So..would I like Philly? (Philadelphia, Conshohocken: section 8, for sale, real estate)

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by stingray

I can not think of one good thing about this hell hole.
Like I said having to be on a fixed income I fell trapped and no way out

Its unfortunate with your situation. This is a city that you need a decent wage to live comfortably. Your blatant hatred of the city due to your situation seems to have made you extremely biased. If you were on a fixed income living in NYC,Chi,LA you would be screaming the same exact insults on those cities. In fact in NYC case it would be 10 x worse.

Philadelphia is an amzing city for many many people. A great experience. Better luck with your situation perhaps you could look into social services in helping you find a more desirably situation for you, outside the city.

You have to understand, the living arrangements from a young educated person from Minnesota is going to be drastically different from a person who is on a fixed income. Its not really fair to assume everyone looking to move into Philadlephia is going to be living on a fixed income.

[passdoubt]

Originally Posted by stingray

take a walk yea right if you like to get mugged Yea You think you might want to move here Try going to the city and try walking down 52 th st

I visit the bank on 52nd Street most weeks. During the day it's a pretty safe neighborhood because there's a lot of foot traffic.

It sounds like you would fit in well in a place like Phoenix or Las Vegas. It must be tough to live on a fixed income in a place that you don't like... well, save up I guess.

[Joe84323]

I finally decided to move to Philly.

I've had extremely extensive experience with the city, and I can validate a few truths.

-You can get by on public transit. I will be living in an area that has a train 10 blocks from my house that runs every 8 minutes with a 7 minute duration to get to my stop.

Downtown bustles, in some places like Manhattan during the day.

Nightlife is decent.

Compared to the the rest of the NE, rent is a steal.

You will have to get used to old houses and minorities and trash in the street.

You will gain a few pounds eating the delicious food of the area.

I think it depends on where you live, and whether you're looking for opportunities, or looking for a beach with maid service.

[SteelCityRising]

Our family spent a weekend vacation in Center City last summer, and we enjoyed it immensely. On the one hand you can saunter into a bustling financial district with glass skyscrapers and white-collar executives scurrying around with their PDAs and briefcases as if the 22nd Century couldn't come soon enough for them. On the other hand, you could walk in the opposite direction and become mesmerized by narrow streets of historic, impressive, colonial-era rowhomes on tree-lined streets that seem to cry "Long live 1776!" I can't think of any other major city in the country that has such a stark contrast in architectural eras and paces of life as Philadelphia (perhaps with the exception of Boston).

To get a "feel" for just how big of a role professional athletics plays in this city's entertainment sector, rent the movie "Invincible", which highlights Vince Pappale's triumph over adversity to become the next rising star on the Philadelphia Eagles roster! FLY EAGLES, FLY! My only gripes about the professional sports teams is that their venues should be similar in Pittsburgh in that a clear view of the city skyline should be visible to help foster even more of a sense of pride in people as they can look up from time to time and say "Wow! That's my city!"

Since I'm a large proponent of walkable neighborhoods, I'd say avoid all of the "glory talk" about how wonderful it is to live in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, or Delaware Counties and try to find a neighborhood in Philadelphia County that seems to be a perfect fit. I don't care how much people like to hype up such suburban areas as the Central Bucks School District; if you need to commandeer a car on congested roadways to reach everything in life from schools, to parks, to banks, to restaurants, to hardware stores, then just how liveable are they in reality?

As for me, if I weren't so gung-ho on wanting to help revitalize my own rising star hometown of Scranton, then I could definitely see myself thriving in Center City. Philly offers something for everyone---from artery-clogging cheesesteaks, to the eccentricities of South Street, to the aquarium in Camden, to wonderful architecture. Sure, the city has some serious crime issues, but if enough residents start the drive to "take back their streets", then even this will be overcome.

[christina0001]

As far as cities go, Philly is decent. Go for it! Have you actually visited Philadelphia yet? If not, why not come out for a week or so, and test the waters. Take a ride around the city and surrounding 'burbs, walk the streets, see if the vibe agrees with you.

[*Sweetkisses*]

Originally Posted by stingray

Move to Philly??? Your joking right
I have lived in N/e Philly for 35 years and this city is a cesspool
There is not one thing good about it If I was not on disability and on a fixed income I would have been gone a long time ago. I was out all day Sunday looking at home’s out side the city.
Homes are way over priced and the real-estate tax will kill you The average tax out side the city was around 7,800 a year and homes in the 5-600.000 price range They are getting around 160-170 just for a row home That’s is Nuts The city government is as corrupt as it can get and is on the way of going bankrupt. The police have all but giving up Had a drug deal in front of my house a few months ago called the police and they would not come out they ended up sending the fire dept out??? and than 5 hours later a cop come to my home and ask if I had a problem??? The cost of living here is very high
They tax every thing Hell if they could tax the air we breath they would , Crime is way out of control ,the people are a rude as you can get , and driving it’s every man for them self . they will run you over . traffic is really bad I have had times it took two hours just to go 10 miles
public transit is a big joke it is expensive miss managed , take a walk yea right if you like to get mugged Yea You think you might want to move here Try going to the city and try walking down 52 th st you will hoop the next plane out and even that will be a nightmare
the airport was voted as one of the dirtiest in the nation they all way lose luggage, planes always running late, sports teams will they speak for them self LOSSERS
In the summer the humpty is so bad you have to stay inside
I can not think of one good thing about this hell hole.
Like I said having to be on a fixed income I fell trapped and no way out

You have a negative outlook on life. Maybe thats why you are living on a fixed income.LOL

[stingray]

You have a negative outlook on life. Maybe thats why you are living on a fixed income.LOL

I am Glad that you think it is funny
has nothing to do with fixed income I am just getting sick and tied people
trying to paint this a good city .any one that will move here will be gone in a year. it that bad I see homes that was sold last year and is now on the market a year later

[*Sweetkisses*]

Originally Posted by stingray

I am Glad that you think it is funny
has nothing to do with fixed income I am just getting sick and tied people
trying to paint this a good city .any one that will move here will be gone in a year. it that bad I see homes that was sold last year and is now on the market a year later

Actually it's not funny, it's a shame really. Personally I don't care whether you like the city or not but please spare your useless rants because that's just what they are useless. No one wants to hear it.Either get off your ass and make a decent living to leave this "****hole", or shut up.

[moneyguy]

Originally Posted by stingray

I am Glad that you think it is funny
has nothing to do with fixed income I am just getting sick and tied people
trying to paint this a good city .any one that will move here will be gone in a year. it that bad I see homes that was sold last year and is now on the market a year later

I guess it may come as a surprise to you, but just because somebody is selling a home purchased a year ago does not mean that person is leaving the city. Is it possible the owner is moving to another part of the city? Maybe your fixed income does not allow you the ability to leave Philadelphia, but there are plenty of people who have the means to leave, but for some crazy reason, decide they actually want to live there. I have many friends who within the city limits and love it. The fact you are "sick and tired of people trying to paint this as a good city" is downright sad. Is it beyond your comprehension that people may actually have opposite experiences to yours? That seems to be the case. You are so mired in misery, you can't imagine how anyone might have a positive outlook, or positive experiences.

[ApartmentNomad]

Originally Posted by MinnesotaBoy

Hi all,

This is my first post so bear with me.

So I have been wanting to get the hell out of MN for a long time and have researched nearly every major city in the country. I have my eye on Philly for these reasons:

Four seasons

Great food

Diverse population

Reasonable cost of living (well, compared to NY/Boston/DC, anyway)

Good public transport (not like NYC, but looks better than the Twin Cities from what I've seen)

Friendly people (from what I've read)

And last but not least, the best damn sports fans in the country!

...So what are your opinions? Would I like it here? Thanks for any replies.

I was just proclaiming my hatred for this city earlier today, but honestly, I think your reasons for moving here are good, and mostly based on the way things really are. Not sure whether we are so friendly, but maybe we're friendlier than we give ourselves credit for. Seasons: the seasons have become a lot less clear-cut over the last decade. At any rate, I don't get the same sort of distinct feeling from one season to another that I had as a child living in Philadelphia, decades ago.

The public transportation system has its problems, but it does cover a pretty wide area. But as others have pointed out, it's possible to get around a lot just by walking. (This is especially true in center city and adjacent areas, but it was true of the neighborhood I grew up in, in Northeast Philadelphia.) I used to regularly walk from Drexel U. (and other parts of West Philadelphia/University City), around 38th and Market to 16th and Green, sometimes late at night. I also used to regularly walk late at night from 2nd & Chestnut to 21st and Arch (approximately). I was never mugged. Maybe I've just been lucky. I'm not saying there is no risk of a mugging happening, but I've thankfully never experienced that in the 15+ years I've lived in center city or the art museum area.

There is a pretty impressive range of restaurants available, from relatively lo-budget foreign cuisine to pricey/elegant nouveau fusion whatever. It's still not as easy to eat healthfully as I'm sure it would be in some other cities, but the constantly opening new Asian restaurants (for instance) make it easier.

But there are severe social problems, the results of poverty, racism, etc. Despite understanding in the abstract how some of these problems developed, it's really hard to put up with them in the concrete sometimes. I moved back to Philadelphia after living in some very white sections of the suburbs (I'm white), but at this point I'm really sick of dealing with racial tension. Not that that's constantly there, but there's always the chance that conflicts will become racially charged, even when they have nothing in particular to do with race.

There's a lot about the culture of the inner city that I don't like, and it has effects throughout the city. I work with the public directly, in a public sector job, and I've more than had enough.

(Also, if you have allergy or sinus problems, this is probably a particularly bad city to move to. Countless transplants have told me they never had any allergy or sinus problems before they moved to this area.)