Reviews & Comments
Philadelphia, PA
I'm not quite sure why everyone hates Philly that -
12/22/2010...I'm a transplant, having lived in Boston for the better part of 20 years before moving to Philly in 2002. I live in Center City Philadelphia, first renting and then having bought a place with my wife in the Rittenhouse/Fitler Square area.
So here's my take on Philly after having lived in New England most of my life. Surprisingly friendly place, very "easy" city to live in, quite affordable -- you can buy a house in the best parts of Philly that you never could manage in NY or Boston, good arts scene, excellent restaurants, and very walkable city. (I gave up my car and use a car share group.)
Now there are definitely negatives about Philly. I personally hate this climate -- way too hot and humid in the summers and the winters are generally cool, but not all that interesting for anyone who likes snowstorms. City services here are decidedly mixed: buses are expensive, the subway's coverage is pretty limited, and there's an almost "Rhode-Islandesque" level of ingrained corruption here. We've got a pretty bad tax situation here with a 4.x% city wage tax and the bizarrely named "business privilege tax," which sure seems to limit the potential business growth. And of course, we don't have the beauty of New England just a stone's throw away.
But with all that, I can easily say that I prefer Philly to Boston -- though not the nearby environs relative to New England and I'd have to say that Philly is a very under-rated town. Yes, we've got our problems, but it truly does feel like home to me. And IMHO, we've got a very reasonable chance of making it an even nicer place to live.