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You can't tell me that a city that is only 90 miles away cannot have that much similarity.
In terms of downtown you could make a legit argument that Philly comes the closes in the U.S. in terms of similarities with Manhattan. I'm not saying Center City is better than Manhattan.
I don't see how Center City can feel small when it's the 3rd largest downtown in the country.
I thinks it is actually more of the opposite in that Philadelphia area feels a lot larger than what the Census info gives us.
Center city is not the third largest downtown in the USA. Chicago is ahead of it, LA is ahead of it, San Francisco is ahead of it. I believe Atlanta might even be. Miami is or is closing in. Seattle is right there..But their all small in comparison to NYC. That's the main point. Center city just isn't that big. I agree with what your saying regarding possible structure of the downtowns..Maybe, but again, Philly's downtown is just so tiny compared to NY's that that overshadows it..That's all I'm saying. I know they are both old cities and share some similarities. But honestly, I've never been that impressed with Philly's downtown. It seems small even a block away. South street isn't that long..I don't know, to me the size difference is just too much to be considered similiar. If you wanted to say center city is a giant miniature (by a long shot) Manhattan. Ok, I guess I might bite, but I don't know, I've just been there too many times. It never overwhelms me. It's not like this is any disrespect to Philly either. Philly is what it is. But it's also not what it is not..Philly is close (very close, like inches away) to Camden. Would you say that they are similar? And if so, that's then saying by your logic that Camden and NYC are similar..Just never got the comparison thing because of the size differences..Philly doesn't have (outside of just manhattan) four other boroughs with some of them having more population than Philly, some just under. They are just entirely two different cities. Philly is closer to a burough of NY than NY itself.
What is with these stupid comparisons all the time on City Data. Jesus these forums and threads are down right stupid.
Philadelphia actually has the 6th largest Downtown in the U.S. office space square footage wise, with only New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston and San Fran ahead of it.
Philadelphia has the 3rd largest Downtown in the U.S. population wise by a long shot with only New York and Chicago ahead of it.
Philadelphia is one of the only cities in the U.S. with two towers taller than 900 feet, the other three being New York, Chicago and Houston.
Philadelphia is consistently ranked as one of the largest downtowns in the U.S. only behind New York and Chicago and also one of the best. It is also consistently ranked as one of the densest cities in America. It is also the 5th largest city population wise in the U.S.
So compared to New York, yes Philadelphia will "feel" smaller, but it is in no way small, you are a fool if you think that is so.
Center city is not the third largest downtown in the USA. Chicago is ahead of it, LA is ahead of it, San Francisco is ahead of it. I believe Atlanta might even be. Miami is or is closing in. Seattle is right there..
What are you talking about! Philly does have the 3rd largest downtown in the Country. Your mistaken becuase you must be referring to skyline, which is an entirely different topic.
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But their all small in comparison to NYC. That's the main point.
I definitely agree with that statement.
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Philly is what it is. But it's also not what it is not..Philly is close (very close, like inches away) to Camden. Would you say that they are similar? And if so, that's then saying by your logic that Camden and NYC are similar..Just never got the comparison thing because of the size differences..
Compared to other major cities across the country you can't deny that Philly is near the top of the list as to the most similarities with New York City. Are you seriously going to deny that.
Center city is not the third largest downtown in the USA. Chicago is ahead of it, LA is ahead of it, San Francisco is ahead of it. I believe Atlanta might even be. Miami is or is closing in. Seattle is right there..But their all small in comparison to NYC. That's the main point. Center city just isn't that big. I agree with what your saying regarding possible structure of the downtowns..Maybe, but again, Philly's downtown is just so tiny compared to NY's that that overshadows it..That's all I'm saying. I know they are both old cities and share some similarities. But honestly, I've never been that impressed with Philly's downtown. It seems small even a block away. South street isn't that long..I don't know, to me the size difference is just too much to be considered similiar. If you wanted to say center city is a giant miniature (by a long shot) Manhattan. Ok, I guess I might bite, but I don't know, I've just been there too many times. It never overwhelms me. It's not like this is any disrespect to Philly either. Philly is what it is. But it's also not what it is not..Philly is close (very close, like inches away) to Camden. Would you say that they are similar? And if so, that's then saying by your logic that Camden and NYC are similar..Just never got the comparison thing because of the size differences..Philly doesn't have (outside of just manhattan) four other boroughs with some of them having more population than Philly, some just under. They are just entirely two different cities. Philly is closer to a burough of NY than NY itself.
Actually you are wrong, Philadelphia is the third largest downtown in the U.S. LA is the closest to it, but still behind Center City in a lot of ways. This is because much of LA's focus wasn't on their downtown until recently. San Fran and Atlanta may be close to or a little ahead of Philly business wise, but Philadelphia is much larger than both in every other way. Miami is no where close to Center City.
And Camden looks a lot like what the South Bronx looked like in the 70's and 80's, so yeah they are similar in that aspect. Lol
Center city is not the third largest downtown in the USA. Chicago is ahead of it, LA is ahead of it, San Francisco is ahead of it. I believe Atlanta might even be. Miami is or is closing in. Seattle is right there..But their all small in comparison to NYC. That's the main point. Center city just isn't that big. I agree with what your saying regarding possible structure of the downtowns..Maybe, but again, Philly's downtown is just so tiny compared to NY's that that overshadows it..That's all I'm saying. I know they are both old cities and share some similarities. But honestly, I've never been that impressed with Philly's downtown. It seems small even a block away. South street isn't that long..I don't know, to me the size difference is just too much to be considered similiar. If you wanted to say center city is a giant miniature (by a long shot) Manhattan. Ok, I guess I might bite, but I don't know, I've just been there too many times. It never overwhelms me. It's not like this is any disrespect to Philly either. Philly is what it is. But it's also not what it is not..Philly is close (very close, like inches away) to Camden. Would you say that they are similar? And if so, that's then saying by your logic that Camden and NYC are similar..Just never got the comparison thing because of the size differences..Philly doesn't have (outside of just manhattan) four other boroughs with some of them having more population than Philly, some just under. They are just entirely two different cities. Philly is closer to a burough of NY than NY itself.
Would agree mostly
On size (of DTs) depends on the metric but Philly is dramatically smaller than Manhattan, as is every other city (Chicago is the only one that even comes remotely close on scale and that is a huge stretch quite honestly)
Philly is its own place. On boroughs Philly is most like BK with a bit of Queens and a touch of Manhattan thrown in, but to me it is more West Village (again smaller scale) than anything like midtown.
The two cities have some similar architecture (similar not the same) and some similar feel (more comparisons to select nabes) but NYC is too large to truly compare. There are parts of Philly that can feel some similarities to parts of NYC but on the whole are different animals. To me it is more comparable to Boston (Or even Baltimore) overall, as the scale and age of the cities can be felt.
But in the end the scales are just too different and Philly is less refined and more compartmentalized in both feel and mindset overall to make a true comparison.
What are you talking about! Philly does have the 3rd largest downtown in the Country. Your mistaken becuase you must be referring to skyline, which is an entirely different topic.
I definitely agree with that statement.
Compared to other major cities across the country you can't deny that Philly is near the top of the list as to the most similarities with New York City. Are you seriously going to deny that.
I think your right. I was referring to skylines. Case closed. I don't hate Philly. Philly is Philly and New York is New York. These comparisons are silly. Why does Philly need to feel like NY in the first place? It has its own history and infrastructure. No one is really wrong. I guess it comes down to being subjective. What I think is similar isn't always going to be what others think, and vica versa..No ones hating on Philly. I like Philly alot. I just think that New York is so multi faceted because of certain attributes that comparing it seems silly. I can say the same for LA. LA has things no other city has and is very hard to compare to any other city for those reasons..
A lot of the cities on the east coast "feel" the same in a lot of areas. No one is saying they are the same city. It's like, most cities in Cali, Texas and Florida all "feel" the same. New York is New York and nothing compares to it and Philly is Philly and there is nothing like it. That doesn't mean parts of Philly don't "feel" like New York.
There is a reason they sometimes use Philly as a supplement for New York when they are filming a movie
Also, stand in rittenhouse square and tell me you don't feel a New York vibe. I challenge you to.
On size (of DTs) depends on the metric but Philly is dramatically smaller than Manhattan, as is every other city (Chicago is the only one that even comes remotely close on scale and that is a huge stretch quite honestly)
Philly is its own place. On boroughs Philly is most like BK with a bit of Queens and a touch of Manhattan thrown in, but to me it is more West Village (again smaller scale) than anything like midtown.
The two cities have some similar architecture (similar not the same) and some similar feel (more comparisons to select nabes) but NYC is too large to truly compare. There are parts of Philly that can feel some similarities to parts of NYC but on the whole are different animals. To me it is more comparable to Boston (Or even Baltimore) overall, as the scale and age of the cities can be felt.
But in the end the scales are just too different and Philly is less refined and more compartmentalized in both feel and mindset overall to make a true comparison.
I have always sensed though, with Boston, anyways, as a comparison to Philadelphia, that Boston was a "smaller city that plays big" while Philadelphia is a "bigger city that play small", because though Philadelphia's city size and metro is larger, the center city of Boston has easily a livelier vibe to it.
I mentioned this in a thread in New Jersey a little while ago, and I wonder if there is a prudency factor associated with Philadelphia, relating to Quaker antecedents. Take a look at the liquor sale laws in Pennsylvania, they are easily the most arcane in the nation. I wonder if this somehow contributes negatively to the nightlife scene, for instance. Also, blue collar industrial tint, at its core. Boston, as a whole, is more white collar, as is Manhattan and some areas of the outer boroughs.
I only offer this up as someone who has lived both next to NYC and Philadelphia, as well as someone who used to visit Boston extensively.
I was wondering what are the most glaring difference one would see moving from NYC to Philly.
Assuming you are talking about Manhattan, you will find Philly feels much more condensed and has many fewer people out and about. This does not mean it is quiet or empty, but let's be real - there is no place in the US that compares with Manhattan in this regard. Outside of NYC, however, it has a pretty vibrant scene when compared with most US cities.
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Which city are the people nicer?
Not a noticeable difference.
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Is the night life in Philadelphia that much worse than NYC?
There is no shortage of bars, clubs, etc. in Philly. Because NYC is larger, it has more, but I wouldn't be surprised if there is little difference on a per capita basis. There is only one Broadway, of course, but Philly has a large theatre scene and it a pretty noted restaurant city.
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How much of a slower pace is Philly compared to NYC?
Philly is far less rushed. Unlike midtown Manhattan, you can actually walk down the sidewalks at mid-day and not be jostled. Again, this is all relative. Philly is by no means "slow" but no place has the pace of Manhattan.
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Any other huge differences one would notice?
1. You will find the COL much more reasonable in Philly. This goes for your entertainment dollar if you are visiting and if you are looking to move here, you will be impressed with how much more affordable rent and real estate is compared with Manhattan.
2. I find Philly to be a less international city. When in Manhattan, I hear people speaking languages from all over the world. No so much in Philly.
3. If you come here thinking Philly is a smaller version of NYC, you will be disappointed. In fact, NY is not even part of the daily consciousness here, despite what you might think by reading certain CD posts. Philly is a unique city that seems more than ever to be coming into its own. Come to Philly for Philly - not as a substitute for NY.
Last edited by Pine to Vine; 02-21-2012 at 03:01 PM..
Reason: correct typo
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Philly does have the 3rd largest downtown in the Country. Your mistaken becuase you must be referring to skyline, which is an entirely different topic.
