Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Philadelphia feels like a larger and more bustling city to me and I like that. The food and drink there is great and pretty inexpensive. Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market both seem a lot more functional as more than just tourist traps than their Boston brethren. Philadelphia is a lot grittier than Boston, which is more of a bad than good thing in my opinion, but it seems a lot more vibrant and fun overall. I think the freeways to the north and east of Center City that cuts off downtown neighborhoods are a real shame.
Relative to Boston, the climate of Philadelphia is noticeably warmer, despite the fact the two cities aren't terribly far apart in terms of geographic distance. Also, housing is also more affordable in the Philadelphia area, and tax burdens are generally lower than in Boston/Massachusetts. Plus, your children will likely have more affordable university options in PA than MA, the latter of which is mostly home to expensive private colleges and universities.
Relative to Boston, the climate of Philadelphia is noticeably warmer, despite the fact the two cities aren't terribly far apart in terms of geographic distance. Also, housing is also more affordable in the Philadelphia area, and tax burdens are generally lower than in Boston/Massachusetts. Plus, your children will likely have more affordable university options in PA than MA, the latter of which is mostly home to expensive private colleges and universities.
270 miles (as the crow flies) is a great distance in regards to weather. That same distance going Southwest from Philly would out in right on the VA/NC border, where it barely snows.
I've heard the same from current/former Bostonians. As a matter of fact, when I visited a friend of mine during my birthday weekend two or three years ago, we were going to go out in Providence that Friday night but decided to take a quick bus trip to NYC instead.
270 miles (as the crow flies) is a great distance in regards to weather. That same distance going Southwest from Philly would out in right on the VA/NC border, where it barely snows.
I liked Boston, but there was something that it lacked that I just can't put my finger on. Maybe it's a little too polished?
Which is my exact gripe with it. People love all the development and gentrification (while I do agree neighborhoods are always evolving and it's happened all throughout history) but what I hate is the constant championing of how sterile and polished Boston has become, and people actually love it.
I am way more interested in the working class areas like Southie than going downtown. It seems like Boston is trading in all it's character for luxury condos and pricing everyone out (which is factually supported by having the worst income inequality) and I can't stand it.
I really want to enjoy Boston, and I do find redeeming qualities about it, but overall it's like almost like a Hollywood movie set for a city. It's so fake almost.
It's transient and overpriced. Where is the culture? Certainly not downtown.
Philadelphia is what I wish Boston was like. It was before, but it sold out real hard. Philadelphia still has it's soul intact, while Boston seems like it sold out in the 90's.
Love Philadelphia. Warts and all, because I feel like it's so underrated for no reason. There is pretty much no difference in these two cities, but I find a common theme amongst people who prefer one over the other and it's usually really WASPy type people that prefer Boston.
I find Philadelphia more fun and laid back. That's a huge part of it. People in Philly just don't care. It shares amenities with Boston like history, crazy sports scene, food, museums, elite universities, density, parks, etc. but Boston seems to be so status oriented and it's ridiculously off-putting. Philly is definitely a more laid back version of Boston. I also enjoy the grit because it's very down to earth.
Boston is certainly cleaner, but I am not someone who is afraid of going downtown after dark so to speak. People overrate the crime issues drastically. I feel just as safe in Philly as Boston or Chicago or anywhere.
Too many people let the media dictate their city preferences.
Last edited by ILiveInAmerica; 04-28-2017 at 03:34 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
