Los Angeles vs. Philadelphia (affordable house, employment, buying)

[Ritu Season]

My husband and I are debating between the two towards a long-term move. Any specific thoughts on either location?
Thanks!

[Natural510]

I'm assuming you're posting this on the Bay Area forum due to our collective intellectual prowess. It really depends on what you're looking for in a city, because they are completely different from each other. Specific thoughts would require at least some background on what you're seeking...

[uptown_urbanist]

Two totally different cities. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses. We've lived in or near both cities, and love them both. What do you want out of a city? Philadelphia is, I believe, cheaper than LA. Probably depends on what you want, though. LA is obviously much, much bigger, but Philly has a big city vibe of its own, and is easy day trip distance to NYC. Both are very different from the Bay Area.

[socalinnorcal]

Two very different cities. Differences: weather, regional (west vs. east lifestyle), economy, cost of living... etc etc

Are you living in the Bay Area currently and that's why you're posting here? I lived for a significant amount of time in LA and for about 6 months in Philly. Hated Philly as a resident, but I'm born and raised CA so maybe that's why. As a tourist Philly is cool for a few days-- lots to see (esp if you're into history) and some good restaurants. LA, while somewhat challenging to adjust to at first when moving from norcal, is really a terrific city with so many interesting layers. If you can get past the traffic and smog (wink) I think it's definitely one of the more dynamic places to live. "Dynamic" is not a word I think of when I think of Philadelphia. Anyways, what are your jobs? Buying power? What are you looking for in a place to live? Hard to help beyond the surface since, like I said, they really couldn't be more different and I see these two cities as comparing apples and oranges.

[Ritu Season]

@Natural510, uptown_urbanist, socalinnorcal: Thank you so much for reading, and for your thoughts!! I am sorry for the paucity of info/lack of background. I am a former Angeleno and I love the bay area. But job prospects are not as appealing here (in context of the field my husband and I are in), and we want to make a "smart" decision towards moving. We have two little babies moving with us. And hopefully we will not move again after this move! My priorities are: (1) a reasonable to moderate commute time between work and home (2)Affordable home in an excellent school district. Both priorites are under the umbrella of "good for the kids". Any further comments/thoughts would be much valued. Thank you for your time. Best wishes,

[gone down south]

Philly schools consistently rank among the worst in the nation; all our friends there either move outside the city or send their kids to very expensive private schools.

[Ritu Season]

@gone down south: Thank you so much! I have been hearing from more than two people how great the schools are there. I need to research that a bit more now...thanks.

[socalinnorcal]

Commuting in and around LA is horrible. There's no easy way around that. LAUSD is the public school district spanning the city of LA and is known to have SERIOUS problems. There are some great schools sprinkled throughout, but many of the schools are low-performing and poorly managed. I suggest doing some serious research on the school situation there-- check out API scores (easily googled). You might find you need to "escape" LAUSD for guaranteed quality education which then takes you to the outskirts of LA (the 'burbs, sherman oaks to the north or south bay to the south) further perpetuating the traffic/commute issue. Now, you could go private within LA but be prepared to shell out $$$$. Great private options if that is something you're interested in.

Housing affordability?? That might be an oxymoron in LA, no? Guaranteed: any affordable house is NOT near a quality public school. I think if you've got bucks and you aren't afraid to throw some money at the issue, you can give your kids a great upbringing and good education in LA. No amount of money will solve the traffic/commute issues that affect nearly everyone!

[Toure]

Philadelphia's better by a little bit. There entirely different city's.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by Ritu Season

@gone down south: Thank you so much! I have been hearing from more than two people how great the schools are there. I need to research that a bit more now...thanks.

I grew up in Philly. The schools there are generally horrible and at one point were taken over by the state of PA. Although I suspect the schools in L.A. aren't a whole lot better.

Philadelphia probably has the most affordable (and fairly nice) housing stock on the East Coast. Not really cheap, but much cheaper than Los Angeles (high property tax rates, though). I think prevailing wages in Philadelphia are higher, too. Traffic in Philly is generally lousy, but they do have decent transit in some parts, although the regional transit authority, SEPTA, is notorious for being poorly managed and the fares are high (or at least this was the case; I don't think much has changed).

Los Angeles obviously has much better weather, outdoor stuff, and a much nicer natural environment..but I would suspect the traffic is worse, and the schools only marginally better. Prevailing wages there are lower and housing costs much higher.

Both have good arts/culture, but they're very different.

So, I would probably say based on your criteria, Philadelphia would win. But I would not live in the City proper if my kids were in school. Live in a close-in suburb or near work. There are a lot of employment centers outside the city limts.