Living in Philadelphia or Baltimore?

[Anonymous]

Philly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather old town Alexandria. preferably not in rowhouse there. I'd rather be in that new waterfront condo building next to all the rowhouses with easy access to DC by water taxi.

Oh for sure, especially given how similar the price points are for those condos/Old Town to that in Baltimore and Philly, this is a great suggestion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Baltimore and lived in Fed Hill. It is a complex city but we really enjoyed our time there. I wouldn't want to live in Fells with my family, but would move to Roland Park in an instant.

FYI, there are some parts of what are basically Roland Park (Keswick) or very close to it (Tuscanny-Cateburry and certain parts of Guilford) that have townhouse type arrangements and probably work better for families than Fells.

+1 check out Oakenshawe in Baltimore

[Anonymous]

I've lived in both, for multiple years. Philly is way better by a country mile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love Baltimore and lived in Fed Hill. It is a complex city but we really enjoyed our time there. I wouldn't want to live in Fells with my family, but would move to Roland Park in an instant.

FYI, there are some parts of what are basically Roland Park (Keswick) or very close to it (Tuscanny-Cateburry and certain parts of Guilford) that have townhouse type arrangements and probably work better for families than Fells.

+1 check out Oakenshawe in Baltimore

These are all good options. I would also suggest if you want the vibe of Fells Point without the negative externalities, I’d recommend Canton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather old town Alexandria. preferably not in rowhouse there. I'd rather be in that new waterfront condo building next to all the rowhouses with easy access to DC by water taxi.

Oh for sure, especially given how similar the price points are for those condos/Old Town to that in Baltimore and Philly, this is a great suggestion.

Lol

[Anonymous]

I'd also recommend Fitler Square in Philly. Great neighborhood, lots of restaurants, CVS/Supermarker/Starbucks/Wawa on South Street, and easily walkable to Center City. Plus, Fitler Square itself is a gorgeous little park.

[Anonymous]

Which neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Baltimore are good for raising kids/teenagers?

[Anonymous]

Philadelphia is a much larger city than either Baltimore or DC, population wise. I lived in center city for three years (Rittenhouse area) and encountered far more crime than in 20 years in Baltimore. Basically the good and bad parts of Baltimore are more divided, in Philadelphia, it really can vary street by street, especially downtown. Market street in Philadelphia has really gone downhill while other areas, mostly near the water, have improved.

Fell’s Point is really charming and would be a fun place to live as long as you are ok with the late night traffic due to the big bar scene there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd also recommend Fitler Square in Philly. Great neighborhood, lots of restaurants, CVS/Supermarker/Starbucks/Wawa on South Street, and easily walkable to Center City. Plus, Fitler Square itself is a gorgeous little park.

+1 for Fitler sq. So pretty!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Baltimore are good for raising kids/teenagers?

I'm assuming if you can choose you care a lot about schools and could possibly pay for privates, so...
in Philadelphia look at Chestnut Hill and Germantown
in Baltimore look at Roland Park, Homeland, Tuscany-Canterburry, possibly Guilford

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Philadelphia is a much larger city than either Baltimore or DC, population wise. I lived in center city for three years (Rittenhouse area) and encountered far more crime than in 20 years in Baltimore. Basically the good and bad parts of Baltimore are more divided, in Philadelphia, it really can vary street by street, especially downtown. Market street in Philadelphia has really gone downhill while other areas, mostly near the water, have improved.

Fell’s Point is really charming and would be a fun place to live as long as you are ok with the late night traffic due to the big bar scene there.

Philadelphia is basically a tad bigger than Baltimore+DC in population. In land area it's a tad smaller than those two put together.

Center City, IME, is a bit like early -1980s Manhattan in that so much varies by a lot of random factors like luck. If you really crave urban grit, it might be a good place, but it seems very uneven to many of us.

I'm guessing 'near the water' means the Schuylkill, not the Delaware. But maybe you mean Fishtown and Northern Liberties?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hello! In around 6-8 years, I'd like to buy a brownstone/row house or a nice condo in Philly or Baltimore.

I've been to both cities and really like Old City, Society Hill, and South Philly, and Fells Point in Baltimore.

Does anyone here have any personal experience and/or knowledge of living in these places? This will be a primary residence.

Come back and ask in 6-8 years. At least live in one or both of these cities first, when you're old enough to move out of your parents' home.

[Anonymous]

We have a second home in Patterson Park in Baltimore, MD. My husband and I love the area. I have never lived in Philly but my husband has. He says that Baltimore and Philly are both good "second tier" cities (to DC and NYC) but that he would pick Baltimore because it has cheaper housing and is closer to DC (where he works). Don't listen to the negative stories about Baltimore. We lived in DC in the late 90s and Baltimore is safer now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which neighborhoods in Philadelphia and Baltimore are good for raising kids/teenagers?

I'm assuming if you can choose you care a lot about schools and could possibly pay for privates, so...
in Philadelphia look at Chestnut Hill and Germantown
in Baltimore look at Roland Park, Homeland, Tuscany-Canterburry, possibly Guilford

No offense, but Germantown is a terrible idea for a good neighborhood for raising kids/teenagers. Beautiful old houses, and certainly getting better, but massive street crime and quickly devolves into some very scary neighborhoods (e.g., Tioga/Nicetown). Chestnut Hill is very nice, but very expensive. West Mt Airy is good. For both, privates or charter are a must. East Falls has some nice areas, again with private school. Otherwise, I would say the suburbs are the way to go.