Philadelphia or Pittsburgh? (York, Washington, Indiana: fit in, transplants, home)

[Ryno25]

Hello everyone,

So I've been debating on a major change in my life for a while; relocating to another city/state. For a while I had been anticipating a move to Pittsburgh,PA, I even visited Pittsburgh this past summer. I will admit that I did love Pittsburgh and one of the reasons I was looking to relocate there was because I am planning on going to graduate school at some point in my life. While I did love Pittsburgh, I have been thinking recently about Chicago and Philadelphia. For some reason, I've always been attracted to major urban areas. To be fair though, the list of cities I've thought about moving to has shrunk significantly and its down to three finalists; Chicago, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. At one point, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington D.C were on the list, but I have since taken them off mostly due to the fact of the very high cost of living in most of these cities, although Atlanta doesn't have too high of a cost of living, I decided against it after I decided I had enough of heat and humidity. I am aware that the cost of living in Chicago is fairly high, however I have noticed that it is significantly cheaper than NYC, SF, and DC.

So here's a little bit about myself. I have lived in Louisville,KY my whole life. I am in my late 20s, graduated from Indiana University, double majoring in Political Science and Sociology. I consider myself to be progressive/very liberal, basically along the lines of Sanders or Warren, however I am tolerant of the political viewpoints of others as I come from a family that is evenly split when it comes to politics. I basically learned to see things from both sides and I honestly think other people have a right to whatever political views that they have just as I do. I currently have two jobs, but my main job is in the hospitality industry. I have two cats and I am an animal lover. I am single yet I identify as bi sexual. I also love Halloween and everything associated with that time of year, so if anyone could inform me on how Halloween is celebrated in your city and surrounding areas, that would be awesome! I love history as well and I could get lost in museums all day. I love photography and I take pictures on the side as a hobby.

There are things I like about Louisville, but I've never really felt at home here. I've never felt like I have been able to fit in here and I simply desire something more. I've also grown tired of the very cliquish nature of Louisville and how a lot of people here perceive Louisville as the greatest city on the planet and act like it has more to offer than other cities. As previously mentioned, I've always been attracted to bigger cities. Mostly due to the fact that larger cities tend to offer more in terms of high culture and diversity. Another thing I am looking for is a city with a decent public transit system as I am unfortunately unable to drive due to a movement disorder. Louisville unfortunately lacks a decent public transit system and I don't see this changing anytime soon. Any advice would be helpful and please feel free to shoot me a question.

[jdhpa]

Of the 3 cities you listed, I think Chicago is your best bet.

Good luck, whatever you decide

[jtab4994]

Hmm, as a Sanders/Warren liberal you'd be among your own kind in Philly. You'll find some in Pittsburgh but not as many. Do you want lively debate or do you just want to nod in agreement with everyone?

As a photographer I think you'll find Pittsburgh, with all its bridges, and the surrounding post-industrial area more inspiring than the Philly area. Also Pittsburgh is closer to your family in Louisville, and has a lower cost of living than Philly.

[PHL10]

Based on the third paragraph, either city would work. Pittsburgh is quite a bit closer to KY if you are planning to visit home with some frequency.

[SteelCityRising]

Pittsburgh is indeed closer to KY, cheaper, and is also less humid in the summer (in my opinion).

[trackstar13]

Louisville to Chicago is a relatively easy drive and I used to make it quite often when I lived there. Chicago and Philly definitely have Pittsburgh beat in terms of public transportation and amenities, but for the price Pittsburgh is by far the best. If you move to Pittsburgh I think the neighborhood will be very important and being around progressives and transplants or open minded people will probably help. I am originally from Pittsburgh and I love it, but you may find a little bit of the blind boosterism that you have encountered in Louisville. Albeit, I think the boosterism in Pittsburgh is less than Louisville and Pittsburgh definitely offers more amenities, arts, and culture.

[tyovan4]

SEPTA is a much more extensive network than the Port Authority of Allegheny County. You'll also have many more options for travelling to other areas via train.

Pittsburgh is quite isolate geographically.

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

Of the 3 cities you listed, I think Chicago is your best bet.

Good luck, whatever you decide

Agree. CHI>PHL>PIT, but if you want to go to school, then PHL has a lot of options (in the city).

[bigfish1]

As someone who has lived in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia I will try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities. I have only visited Chicago once so I won't speak on that city. First I suggest Philadelphia especially if you want a bigger city vibe. Pittsburgh and Louisville are comparable when it comes to city size and one of the things that annoyed me about living in Pittsburgh was that "cliquish" mentality where everyone perceived the city to be the best place ever and constantly sharing articles about it on facebook. But onto other questions...
-Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have very similar cost of living with Pittsburgh being slightly more affordable.
-Politically both cities are liberal but the regionally Philadelphia will be more liberal than Pittsburgh
-In my experience both cities celebrate Halloween similar with trick or treaters and similar decor. The hills and trees might give Pittsburgh a slight edge in aesthetic though, but Pittsburgh gets much colder if that matters.
-As for culture, museums, and diversity this is where Philadelphia excels. The options for museums are endless within the city and you are a quick train/bus ride away from NYC and DC. Philadelphia is a very diverse city with people from all across the world. For example my grandmother recently retired as an ESL teacher in Northeast Philadelphia and her high school had people representing over 60 languages (in one high school!). There is nothing like that in Pittsburgh and for lack of a better word is a very white city.
-I did not have a car for some of my time in Pittsburgh and it was very difficult to get around, especially during off hours. On key corridors and towards downtown transit is decent in Pittsburgh but without a car it will feel very isolating to be honest. While SEPTA has its issues it is very extensive and you will have no problem in most neighborhoods living without a car. In Pittsburgh very few if any busses run 24hrs but in Philly there are plenty of busses running at 3am.
-As a fellow photographer both cities are extremely photogenic and it depends on what you are interested in. If you like landscapes Pittsburgh definitely takes the cake for that. I could get lost in the staircases on the Southside slopes for days. I think for the post industrial photography they are pretty even honestly, both cities heavily relied on manufacturing as an economy. If architecture is your thing then Philadelphia for sure, there is nothing like walking down the tight cobblestone alleys throughout Philly to take a beautiful picture. Also I have found people are more friendly towards people taking pictures on the street than in Pittsburgh but that could just be personal anecdotal.
Overall I think you would enjoy Philadelphia much more than Pittsburgh, if you have any specific questions please do not hesitate to message me

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by tyovan4

SEPTA is a much more extensive network than the Port Authority of Allegheny County. You'll also have many more options for travelling to other areas via train.

Pittsburgh is quite isolate geographically.

Not that isolated: it's on - or just off - two of the main Interstates linking the East Coast with the Heartland, and the Great Lakes industrial belt is not that far away.

And topographically speaking, only San Francisco rivals it.