Moving to Philadelphia vs Austin vs Atlanta (living, best, cost)

[Theolepsy]

Hey all!


I currently live in Allentown, PA and work remotely as a Software Engineer. My job can be done anywhere, so wherever I decide to relocate to I'll have a job already lined up. I've honestly always wanted to move around to different cities and I'll have the opportunity to do so soon, so I'm kinda leaning towards moving out of Pennsylvania already.


I've found it strangely difficult to actually get good comparisons on these cities... It seems like Philadelphia in particular is underrepresented online relative to it's population.





Here's a bit about me:

• I'm a 27 year old male
• My rent budget would be a comfortable max of $2500/mo
• I'm a progressive Atheist. I'm fine being around conservative religious people, but I'd like a tolerant atmosphere.
• I'm pretty laid back with my hobbies and honestly kinda enjoy anything. I primarily like to game (board and video games), hike/walk, camp, take road trips/mini-vacations, travel, and I'm a foodie.
• I prefer warmer seasons (I used to like the winter, but I'm kinda sick of it honestly).
• I have pretty bad allergies. When I was on vacation in Florida, Nevada, and California they were entirely gone though. I'm not entirely sure what it is here that causes it.

So here's a small list of what I'm specifically looking for:

• Tech hub. I'd like ample opportunity to network and a strong job market.
• Younger demographic (mid-20s to mid-30s).
• A lot of opportunity to meet people (dating and friends). Where I live now it's kinda difficult.

Let me know if you want further info
Thanks!

[nadnerb]

What specifically draws you to these three cities? There are a quite a few other places that fit what you're looking for.

Of these three, Austin seems like the best fit. It's full of young people, it's a tech hub, and there are plenty of other transformers that want to socialize / meet new friends.

[jerryfrmthe1]

Austin may be the smallest of the three but it sounds like your best fit

[Muinteoir]

I'll weigh in,

Since you're considering leaving Pennsylvania, just consider that Texas will be a much bigger shift in lifestyle, scenery, demographics, etc. The built and natural environment of Texas is so different from what we have back East. When I was younger, I did a summer job out in Austin, and while I had fun, I left feeling a new appreciation for the East Coast. But yes, as others noted, given your criteria it may be the best fit.

I would consider that although Austin is the smaller of the three cities, its cost of living is the highest. It has been booming for the last decade, and the cost of housing, etc. has really taken off.

If you are still considering Atlanta and Philadelphia, I think it's important to consider that although the two are very similar sized cities, they have a very different style. Philadelphia of course has a traditional urban built environment with its prevalence of rowhome housing, relatively strong public transit infrastructure, cohesive walkability, historic institutions, etc. While Philadelphia's built environment can, in certain neighborhoods, leave some greenery to be desired, there are many parks and squares scattered throughout the city, the most expansive of which is named "Fairmount," which boasts as the nation's "largest big city park." The Fairmount Park system is huge, and in parts quite wild. One of my favorite things about Philadelphia is its relatively affordable cost of living, compared to all of the other big cities with such traditional urban fabrics (Boston, NYC, D.C., SF...)

Atlanta of course represents the "new money," "New South" sunbelt type city. All of this means its median populace is slightly younger than Philadelphia. Its development and growth spurt is much more recent, and therefore its built environment much more geared toward cars and detached home living. Atlanta is famous for its green, tree-lined streets, and the does a great job of integrating this nature through most of the city. Although Atlanta is technically a bit younger than Philadelphia, I am sure that in either city, you'd have no trouble meeting other young professionals.

My personal preference is for Philadelphia, as I am someone who loves historic architecture and traditional urban fabric. But of course that is not everyone's style. If you really want to get out of Pennsylvania and into a warmer climate, between Atlanta and Austin, I would personally suggest Atlanta. Atlanta is larger, and you still have the East Coast at your finger tips. Not to mention you'd be living in the city with one of the best airports in the country, with accessible travel at your finger tips.

[mwj119]

Austin would be my suggestion.

[Need4Camaro]

Becareful with Austin. The OP has bad allergies. Austin is absolutely terrible for people who have bad allergies, especially during Cedar Season. I speak this as someone who has lived in both Atlanta and Austin. Austin will shock you by how bad the allergies can be especially for someplace in Central Texas. Cedar Season begins in January and lasts until March or April and it is absolutely miserable for those allergic to it, and most people are. It's a very interesting pollen because the Pollen during spring in Atlanta is a visible green dusting everywhere, but the Cedar Pollen, you cannot see but it is the most allergenic pollen there is.

The way I see it is:
January thru March: Austin = Much worse than Atlanta
March thru May: Atlanta = Worse than Austin
May thru August: They're about equal
August thru December: Austin slightly worse than Atlanta due to the molds.

The next thing, even as a Software Engineer, unless you have significant savings or equity in your home, you're going to have incredible difficulty finding and purchasing a house in this current market.

---

As far as tech and vibe though, Austin would probably fit your needs pretty well.

[whereiend]

Austin seems like the best fit for your lifestyle. I don't think living a tech hub provides much value if you are full time remote, but Austin is the best from that standpoint as well. As mentioned, however, it's the most expensive of the three and allergies are bad. Additionally, the heat could be beyond your concept of "warmer seasons".

What does your personal network look like in each city?

[Theolepsy]

I'm not sure if people typically respond to each post individually here or not, so I'll just quote it in this post.

Originally Posted by nadnerb

What specifically draws you to these three cities? There are a quite a few other places that fit what you're looking for.

Of these three, Austin seems like the best fit. It's full of young people, it's a tech hub, and there are plenty of other transformers that want to socialize / meet new friends.

I actually had a much larger list originally, but these were the ones that I could see myself liking the best.


Here's a list of where I thought about and why I did/didn't choose them.

• Boston
  • Great tech city, but I'm already kinda sick of the winter lol. I also know it's pretty expensive, although my salary would be able to work fine in Boston. I also prefer warmer weather generally
• New York City
  • Great tech city, but my money could stretch further elsewhere. I'm also not really sure if I'd like the climate there. Every time I've been there it was extremely windy.
• Philadelphia
  • Meets all of my criteria. Just has lower salaries and seems less "active" for social gatherings than some of the others. The tech scene here is okay, but it's probably one of the worst in the larger cities.
• Chicago
  • Decent tech city. I'd prefer to live closer to the coast and the climate sounds unappealing to me.
• Atlanta
  • I don't know a lot about Atlanta, but it sounds like it fits my criteria and has a decent tech scene.
• Tampa/Miami
  • I loved the Tampa area, but it's not really strong for tech and salaries are lower.
• Austin
  • Seems to fit all of my criteria and COL index is close to Philly. Salaries are higher than Philly and the tech scene is rapidly expanding.
• Phoenix
  • I don't think I'd like how hot it gets lol I'm not sure about much else though and it's not a massive tech city.
• Las Vegas
  • I really enjoyed Vegas, but not a lot of tech here.
• Los Angeles
  • LA was a top contender, but the COL is high for average salaries. I'm also not sure if I'd like the smog and the tech scene could be stronger.
• San Francisco
  • I wasn't very fond of SF when I was there and the COL is outrageous. I really enjoyed the climate though (July) and a really strong tech scene exists.
• Seattle
  • I think I'd like it here, but I don't know a lot about it and I'd prefer somewhere warmer.

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

I'll weigh in,

Since you're considering leaving Pennsylvania, just consider that Texas will be a much bigger shift in lifestyle, scenery, demographics, etc. The built and natural environment of Texas is so different from what we have back East. When I was younger, I did a summer job out in Austin, and while I had fun, I left feeling a new appreciation for the East Coast. But yes, as others noted, given your criteria it may be the best fit.

I would consider that although Austin is the smaller of the three cities, its cost of living is the highest. It has been booming for the last decade, and the cost of housing, etc. has really taken off.

If you are still considering Atlanta and Philadelphia, I think it's important to consider that although the two are very similar sized cities, they have a very different style. Philadelphia of course has a traditional urban built environment with its prevalence of rowhome housing, relatively strong public transit infrastructure, cohesive walkability, historic institutions, etc. While Philadelphia's built environment can, in certain neighborhoods, leave some greenery to be desired, there are many parks and squares scattered throughout the city, the most expansive of which is named "Fairmount," which boasts as the nation's "largest big city park." The Fairmount Park system is huge, and in parts quite wild. One of my favorite things about Philadelphia is its relatively affordable cost of living, compared to all of the other big cities with such traditional urban fabrics (Boston, NYC, D.C., SF...)

Atlanta of course represents the "new money," "New South" sunbelt type city. All of this means its median populace is slightly younger than Philadelphia. Its development and growth spurt is much more recent, and therefore its built environment much more geared toward cars and detached home living. Atlanta is famous for its green, tree-lined streets, and the does a great job of integrating this nature through most of the city. Although Atlanta is technically a bit younger than Philadelphia, I am sure that in either city, you'd have no trouble meeting other young professionals.

My personal preference is for Philadelphia, as I am someone who loves historic architecture and traditional urban fabric. But of course that is not everyone's style. If you really want to get out of Pennsylvania and into a warmer climate, between Atlanta and Austin, I would personally suggest Atlanta. Atlanta is larger, and you still have the East Coast at your finger tips. Not to mention you'd be living in the city with one of the best airports in the country, with accessible travel at your finger tips.

Yeah, I imagine I might end up moving back to the east coast honestly. I'm planning on selling all of my stuff when I move, so relocating again later should be pretty easy again if I decide to do so. I really like the east coast, I'd just like to try something else I guess


Thanks for your response I love the Philly architecture and the parks we have here. If I move into the area, I was going to probably try to move into Rittenhouse so I could be close to the square.

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Becareful with Austin. The OP has bad allergies. Austin is absolutely terrible for people who have bad allergies, especially during Cedar Season. I speak this as someone who has lived in both Atlanta and Austin. Austin will shock you by how bad the allergies can be especially for someplace in Central Texas. Cedar Season begins in January and lasts until March or April and it is absolutely miserable for those allergic to it, and most people are. It's a very interesting pollen because the Pollen during spring in Atlanta is a visible green dusting everywhere, but the Cedar Pollen, you cannot see but it is the most allergenic pollen there is.

The way I see it is:
January thru March: Austin = Much worse than Atlanta
March thru May: Atlanta = Worse than Austin
May thru August: They're about equal
August thru December: Austin slightly worse than Atlanta due to the molds.

The next thing, even as a Software Engineer, unless you have significant savings or equity in your home, you're going to have incredible difficulty finding and purchasing a house in this current market.

---

As far as tech and vibe though, Austin would probably fit your needs pretty well.

I want to take a trip to Austin for a week/weekend sometime soon to check it out. It sounds like maybe ~August would be a good time to see if I react badly to the cedar/mold allergies?


I also wouldn't be interested in buying a home right now :P If I decide to settle where I move, I'll wait for the markets to settle from COVID/lumber shortage anyway

Originally Posted by whereiend

Austin seems like the best fit for your lifestyle. I don't think living a tech hub provides much value if you are full time remote, but Austin is the best from that standpoint as well. As mentioned, however, it's the most expensive of the three and allergies are bad. Additionally, the heat could be beyond your concept of "warmer seasons".

What does your personal network look like in each city?

Well, I'd like to go back to working in an office at some point. I'm working remote right now though, so finding a job after I move wouldn't be a concern.
I'll definitely be coming to check out the area, so hopefully I can get a good idea if the allergies will be an issue there.

Also, I know it's been mentioned that it's expensive a few times here but the COL index doesn't seem that far off from Philly? I took some time too look at apartments too and it looks like I could find a fairly decent apartment (large, updated) near downtown for under $2000/mo. Am I missing something else that's really expensive about the area?
I'm definitely prepared for the heat to be really different there. I'm pretty used to Florida summers (humid, hot) and Pennsylvania summers (less humid, hot, short). From what I understand Texas is very humid, hot, and prolonged.


My network is stronger in Philly than either of the others. But, it's admittedly small regardless lol

[march2]

Philly would be my suggestion.

[Need4Camaro]

@ the OP -- No, August allergies are mild. January thru March are the harshest times to live in Austin as far as allergies go.