Is anyone thinking of leaving/moving out of the city? Why? (Philadelphia: buying a house, buying)

[phillyLA]

Originally Posted by Redddog

So where do you live in DC?

NE (Brookland)

[Redddog]

Nice. I love DC.

[selhars]

OP, here....
From the crime thread:

Originally Posted by skeddy

bottom line, it's a very dangerous place to live.

Some parts, definitely.
I'm getting closer than ever to thinking now that I won't stay in Philly the rest of my life. And I had thought I would. And crime is a lightly weighted factor.

As I get older I'm just more and more aggravated and upset about things in the city.
Crime is one. But my area is fine so crime is not at the top. It's just one thing on a list of things that are starting to bother me more and more. The latest is a regulation that I just found out about. I won't say what it is. But it was aggravating just to learn about it.

For ME, more and more I'm just thinking that after I retire there's no big reason to stay in the city.

-- Is there anyone, approaching retirement, that the more you think about it the more you are considering leaving and retiring elsewhere?
-- I'm late to thinking this way. Is there anyone who always knew for years they had no intention of staying in Philly after retiring?

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by selhars

OP, here....
From the crime thread:


Some parts, definitely.
I'm getting closer than ever to thinking now that I won't stay in Philly the rest of my life. And I had thought I would. And crime is a lightly weighted factor.

As I get older I'm just more and more aggravated and upset about things in the city.
Crime is one. But my area is fine so crime is not at the top. It's just one thing on a list of things that are starting to bother me more and more. The latest is a regulation that I just found out about. I won't say what it is. But it was aggravating just to learn about it.

For ME, more and more I'm just thinking that after I retire there's no big reason to stay in the city.

-- Is there anyone, approaching retirement, that the more you think about it the more you are considering leaving and retiring elsewhere?
-- I'm late to thinking this way. Is there anyone who always knew for years they had no intention of staying in Philly after retiring?

I think I'm older than you (I'm 62).
I live in a more dangerous neighborhood.
I am not contemplating retiring anytime soon.

But then again, I'm definitely a statistical outlier. But I work from home and thus could consider living anywhere in the region (I couldn't live outside it and continue to write for Philadelphia).

[selhars]

^^ Wow. Do they make all employees live in the city? (And yes you are older than I am A little.)

-- AFTER you retire do you plan to stay? Not that you would retire and leave that day. .... And of course the path of a life can change, nothing is certain. And obviously one's healthy could change the best-laid plans. But looking ahead do you see yourself staying in Philly forever? Or you could see eventually leaving? Heck, maybe you've never even thought about it?

I'm Philly born-and raised. I thought in retirement that I might travel for half a year, or split my time in Philly and some place else. But I never thought I'd leave permanently. Until very recently.

As I get older, and closer to retirement -- and know more friends who happily leave where they have lived for other areas -- I can now imagine leaving -- AND not even looking back. That's new for me.

[bridge12]

The thing that really drag on me about the city is the reluctance to change. Philadelphia's city government is actually way more conservative than a lot of people think.

Street sweeping? Nah, can't do that, don't want to upset people who leave their cars parked on the street for six months. So we get massive amounts of litter and gunk filling up the streets that never gets swept up.

Bike lanes and bus lanes? Nah, don't wanna upset anyone. Despite the fact that it tends to be lower-income people who use both, the city bends over backwards to rich white NIMBYs.

Parking in bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks? Sure, keep doing it. Major lack of enforcement. Again, the common denominator here is car-owners which are a minority in many neighborhoods.

In addition, the city acts too much like a small town and the city councilmembers have way too much power over land use.

[Hedonism]

Originally Posted by bridge12

The thing that really drag on me about the city is the reluctance to change. Philadelphia's city government is actually way more conservative than a lot of people think.

Street sweeping? Nah, can't do that, don't want to upset people who leave their cars parked on the street for six months. So we get massive amounts of litter and gunk filling up the streets that never gets swept up.

Bike lanes and bus lanes? Nah, don't wanna upset anyone. Despite the fact that it tends to be lower-income people who use both, the city bends over backwards to rich white NIMBYs.

Parking in bike lanes, crosswalks, sidewalks? Sure, keep doing it. Major lack of enforcement. Again, the common denominator here is car-owners which are a minority in many neighborhoods.

In addition, the city acts too much like a small town and the city councilmembers have way too much power over land use.

People should sweep their own streets. People should have the graffiti removed in their neighborhoods. To many people cry, cry, cry, but do nothing to help make things nicer.


I see bike and bus lanes all over the place. Where are these "rich, white NIMBYs" blocking these things?


People are parking their cars for six months at a time and not using them? LOL ... I don't think so.


Where are these 'many' neighborhoods where car-owners are the minority?


Back to the original question: I never thought I'd want to leave, but we'll be leaving because as we're getting older, we're having less and less tolerance for the ignorance and trashiness that is ingrained in many as part of Philadelphia culture.
I know more people equals more problems, but there are too many dirty people in this city and it shows through the city's dirty appearance.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Hedonism

People should sweep their own streets. [...]

Um, no.

Street sweeping remains a municipal job in most East Coast cities (as it was here before it got cut during either the Bill Green or Wilson Goode administrations). Sidewalk maintenance may be the responsibility of the abutting property owner, but cleaning the curb lane gutters is something the local government does in part because individual property owners might simply sweep their gutter junk over into the next lot (or, in the old days, same with horse droppings).

New York's infamous alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules are enforced in order to allow street sweepers to go down one side of the street.

[selhars]

Come on now. People -- owners and RENTERS -- should feel enough responsibility to clean their property and the street/curb area in front of it. If paper blows in front of their house they should pick it the hell up! They live there! What are they going to do let the street become a pig sty? I guess so.

I can't imagine leaving potato chip and other snack bags in front of my house, or not picking up a can or box that falls out of a recycle box. (It's bad enough the people who DO get paid to do it don't do it. God forbid a sanitation worker would pick up any thing that falls from a bin as THEY pick it up to put it in the truck. Their job is to get it into the truck...not spill it in the street!)

I never thought I'd want to leave,

Me either. But I'm sure open to it. Even if I just go across the county line.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by selhars

Come on now. People -- owners and RENTERS -- should feel enough responsibility to clean their property and the street/curb area in front of it. If paper blows in front of their house they should pick it the hell up! They live there! What are they going to do let the street become a pig sty? I guess so.

I can't imagine leaving potato chip and other snack bags in front of my house, or not picking up a can or box that falls out of a recycle box. (It's bad enough the people who DO get paid to do it don't do it. God forbid a sanitation worker would pick up any thing that falls from a bin as THEY pick it up to put it in the truck. Their job is to get it into the truck...not spill it in the street!)

Me either. But I'm sure open to it. Even if I just go across the county line.

Yes and yes. I used to pick up plastic bags when I took my morning weekend walks. Lazy / apathetic attitude.

And the trash workers...Half the can could spill out and they toss it to the curb and drive away...like really...

But Philadelphia does need a full street cleaning program, a good chunk of responsibility falls on the city, and it might change some peoples perceptions about keeping their home clean if they see street sweepers once a week.

What do we think are the main reasons the walk-able suburban centers are clean? More money, better government, more concerned or prideful residents? I guess a combination?

And Philadelphia city sidewalks are a whole other issue.

I've contemplated a move BACK, but I am starting to become wishy washy about it for many reasons.