Should Philadelphia be my relocation target? (York, Progress: unemployed, university, income)

[ThinkingGeneral]

My Situation:

• Long-Term Unemployed University Graduate
• Limited Student Work Experience
• Excellent GPA w/ Other Strong Academic Accomplishments
• Business Degree (not one of the pure "fluff" business concentrations at least)
• Cannot Drive (have ID though)
• Limited savings (low budget)

Have exhausted all my job search options and have to move to another city to become a "local candidate."

Two Questions:
A) Should it be Philadelphia on an Economic/COL/Job-Market basis?

Here is some conversation-starting data:


B) Should it also be Philadelphia on a personal-preferences basis (the more of the following, the better)?

1. Urban Lifestyle
2. Walkability/Public Transit
3. Cold Weather over Hot Weather
4. "Non-Religious" Friendly
5. Progressive/Independent-Friendly
6. "Non-Drugs/Smoking/Drunk" Entertainment/Fun/Socializing
7. Genuine Intellectual Interests / World Awareness & Concern
8. Young/Healthy/Single White and Latino Women Seeking Casual Dating and Fun

Also, do any of the NE metros consider candidates from nearby NE metros as "local candidates?" For example, would relocation to Philadelphia also allow me to have a realistic chance when applying for NY entry-level metro jobs too?

Thanks for any opinions / information.

[Phil A. Delphia]

Don't move anywhere without securing a job first, even if it's not a job in your field of work. Philly's great. I'm sure you'd love it, but big cities are quite expensive. If you don't do the roommate thing, then in addition to moving expenses, you may have to pay a few months advance on rent, in addition to a deposit. If you're not sure about your final destination from your list, Philly could be good for you if you need to interview in DC, NY, or even Boston, as you can use Amtrak to get there.

Most importantly, just remember that no job plus low funds equals you're broke in no time.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

A lot of Philadelphia is very walkable, and the whole city has good public transit, which extends many suburbs through the regional rail system.

Be aware that much of the jobs based is actually in the suburbs here. And while reverse commuting is certainly possible, and many office parks offer shuttle buses from train stations, it's not quite as simple as commuting to the CBD. This is something I've struggled with myself while being in Philly, having moved her for walkability only to work a pretty menial job and having turned down a couple of job interviews after learning the actual location of companies. But if it's something you want to make work, you can surely make it work - just something you should be aware of.

And yes, you can go on job interviews in other places. I think at this point I've actually had as many job interviews in New York as I have in Philly. It's close, and a lot of places in New York are open to hiring non-residents since they know a lot of people want to live there.

Have money first, or a job lined up, in my opinion. We had a good 6 months to a years worth of income before we moved here without jobs. Unless you're up for food service or retail, something I really wanted to avoid, to make ends meet.