Living in Philadelphia or Baltimore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You must be easily depressed, my friend. And people have been yapping about how Baltimore is “in decline” as long as I’ve been here, which is rounding on 20 years. Yet, somehow, it’s been a very pleasant place to live and raise a family. I just sold my house for more than three times what I bought it for in 2003. My kid is at an amazing private school for half the price of a DC area private school. Stay cozy in N Arlington or wherever. We’ll puff a little Old Bay in your direction, hon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You must be easily depressed, my friend. And people have been yapping about how Baltimore is “in decline” as long as I’ve been here, which is rounding on 20 years. Yet, somehow, it’s been a very pleasant place to live and raise a family. I just sold my house for more than three times what I bought it for in 2003. My kid is at an amazing private school for half the price of a DC area private school. Stay cozy in N Arlington or wherever. We’ll puff a little Old Bay in your direction, hon.

It is in decline. That doesn't mean you can't raise a family in whatever enclave you live in and send your kids to a private school away from the locals rotting in the failing publics. Sounds great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You would have said this about DC 25 years ago.

No I wouldn't. I lived in Baltimore 25 years ago and never said anything like that about DC. DC is the Capitol. Baltimore is nowhere.

You thought dc was on the right track during the Marion Berry era? That’s either total bs or you’re clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You would have said this about DC 25 years ago.

No I wouldn't. I lived in Baltimore 25 years ago and never said anything like that about DC. DC is the Capitol. Baltimore is nowhere.

You thought dc was on the right track during the Marion Berry era? That’s either total bs or you’re clueless.

You don't get it. DC is the Capitol. It has inherent qualities that sustain it and the DC region as a desirable location. Baltimore benefits a bit from that but otherwise has nothing to make it desirable. It's just a rotting city past its economic relevance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You would have said this about DC 25 years ago.

No I wouldn't. I lived in Baltimore 25 years ago and never said anything like that about DC. DC is the Capitol. Baltimore is nowhere.

You thought dc was on the right track during the Marion Berry era? That’s either total bs or you’re clueless.

You don't get it. DC is the Capitol. It has inherent qualities that sustain it and the DC region as a desirable location. Baltimore benefits a bit from that but otherwise has nothing to make it desirable. It's just a rotting city past its economic relevance.

Uh huh. Sure. DC is different, got it, because of... inherent reasons... Thanks for your incredibly valuable contribution to this conversation.

OP, if you move to Baltimore you're going to have to deal with snotty DC-ites who can't imagine how anyone could possibly survive in the degenerate rotting hellhole *koff* of Baltimore. Incidentally, I don't know your field, but if you're in biotechnology this is a wonderful place to be. For an irrelevant city, Baltimore sure does have a thriving biotech industry, arts scene, and the best health care in the world.

Come see it, spend some time, judge for yourself if ignoring the haters is worth discovering what Baltimore has to offer. Talk to people who actually live here, not those who fled the FOMG URBAN BLIGHT fifteen years ago or whatever and who have since decided it's a super scary place. Get an AirBnB in Canton or Hampden and see if the vibe speaks to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I wouldn't pick either. Both are permanently in decline and kind of depressing.

Former Baltimore City and Philadelphia adjacent resident. I'd just move to Florida or Colorado or somewhere with a positive future.

You would have said this about DC 25 years ago.

No I wouldn't. I lived in Baltimore 25 years ago and never said anything like that about DC. DC is the Capitol. Baltimore is nowhere.

You thought dc was on the right track during the Marion Berry era? That’s either total bs or you’re clueless.

You don't get it. DC is the Capitol. It has inherent qualities that sustain it and the DC region as a desirable location. Baltimore benefits a bit from that but otherwise has nothing to make it desirable. It's just a rotting city past its economic relevance.

Uh huh. Sure. DC is different, got it, because of... inherent reasons... Thanks for your incredibly valuable contribution to this conversation.

OP, if you move to Baltimore you're going to have to deal with snotty DC-ites who can't imagine how anyone could possibly survive in the degenerate rotting hellhole *koff* of Baltimore. Incidentally, I don't know your field, but if you're in biotechnology this is a wonderful place to be. For an irrelevant city, Baltimore sure does have a thriving biotech industry, arts scene, and the best health care in the world.

Come see it, spend some time, judge for yourself if ignoring the haters is worth discovering what Baltimore has to offer. Talk to people who actually live here, not those who fled the FOMG URBAN BLIGHT fifteen years ago or whatever and who have since decided it's a super scary place. Get an AirBnB in Canton or Hampden and see if the vibe speaks to you.

Who says it's scary? You're making things up. It's just a declining, irrelevant, run down area.

[Anonymous]

The brownstones in even the “nicer” areas of Baltimore have not appreciated in 15 years. Philadelphia would be a safer investment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The brownstones in even the “nicer” areas of Baltimore have not appreciated in 15 years. Philadelphia would be a safer investment.

Well, my place tripled in price in 20 years, which works out to be about 6% per year. Not crazy good, but not terrible. As I said, it's not a place for real estate speculation, but if you're looking for an affordable place to live with some great housing stock, it's got a lot going for it. Live here because you want to enjoy your life here, not because you're hoping to make a DC-style killing on real estate. That won't happen. It's a much cooler market, and the thing about cooler markets is that they're cooler.

Incidentally, "15 years" takes you to the height of the housing bubble in 2006. A lot of properties, even some in DC, are only now recovering their 2006 peak prices. It's not a very useful data point to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good thing about Baltimore is that you can make a DC salary and commute especially if you have a partial telework schedule. It’s 50 minutes to an hour on MARC and 35 minutes on Amtrak. Five days a week is a bear but people do it. This allows you to feel like you’re UMC on a middle class DC salary.

Commuting from Philly to NY is very rare.

Agree. When you're in Philly, your only world is Philly. If there's no good job there, no option to just take train to DC. I'd feel extremely isolated there.

What on earth are you talking about? This makes zero sense. I’m pretty sure you’ve never been to Philly, let alone lived there.

[Anonymous]

I have no input on Baltimore, but having lived in DC and Philly, I love Philly. It’s a large city, much larger than DC, and sure it has big city problems but it also has great beautiful neighborhoods and it has something for everyone. People dogging Philly probably haven’t been here in 15 years. I actually don’t find it provincial at all, there’s a very surprising number of European transplants in my neighborhood as well as former Manhattanites and people from across the country. I live in the graduate hospital area and love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in Baltimore five years. You couldn't pay me to go back there.

I'd pick Philly 100 of 100 times. There are similarities for sure, but Philly is just so much better along every single metric other than maybe crime.

Yes, Philly has so much more to offer than Baltimore.

[Anonymous]

I’m the PP. Forgot to add another think I like about Philly. Very close to NYC, as well as NJ and DE beaches. Day trips to these places are easy. Not far from other destinations like Poconos, DC, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The good thing about Baltimore is that you can make a DC salary and commute especially if you have a partial telework schedule. It’s 50 minutes to an hour on MARC and 35 minutes on Amtrak. Five days a week is a bear but people do it. This allows you to feel like you’re UMC on a middle class DC salary.

Commuting from Philly to NY is very rare.

Agree. When you're in Philly, your only world is Philly. If there's no good job there, no option to just take train to DC. I'd feel extremely isolated there.

Sorry, as a Philadelphian who traveled constantly abroad and to NY / DC, I disagree. It is so easy to get to places, and the lower of living makes travel so much easier as well. I had a great quality of life there. It is a euro vibe...everyone goes out to eat, there is a great street life and civic feel. Lots of people walking. Lots of different types of neighborhoods, type of business, not the generic dc mini chains and copycat dressers. It is a little dirtier than DC, and slightly less green in terms of trees. Otherwise I prefer Philadelphia even to DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell us how much you want to spend on a house so we can post links! I love showing people what their money can buy them in Baltimore. Their eyes usually pop. Yes, the taxes are high, but not high enough to offset how much cheaper real estate is.

Post a range, OP!

Not enough to offset the heroin addicts everywhere, you mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no input on Baltimore, but having lived in DC and Philly, I love Philly. It’s a large city, much larger than DC, and sure it has big city problems but it also has great beautiful neighborhoods and it has something for everyone. People dogging Philly probably haven’t been here in 15 years. I actually don’t find it provincial at all, there’s a very surprising number of European transplants in my neighborhood as well as former Manhattanites and people from across the country. I live in the graduate hospital area and love it.

Another former DC resident who has lived in Philly the last 10 years. I also love it and it's been a great place to raise kids. Huge benefit to the proximity to NY, in part because many people in the arts and restaurant scenes flee here for lower costs. Wonderful green space, distinctive neighborhoods, great food, great museums--it has what many people want in a city without being prohibitively expensive.