with that.
Location: Philly
Geography: Philly
Size: Philly
Lifestyle: Philly
Safety: Pittsburgh
Less Crime: Pittsburgh
Walkibility: Philly
Skyline: Pittsburgh
Downtown: Philly
Architecture: Philly
Food: Philly
Restaurants: Philly
Education: Philly
Museums/Art: Philly
Festivals: Philly
Tourist attractions/landmarks: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Generally nicer/friendlier people: Pittsburgh
Parks: Philly
Diversity (people): Philly
Diversity (neighborhoods): Philly
Weather: Philly
Nightlife: Philly
Jobs/Economy: Philly
Things to do: Philly
Better Reputation: Pittsburgh
Sports: Edge to Philly(more diehard and loyal fans)
Weather: Philly
Shopping: Philly
Transportation: Philly
Vibrance: Philly
Cost of living: Philly (more bang for your buck)
Proximity to other places: Philly
Suburbs: Philly
again more generalization from Philly Boosters .... what is it with trying to Marginalize the smaller city ....
Philly is Atlanta and Pittsburgh is Savannah = UGH! .. I Didn't know Savannah had 3 major sports team with collectively has more Championship than the almighty Atlanta in the state of GA, 3 top ranked universities, etc ... Wow Savannah is really a sleeper.
Location - Philadelphia (Closer to other big cities and the beach, although Pittsburgh is no slouch either)
Geography - Pittsburgh (Philly seems flat to me, then again everywhere I go seem flat. Pittsburgh's topography is very unique)
Size - Neither (Due to being extremely subjective. Philly is for BIG city life, Pittsburgh is for Big city life; I could be happy in either, but prefer Pittsburgh)
Lifestyle - Pittsburgh (Again subjective, but I prefer the climate in Pittsburgh [colder, snowier] and access to mountains for skiing is important for me)
Safety - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia isn't the crime ridden hell hole people make it out to be or it once was, but still isn't as safe as Pittsburgh)
Less Crime - Pittsburgh (see above)
Walkibility - Philadelphia (Neither is a slouch, but Philadelphia is flatter and more grid like making for easier commutes via walking)
Skyline - Wow, such a subjective thread. Pittsburgh's is more unique and in a better natural setting, Philadelphia has more larger buildings.
Downtown - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's is rapidly improving, but CC is already threre)
Architecture - Tie (Both are top notch in this regard)
Food/Restaurants - Philadelphia (Pittsburgh's foodie scene is quickly catching up, but Philadelphia is top notch here)
Education - Tie. (Whoever keeps implying Philadelphia is better here needs to be realistic here they are VERY comparable)
Diversity (neighborhoods) - Pittsburgh. (90 neighborhoods, and 130 sub neighborhoods, ranging from Appalachian backwoods [HAYS] to concrete jungle [OAKLAND] to South Philly [EAST ALLEGHENY] and everything in between)
Weather - Pittsburgh No contest. I hate heat.
Jobs/Economy - Pittsburgh (Both are doing "Okay" but terms of job growth, Pittsburgh is leading)
Things to do - Philadelphia
Better Reputation - Pittsburgh (Philadelphia still has a very negative tone about it, that's undeserved)
Sports - Pittsburgh No contest. The only city that can touch Pittsburgh in terms of successful sports is Boston.
Weather - Is on here twice.
Shopping - Philadelphia No contest.
Transportation - Philadelphia (SEPTA is much better than PAT, because SEPTA is a top 5 transit system. PAT is very good for its size, still top 10 for the country)
Vibrance/Nightlife Isn't a word. But TIE. (Philadelphia's downtown is far more vibrant, but Pittsburgh has MANY nodes of nightlife and vibrancy that isn't matched throughout the city in Philadelphia)
Cost of living - Pittsburgh No contest.
Pittsburgh - 11 Philadelphia - 11
Hmmm, wonder why they're my two favorite cities
all fair
on education, I think the part that seperates the two is at the metro level
add in likes of
Villanova
Swartmore
Bryn Mawr
Ursinus
Arcadia
U of DE
etc
and some other like a West Chester plus you did not list St Joes and LaSalle plus Princeton but a story for to many other threads...
Also would give the nod to Philly on the Medical School front though with Pittsburgh not bad at all, especially for its size also on arts schools for Philly
I think Pittsburgh is under rated nationally, and puches above its weight for its size and is heading in the right direction, I like Pittsburgh a lot and prefer Philly but its home...
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