Moved to Philly from San Francisco
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3/4/2012
I moved to Philly from San Francisco in April 2011, and so far, I actually love it here. It does feel fairly small and confined, as there are large neighborhoods that are best avoided. But it's size has also been one of its strengths, as I felt quite at home with the city in my first month of moving here.
I feel like Philly gets a worse wrap than it deserves - even from the locals. For the most part, I've found it to be a very safe city and incredibly walkable. I live in Center City, and I walk everywhere - Olde City, West Philly, South Philly. I also take the public transportion to neighborhoods that aren't quite as walkable from where I live, like Northern Liberties, Fishtown, and Port Richmond (which has great Polish fare). And while the transportion is nothing compared to other cities like NYC and DC, it's more than adequate.
The quality of life is also a huge plus. I frequently NYC about once a month, where I'll stay with friends in Brooklyn or the Upper West Side. Prices are always double in NYC, and you're not getting anything better. I'm always relieved to come back to Philly and do my Sunday grocery shopping at the Italian Market or Reading Terminal, where produce is cheap enough to experiment.
Certainly, Philly has a number of problems and I by no means want to downplay the crime, which is quite serious in some neighborhoods. But if you stay in the right neighborhoods and just remain alert, this is a great city to explore.
Greg | Philadelphia, PA