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At the MSA level, which just feels like a larger and more buzzing place? Of course, comparing CC Philly and downtown Atlanta, Philly wins, no contest.
But in this comparison, take into account anything and everything from suburban development patterns to foreign tourism/domestic tourism to scope to suburban development to CBD crowds to suburban mall crowds to public transit usage to traffic on freeways.
At the MSA level, the populations are fairly comparable- so base this on how the large a place each metro area strikes you as.
Last edited by bballniket; 12-08-2014 at 06:47 PM..
Reason: want to add poll
Obviously the core city, there is no contest. Philly just feels more buzzing with vibrancy.
Outside of that, depends. If you're in Montgomery County, Delaware County, or Philadelphia County in PA... maybe even Camden County in New Jersey and New Castle County in Delaware, Philadelphia MSA might still seem more buzzing, but they're a lot more equal. Outside of that, Philadelphia development drops off... ATL development keeps sprawling.
The majority of Philadelphia's MSA population is in the city of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties only about 30-45 mins from the city limits. Then it drops off. Atlanta just sprawls onward. It's population is more dispersed and less concentrated.
Obviously the core city, there is no contest. Philly just feels more buzzing with vibrancy.
Outside of that, depends. If you're in Montgomery County, Delaware County, or Philadelphia County in PA... maybe even Camden County in New Jersey and New Castle County in Delaware, Philadelphia MSA might still seem more buzzing, but they're a lot more equal. Outside of that, Philadelphia development drops off... ATL development keeps sprawling.
Atlanta sprawl has slowed significantly in the last decade. The push to live inside 285 has skyrocketed. The amount of development in Buckhead, Brookhaven, Midtown, the West End, East Atlanta, and Downtown has boomed over the years. More high-density, walkable developments have sprouted all around the central core of Atlanta. The amount of highrise development UC or proposed is amazing.
Atlanta sprawl has slowed significantly in the last decade. The push to live inside 285 has skyrocketed. The amount of development in Buckhead, Brookhaven, Midtown, the West End, East Atlanta, and Downtown has boomed over the years. More high-density, walkable developments have sprouted all around the central core of Atlanta. The amount of highrise development UC or proposed is amazing.
This is not different than Philadelphia or any other major city in the US currently actually except maybe Detroit.
Philly is seeing a ton of highrise development and is already so much more built up than ATL is... so let's focus on outside of city limits.
You can't see any development in the Atlanta suburbs from highways with so much trees.
Yep, this is very true! Although you can definitely see the perimeter center towers from 85 (i think). In my experience metro Philly is more wooded on the PA side, and less so on the NJ side (though the NJ side comprises a much smaller part than the PA side).
Then if we are talking outside only, Atlanta without a doubt.
LOL no. Not even close. Compared to Montco? Delco? Camden County? New Castle County? Where in Atlanta suburbs is more built up than Wilmington? West Chester? Conshohocken?
LOL no. Not even close. Compared to Montco? Delco? Camden County? New Castle County? Where in Atlanta suburbs is more built up than Wilmington? West Chester? Conshohocken?
The development patterns strike me as different. Outside the CBDs, Philly seems to have more sizeable post-industrial cities on the periphery (e.g. Wilmington, Chester, Camden) surrounded by bucolic suburbs and fewer modern edge cities- though the ones they do have are prominent (e.g. KOP, Plymouth meeting, Cherry Hill). Atlanta, on the other hand, seems to have more edge cities like Buckhead, the Perimeter Center Cumberland/Vinings, Gwinnett Place area, Mall of Georgia area, Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, etc.
The development patterns strike me as different. Outside the CBDs, Philly seems to have more sizeable post-industrial cities on the periphery (e.g. Wilmington, Chester, Camden) surrounded by bucolic suburbs and fewer modern edge cities- though the ones they do have are prominent (e.g. KOP, Plymouth meeting, Cherry Hill). Atlanta, on the other hand, seems to have more edge cities like Buckhead, the Perimeter Center Cumberland/Vinings, Gwinnett Place area, Mall of Georgia area, Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, etc.
Think a pretty fair assessment Also to the person who said you cant see the non core centers from the highways, if anything (an both have thi a bit) would say in general you see less of Philly from the highways than atlanta base don my experience.
To me both are large; Philly is far more concentrated and yields to other metros in 20 to 30 miles. I dont know what gives off the larger feel but I do know Philly is larger and smacks against a 20+ million metro to north and a 8 Million metro to the south.
Philly may be the worst city in the country to gain a feel on size from its highways
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