Move or stay: Asheville, Atlanta, Philly (living, best, cost, state)
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I’m trying to decide if I want to stay in Atlanta or move to Asheville or Philly after the pandemic. What would you do? Here’s what I’m working within:
36, gay male, not part of the gay scene, white, professional job.
Atlanta: lived here three years. I like where I live in southeast Atlanta (grant park). Like that it’s walkable, laid back, liberal, independent restaurants and bars but still not very congested. Atlanta has good job opportunities. It’s close to old friends and family in the Carolinas. Downsides are that it’s too hot in the summer, day trip opportunities are lacking, and crime can be frustrating. I also feel like I vibe better with people in the northeast, having lived in southern New England previously. If I stayed, I’d want to get a bigger place (one bedroom condo is too small) which could mean moving to a less desirable part of town. I’ve got a decent social network here but nothing I’d miss terribly.
Asheville: I have a few close friends in Asheville and spent a lot of time there over the years. I like all the outdoor recreation, mountain views, weather, the vibe and culture, and that it’s slightly closer to friends and family. The job market and dating would be worse than Atlanta and Philly but I could always do a remote job.
Philly: I like philly’s a similar sized metro to Atlanta but more walkable, historic architecture, better parks and bike trails in the region, milder weather, good day trips nearby, near the mountains and the coast, has some affordable neighborhoods I like (more so than Atlanta). I think the job market for my field is on par with Atlanta too. I also have good friends nearby in the northeast. I realize crime could be an issue in Philly too.
Overall, I think they all have roughly similar housing costs so that doesn’t help me narrow. Sometimes I think I’d like rowhouse living in Philly but I also get tired of hearing neighbors in condo living. I think Asheville fits me best but I know from a friend that lives there that dating options are limited, but dating isn’t great in Atlanta so I’m not sure how much that matters. Philly has DC and NYC nearby which expands the dating pool some. All three have good outdoor recreation options with Asheville’s being somewhat different. All have great food but I think I prefer Philly’s most. I’m half Greek/Italian so I tend to like that food and people being able to pronounce my last name... also part of the reason I don’t necessarily identify with certain aspects of southern culture. Anyway, I’d love to hear any advice or perspectives people have on where to move out of these three...
You live in Atlanta currently, so I am going to leave my comments regarding Atlanta out, other than Real Estate
The one notable thing about Atlanta is Real Estate is 100% more affordable there.
400k in Philadelphia, does not get you as far as it once did. Although you could find a very nice 2 bedroom condo for that price point.
Ive heard great things about Asheville. And it has some solid recreation nearby.
But honestly, Philadelphia well exceeds Asheville on all levels. And in terms of recreation, you have the Atlantic beaches (only about an hour away) and the Pocono Mountains (90 minutes), NYC and DC all at your fingertips. Asheville for me, would be a great place to visit. But I would get bored fast if I lived there.
I would go for Philadelphia. It is a very gay friendly city and it has a strong Italian/Greek culture.
Just to address one point - there is actually very little difference in average summer weather conditions between Atlanta and Philadelphia. The higher elevation and less dense urban "heat island" of Atlanta help offset the more southerly latitude. Philadelphia has such a thickly developed built environment that the city tends to heat up more than surrounding, greener suburban areas.
Just to address one point - there is actually very little difference in average summer weather conditions between Atlanta and Philadelphia. The higher elevation and less dense urban "heat island" of Atlanta help offset the more southerly latitude. Philadelphia has such a thickly developed built environment that the city tends to heat up more than surrounding, greener suburban areas.
Do you have data that evidences this? I can’t imagine Atlanta and Philly have the same temperatures, maybe Philly and Asheville but not Atlanta. I haven’t seen snow once in southeast Atlanta in the three years I’ve been here.
Philadelphia can 100% be very humid in the summer, and at times probably feels just as hot as Atlanta.
Although, Philadelphia is at the very northern edge of the humid subtropical climate zone. And the average number of days with high humidity is much less than Atlanta.
I also find that the most popular summer recreation activities in the Philadelphia metro is to go "down da shore" or up "da Pocono Mountains" aka the beach or the Poconos.
Which both have very pleasant climates. (Atlantic breezes and Poconos have low humidity overall).
If you like outdoor activity in the summer, Philadelphia is your best bet. Only a few US cities can match its accessibility to both shore and mountains in under 90 minutes.
The one thing to note with Philadelphia is, it is a major city and much more dense than Atlanta. Some like that, others prefer more space.
There is ALWAYS something going on to see and do with that though.
It does have very pleasant suburbs, that are very bucolic and leafy green, if you want some of the balance between urban and suburban..
Although many of its Center City neighborhoods are very beautiful and historic with colonial vibes. (Think West Village of NYC).
Philadelphia really is a NYC lite. (Maybe this is why New Yorkers are moving here in droves). lol
Just to address one point - there is actually very little difference in average summer weather conditions between Atlanta and Philadelphia. The higher elevation and less dense urban "heat island" of Atlanta help offset the more southerly latitude. Philadelphia has such a thickly developed built environment that the city tends to heat up more than surrounding, greener suburban areas.
I've been to Atlanta and Philly MANY times during Summers and I totally agree. Philly is closer to the ocean and gets a good bit of humidity. It gets really hot there too. Atlanta has the elevation, but gets hot as well. It offsets to a big degree. Atlanta's southern latitude gives them milder Winters. Any statistical "evidence" is negligible. I'm going by how it actually feels in the Summer, generally speaking. I lived in the Boston area for 2 Summer and it felt as hot, or hotter, (and humid) than Charlotte (where I live) most of the time. It wasn't a big deal to me because heat/humidity don't bother me. Asheville has the best balanced climate compared to most cities, IMO.
Do you have data that evidences this? I can’t imagine Atlanta and Philly have the same temperatures, maybe Philly and Asheville but not Atlanta. I haven’t seen snow once in southeast Atlanta in the three years I’ve been here.
I was only referring to typical summer conditions, because your original post had stated that Atlanta was too hot in the summer. Atlanta definitely has milder winter averages than Philadelphia and much less snow. Asheville has cooler summers and milder winters than Philadelphia overall.
ATL and PHL have virtually the same average July temperatures, but the warm season tends to last a little longer in ATL. PHL is not really representative of the Northeast US, being a large city in the coastal plain - it tends to get cooler and less humid further north and west.
I've been to Atlanta and Philly MANY times during Summers and I totally agree. Philly is closer to the ocean and gets a good bit of humidity. It gets really hot there too. Atlanta has the elevation, but gets hot as well. It offsets to a big degree. Atlanta's southern latitude gives them milder Winters. Any statistical "evidence" is negligible. I'm going by how it actually feels in the Summer, generally speaking. I lived in the Boston area for 2 Summer and it felt as hot, or hotter, (and humid) than Charlotte (where I live) most of the time. It wasn't a big deal to me because heat/humidity don't bother me. Asheville has the best balanced climate compared to most cities, IMO.
I think many people (not in this thread) over-estimate the summer heat and humidity in the Piedmont region that includes Atlanta and Charlotte. During July and August, this area is more like many of the major cities in the Northeast and Midwest than most of Florida or Texas. Summer does last a little longer than points north, but it is not particularly more intense.
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