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- Weather - LA (PHILLY HUMIDITY is a nightmare)
- Scenery - LA (Tempted to say tie, but the mountains and hills are a big plus, still, Philly's got that autumn foliage and the Delaware River)
- Economy - LA (Philadelphia is pretty much a stagnant hellhole, whilst LA is just hampered by inhuman taxes)
- Education - Probable Tie, I'd probably have to side with LA here, though
- Parks - Philly - Philly Parks are historic and full of that east-coast folliage that turns golden during fall, you barely get that in LA.
- Waterfront - Hmmm.. The Beach (which I haven't seen yet) v Penns' Landing.. I'd say PENN'S LANDING WINS.
- Skyline - DEFINITELY PHILLY - Even the Comcrap tower can't dampen the majesty of the Liberty Places in the skyline. This is probably LAs WORST deficite (besides all the OTHER archetectural horrors one will witness out here in the West Coast).
- Downtown activity - Philly - There is something disturbingly generic about everything in Downtown LA. Philly has again Penns' Landing, The Gallery etc. It seems most of the stuff like that is up in Glendale..
- Shopping - Tie - Though LA probably has' more stuff, Philly's more affordable, and it's not like there is any shortage of brand names or stores back in Philly.
- Diversity - LA: Hands' Down. There are all kinds of people here.
- Housing stock - Really debatable - LA houses are expensive (and quite ugly - stucco should be outlawed I swear) and so ideal I suppose for businesses. Philly's got places that are actually, you know, liveable and affordable. Both are AWFUL places to live, however.
- Nightlife - Probably Philly - Between dozens of authentic Irish and Italian bars and resturaunts, I don't see how anything in LA can compare to that.
- School systems (K-12) - I'm sure LA - Growing up with Philly education seemed really underwhelming and the teachers are hopelessly underqualified largely. LA seems to have all the cutting edge stuff, and my girlfriend from here seems to have benefited off it faster than I benefited off Philly education from what she showed me from growing up.
- Higher education (Colleges & Universities) - I trust UCLA more than I do Temple, let's leave it at that.
- Mass Transit - Metro > SEPTA. A one way trip on Septa costs $2, about a quarter more than does Metro. Also I really like the Tap Cards compared to all the tokens and tear off passes (which only work for two trips - Metro you can take MULTIPLE trips on $1.75 within two hours just as long as they are all different buses, and so far I've yet to see a SEPTA bus, like say, the 18, 20 or 50 for instance back in Philly, go as far as the 90/91 does).
- Niche Industry Probably LA with it's wHoley Weird. Then again, you'll never see a cheese steak done better than in Philly..
- Pace of life - Philly; LA is a hectic nightmare.
- Safety - Tie.. South Central and North Philly are both about as unwelcoming and deadly places as Nicuragua in the 80s.
- Quality of life - LA: Depending on your income, people seem healthier and more expansive here, also, the corruption here is way less oppressive and more round-about than in Philly - Things get ugly there real quick if you **** the wrong people off..
- Cost of living - Philly - WAAAAY easier to live there.
- Dining scene - PHILLY! Between Cheesesteaks and some of the best Italian cuisine in general AND the unimaginable, dirt cheap prices, nothing else really compares!
So my vote: LA 10/20 Philly 10/20
If you want a place with a (sometimes impositional and brooding) style of brick rows, history, excellent food and drink whilst engaging in complex culture and old world traditions, and some awe inspiring autumns overlooking the Delaware and a legitimately beautiful skyline, then visit Philly (as long as you make sure not to take the wrong turn to West Philly, North Philly, Kensington, or even Fishtown or Richmond - OUR Silver Lake - and if you're planning on living here PLEASE either choose Center City, South Philly, or the Greater North East if you can afford it, or heck go all the way up to Bensalem or Bryn Athyn at that rate).
If you want to have some fun riding on a MODERN transit system that doesn't require you to carry around change or tokens all the time and buy a bunch of trendy things and cool gadgets and surprisingly affordable health foods surrounded by a bunch of nice mountains and a pleasantly breezy, dry atmosphere and an ocean then you'll probably like it in LA - Just don't let all the poverty and gangs South and East of Hill St. in Downtown LA catch you (watch out for all the junkies in Tujunga and Sunland, too; I swear everyone seems to be hooked on hard stuff up here). If you can manage that whilst also ignoring all the UGLY F'NG PLAYDOUGHEY AND GROSS LOOKING STUCCO, ONE-STORY BUNGALOW STYLE ARCHITECTURE and freeways up here and make a REALLY REALLY GOOD LIVING, then you'll find your stay here pleasant. Though nothing particularly makes me want to spend the rest of my life here..
Bottom line - BOTH places are crime ridden hellholes in most parts, overlooked by soul-stiffling suburbs and a small area of actual Metropolis in-between the two. And BOTH have bloated and corrupt governments that will actively PUNNISH you for making any kind of living in either of them.
Taking this into account: Philly is horrible but it's still my spiritual home - it's a realism about it that allows it to accept itself for what it is - a tinpot berg that could never compare to something like New York, and one that is way more affordable than the outragiousnes you find in Los Angeles, and on top of that, though Los Angeles has higher quality food for daily living, but Philly's got more succulent cuisine.. On the other hand, Los Angeles is a place for growth and development, whereas Philly is a place where you find yourself being cornered into a stagnant oblivion. Los Angeles has at least hope going for it, whilst Philly has wisdom.
- Weather. LA
- Scenery LA
- Economy Philadelphia
- Education Philadelphia
- Parks. Philadelphia
- Waterfront LA
- Downtown activity. Philadelphia
- Shopping. LA, but Philadelphia does have King of Prussia
- Diversity tie imo
- Housing stock tie
- Nightlife. LA
- School systems (K-12) LA
- Higher education (Colleges & Universities) PHILADELPHIA
- Mass Transit PHILADELPHIA
- Niche Industry (What are they for either?) anything more niche than Hollywood?
- Pace of life. LA
- Safety LA
- Quality of life LA
- Cost of living PHILADELPHIA
- Dining scene LA
- Which one would you rather live in? And why?
I'd rather live in Santa Monica than LA but prefer Philadelphia proper just a tad over LA because Philadelphia just reminds me more of a traditional city, which is what I'm familiar with
LA has weather and scenery over Philly and thats about it.
Los Angeles is on an *entirely* different tier than Philadelphia, so frankly, this isn't really a fair comparison. LA is a huge global city, Philly is a somewhat large U.S. city. LA blows Philadelphia away in nearly any "amenities" conversation. However, I prefer Philadelphia... the charm, history and there is an element of quaintness as well. The downtown is much more urban and interesting, and it has a decent cultural scene.
I actually think LA does not get the credit it deserves; the vibe I felt in SoCal was one the best I found anywhere.
Nevertheless, despite LA having the upper-hand in glamour, Philly, without a doubt wins in important quality-of-life and standard-of-living metrics like education, income, cost-of-living, an overall much more balanced environment.
Philly's much more classically-urban, historic, and much leafier/lush setting that lasts forever, I think, provides widespread appeal also. In contrast, I think once you begin to get about 50 miles inland from LA, you kind of feel like you're on another desolate and arid planet, which isn't entirely appealing.
There's 2 Megacities in America , New York & Los Angeles.
No other cities should compare with those 2.
Anything under those 2 would be considered large U.s cities.
So it's not really fair to compare any other city in America to New York & Los Angeles even though a strong argument can be made for Chicago & San Francisco.But even than those 2 cities are too small as well.
There's 2 Megacities in America , New York & Los Angeles.
No other cities should compare with those 2.
Anything under those 2 would be considered large U.s cities.
So it's not really fair to compare any other city in America to New York & Los Angeles even though a strong argument can be made for Chicago & San Francisco.But even than those 2 cities are too small as well.
Chicago can kinda be included as a mega city even tho it's just shy of the requirement. It feels like a mega city.
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