Do you take advantage of Philly? (Philadelphia, Chester: home, college, wage)

[MrDarkKnight]

If you live at least 30 minutes away, how often do you take advantage of what Philly has to offer?

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Originally Posted by MrDarkKnight

If you live at least 30 minutes away, how often do you take advantage of what Philly has to offer?

As a college student and a resident of Delaware County, my answer is whenever I have money to travel into the city. I don't necessarily go to Philly for shopping (since I'm a broke college kid), but rather the urban experience. From taking in the immense beauty of the 2000 block of Delancey Street to walking down the crowded thoroughfare known as Market Street, I take advantage of this awesome city whenever possible. I come to Philly because it is a place in which I grew up, a place that I love coming to now, and the place that I will call home after I graduate from college.

Philly is the perfect city for me, in my opinion. Manhattan is too expansive (and EXPENSIVE) with too many people. Other comparable urban destinations, including Boston, San Francisco, and D.C. (since they often get compared to Philly in terms of urbanity), don't even have a downtown area the size of Center City. The downtown experience of Philadelphia is a top 5 in the US. Philly has awesome green spaces, some unmatched by any other city. The rowhome is synonymous with Philly, and no other city has them like Philly does. Finally, I can live a car-optional lifestyle here. I LOVE SEPTA, and I love public transportation. When I'm not up for transit, I could walk the streets since Philly is (truthfully) the fourth most walkable US city.

The only other city I could see myself living in is Chicago, but I don't want its extreme winters!

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by MrDarkKnight

If you live at least 30 minutes away, how often do you take advantage of what Philly has to offer?

When I lived 45 minutes away we ended up visiting every weekend then moved downtown.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MrDarkKnight

If you live at least 30 minutes away, how often do you take advantage of what Philly has to offer?

When I did live less than 30 minutes away all I did in the suburbs was sleep there. The rest of the time I was in the city. Soon after I could financially absorb the wage tax I moved to the city.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MrDarkKnight

If you live at least 30 minutes away, how often do you take advantage of what Philly has to offer?

I think younger people do more. I stayed in the city because of the offerings.

My parents are in their 50s and come in about twice a month for leisure. They usually frequent Media or West Chester, but they enjoy Philly more due to the excitement.

[MB1562]

I went to college in DelCo (maybe about 20 minutes from Center City) and I used to come in quite often. I grew up in a rural area, so being close to a city was a new experience for me, and I wanted to soak up everything the city had to offer. When I turned 21, my trips to the city became more about going to the bars and clubs.

On a side note, I had several friends who grew up in some of the surrounding suburbs of the city and had barely spent any time at all in the city. It was often me, the country kid from 350 miles away who'd never even been to Philly before college, showing them around and telling them about all the stuff in the city. They were surprised to find out that Philadelphia wasn't one giant ghetto and that it was actually a pretty nice and exciting place to be.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MB1562

I went to college in DelCo (maybe about 20 minutes from Center City) and I used to come in quite often. I grew up in a rural area, so being close to a city was a new experience for me, and I wanted to soak up everything the city had to offer. When I turned 21, my trips to the city became more about going to the bars and clubs.

On a side note, I had several friends who grew up in some of the surrounding suburbs of the city and had barely spent any time at all in the city. It was often me, the country kid from 350 miles away who'd never even been to Philly before college, showing them around and telling them about all the stuff in the city. They were surprised to find out that Philadelphia wasn't one giant ghetto and that it was actually a pretty nice and exciting place to be.

I think that is a dying trend of negative thinking on the city...hopefully. I do know a lot of people who are perfectly fine staying in Media or West Chester though, no negative views on the city, they just prefer the suburban lifestyle.

[asiandudeyo]

Same with everybody. When I first moved to PA 5 years ago, I lived in Lansdale. I ended up taking train every Saturday and Sunday to center city. (45 minutes train ride) (or Manhattan)
As soon as I was familiar with the area, I moved to center city.

[asiandudeyo]

Originally Posted by MB1562

I went to college in DelCo (maybe about 20 minutes from Center City) and I used to come in quite often. I grew up in a rural area, so being close to a city was a new experience for me, and I wanted to soak up everything the city had to offer. When I turned 21, my trips to the city became more about going to the bars and clubs.

On a side note, I had several friends who grew up in some of the surrounding suburbs of the city and had barely spent any time at all in the city. It was often me, the country kid from 350 miles away who'd never even been to Philly before college, showing them around and telling them about all the stuff in the city. They were surprised to find out that Philadelphia wasn't one giant ghetto and that it was actually a pretty nice and exciting place to be.

Since I worked in the burb, I knew alot of these people.
Unfortunately these people not only had not gone to Philly, but also anywhere else.
They are very sheltered in a very close-minded ways.

One particular engineer who lived in Lansdale, was never been either Philadelphia or NYC!
Her life was all Lansdale and Penn State collegetown.
She had this condescending attitude toward people who are not like her.
Two years ago she was sent to Shanghai for 2 weeks to visit a vendor.
And how does she have a very-open minding experience!

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MB1562

I went to college in DelCo (maybe about 20 minutes from Center City) and I used to come in quite often. I grew up in a rural area, so being close to a city was a new experience for me, and I wanted to soak up everything the city had to offer. When I turned 21, my trips to the city became more about going to the bars and clubs.

On a side note, I had several friends who grew up in some of the surrounding suburbs of the city and had barely spent any time at all in the city. It was often me, the country kid from 350 miles away who'd never even been to Philly before college, showing them around and telling them about all the stuff in the city. They were surprised to find out that Philadelphia wasn't one giant ghetto and that it was actually a pretty nice and exciting place to be.

Even after my immediate family moved to the 'burbs we were still connected to the city because all of my father's Philly area family were in the city.

We continued to go into the city all the time, when I was growing up, so I didn't have that "disconnect" that so many suburbanites have.

By the time I was in my mid-teens I knew I would always be a very urban city person.