Rank Pennsylvania's Cities (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton: live in, cost of living, statistics)

[Mr Yuk]

I don't hate Philly, I love to visit there, I'm a huge Phillies fan, but I would never want to live there, and I think just because its too big and too crowded, same reason I'd never want to live in NY. Pittsburgh I would be willing to live in, but probably because culturally it seems to be to be big version of my hometown of Scranton. Philly to me is more a smaller version of NYC.

And I have to say, Pittsburgh has an impressive skyline for a city its size....Philly has a nice skyline too, but I give the edge to Pittsburgh.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

I love Philadelphia!

Glad to hear it!

[pman]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

I don't hate Philly, I love to visit there, I'm a huge Phillies fan, but I would never want to live there, and I think just because its too big and too crowded, same reason I'd never want to live in NY. Pittsburgh I would be willing to live in, but probably because culturally it seems to be to be big version of my hometown of Scranton. Philly to me is more a smaller version of NYC.

And I have to say, Pittsburgh has an impressive skyline for a city its size....Philly has a nice skyline too, but I give the edge to Pittsburgh.

how is philly a smaller version of nyc? I hear that all the time, but sometimes I think people just believe it because they hear it. is boston also a smaller version of nyc? what about chicago? DC? baltimore? if not, why philly?
I think Pittsburgh has, in the past, culturally reflected a declining industrial power but I suspect that Pittsburgh is turning a corner much faster than scranton, and may start to act more like a principal city in the next ten years.
still, you bring up a good point. the mountains don't split PA into east and west, as is often stated, they run from the southwest to the northeast part of the state so scranton and other places geographically look more like the southwestern part of the state where as the philly area shares more in common with south central PA (and parts of md). I think it's something that people overlook.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by pman

how is philly a smaller version of nyc? I hear that all the time, but sometimes I think people just believe it because they hear it. is boston also a smaller version of nyc? what about chicago? DC? baltimore? if not, why philly?
I think Pittsburgh has, in the past, culturally reflected a declining industrial power but I suspect that Pittsburgh is turning a corner much faster than scranton, and may start to act more like a principal city in the next ten years.
still, you bring up a good point. the mountains don't split PA into east and west, as is often stated, they run from the southwest to the northeast part of the state so scranton and other places geographically look more like the southwestern part of the state where as the philly area shares more in common with south central PA (and parts of md). I think it's something that people overlook.

I think Philly has more culturally in common with NYC, and Boston and DC, in that they're major east coast metros. Pittsburgh is more of a rust belt city....more in common with Cleveland, Buffalo, Scranton, etc.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

I don't hate Philly, I love to visit there, I'm a huge Phillies fan, but I would never want to live there, and I think just because its too big and too crowded, same reason I'd never want to live in NY. Pittsburgh I would be willing to live in, but probably because culturally it seems to be to be big version of my hometown of Scranton. Philly to me is more a smaller version of NYC.

And I have to say, Pittsburgh has an impressive skyline for a city its size....Philly has a nice skyline too, but I give the edge to Pittsburgh.

Depending on the area, I believe I'd love to live in Philadelphia. The area near Kelly Drive/Boathouse Row/Art Museum is really nice - many professionals, families and elderly in the area too. That whole area is just resplendent with beautiful buildings, handsome streets and wonderful landscaping.

[pman]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

I think Philly has more culturally in common with NYC, and Boston and DC, in that they're major east coast metros. Pittsburgh is more of a rust belt city....more in common with Cleveland, Buffalo, Scranton, etc.

that's certainly true to a point, though philly, like baltimore, has plenty of rustbelt to it...as it's been put, Bostroit. the Philly area even had steel from coatesville to phoenixville and conshocken...much of the city's wealth had been tied to production. it never had steel, but it made everything from ice cream (breyers) to train cars (budd, which amtrak still runs today) to wagons (red flyer) DC never did much manufacturing and ny long ago moved it to nj. perhaps that's why philly is so misunderstood, it's substantially a rust belt city in the east coast. on the flip side, pittsburgh, despite being in the "rust belt" has a large established university cluster, very much unlike detroit or buffalo and a lot like boston and philly.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

I think Philly has more culturally in common with NYC, and Boston and DC, in that they're major east coast metros. Pittsburgh is more of a rust belt city....more in common with Cleveland, Buffalo, Scranton, etc.

"Rust Belt" isn't so much a culture as it is a cultural overlay. Besides having had an extensive manufacturing history and a somewhat abrupt fall from grace, Worcester, MA doesn't have a whole lot in common with Gary, IN. Philadelphia also qualifies as "recovered Rust Belt," as does Boston. Pittsburgh's also a bit of an odd animal in that it has taken on significant cultural characteristics from the Northeast, Midwest, and Appalachia. As such, it does not very neatly fit in with any particular group of cities.

I definitely agree that Philly is a solid East Coast city, though it's far more like an oversized Baltimore than an undersized NYC.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

It's a shame everyone within the "commonwealth" hates Philly outside of the Philly area. That's okay the rest of the world respects us though

They hate Pittsburgh too....Pitt homers are just tired of Philly homers running down Pitt as some insignificant 2nd rate city whenever compared to Philadelphia when truth be told.

Both cities have many comparables culturally and economically.

Both cities are on the same level as far as Harrisburg is concerned.

Both cites are Hated immensely by the T of PA.

Philadelphia is no more important than Pittsburgh and vice verse in the state of PA, PERIOD....Its the same set up as an LA and SF in the state of California. Neither city out ranks the other even though LA is the larger city.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

Philadelphia is no more important than Pittsburgh and vice verse in the state of PA, PERIOD....Its the same set up as an LA and SF in the state of California. Neither city out ranks the other even though LA is the larger city.

With the caveat that Philadelphia, by virtue of its sheer size, is somewhat (though not incredibly) more important on an economic and cultural scale.

[Craziaskowboi]

Pittsburgh is three parts Northeast, two parts Appalachian and one part Midwest.