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My guess is that Philly has some ghetto areas that are not too far from Center City. It would be easy for a tourist to make one wrong turn trying to find a cheese steak, ending up on a gritty block, and then writing off the entire town.
Yet same came be said for cities that are touted as well... I'm sure nobody has ever made a wrong turn into the Tenderloin in SF. NY is also easy to make wrong turns in esp if you aren't in Manhattan. But even in Manhattan you can get into not so great areas, say if you were walking up through Central Park. Big differences between North Williamsburg and South Williamsburg/BedStuy, or Astoria and Queensbridge Projects.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico
I visited Philly again recently after a 13 year hiatus, and that city gets way too much hate on this board and nationally. I really do not understand the negative perception of Philadelphia.
I think it might be the high violent crime rate. Much worse than NYC. Other than that, it's one of the best, especially considering the relatively low costs of living.
I think the city that surprised me most was San Diego, but only because it was the first Western city I'd lived in. I remember how odd the palm trees and the beige hills looked to me, an East Coast guy.
I think it might be the high violent crime rate. Much worse than NYC. Other than that, it's one of the best, especially considering the relatively low costs of living.
I think the city that surprised me most was San Diego, but only because it was the first Western city I'd lived in. I remember how odd the palm trees and the beige hills looked to me, an East Coast guy.
San Diego was surprising in a good way overall though?(Lol about the palm trees)
Two American cities that I fell instantly in love with are Savannah Georgia and Portland Oregon. Although they are completely different from each other I love both of them. I like Portland even more than I like Vancouver BC and I REALLY like Van.
Yes, agreed on Savannah; I haven't been to Portland yet but along with Seattle, am ready to be blown away. In Savannah, SCAD seems to have a cool influence on the city and I absolutely loved the layout of squares/parks and the mixture of trees with Spanish moss and Palm trees. I liked Savannah more than Charleston although I feel most rate them the opposite (and Charleston is beautiful).
Yet same came be said for cities that are touted as well... I'm sure nobody has ever made a wrong turn into the Tenderloin in SF. NY is also easy to make wrong turns in esp if you aren't in Manhattan. But even in Manhattan you can get into not so great areas, say if you were walking up through Central Park. Big differences between North Williamsburg and South Williamsburg/BedStuy, or Astoria and Queensbridge Projects.
Well, obviously it's possible to end up in a bad neighborhood anywhere, but I think it's easier to do so in Philly than in NYC or SF.
In terms of San Francsico, how big is the tenderloin? Like two blocks?
In terms of NYC, Harlem is not that bad anymore, and most tourist never leave the Manhattan, so it's rare that they get lost in the South Bronx or the sketch parts of Brooklyn.
As far as other cities go, I know that in Chicago the nasty parts of town are far from anywhere a tourist might even potentially end up (with the exception of the United Center and the University of Chicago).
The streets and highways in Minneapolis was designed in a way that it's basically impossible to accidentally find yourself on the bad part of town. North Minneapolis is almost completely hidden from the rest of the city.
Yet same came be said for cities that are touted as well... I'm sure nobody has ever made a wrong turn into the Tenderloin in SF. NY is also easy to make wrong turns in esp if you aren't in Manhattan. But even in Manhattan you can get into not so great areas, say if you were walking up through Central Park. Big differences between North Williamsburg and South Williamsburg/BedStuy, or Astoria and Queensbridge Projects.
NYC usually has enough transition zones between the good areas and bad ones. Though since, the city is so dense a lot can change in a short distance, but still Philadelphia deteriorates faster from nice neighborhoods. I'm not sure how someone could enter the Queensbridge Projects by mistake, though I walked by them from getting off the wrong subway stop. The bad areas of Philadelphia are worse than any of the neighborhoods you listed, or almost any other that one could into of NYC by mistake.
Quote:
Originally Posted by grapico
I visited Philly again recently after a 13 year hiatus, and that city gets way too much hate on this board and nationally. I really do not understand the negative perception of Philadelphia.
It does get too much hate, but Philly has some extremely horrible neighborhoods not all that far from Center City. So does Chicago, but Philadephia is poorer overall, and the not so good areas are probably closer to good areas of the city. Philadelphia is also overshadowed by NYC
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawn.Davenport
Well, obviously it's possible to end up in a bad neighborhood anywhere, but I think it's easier to do so in Philly than in NYC or SF.
In terms of San Francsico, how big is the tenderloin? Like two blocks?
The Tenderloin is immeidately next to downtown right next to some of the most touristy parts of downtonwn. Depending on what you're doing / where you are staying, it's almost hard not to pass the Tenderloin. You have to walk at least 1.5, probably at least 2 miles to reach bad parts of Philly from Center City, if one doesn't go too far it's easy not to notice them.
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As to the biggest surprise: maybe Chicago? Different layout than the northeastern cities I'm used in many ways, but still had a big, busy downtown. Felt more modern somehow and interesting in its own way, Millenlium Park setting was neat.
But how many tourists really end up in Strawberrry Mansion or Nicetown? Much easier to wander into the Tenderloin (which to me is not as bad as parts of North, West or SW Philly but still would imagine more casual torusits have encountered those areas. You really have to work at it to get into the really bad areas of Philly - and yes they are as bad (especially visually) as any place in this country
I imagine very few tourists end up in these place TBH - they are eye-opening, still to me but understand the synamic living here and there is very little impact or cros-flow from these places to thr majority of the city or daily life, more likely less among the VAST majority of tourists.
Also Chicago and NYC both have as much bad areas, but both have more nicer areas as well
Somewhat of an amusing story-my sister and I were killing 4 Hours in San Francisco on a layover from San Diego to Philly and when we got off the BART (I think Mission but maybe Tenderloin) we asked a few Cops standing around where we should go. The area was pretty shady and we both had luggage but when we told them we were from Philly they started laughing and said we'll be fine walking anywhere. We took it in stride and even as a compliment haha but the homeless are much more aggressive and numerous in SF.
I think for Philly, many tourists walk through the few shady (but not dangerous) blocks on Market East between Old City and City Hall and see the methadone clinic patients, racist black Hebrew Israelites shouting from megaphones, Cash for Gold and Incense barterers which may be a turn-off for most tourists.
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