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I guess my biggest concern with Philly is the crime. I hear is a grimy/dirty city. High population of poor and homeless. Im guessing living in the right place would avoid that. To be fair I live in durham, NC and there are areas I dont stop at, but the downtown area is safe and well kept.
I've seen crazy videos come out of the city. Not sure if its unusually bad or just normal for a city that size.
Most big cities have been hit with an unfortunate crime wave over the past couple of years, but a few things to consider:
1. As much as it's sad to admit, Philadelphia is really a "tale of two cities." Your statistical likelihood of falling victim to a violent crime is very heavily dependent on your place of residence or frequenting within the city. Unless you plan on living in the 25% poorest census tracts of the city (i.e., neighborhoods in upper North Philadelphia, far West Philadelphia or Southwest Philadelphia), you're very much steering clear of the vast majority of the drama.
2. I'm knocking on wood, but violent crime does appear to be tamping down a bit as 2022 draws to a close. We all hope that continues to be the case. It's nowhere near what it should be, but progress is still a good thing.
3. No amount of YouTubing or Streetviewing replaces an in-person visit. Come take a look yourself, and get a feel for the "vibes." It's very common for outsiders to come to the conclusion that the city is far more pleasant than the reputation that preceded it.
On this point, I really hate to interject politics, but it's more than obvious in this case: ever since 2020 election debacle, there's been a particular relentless attack on Philadelphia from national right-wing media outlets, which has seeped in to mainstream media in some cases. It's done the city no favors on the PR front, and Philadelphia gained a lot of detractors from one side of the political spectrum. Just understand that in many, if not most cases, the folks who peddle blatant negativity about Philadelphia have a certain agenda, and there's still lots of sour grapes about the national prevailing electoral trends that they blame squarely on the "big city" in a "battleground" state. Take that as you will.
Most big cities have been hit with an unfortunate crime wave over the past couple of years, but a few things to consider:
1. As much as it's sad to admit, Philadelphia is really a "tale of two cities." Your statistical likelihood of falling victim to a violent crime is very heavily dependent on your place of residence or frequenting within the city. Unless you plan on living in the 25% poorest census tracts of the city (i.e., neighborhoods in upper North Philadelphia, far West Philadelphia or Southwest Philadelphia), you're very much steering clear of the vast majority of the drama.
2. I'm knocking on wood, but violent crime does appear to be tamping down a bit as 2022 draws to a close. We all hope that continues to be the case. It's nowhere near what it should be, but progress is still a good thing.
3. No amount of YouTubing or Streetviewing replaces an in-person visit. Come take a look yourself, and get a feel for the "vibes." It's very common for outsiders to come to the conclusion that the city is far more pleasant than the reputation that preceded it.
On this point, I really hate to interject politics, but it's more than obvious in this case: ever since 2020 election debacle, there's been a particular relentless attack on Philadelphia from national right-wing media outlets, which has seeped in to mainstream media in some cases. It's done the city no favors on the PR front, and Philadelphia gained a lot of detractors from one side of the political spectrum. Just understand that in many, if not most cases, the folks who peddle blatant negativity about Philadelphia have a certain agenda, and there's still lots of sour grapes about the national prevailing electoral trends that they blame squarely on the "big city" in a "battleground" state. Take that as you will.
Can't +1 you again yet, but your last paragraph makes good points about the "bad things happen in Philadelphia" crowd.
Given that everyone else has already said everything I might have said in a reply, I won't pile on except to say, What they all said about Philadelphia.
I guess my biggest concern with Philly is the crime. I hear is a grimy/dirty city. High population of poor and homeless. Im guessing living in the right place would avoid that. To be fair I live in durham, NC and there are areas I dont stop at, but the downtown area is safe and well kept.
I've seen crazy videos come out of the city. Not sure if its unusually bad or just normal for a city that size.
Very true. The city has several crime ridden and run down areas. I would be concerned about crime despite the city being above the others in other categories.
It is also dark and gloomy for the cold weather months. Many of the streets are missing lights. I know the city, though, has a three year plan to convert the lights to LED.
Very true. The city has several crime ridden and run down areas. I would be concerned about crime despite the city being above the others in other categories.
It is also dark and gloomy for the cold weather months. Many of the streets are missing lights. I know the city, though, has a three year plan to convert the lights to LED.
Whatever problems this city has, unlit streets really aren't one of them. I'm glad the sodium-vapor lights are being replaced, but I recently started a back-and-forth on Facebook when I posted a photo of new LED pedestal lamps in Chestnut Hill that have the warm color temperature of incandescent light and wondered whether the Streets Department couldn't install more of these LED arrays as opposed to the harsh bluish-white ones.
To me it should come down to Denver or Philly for you:
- Denver is a place for people who really value having easy access to mountains and other natural environments. The city itself is nice, with some great neighborhoods and a of lot the amenities you'd want in a big city. It has a very strong marijuana and craft beer culture comparable to West Coast cities like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and San Diego. The vibe is generally laid back and friendly, with a lot of transplant. Restaurant scene has improved significantly but its not top tier. It's not boring by any means but don't expect the most exciting city in the world and things do shut down pretty early. But again I come back nature as the big draw, as to what truly makes Denver special. The Rockies and Colorado in general are majestic and it's all right there at your doorstep, to enjoy in a climate that has a ton of sunny days. Of course, if you like skiing or snowboarding, you have relatively easy access to some of the best in the country.
- Philly is a place for people who really value excellent urban amenities at a somewhat affordable price. You've got dozens of awesome urban neighborhoods, great restaurants and bars, good nightlife, world class museums and other attractions. Lots of places in the city to explore, although you do need to be aware of your surroundings. Most people who live there are from the area, there's a strong local culture for sure but people are pretty welcoming. Food is awesome, streets are vibrant, /people are generally no nonsense but inclusive -if you are a true "city" city person then Philly is definitely
more for you.
A lot of people on here talk about SLC with no actual experience of it and based of assumptions of what it was like 30 years so. I lived in SF and it does not feel like SLC is really any less progressive in the city. SLC proper is only around 20% Mormon. Outside of the city in the suburbs it’s definitely more conservative. And statewide is very conservative. Utah often is ranked as the best economy in the nation and the access to mountains and outdoor recreation is closer in SLC than the other cities. Also the air quality is worse in several large cities, the air quality in Denver is worse on average.
A lot of people on here talk about SLC with no actual experience of it and based of assumptions of what it was like 30 years so. I lived in SF and it does not feel like SLC is really any less progressive in the city. SLC proper is only around 20% Mormon. Outside of the city in the suburbs it’s definitely more conservative. And statewide is very conservative. Utah often is ranked as the best economy in the nation and the access to mountains and outdoor recreation is closer in SLC than the other cities. Also the air quality is worse in several large cities, the air quality in Denver is worse on average.
Whatever problems this city has, unlit streets really aren't one of them. I'm glad the sodium-vapor lights are being replaced, but I recently started a back-and-forth on Facebook when I posted a photo of new LED pedestal lamps in Chestnut Hill that have the warm color temperature of incandescent light and wondered whether the Streets Department couldn't install more of these LED arrays as opposed to the harsh bluish-white ones.
It felt dark to me in several areas to big such a big city. I agree, I prefer the warm color LED lights as well. I think things will improve for Philadelphia with the laundry list of infrastructure projects.
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