Gay Couple Looking To Move To Philadelphia Area (Washington, Houston: safe area, theater)

[jim ball]

my gay husband and i want to retire out of Buffalo NY, cold weather, high taxes etc. we want to retire some where warmer, gay friendly. I have two children, 1 in Charlotte NC and 1 moving to NYC area. We have no idea where we want to move. Can anyone offer any sugestions?

[PhillyViaBoston]

Are you interested in living in the city or suburbs?

If you like city life, you may want to consider the Washington Square West neighborhood of Center City Philadelphia. All of Center City seems to be gay-friendly, but there are a lot of gay bars, shops, etc. in "the gayborhood" roughly between 11th & 13th and Pine & Walnut Streets. It's also a generally safe area (using common sense as you would in any other city).

[Clark Park]

The "Gayborhood" (Washington Square West) is NOT the only gay friendly neighborhood in Philly, although I admit that is where most of the bars are located as well as the Community Center.

Other places worth considering are Northern Liberties and East Passyunk in South Philly.

I choose to live in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of University City, just a few blocks from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and USP (University of the Sciences Philadelphia). This is a historic neighborhood where every style of Victorian residential architecture is represented: Queen Anne, Italianate, Second Empire (like my house), Eclectic, American Arts And Crafts, Colonial Revival, etc. There are dozens of great ethnic restaurants, cafes, shops and bookstores. It has the feel of a college town and it is safe. Lots of LGBT people live here ... in fact it is said middle aged gay men rule the neighborhood and are leaders in all the neighborhood organizations such as the University City Historical Society. Check it out. Other neighborhoods within University City include Cedar Park, Powelton Village, and Garden Court.

[threetoe]

There are many gays and lesbians in Northern Liberties, leaning slightly more towards (G & L) families than singles.

[Pine to Vine]

When we decided to leave Houston, my partner and I visited cities on both coasts and Philly was the hands down winner. Although I'm sure the other neighborhoods mentioned are nice, most to the amenities we were looking for in a city (highly walkable, proximity to culture and theaters, nice squares, large selection of restaurants and services on each block) are in the Center City neighborhoods. That said, we've found being gay to be a non-issue wherever we are in the city. If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest you make a visit and explore the city and the different neighborhoods and see if it's a fit for your family.

[tarp]

It's pretty cold in Philadelphia too, and the taxes in the city are outrageous too. The city levies a wage tax.