S/O of leaving DC thread: DC to Philly?

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

My husband has recently been offered a job in Philly and we are considering a move. I would love to hear from anyone who has lived/currently lives in Philly (positive and negative experiences).

To give a little background about us, we live in Logan Circle and really like the neighborhood, and we have a ten month old. My husband's job offer would be more prestigious; I could transfer my job to Philly, but the work in the regional office may be less interesting. However, we are considering the move because Philly seems much more affordable, and is closer to family and NYC, where many of our friends are.

TIA for your input, I really appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

DH's family is in Philly... we are hoping to move there in the future. It is so much more affordable there, I just feel like we could have such a different life. And having family close by makes things so much easier. I am burned out by all the holiday travel all the time, and my child isn't even 2 yet. Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

Philly is a great place to live; where would you consider moving? We have friends in Mt Airy and Germantown and have often been tempted to move up there. Lots of nice people, families, cool things to do. I'm from Swarthmore so it's home to me though no family lives nearby anymore. I'd go for it! Esp. since you have a very little one who hasn't started school yet. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

We moved from DC to Philly 3 years ago--actually were also living in Logan Circle before we moved (although did not have kids then). I miss our friends in DC but really like Philly--it's definitely more affordable, very down-to-earth, a city that has what you want (culture, museums, kids' activities, etc) but is very liveable. I also love that it's located right in the East Coast corridor--we get a lot of visitors from NY, Boston, DC, more than we used to before we moved.

Best of luck with your decision! Let me know if you have other questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

This is the pp who moved to Philly from DC a few years ago. I'd actually generally agree with the poster quoted here, in terms of neighborhoods having more character. One thing I never liked about DC (and I lived there for almost a decade, in several different neighborhoods, and by and large was a big fan) was that a lot of the neighborhoods seemed pretty blah to me. There were a couple that were more fun, like Adams Morgan and Dupont and Georgetown, but they tended to be very small, just a few blocks. I do think Philly has a great diversity of neighborhoods, lots of little independent shops and coffee shops, the kind of thing I always longed for in DC. Maybe that's changed since we moved though. I know that Logan Circle has changed dramatically.

[Anonymous]

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.


This is the pp who moved to Philly from DC a few years ago. I'd actually generally agree with the poster quoted here, in terms of neighborhoods having more character. One thing I never liked about DC (and I lived there for almost a decade, in several different neighborhoods, and by and large was a big fan) was that a lot of the neighborhoods seemed pretty blah to me. There were a couple that were more fun, like Adams Morgan and Dupont and Georgetown, but they tended to be very small, just a few blocks. I do think Philly has a great diversity of neighborhoods, lots of little independent shops and coffee shops, the kind of thing I always longed for in DC. Maybe that's changed since we moved though. I know that Logan Circle has changed dramatically.

NP here. You guys are both right. It's not that there aren't neighborhoods in DC with their own distinct vibes/architecture/watering holes/street fairs. They definitely exist.

But the population of Philadelphia is literally three time as large as the population of DC, so Philly just has more urban neighborhoods, period.

And I'll agree with everyone else, Philadelphia is loads cheaper day in, day out.

[Anonymous]

When I was in Philly it just seemed to me that there were a lot of townies with chips on their shoulders who had never seen much of life outside of Philly, and didn't want to. I mean, cheese steak is good, but it's not the pinnacle of life, people! And then the main line, while snooty, seemed equally provincial. There's a lot more intellectual curiosity in DC, IMHO. But I guess that's only important to you if it's important to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

I do know DC, I grew up here, I live here now - and I agree with that assessment. Relative to other cities, DC *does* lack character. It has no industrial base, no true industrial-oriented blue-collar population, and no ethnically-based neighborhoods. No Little Italy, no true Chinatown (there is a China Block, LOL).

Very sterile, this city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

I do know DC, I grew up here, I live here now - and I agree with that assessment. Relative to other cities, DC *does* lack character. It has no industrial base, no true industrial-oriented blue-collar population, and no ethnically-based neighborhoods. No Little Italy, no true Chinatown (there is a China Block, LOL).

Very sterile, this city.

Washington is the FEDERAL city. It was created for this purpose. Why would it have "industry" if the government is its industry? It has MANY ethnically based neighborhoods, and the ethnicity is African American. Chocolate City anyone? Just because you're afraid to drive into those neighborhoods doesn't mean they don't exist.

If you can't hang here, and appreciate DC for what it is and has been, then relocate. Then you can find fault with the new city that you live in, and bitch on another board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

I do know DC, I grew up here, I live here now - and I agree with that assessment. Relative to other cities, DC *does* lack character. It has no industrial base, no true industrial-oriented blue-collar population, and no ethnically-based neighborhoods. No Little Italy, no true Chinatown (there is a China Block, LOL).

Very sterile, this city.

Spoken like a true Bethesdan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

I do know DC, I grew up here, I live here now - and I agree with that assessment. Relative to other cities, DC *does* lack character. It has no industrial base, no true industrial-oriented blue-collar population, and no ethnically-based neighborhoods. No Little Italy, no true Chinatown (there is a China Block, LOL).

Very sterile, this city.

Spoken like a true Bethesdan.

Actually we live on the Hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOVE Philly. Went to college in the suburbs there and lived in the city after graduating. So much better than DC in terms of community, neighborhoods, and culture. Yes, DC has the national museums and history but Philly has museums and history, too. In addition, Philly feels much more like NYC in some ways, with each neighborhood having its own character and clusters of restaurants and shops throughout the city. The rowhouses are great (if you live in the city) and the suburbs are nice. Easy drive to the beach, easy train ride to NYC (or DC), easy to go north and get hiking or camping. LOVE it!

You sound like you don't know DC. Do you live IN the city here? Somehow I doubt it.

I do know DC, I grew up here, I live here now - and I agree with that assessment. Relative to other cities, DC *does* lack character. It has no industrial base, no true industrial-oriented blue-collar population, and no ethnically-based neighborhoods. No Little Italy, no true Chinatown (there is a China Block, LOL).

Very sterile, this city.

Washington is the FEDERAL city. It was created for this purpose. Why would it have "industry" if the government is its industry? It has MANY ethnically based neighborhoods, and the ethnicity is African American. Chocolate City anyone? Just because you're afraid to drive into those neighborhoods doesn't mean they don't exist.

If you can't hang here, and appreciate DC for what it is and has been, then relocate. Then you can find fault with the new city that you live in, and bitch on another board.

Exactly. Federal. Sterile.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. Federal. Sterile.


Come live and teach in Columbia Heights as I do, even for one day, and tell me how "sterile" it is.

Please.