Trying to decide between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Portland, ME (Dallas: neighborhood, gated)

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

It's all North Philly to me.

Well, you're wrong. lol

[pghdude28]

If you think the Texas heat keeps you indoors, try the damp/cold/dreary long Pittsburgh winter. The weather only permits outdoor activities for 5 months out of the year. The rivers are not as utilized as some on here let on. There is a decent amount about outdoor activities however the weather in Pittsburgh is the poorest of the 3. Very high rain frequency (150+ days/year). You will need to learn to live with very little sunshine. Public transit is better than Portland but that's not saying much. The community feel of Pittsburgh is mostly for those that have lived there their whole life. I am actually moving south so I can enjoy the activities and not have crappy weather interfere with it

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Larry Bowa

Well, you're wrong. lol

It's an old argument - just accept that for downtown folk, all of us who live above Vine Street live in North Philly, we just don't know it (extending all the way out to Schuylkill County, apparently).

Outdoors stuff is pretty plentiful in the area, and the Wissahickon Valley in the city is a beautiful and amazing place (which you can easily get to using our excellent public transit system).

Philly is also a city of neighborhoods. I know every city tries to claim to be a city of neighborhoods, but it is truer for Philadelphia than most others. For one, the city itself consists of many small communities which were swallowed up by the growing city of Philadelphia. And you will largely find neighborhoods are pretty unique in terms of identity and culture. It's one of my favorite things about the city - that I'm within such short distance of such drastically different places.

[pman]

if it helps, kensington was broken into 7 wards, one of which was fishtown
Political Boundaries of Kensington 1820-1854

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by pman

if it helps, kensington was broken into 7 wards, one of which was fishtown
Political Boundaries of Kensington 1820-1854

That may be true for the 1800's, but everybody I know recognizes Fishtown as Fishtown and Kensington as Kensington, two different neighborhoods with two different feels. Fishtown was always a step above Kensington ...

[pman]

Originally Posted by Larry Bowa

That may be true for the 1800's, but everybody I know recognizes Fishtown as Fishtown and Kensington as Kensington, two different neighborhoods with two different feels. Fishtown was always a step above Kensington ...

fishtown is a sub neighborbood of kensington even if people are too snooty to admit it. like north philly where north philly is only the bad parts but the good neighborhoods go by name. thats life i guess. fairmount was part if spring garden now people are trying to label much of old spring garden fairmount. didnt know bridesburg had been a borough

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by pman

fishtown is a sub neighborbood of kensington even if people are too snooty to admit it. like north philly where north philly is only the bad parts but the good neighborhoods go by name. thats life i guess. fairmount was part if spring garden now people are trying to label much of old spring garden fairmount. didnt know bridesburg had been a borough

But now and in the present, Kensington and Fishtown are two different neighborhoods. NOBODY considers Fishtown to be a "sub neighborhood" of Kensington.
Things change ... West of Aramingo Ave, which used to be Bridesburg, is now "Frankford Valley."

[cxm123130]

Thanks so much for the responses. These have actually made me want to move to Philadelphia even more.

[Frank Bones]

I think the main difference is that Philadelphia has a larger and more vibrant urban core than Portland or Pittsburgh. Personally, because I like all the amenities a big city provides, I would never choose to live in a place like Pittsburgh or Portland. I also love all the charming rowhomes here. They're all fine cities though and I wouldn't mind living in any of them either.

Some people feel more comfortable in smaller cities and find big cities to be alienating and/or impersonal. So it's ultimately up to your personal preference. Do you like very large cities (Philadelphia), smaller cities (Pittsburgh), or small cities (Portland)?

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by Frank Bones

Some people feel more comfortable in smaller cities and find big cities to be alienating and/or impersonal. So it's ultimately up to your personal preference. Do you like very large cities (Philadelphia), smaller cities (Pittsburgh), or small cities (Portland)?

I think it ultimately comes down to this question above. +1

The only thoughts I will add to what's already been shared is that summer in Philly will be a welcome relief from summer in Texas. I moved here a few years back after 26 years in Houston. Summer here is nothing like that. Yes, we have waves that roll through that will make you think you're back down south, but they typically roll back out after a few days. It is not the month-after-month wall of unrelenting heat and humidity down Houston way. Another difference is that in all but the most severe heat waves, temps typically cool down sufficiently after sunset that you can enjoy being outside in the evening.

I know that locals generally feel summer is unpleasant. Texan to Texan - it's a piece of cake.