philly or baltimore (Philadelphia, York, Washington: sublet, apartment, rent)

[themovers]

My fiance and I are moving and have narrowed our search down to either Baltimore or Philadelphia. We are looking for a big city, mass transit, culture and plenty of things to do location. We think that both of these places contain that however, we are still unclear of which location would be best. We are both mid 20s college grads that just want to give the big city a try as we both have lived in Florida all our life. Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated.

[lititzman2003]

I've lived in both cities and like both but considering what you're seeking I'd give the edge to Philly. Good luck with your decision.

[orrmobl]

Baltimore has a more friendly, welcoming appeal. Lots of cool newer places along with the old. I just don't consider it a Big city with a capital b, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

If you want Big City with all the culture, along with the crime and blight, choose Philly.

If you want big city as in your idea of how great a city is and can be, choose Baltimore.

[pman]

Originally Posted by themovers

My fiance and I are moving and have narrowed our search down to either Baltimore or Philadelphia. We are looking for a big city, mass transit, culture and plenty of things to do location. We think that both of these places contain that however, we are still unclear of which location would be best. We are both mid 20s college grads that just want to give the big city a try as we both have lived in Florida all our life. Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated.

I'd be cautious listening to orr's post. Baltimore has more crime and blight than Philly so I'm not sure where that's coming from. At any rate, in truth, Philadelphia has more of all the things you mentioned. Baltimore has the harbor (I don't mean the Inner Harbor cheese, just the smell of the ocean). It's much quieter downtown (only recently has its downtown started to develop) and it's mass transit is much less used (it's regional train system doesn't even run on weekends). Buses run less frequently and the subway doesn't run to many popular areas. Philly has the same transit shortcomings, just fewer of them...andit's far easier to live carless to save money. there are plenty of nice places to live. will you be looking for a downtown apartment?

[themovers]

I begin by thanking everyone for their advice. Yes, we are looking for an apartment dowtown. However, our main goal right now is to get a sublet situation for a couple months. As we want to get on our feet in terms of getting careers and a handle on the city(i.e. where we want our next move(apartment) to be). We are looking to move in the next week or so and definetly appreciate anymore advice or tips anyone can give us. I am 24 and my fiance is 25 both recent college grads leaving FL where we have lived most of our life. That is basically our back info and again appreciate any suggestions

[CHIP72]

Both cities would be good choices, but IMO Philadelphia would be better.

[newmarlig]

I would say Philly. To find something to sublet check Craigslist and put in center city in the search block.

[FindingZen]

In my eyes (all four of them) Philly and Baltimore are similar in a lot of ways, good and bad. They both have a strong ethnic history as well as civic pride. The number of interesting neighborhoods in each city seemed to be overshadowed by issues with crime in the more challenged areas as well as overall public education. Both cities have a downtown area and waterfront with potential. So far Philly has been the most successful with the former while Baltimore has done quite well with the latter. (Kudos to B-more for integrating their stadiums with their downtown, an opportunity that was lost in Philly.)

Concerning public transit, Baltimore has decent options but its commuter rail is limited to the rush hour MARC trains that pass through from NE Maryland on the way to Washington DC. Philly's commuter rail is much more frequent.

Baltimore does have to deal with becoming a satellite of sorts to the DC job market as a good amount of locals head down I-95 for work while attracting priced out DC-area residents who still crave an urban lifestyle. One could say this is happening in Philly too with its proximity to New York although it's on a much smaller scale. I also believe that with our diverse economy, it is the net migration of New Yorker expatriates that is mostly responsible for the trend.


I'm not going to knock Baltimore as I consider it to be a kindred city of sorts... but then I'm not going to hide my bias for Philadelphia, either.

[Dist09]

Been to both cities many times. Outside of Inner harbor I've found Baltimore to be a frightening place. I feel safer in Philadelphia.

[acenturi]

I have lived in Baltimore Center City for 2 years and (now) in Philadelphia Center City for 3 years. I am 26 years old, a "social butterfly" and need a large, varying entertainment environment to survive (theatre, music, museums, sports, etc..). If I had to offer you a simple difference in the 2 cities, I think it would be Philly = Mini NYC; Baltimore = Very Mini Boston. Center City Philadelphia (i.e., the affluent "core) has about 2 x the number of residents as Baltimore and is the 3rd largest in America, after NYC and Chicago. Basically my problem with Baltimore was that, except for sports and the inner harbor area - i.e., "sea food heaven", I found myself spending many weekends in Philly and DC. The Baltimore Inner Harbor is a destination in itself, but after a few visits, it became trite. One of the things I enjoyed most about Baltimore was it's proximity to the Chesapeak Bay recreational areas. I felt Baltimore was more "homey" and Philadelphia much more Cosmopolitan and with a much more dramatic "big city" center city, including its skyline. Economically, if you had an $80,000 annual income, you could get about 17% more in Baltimore than in Philly - i.e., Baltimore's cost of living is 17% less - even accounting for regional salary offsets. In this respect Baltimore is a better choice, but again you may pay the price of less to do. My view of the "neighborhood" differences (i.e., the areas outside of Center City) is that both cities are very similar in that respect. In fact, except for a few notable Philly exceptions (University City, Manayunk, etc.), it's difficult to sometimes determine which city you're in. All that said, if I had not explored Philly on periodic visits prior to moving, I would have likely been quite satisfied staying in Baltimore. To get an idea about Center City Baltimore and Philadelphia, you might go here: City Center Baltimore, MD and
Center City District / Central Philadelphia Development Corporation Of Philadelphia

A suggestion, rent near central Baltimore for a few months or so and explore the area. Take the train (or drive) to Philly for short periods (a few days) and explore the area. Move to Philly for a month or more - then make your decision. Obviously, this plan may be a bit difficult if you need to find immediate employment. Regardless, give yourselves the opportunity to try each city - before you buy into one. Regards, Bill