Tell me about Philadelphia (not the cheese!)

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

My sister is moving to Philadelphia - and thought I should be a bit more knowledgable about it than I am

[ABetaDad]

I have only visited it once but it struck me as one of the most liveable cities I have ever visited in the US. It is a very old city in US terms and built on a human scale. I met the only person in the USA who admitted not not being able to drive. He lived in the centre, used the train and planes and worked in the University.

[juneybertiebottsbean]

Presumably not Philadelphia, Houghton le Spring either ;)

[mumonthenet]

have been .........DONKEY'S years ago.

The part I saw looked charming and interesting and old.

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

No Juney

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

whats human scale abetadad? does that mean it's easy to navigate/walk around rather than being like London which is massive?

[ABetaDad]

Human scale is an important test of a place for me because I do not drive. To me it means being able to say yes to the following question.

Can I live in a house/flat of the size and quality I need at a price I can afford in easy walking or short but regular bus ride of work, shops, restaurants and entertainment?

In Philadelphia I could definitely do that as I was there as a visitor without a car.

I cannot live in a place designed around car journeys. Believe it or not I regard New York and London as human scale because they are very old cities made up of a collection of 'villages' with good public transport betwen them but each village is small enough to walk around.

The man I met n Philadelphia also descrbed living there as like living in a big vllage. He lived deliberately near the centre close to work (University), school for his kids and the shops and restaurants he liked. He did not stray much beyond the local area he lived in.

Now Philadelphia is teh 6th largest city in the USA and like New York and London has its sprawl but it is possible to live in a nice area on the edge of the downtown centre and really not need a car - much as many people don't have cars in New York and London. All of them were built and grew to prominence and a certain scale in the time when horse drawn transport was the norm and many people walked and therefore their road systems and scale of blocks in their centres reflects that still.

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

That's good to hear AbetaDad my sister won't have a car so good to know that she'll be able to get about.

[NoReturnsPlease]

I want to move to Philadelphia now

I was happy here before I read this thread

[scienceteacher]

My BIL lives there. You have to pick your neighbourhood well. Inner city areas can be quite rough and relatively dangerous, but they also have a lot to offer. He moved out of downtown when he had kids.

The suburbs are very pleasant, and it is easy to move around. It is well connected to NYC an DC, reasonably close to the Jersey shore, and close to beautiful countyside.

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

She'll be living out in the suburbs