Why is Philly so often overlooked?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Violet crime. Filthy-Delphia.

Agree. The streets are a mess- we visit friends there every year or so and the same streets have had the same cracks and potholes for at least seven or eight years now.

It is also extremely insular. People hang out with their families or their friends from high school and have very little interest in incorporating new people into their friend groups. If you didn’t get out of the area when you went to college (and, no, going to Penn State Main Campus doesn’t count. Because half the students there are from Philadelphia.), you will never break away.

So many people who live there never lived anywhere else. About as far as they will go is New York City, but they tend to come running back to Philly after five or ten years or so. I just can’t imagine living that way.

Yep. This is it.

I actually DO like it, but it's way more blue-collar than NY or Washington. It took me a long time to like it, LOL.

Blue collar?

I don't mean that in a negative way. The Eagles coach and quarterback describe it that way all the time.

To be fair, they’re describing it that way so as to appeal to the fans… who are mostly blue collar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kensington…skid row..largest open air drug market in America. Zombie land. No thanks!

Lol why the hell would you be in Kensington?

You probably wouldn’t be, unless you got lost. But, Kensington wasn’t always like it is now. It used to be a kind of scruffy blue collar area. But it has drastically changed for the worse. And guess what, that change can spread to lots of other areas that are “not that bad” right now. Kind of the way a contagious disease can spread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Violet crime. Filthy-Delphia.

Agree. The streets are a mess- we visit friends there every year or so and the same streets have had the same cracks and potholes for at least seven or eight years now.

It is also extremely insular. People hang out with their families or their friends from high school and have very little interest in incorporating new people into their friend groups. If you didn’t get out of the area when you went to college (and, no, going to Penn State Main Campus doesn’t count. Because half the students there are from Philadelphia.), you will never break away.

So many people who live there never lived anywhere else. About as far as they will go is New York City, but they tend to come running back to Philly after five or ten years or so. I just can’t imagine living that way.

Word. Dc sports fans aren’t blue collar
Yep. This is it.

I actually DO like it, but it's way more blue-collar than NY or Washington. It took me a long time to like it, LOL.

Blue collar?

I don't mean that in a negative way. The Eagles coach and quarterback describe it that way all the time.

To be fair, they’re describing it that way so as to appeal to the fans… who are mostly blue collar.

[Anonymous]

How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son’s first choice is Drexel but I like St. Joe’s better. I think I like the area around St. Joe’s better.

Sure, if you’re looking to buy a house and settle down. Much more to do around Drexel for young people and easy to pop into Center City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

There is not a single acceptable zoned public high school within Philly itself.

[Anonymous]

Philly has been dying since the 70s. Everyone I know who is UMC to rich left for college and never looked back — braindrain did a number on Philly and Mainline burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

There is not a single acceptable zoned public high school within Philly itself.

When I first moved to DC, I couldn’t believe how ugly nearly all of the suburbs are. And now, I live in an ugly suburban house. Houses in Phila and suburbs have craftsmanship we will never see again, and it is affordable. Schools are a problem in the city if your kids can’t test in to the best high schools. If they can, they can be in a diverse cohort of highly able students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

There is not a single acceptable zoned public high school within Philly itself.

When I first moved to DC, I couldn’t believe how ugly nearly all of the suburbs are. And now, I live in an ugly suburban house. Houses in Phila and suburbs have craftsmanship we will never see again, and it is affordable. Schools are a problem in the city if your kids can’t test in to the best high schools. If they can, they can be in a diverse cohort of highly able students.

They’re getting rid of test-in for the city magnets.

Most (all?) of the elementary schools are k-8. I know there are at least a handful of good ones.

Agree on the beautiful stone houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

There is not a single acceptable zoned public high school within Philly itself.

Nor is there one in DC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moved from DC to Philly several years ago and couldn’t be happier with the decision. We live in a suburb with excellent public schools and a big house that cost half as much as our townhome in Northern Virginia. I quickly and easily made more friends in a couple months here than I made in almost a decade in the DC area. People are more down to earth and friendly. Cost of living is lower and it’s easier to get to the beach! Because our main home is so much cheaper, we were actually able to buy a shore house and can get there almost every weekend in the summer.

shhhh, dont tell them!

[Anonymous]

It’s crappy. It’s like a low class Pittsburgh. I group both together with Baltimore. And I’m a Pittsburgher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do the nicest neighborhoods in DC and Philly compare?

There is not a single acceptable zoned public high school within Philly itself.

When I first moved to DC, I couldn’t believe how ugly nearly all of the suburbs are. And now, I live in an ugly suburban house. Houses in Phila and suburbs have craftsmanship we will never see again, and it is affordable. Schools are a problem in the city if your kids can’t test in to the best high schools. If they can, they can be in a diverse cohort of highly able students.

They’re getting rid of test-in for the city magnets.

Most (all?) of the elementary schools are k-8. I know there are at least a handful of good ones.

Agree on the beautiful stone houses.

The statement that the city is getting rid of test-in magnets is false. There are some equity-related reforms, that some people don’t like. I get both sides of the argument, which is, of course complex. Bottom line - the magnets aren’t going anywhere. What has largely left the city/burbs are a bunch Catholic schools, which were a cheaper option for many families who couldn’t afford traditional private schools.

Also, I went to a K-8 and loved it. No issues transitioning to a big magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Philly has been dying since the 70s. Everyone I know who is UMC to rich left for college and never looked back — braindrain did a number on Philly and Mainline burbs.

Even the middle class and working class kids I knew who were smart and did well academically did the same thing- went to a good college and left for good. The kids who went to Penn State or the other state universities basically never got out. They returned and spent their adult lives hangout with the same group of people they went to high school with.

Anyone with any potential figured out early on the Philly is a dead end and they made better lives elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Philly has been dying since the 70s. Everyone I know who is UMC to rich left for college and never looked back — braindrain did a number on Philly and Mainline burbs.

Even the middle class and working class kids I knew who were smart and did well academically did the same thing- went to a good college and left for good. The kids who went to Penn State or the other state universities basically never got out. They returned and spent their adult lives hangout with the same group of people they went to high school with.

Anyone with any potential figured out early on the Philly is a dead end and they made better lives elsewhere.

I bet neither of you are actually from Philadelphia and have a limited pool that you’re referring to.