Philadelphia surpasses Chicago as the 2nd largest downtown in the US! (living, population)
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We made several stops(with friends). We uberrd it back for we are staying on walnut and 13th. It is was a beautiful day and night weather wise. Again philly is s great American city. In my opinion Chicago is just a little prettier and just much much bigger(the downtown). I was in San Fran last month and was saddened to see today so many homeless. Again just my experience.
A positive note, everyone I have been in contact from Philly has been friendly as can be. Also I find Philly more reserved and quaint, less fast paced paced, hong honking as Chicago. A major plus!!!!
I get a more expansive, spacious, relaxed vibe, more automobile friendly, in downtown Chicago due to taller buildings, and wider streets and sidewalks that can handle a greater mass of people and automobiles. In center city Philly there is a more congestive, more dense at street level,*frantic*and aggressive vibe due to the European/pre automobile layout which consists of narrower streets and narrower sidewlks, buildings built to the curb with no setbacks. This leads to a superior walking experience in Center city over Chicago imo.
I get a more expansive, spacious, relaxed vibe, more automobile friendly, in downtown Chicago due to taller buildings, and wider streets and sidewalks that can handle a greater mass of people and automobiles. In center city Philly there is a more congestive, more dense at street level,*frantic*and aggressive vibe due to the European/pre automobile layout which consists of narrower streets and narrower sidewlks, buildings built to the curb with no setbacks. This leads to a superior walking experience in Center city over Chicago imo.
I think that's very fair. The benefit of Philly being more compact and human-scaled is that it also is much more "finely grained" by packing in more smaller businesses in a smaller area. Definitely keeps street life interesting.
In NYC for sure have that fast vibe. In Philly, just always laid back(which I enjoy). A step slower than Chicago and two steps slower than NYC.
Remember though, I work in Chicago during rush hour and metra it during rush hour so lots of congestion at the train station, loop, etc. If I go to the loop at midnight, its a ghost town.
Last post, did more traveling, walking, ubering, etc. through Philly.
Downtown Philly just always seems to miss that it factor of a " avenue" or district ala fifth ave or mich ave for shopping, museums all together like Chicago lakefront. It has everything every major city has to offer, but kinda lost and not together. Hard to explain. Also, I have never seen so much trash and homeless in a long time. Almost every street there are people laying, its really sad. Not aggressive panhandlers, I always give those my left overs. Puts things in perspective, talking about damn city density or etc.
I really enjoy the Philly neighborhoods much more than the city and get why people kind of cringe when they say I have to go to Philly for work(hear Filthadelphia) when all they go to is downtown . So much beautiful architecture, row homes, in south philly when we were walking on our looooooooong walk all day what I thought were alleys were streets of row homes.
I am visiting some friends who live in Philly who find those rowhomes undesirable and run down. Coming from Chicago, there is nothing like that, I find beauty. So there is no right or wrong.
In NYC for sure have that fast vibe. In Philly, just always laid back(which I enjoy). A step slower than Chicago and two steps slower than NYC.
Remember though, I work in Chicago during rush hour and metra it during rush hour so lots of congestion at the train station, loop, etc. If I go to the loop at midnight, its a ghost town.
Chicago, is the bigger town on a grander scale in my honest opinion, but as Philly has been continuing to play catch-up over the past 15 years I see it continually coming more & more into it's own. Just watch over the next 10-15 years as the waterfront is developed into what it's supposed to be and what it should've been at-least 10-15 years ago, as well as Schuylkill Yards in University from the the river banks to above 40th street, along with mid-rise infill throughout the city and there'll be a big difference.
I still don't see it having as many high rises as Chi, nor will it's population reach 3 million but it will live up to it's potential as a large city of 2 million if things are done properly in a political and creative sense as has been proposed and acted on over the last decade. Now which will eventually have the largest downtown population....I still seeing that as being Philly because it's built that way and momentum is there for it to continually grow out from there. As far as where I'd prefer to reside., Philly.
Lastly: Chicago more fast paced than Philadelphia??? I don't think so.
Yes much more faced paced. Again coming from a tourist to your great city and when i am in Chicago I am usually in the loop during rush hour with cabs honking, people rushing to the station, etc.
I enjoy being able to take my time and I always find Philly to have a quaint big town feel. To me a positive.
Last post, did more traveling, walking, ubering, etc. through Philly.
Downtown Philly just always seems to miss that it factor of a " avenue" or district ala fifth ave or mich ave for shopping, museums all together like Chicago lakefront. It has everything every major city has to offer, but kinda lost and not together. Hard to explain. Also, I have never seen so much trash and homeless in a long time. Almost every street there are people laying, its really sad. Not aggressive panhandlers, I always give those my left overs. Puts things in perspective, talking about damn city density or etc.
I really enjoy the Philly neighborhoods much more than the city and get why people kind of cringe when they say I have to go to Philly for work(hear Filthadelphia) when all they go to is downtown . So much beautiful architecture, row homes, in south philly when we were walking on our looooooooong walk all day what I thought were alleys were streets of row homes.
I am visiting some friends who live in Philly who find those rowhomes undesirable and run down. Coming from Chicago, there is nothing like that, I find beauty. So there is no right or wrong.
Hmm, the Parkway has a row/cluster of museums in one area. Actually better arranged than Chicago's lakefront museums since one really has to hoof it from the art museum to say, the Science & Industry in Hyde Park or even the Field Museum. Lots of unconnected walking.
Regardless, Philly's downtown has the 2nd largest residential population, despite garbage, homeless, and lack of the ''it factor'. Of course people in Chicago cringe when you say Philly, or any other city actually, because it's not Chi-cawgo. Maybe not if it's Denver, San Francisco, Seattle, or New York, since these cities are some of the top relocations for Chicago folks. Meanwhile, Chicago's top draw cities are Peoria, Champaing-Urbana, and maybe Minneapolis (talk about reserved personalities!) . This could be why I never got the ''it'' factor when living in Chicago.
I will add that while the homeless/street people you see in Philly are mostly heroin/opioid users and not aggressive, the Chicago street people can be quite aggressive. Also, seeing them laying around in Phllly sure beats seeing 3+ homicide victims laying on the sidewalks and streets I saw while living in Chicago, and I lived in a nice near-north lakefront neighborhood.
As far as quiet and quaint. have you ever been in the Loop at night? Talk about pockets of activity. I get the spots of life on Division and Rush Streets, but Chicago is hit and miss as well.
Trust me, people also cringe when mentioning Chicago and its out of control shootings.
Me thinks you are trying to settle a score because Philly has a larger downtown population than Chicago. Oh well, as you said, there is no right or wrong.
In NYC for sure have that fast vibe. In Philly, just always laid back(which I enjoy). A step slower than Chicago and two steps slower than NYC.
Remember though, I work in Chicago during rush hour and metra it during rush hour so lots of congestion at the train station, loop, etc. If I go to the loop at midnight, its a ghost town.
Summer weekends in Philly are slower it seems, like many U.S. cities. During the week, especially in summer, the city seems much more crowded. Unless there's a lakefront festival or something, the Loop and much of the downtown area other than Michigan Avenue and its environs, can be dead on weekends.
Yes much more faced paced. Again coming from a tourist to your great city and when i am in Chicago I am usually in the loop during rush hour with cabs honking, people rushing to the station, etc.
I enjoy being able to take my time and I always find Philly to have a quaint big town feel. To me a positive.
I agree, and I don't know why so many people are jumping to argue this point with you. I don't know Chicago all that well, but I do know one aspect I enjoy about Philadelphia over NYC is not everyone is in this big hurry trying to push you out of the way, yet there is still plenty of people walking around, eating outside, etc. My favorite streets to cross the city on are locust, spruce, and pine. I am excited to visit Chicago at the end of August.
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