Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've already posted this, so here goes: I pay $1,350/month for 3 beds, 2 baths, one block from Whole Foods and in an area where I can just hail a cab by stepping outside. Yes it's a row house but that also means nobody living over or under me, and that's a huge bonus over other housing arrangements except for free-standing homes - apartments have too many issues with noise IMO. I know you can buy your way out of it, but consider that MAdonna was threatened with eviction for being too noisy in her home dance studio, and you'd figure Madonna could afford some good sound insulation.
There are literally hundreds of restaurants and hundreds of stores that are a 15 minute or less walk. Great art, music, sports, etc. are all at my doorstep, as are farmers markets and awesome street foods. Much of what people like about Brooklyn is here, along with a concentrated, mini dose of what makes Manhattan great.
Living the same life in New York City would cost me more than an extra $1,200/month and I'd have to live in NYC which as many people note is a bit tough to deal with sometimes. I have an Akita, he would not like NYC and honestly I'd have a hard time finding a building that even accepts such a large dog over there.
So in the end it's quality of life at home that keeps me in Philly, regardless of how many jobs I end up doing in NYC. The nice parts of Philly are very nice indeed, if you like northeastern cities it's a bargain.
And for the record, sometimes when I go to Manhattan I use Zipcar, especially when I travel with other people and it isn't rush hour. My time is about 1 hour, 40 minutes. Google maps overestimates travel time because the New Jersey Turnpike is always flowing at 85 mph, Google calculates times for 65mph, and 90% of the trip is on the turnpike.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tmac9wr
Good point. I just find it odd to think of a city better than another because you can commute to some other major city...and yes, many Manhattanites can afford the $1,242 monthly pass...but at the same time, if you can afford that then why wouldn't you just live in Manhattan?
Regardless, I just find it to be a weak argument (from others, not you)
P.S. Tried to rep you, but I've got to spread it around.
The region of the country from roughly Hartford CT down to DC is what I refer as the "Traffic Belt".
Being outside that region is a profound blessing.
While it's not quite as congested in the segment from Hartford to Boston, the Providence, RI area to Southern New Hampshire is definitely a congested corridor. So, in the larger scope, I'd definitely be more inclined to include the Boston area in the "traffic belt" running all the way down to DC.
While it's not quite as congested in the segment from Hartford to Boston, the Providence, RI area to Southern New Hampshire is definitely a congested corridor. So, in the larger scope, I'd definitely be more inclined to include the Boston area in the "traffic belt" running all the way down to DC.
I have an Akita, he would not like NYC and honestly I'd have a hard time finding a building that even accepts such a large dog over there.
I dunno.. I find that NYC aside from most of manhattan (ie: where a small minority of new yorkers live) is actually a much better place for dogs than much of Philly, and certainly center city. Bigger deeper lots, so more buildings have real backyards, and much better parks! Prospect Park is a dogs' paradise that is seriously a thing that has almost single-handedly kept me from moving back to Philly. I'd be sad if my dog had to go back to just daily walks to and from little dog runs, and occasional car trips out to the wissahickon (which is nice, but sort of limited in variety). And there are definitely lots of big dogs of all sorts around here as well.
Driving from Philly to NYC is 2 hours each way. 2 hrs 20 min by transit.
To Baltimore: 2 hours driving, 2 hrs 20 minutes by transit
To DC: 2 3/4 hours driving, 3 hrs by transit.
Not really a "reasonable" commute.
Philadelphia is larger though, so at least you've got that right.
I agree core to core on a daily basis is not commutable genrally speaking though I travel to all three for work fairly routinely But I also travel to Boston for day trips, but these require flights and to me is different.
I also diagree with your times, granted traffic is alwyas a wild card but recently i made it from Rittenhouse Sq to the Marriott in Harbor East in 80 minutes, I mean literally from my front door to the parking lot of the marriott in Harbor East in Baltimore. I got home to Rittenhouse from a meeting in Jersey City (on the Hudson river and my meeting had views of lower Manhattan) in under 90 minutes. On DC dont do anywhere as often but can truly be done in 2:20 minutes (well if all breaks right, the beltway alone can take half that)
I do agree with others that Boston feels most isolated in the NE; though to me that really doesn't make one place better than another, to me a positive for Philly but by no means the winning criteria. I mean honestly I go from PVD to Boston/Cambridge at times, or make stope in marlborough or Wlatham etc. And honestly to me Philly and NY feel about the same as the distance between PVD and Boston; and by that I mean ur in the middle of the metro (very developed burbs/job centers etc) in probably less than distance in the space between Philly and NY - that also may be that i spend half my life it seems these days in NJ traversing from one Pharma Co to the next.
72 minutes via Acela express, and don't tell me somebody working in NYC can't afford that. Transit sucks, requires a switch in Trenton. That should be fixed. In real life, the bus usually take 1 hour, 50 minutes and thanks to bus lanes you can go into Manhattan right in the middle of rush hour, unlike car drivers. Acela is still the best but if you can deal with an 85 minute trip (13 extra minutes!), you can ride Amtrak for as little as $49, and ten-packs of tickets run $552. If one commutes often enough, monthly passes are $1,242 and yes people do that (please refer to Philly's huge Amtrak numbers, they are not commuting to D.C. or Baltimore) Amtrak 'Multi-Ride' 2011 Costs - Amtrak Commuter Pass / Monthly Pass for the Philly-NYC Commuter. - Amtrak Tracking for My Commute Between New York City and Philadelphia
NYC jobs carry a premium. We're not talking about a daily commute, just a commute for work purposes. I'm a photographer and I do it, but I could just as well be an architect or a sales person or any number of things where commuting to Manhattan for work - on occasion - from Philly makes sense.
I've heard arguments about this commute before. Many New Yorkers have million+ dollar mortgages and still face a half hour or more dealing with the subways. Quite a few folks live in Brooklyn and work in Midtown, they face a daily commute of between 30 minutes and 45 minutes, each way... and a much less comfortable one. The thing about Amtrak is you can take a nap.
A monthly unlimited Acela pass between Philly and NYC is ~$1,100 ; two people in my office have them as they commute up on average 3 days a week. That is only (and yes I mean only) $51 dollars a day, all things considered for any commuters to NYC it isnt that much when tolls, gas, depreciation etc are added. Plus acela for the right job can be a virtual office for 2 ( 1 each way) hours a day.
Also Dub King - U must have the best priced 3 Bdrm in any decent neighborhood of CC that I know of, most are more than twice that price, and that doesnt even get u anything close to luxury
Last edited by kidphilly; 08-17-2011 at 08:55 PM..
I think Boston's economy is stronger than Philly's. But then again those Philly cheese steaks are to die for. But Boston's colleges are top notch. I would say boston
Though they are good, this post doesnt really argue that philadelphia is a great city, there is plenty more that makes philly great.
Good things abouth Philly? Closer to DC and much cheaper. That's it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
