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Like "New York???" lol....Well, there's gonna be some slight similarities since both cities occupy the opposite ends of Jersey. I'm seeing more and more New York license plates each week, and even their airport taxis and shuttles throughout the city. (Maybe they're having a bit of un-intentional influence here...lol j/k) I've lived a lot of places and my work takes me "TO" a lot of places and I KNOW Philadelphia does not give off a "Hick Vibe.." Not even close. My lady is from the Bronx as well as her family and some of mines from Brooklyn have never even hinted at anything like that...
Philly DOES need to return to street sweeping with actual people like only Center City District has maintained and also the street cleaning trucks I remember as a kid. Plus have a lot of these lazy lama beans clean up their own blocks, and that includes business owners as well....The 4700 block of N. Broad looks like it was built on a dump. Lastly I am tired of seeing "Pats & Genos" every time there's a sporting or major event televised., and people running up the Art Museum steps, etc;.... There's so much more to the city than that.
I should have said metro. The countryside is closer to Philly than people realize. This is what gives the place a pseudo country vibe at times. Reminds me of Pittsburgh or Cincinnati.
Actually I would rate Philly's transit system at least 5th, maybe better. Only NYC and DC's Metro are clearly better than Philly. But Chicago and Boston are close. Chicago's L is bigger than Philly's heavy rail, but Chicago is much bigger in area and the L misses a number of areas forcing commuters to transfer from buses, ... or bus all the way in to the Loop. The L is anachronistically interesting, esp downtown in the Loop, but it's antiquated nature -- narrow stairs, exposed wooden platforms, slow sharp and/or 90-degree turns, outdoor, leave the station transfers or, in the case of Blue-to-Red (and vice versa), walking throw a block long foreboding tunnel and, in some cases (esp the far north Red Line) station stops every few blocks. And L cars, given the old elevated structure's tight turns, are by necessity small and tight. I recent study comparing the Chicago train ridership to Berlin and (I think) Milan (maybe Barcelona) noted Chicago's was far lower despite being slightly bigger. Modern commuters demand more speed and creature comforts or they will seek alternatives, like driving...
Boston does have better subway coverage than Philly given the former's small size, but the T's Green Line tunnel congestion and extreme slowness takes points away plus the 30-year-old Orange Line relocation from Washington Ave (the elevated) west to the Amtrak/Providence commuter open cut hurt T coverage by removing the up-the-gut HRT.
And neither Chicago nor Boston have Philly's fully electrified (save the small NJT Atlantic City line) commuter rail network that serves many areas of the city not served by the subway and the el. To me, Philly's rail network loses its most points, ironically in light of its hugeness, by its lack of coverage of some close in Center City (corner) neighborhoods, like South Street/Society Hill, the museum district and Fitler Square.
... outside of those 4, there's LA, SF and a few other honorable mentions. But right now, Philly beats them in my view.
If you're going to give Philly credit for the commuter rail, you have to count Metra in Chicago (which covers quite a few neighborhoods not covered by CTA.
If you're going to give Philly credit for the commuter rail, you have to count Metra in Chicago (which covers quite a few neighborhoods not covered by CTA.
I agree. I love Philly's PT, but I think Chicago beats it overall. I would take SEPTA's Regional Rail over Metra, but Chicago's rapid transit is much more expansive than Philly's. Overall, I would place Philly at #4 after NYC, DC, Chicago & tied with Boston...
I live in upstate New York and I know very few people who ever goes to Philly. It seems like everyone I know loves New York and/or Boston. I personally like Philly very much but it definitely takes a back seat to New York and Boston where I live. Between all that New York offers and the beauty of Boston(and New England), Philly just seems to get forgotten. But like I said I really like Philly, right behind Boston and New York.
First off, Boston is physically beautiful with the harbor and the offshore islands and all the ferries running out to Cape Cod and different islands. Philly has none of that except a rather decrepit waterfront.
I'm thinking that the poor perceptions are coming more from people over 40 . I say this because most students on the Penn and Drexel campuses love Philly and find the city to be great place to live and work if fact about 66% plan to stay after graduation . Philly has made some fundamental changes as to how it treats businesses and still changing for the better, that has made Philly a major player in the world of life sciences , robotics , nano science and materials , energy .
Parks are a big part of what's currently being done to keep college grads ; i.e. elevated rail park and a $250 million Penns Landing park which was just funded . In the next year over 1.6 million ft.^2 on new retail will be added to Center City . As far as vitality go's Philly has some of the busiest pedestrian intersections of any city bar N.Y.C. .
Have any proof that 66% plan to stay after graduation? I highly doubt that. Has Philly gotten rid of the onerous wage tax? No, it just put another useless tax on called the soda tax (destroying mom and pop stores in the process).
The city has nothing that truly stands out as a place for a short vaca like others have said such as Boston, DC, NYC, Miami, San Diego, SF, Chicago, etc etc. You cannot connect the NJ shore to Philly like Boston to Cape Cod cause they have fast ferries in Boston that zip you over to Cape Cod in 45 mins. In Philly you have to get in a car and drive an hour or two more to get to a dump like Atlantic City or other over crowded shore towns.
Some great comments and on a city data very little if any city "fights"
I think location is both an advantage and disadvantage. A few key things people mentioned
1. If Philly was located in the mountain west or really any other region it would really shine more. With its history, its neighborhoods, passionate sports fans, shopping, dining, cafe's, etc.
That said the location of being close to NYC, Baltimore, and DC is amazing for weekend trips are offered for those who love cities better than any other city I can think of in the U.S.
2. In my opinion, Philly needs something or some place that people congregate to(again just my opinion, I am not a native, been there many times, but have never lived there and just my opinion). Chicago(I use this as an example for I live here, in the suburbs) has so many of these areas. Many are new in Chicago and that is why i think Philly can do it.
Walking along the Penn Landing I just see so much potential. The Deleware Riverfront I see(again as a tourist) as unused. I know native Chicagoan's cannot stand Navy Pier, but it has been revamped into the NO. 1 tourist destination in the midwest. Also Mill Park and Maggie Daley Park are new(esp Maggie) and has beautified the city so much.
The shopping on Mich Ave is the most beautiful shopping district in the U.S. and maybe the world. The wide boulevard, architecture, Chicago river, shopping, cleanliness, flowers in different seasons.
Ok enough Chicago, what I am trying to get across is that Philly needs an "it" area. Yes the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall is a great meeting place and for history lovers unmatched, but more is needed. Market street is kind of bland and even though the city does have obviously plenty of shopping/restaurants, its kind of just pushed all over and in some cases you miss it.
Also when flying in i take the train into downtown where I always stay(Holiday Inn in gayborhood). The train is usually half crowded, but I look out and always here comments about all the trash on the side's of the tracks. LIttle things make a big impact for the stereotype's erupt.
Yes nitpicking on Philly, only because it is a great city and this is just a message board. The positives in which I hope people dont take for granted is the Italian Market area, the Rocky locations(Rocky is America, the underdog who keeps fighting and does not stand down), the history, cafe's. Philly is without a doubt one of American's greatest cities.
No offense to cities like Houston and the like,but Philly is what I equate to a great American city.
You can't create an "it" destination out of nothing. Philly has nothing to offer that can't be had in DC, NYC or Boston on an even grander scale. It's a hometown and always will be.
Have any proof that 66% plan to stay after graduation? I highly doubt that. Has Philly gotten rid of the onerous wage tax? No, it just put another useless tax on called the soda tax (destroying mom and pop stores in the process).
The city has nothing that truly stands out as a place for a short vaca like others have said such as Boston, DC, NYC, Miami, San Diego, SF, Chicago, etc etc. You cannot connect the NJ shore to Philly like Boston to Cape Cod cause they have fast ferries in Boston that zip you over to Cape Cod in 45 mins. In Philly you have to get in a car and drive an hour or two more to get to a dump like Atlantic City or other over crowded shore towns.
Wow, you really don't like Philly. Re Penn's Landing and the Waterfront:
Philly's most unique offering is its historic sites. And yes, there are historic sites in other cities, but these are unique to Philly on a national level.
Re Cape Cod - I have been over 20 times in my life, and have family in Boston. Cape Cod is not a 45 min venture. The ferries take 90 mins to 2 hours. And that doesn't count traveling to the ferry, boarding, unboarding and driving to where you want to go. Boston to Cape Cod is not easy nor quick on average. There is other ocean access from Boston, but from years of experience, I find the weather and water temperatures to be far more favorable in the Philly metro over Boston.
Philly has some great offerings that I'm sure you'll just wave away, such as Cape May, Lancaster County, Poconos, Chesapeake Bay not too far away, etc etc. While Philly doesn't have a harbor like Boston, it is MUCH quicker and easier to get to the beaches than Boston to Cape Cod.
EDIT: I wanted to add that while you're correct that Philly is not seen as the destination for short vacations like other cities listed, it is very underrated. Until I lived here, none of my family in Rochester and Syracuse had visited. Many have visited now, including places like Cape May and the PA countryside, and they prefer it over Cape Cod and our other frequently visited destinations. Being "a destination" has its downsides (e.g. over-populated, over-touristy, more expensive).
First off, Boston is physically beautiful with the harbor and the offshore islands and all the ferries running out to Cape Cod and different islands. Philly has none of that except a rather decrepit waterfront.
"Decrepit waterfront" Lol. You mean one of the busiest ports in the country that generates billions of dollars, a handful of new recreational piers and parks.
You might not enjoy it Tom Falcons, but a ton of people do including myself. Some of my pictures from this summer
I will give Boston the win in terms of the seaport and stuff (I got some sick photos of that place too)
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My lady is from the Bronx as well as her family and some of mines from Brooklyn have never even hinted at anything like that...
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