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Nice... accurate, fully explained. I personally really like Philadelphia as a city. Didn't know about the success their having with their culinary scene though I think that's pretty nice. I wouldnt mind living in the area also. My only gripe with the city itself are the rowhouses. Could you imagine if the city had went with their own spin of victorian houses. This article did show me however that rowhouse style could actually look very pleasant.
In addition to Philadelphia, I could nominate Camden as an honorable mention for the >250k category. It's no where in the same range as cities in its population, but it's taken numerous strides to the point where it's shattered the "America's Dangerous City" image.
Yup, and neighborhoods with crime and blight such as fishtown have now become "it" neighborhoods, 10 years ago that would've been seen as satire. Slowly but surely Port Richmond is seeing its own rebirth, Harrowgate at an even slower rate than the former two. I'm looking forward to seeing Philadelphia in 2030.
I grew up in Port Richmond in the 70s and 80's. It was a solid working class neighborhood based around Polish immigration and factory workers. It was in decline as was much of the city due to de-industrialization. But Fishtown at the time was a no-mans land of crime and decay. A place we'd never go. But Fishtown gentrified very rapidly as millennials wanted to live in neighborhoods close to downtown. Then Port Richmond started to gentrify and I read an article on Facebook saying "Port Richmond is the new Fishtown". I replied "Used to be that was a bad thing...." lol.
Good to see the old neighborhoods making a comeback.
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Philadelphia is the most improved. It really has the profile of America's #8 city. The new Comcast headquarters downtown really improve the skyline and image of the city. MSNBC (ultimately owned by Comcast) has really cemented itself as America's #3 news network. I mean you seldom heard of MSNBC before 2010...
Philadelphia metro also has Vanguard, one of the World's largest asset managers. Philadelphia also has arguably the 3rd best downtown in the nation (toss up with San Francisco). Philadelphia is still more affordable than NYC, DC, and Boston, which is attractive to student-debt saddled millennials as well as retired folks (PA doesn't tax SSI or 401k / IRA distributions AFAIK?). Philadelphia is located in a large, politically-competitive state, which gives it significant political attention, perhaps the most attention in the USA (2016 Democratic National Convention was held in Philly) - [Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Cleveland, and Charlotte are up there too]
Also, much of Philadelphia's housing stock is in-tact, even if some is in poor shape. Versus other legacy cities like Detroit where that simply isn't the case, unfortunately (Detroit has potential though).
Philadelphia is the most improved. It really has the profile of America's #8 city. The new Comcast headquarters downtown really improve the skyline and image of the city. MSNBC (ultimately owned by Comcast) has really cemented itself as America's #3 news network. I mean you seldom heard of MSNBC before 2010...
Philadelphia metro also has Vanguard, one of the World's largest asset managers. Philadelphia also has arguably the 3rd best downtown in the nation (toss up with San Francisco). Philadelphia is still more affordable than NYC, DC, and Boston, which is attractive to student-debt saddled millennials as well as retired folks (PA doesn't tax SSI or 401k / IRA distributions AFAIK?). Philadelphia is located in a large, politically-competitive state, which gives it significant political attention, perhaps the most attention in the USA (2016 Democratic National Convention was held in Philly) - [Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Tampa, Orlando, Cleveland, and Charlotte are up there too]
Also, much of Philadelphia's housing stock is in-tact, even if some is in poor shape. Versus other legacy cities like Detroit where that simply isn't the case, unfortunately (Detroit has potential though).
Anyway just my two cents.
So Philadelphia is your pick for population or a 1 million. What were your other picks for cities of their respective sizes ?
It just be nice if in more replies a city is picked for EVERY each let's say "weight class" ? And explain the answers.
Los Angeles. I’m sure I’m mistaking a lot over the last 20 years with the last 10, but it’s really night and day how it’s downtown has transformed, and how many neighborhoods and neighboring cities have gentrified in recent years.
Other major cities I’ve been to multiple times in the last decade include NYC, Boston, Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco, and Honolulu. None of them have improved as much as LA. At least in my opinion?
Detroit has improved a lot, but it has such a long way to go its hard to see the difference sometimes, but it’s there. It’ll be hard too because the city was built out for nearly triple it’s current population. I’m a fan of returning abandoned neighborhoods into green space and urban farms, although that might not be so popular with everyone that only seems to use population density as a measure of a city. It’ll be tough to clean up old industrial sites too as it’s just not worth it.
Seattle has only changed for the worse, same for San Francisco. Both cities have lost a lot of their soul. It’s still there, but not like it used to be.
Basically it seems to be cities that finally saw gentrification levels to match other cities are seen as most improved. More cities fit the bill if the first decade of the 21st century is included as many saw large degrees of gentrification start already then and especially their city cores. They continued post-2010 also but may not have been at the same speed as the crash of 08 had to be overcome more from that past decades boom. Once they did it was back to similar levels as the previous decades, but late to the gentrification boom cities will have a larger change this past decade it reason. Boston was a very early city to gentrify and DC has been going strong though a smaller limits.
Those cities that had much less being 2000- 2010 were later to the game of gentrification of young professionals and Millinnials. So the later starting cities will show greater improvement this past decade alone that officially ends 2021. So no matter where the bar moves to? The answers will most likely be the same to debate more details of why a city should be declared having more this decade seems to have been give unless others bring in other cities from other regions. Some mention them and it goes nowhere.
It may be the perfect thread to give Philadelphia a boost as so far it has been. That will probably stand no matter what details are added as it was a later city to gentrify with higher levels and going further back. Boston and NYC may have lead. Chicago probably post-2000 decade was its big spike gentrifying and core growth. DC of course though much was new metro growth too.
New posters are so far not coming in and the thread remains on Philadelphia until other region posters suggest other cities and why. Not much can be added for the current cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KoNgFooCj
Philly should have built more apartment buildings like New York and Boston. For a city that apparently hates being compared to New York, Boston sure copied a lot of the city's architecture. Philly being closer and having many ties to New York, it didn't have a huge effect on the housing style. Philly does infact show many similarities architectually to New York, and so does Boston. They both seemed to have taken different cues from New York. Although Bostons also unique from Philadelphia in that it created it's very own unique housing type which neither New York or Philly used, the triple decker.
Boston chose triple-deckers to replace its rows era. It was its unique invention and mostly had some spread thru New England has. They did keep density by adding more green and yards in the mix. That was a good thing. Boston's character is a non-grid city by far without going sprawl till outer burbs come in. A non-grid urban city can have a added quaintness that a rowhouse city on a grid has less of also. Harder to find addresses and easier to get lost, but added uniqueness and less stark sameness.
Philadelphia chose rowhousing for a reason that is defined in its history. You have promoted other cities should be more as NYC. That did not happen nor will it. NYC is Islands and has another history of its choices. It is fine to say more apartment buildings, would have added density among row blocks. Added new multi-residential infill is and if some high-rises can get built.
But a era of living in a commune like tenement with multiple roomates is going to be far less accepted if not a student. The TV show "Friends" was a thing that hyped NYC in the 90s. Affordability and availability defines it and not preferring it. Not having your own laundry machines in apartment is not good thing in this post pandemic era. This can aid Philadelphia in hoping for more NYC transplants in a rowhouse choice though not my preference for a city to have chosen. Is may be in this new era a superior preference to a tenement-style or older apartment building where units do not have their own laundry facilities etc.
At least a rowhome has its own space and own washer and dryer room or basement that is not shared with others. Also no HOA's that add to cost or can. Parking is still a big issue that is not solved by more dense building without added parking why new infill many times adds a first floor garage in a city like Philly. Cities with full alleyways as Chicago, also can have added additional parking in back that helps for multi-residential infill being added. NYC is limited to both and it is not a blessing in this current era of issues with mass transit either in and post-pandemic.
Time will tell how cities recover and return to previous levels of vibrancy to continued gentrification. Some believe it will take a hit and may with this new Gen Z that hold a key to staying in major cores and gentrifying them and replacing Millennials as they may chose suburbs as children grow to school age. That has already been occurring.
What will this new Gen Z generation do as far as cities go? Will they follow Millennial examples, or be less likely to stay in cores and now pricey gentrified areas or create new ones?
What Gen Z will do this into this decade is like another topic also given changes this Pandemic may have a residual effect on for years.
How are we defining "improved"? Stature, transit, growth, what?
Any of those. I don't restrain anyone's explanation to a strict definition. Pretty much whatever reason you want to choose the city. ALL I ASK IS THAT AFTER YOU NAME YOUR CITY YOU EXPLAIN WHY and just have a least a little logic to it lol.
The culinary scene in Philadelphia has been strong for quite a while now.
I would rank it top 4-6 in the US. Its varied by cuisine, old concepts, new concepts, food markets, casual, high-end, etc. Some of the hottest concepts in NYC and DC come from chefs and restaurant groups in Philadelphia. Definitely a great food and drink city.
I live in Manhattan now, but I still enjoy the food scene in Philadelphia more than New York.
I just hope this Covid mess doesn't hurt business too much in all cities.
The rowhouses don't bother me, some of the most quaint beautiful streets are row-houses (plus there are different varieties). But I would like more larger buildings outside of downtown / Center City, specifically mixed use. There have been a few more recent ambitious projects outside of downtown, which is a good sign. More trees / vegetation. Philadelphia has a wonderful park system and a decent tree canopy downtown, but other neighborhoods desperately need vegetation. A few trees go a long way.
As of right now I actually like Philadelphia's Skyline. I could care less if they added another skyscrapers or not in the next 10 years. It looks really solid. Not to overcrowded where other buildings get more attention than others from most angles and not too bare. I wouldnt consider myself a foodie but I do appreciate a good food scene.
No annexation isn’t discussed din New England in general. Bsoton last annexed Hyde Park 107 years ago I don’t know of any annexation in All of New England since then.
Annexing Cambridge and Somerville would only benefit Boston and be a detriment socioeconomically to Cambridge and Somerville.
It’s not and will never be discussed. Not in the foreseeable future
Neither Cambridge nor Somerville is in an official grid. They just have straight-ish streets. Maybe 10-15% of Boston is gridded. The landfill areas like Back Bay/South End and South Boston
Ouch I know the feeling, sounds like Kent County MI all over again.
The culinary scene in Philadelphia has been strong for quite a while now.
I would rank it top 4-6 in the US. Its varied by cuisine, old concepts, new concepts, food markets, casual, high-end, etc. Some of the hottest concepts in NYC and DC come from chefs and restaurant groups in Philadelphia. Definitely a great food and drink city.
I live in Manhattan now, but I still enjoy the food scene in Philadelphia more than New York.
I just hope this Covid mess doesn't hurt business too much in all cities.
The rowhouses don't bother me, some of the most quaint beautiful streets are row-houses (plus there are different varieties). But I would like more larger buildings outside of downtown / Center City, specifically mixed use. There have been a few more recent ambitious projects outside of downtown, which is a good sign. More trees / vegetation. Philadelphia has a wonderful park system and a decent tree canopy downtown, but other neighborhoods desperately need vegetation. A few trees go a long way.
Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park system in the world.
Most improved with a population at 1 million and above: Los Angeles. Rapidly expanding and changing its Public Transportation and building up its core.
Most Improved with population under 1 mil to 750,000: Seattle (I think it eclipsed 750k?)
Most Improved with population under 750,000 to 500,000: Nashville
Most Improved with population under 500,000 to 250,000: Newark NJ.
Most Improved with population under 250,000 and lower: Camden NJ
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