Boston or Philadelphia

Philly, NYC is much closer

Philadelphia

I used to want to live in the Philadelphia area (not necessarily right in the city) because I thought the food was good (a lot of it sort of Pennsylvania Dutch), the stone farmhouses and barns were beautiful and the countryside charming. I liked New Hope and Doylestown back in the 80s (I don't know what they're like now) and I liked the historic feel of the area. Boston has similar qualities so it's hard to decide. I suppose I would give the edge to Philadelphia because I like Quakerism, but both cities are equally great. Philadelphia seems to be blighted in some areas with more slummy neighborhoods and they need more trees on the streets to give a criticism about it. Boston's traffic and public transportation (except maybe its subway) are, or at least were, not good. Then again, Philadelphia was no picnic concerning traffic either.

Money no issue? Neither! Gun to head? Philadelphia.

"Edge to Philadelphia because I LIKE QUAKERISM"... M A R Y !!!

Boston would be more fun and stimulating but I'd pick Philadelphia as i haven't lived there yet.

Why r5, what's wrong with that? I had to chuckle though......

Boston.

Boston, definitely. Philadelphia is full of the rudest, nastiest people you'll ever encounter.

In the actual city? Boston, because Philly is a shithole. Outside the city, Philly, because the suburbs are beautiful, it’s closer to NY and I’m more of a mid Atlantic vs New England sort of person.

I chose Boston. If I'm in an eastern city I want it on the ocean.

Philly - no question. Bigger, more diverse, more of everything -restaurants, gay bars, nightlife, housing -better weather, closer to NY/DC, cheaper. Though Philly has a lot of blue collar, working class and poor people, it also has a lot of educated, cosmopolitan, hip people.

Philadelphia is like an oven in August--I'm not sure what Boston is like but it can't be as ungodly hot as Philadelphia.

Philly

The last I knew when I lived in Pennsylvania 27 years ago was that you can't buy alcoholic beverages in drug stores or grocery stores as you can in California. Going to a separate "state" store was a pain in the ass. I'm not sure what the laws are in Massachusetts. Also there is state inspection of cars in PA which your vehicle must pass if you want to drive it out of the mechanic's garage that will do inspections. You have to display an inspection sticker in the lower left corner on the inside of your windshield, or at least that's how it used to be. I felt liberated from all that shit when I moved to California.

I lived in Philly in college/during my 20s. It was a great starter city, but I had no desire to live there longterm. It's very small-town in a way.

Definitely Boston, "the Athens of America". Great having access to Cambridge and the universities. Lots of cultural events, fab Italian food, quick access to the beach via the Nantasket ferry.

And what would you do there? If it's a low wage job, then forget Boston, they will look down on you.

I went to a conference at the University of PA. I found it sort of depressing. Just seemed like a glum place to go to school. (especially at Ivy league prices....I meant there are nicer ivys)

Philly is friendlier. Boston s a cold bitch.

Agreed r19, Penn's camps is shabby and ugly.

I love Center City and other historic parts of Philadelphia and I think it's vastly underrated, but would probably prefer Boston overall.

Philly. Keepin' it real!

If money is not an issue one can live anywhere as long as it's close to an international airport.

Philadelphia. Less snobbish, more unassuming. Close to New York and DC. More affordable. Has good art and better food than Boston.

Boston no question. Philly is too provincial. Boston has a wonderfully eclectic vibe due to the universities and international flair.

A poll would have been soooo helpful.

I work in Boston and live in philly. Both have their uh, charms. I think it depends on the fit, try them both out and see

I've lived in both.

Boston has a more severe winter, otherwise I liked them equally. Note, I only stayed in Center City Philadelphia areas outside Center City are less cosmopolitan. Boston is more dense and urbane than Philadelphia and Boston is much more expensive than Philadelphia.

All that said, I prefer Boston.

R9 - such a drama queen.

Very important question OP: will you live in downtown area or burbs? Philly burbs are amazing. Beautiful. And center city very accessible. Downtown Philly only nice in certain parts (think nyc in the 1970s).

Boston is an absolute bore and crawling with college kids.

R32 and their cocks!

Boston. I like to be near water.

Best description of Philly I’ve heard= Bostroit. Basically a historic vibrant core of colonial architecture, great restaurants, tourism, art and culture (Boston) surrounded by incredible poverty and abandonment (Detroit). The suburbs of both are nice - though as with everything in Philly vs Boston, Philly’s are bigger and more diverse.

Philadelphia

Philadelphia has a bigger gay community and gays have more protection and have a gay council. They also ensured that gays have access to HIV meds. You have the best protection. You also have the Gayborhood.

[quote]The last I knew when I lived in Pennsylvania 27 years ago was that you can't buy alcoholic beverages in drug stores or grocery stores as you can in California.

You can now.

R37 Philly's gayborhood is not much to brag about

[quite]Boston is an absolute bore and crawling with college kids.

And people connected to the hospitals.

I'd choose it over Philly, but I don't like either place. But Philly REALLY gives me the creeps.

If you like mostly white people, Boston. Otherwise Philly for sure.

Since when R38?

R39 - versus like the 2 gay bars in Boston!? I’ll take the concentration of 11 gay bars within 3 square blocks in Philly. One of the last vibrant gayborhood in the US. Now if you’re talking about the quality of the mens, we can tawlk.

I love em both but Boston in particular the north end neighborhood

Definitely Boston. I don't see how it is even a question.

The person who called Philly provincial is correct. I like Philadelphia, but it is not Boston. Boston just feels like more of an important city, the best minds in the world are brought to Boston.

Yeah - PA liquor laws are ridiculous. But if you know how much people in Philly drink, you understand why there has to be some restrictions.

The liquor laws are slowly changing but there is an entrenched monopoly of business owners and beauracrats with a major financial incentive to keep them unchanged. It took major supermarket and convenience chains suing to finally fight them and win. As of this year, some grocery stores and convenience stores can sell beer. Liquor is still only in “state” stores which are a total monopolistic racket because there are only a few and they keep European hours. Though they finally got some of them to open on Sunday and later at night - progress.

National Georgraphic Magazine proclaimed that Philadelphia is the next great city. I’m a proud Philadelphian. I love It especially because it’s the underdog, it’s edgy, metropolitan, historic, beautiful and has a wonderful, intact gay community.

[quote]I work in Boston and live in philly.

Why?

How?

I LOVED Philly when I spent summers there in the 1970s. Went to school in Boston and hated it. (I'm from NYC)

People say Philly is a dump now, but how could it be worse than the 1970s?

More down to earth, normal people in Philly. Boston is full of stuck up snobs who went to the top schools there and look down on you if you didn't attend those schools. yes, lots of college kids. annoying as fuck!

I’d rather be in Philadelphia.

Boston.

Boston is still racist as fuck.

Philly is better than the 70s now..less crime ..rittenhouse sq is the best

Philly totally. More to do, more interesting people, fewer 20-somethings living off their parents, better employment opportunities. Boston is strangely liberal and segregated. And, the people are unfriendly unless you either come from a good family (ie: an upper class one from the area) or you went to Harvard, and to a lesser degree, because no one really likes engineers, MIT.

Best thing about Philly -- you don't have to deal with Boston sports fans.

Interesting question OP.

Lived in Philly in the 70s and looking back now, yes it was grubby although I didn't realise it then. It's cleaned up quite a bit. Back then, it had a real chip on its shoulder about NYC (and NYC was even grubbier in the 70s) but it was like people had to apologize for wanting to live in Philadelphia when the real city was so close. Like you chose to be second rate.

Boston has always been snobbier. Better universities and world class hospitals. Winning sports teams these past 20 years (after decades of being TERRIBLE, exc. for the Celtics, don't begrudge us) plus being on the water because good seafood is important. But it's extremely expensive to live there.

Philadelphia has cleaned up quite a bit since the 70s and it's got a rep for being trendy *and* reasonable for living. It still seems "small" compared to Boston, maybe because it's so centralized. Grid streets make it easier to find your way around, that's for sure. Boston's are just an invitation to getting lost.

Boston Symphony vs Philadelphia Orchestra? Paul Revere and Sam Adams or Ben Franklin and Betsy Ross? JFK or Princess Grace? Grinders or Hoagies?

Interesting question.

I've lived in Philly for 20 years and really, really love it here. I also have days when I really, really hate it here (usually when I start my day with yet another SEPTA problem). It's a bipolar city. There are really grungy areas, but yesterday a friend and I visited Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill on a rainy drive and I just couldn't get over how lovely the neighborhoods were. Chateau-like mansions and beautifully manicured lawns. So different then my neighborhood in South Philly.

The people here are either quite abrasive or they can be your closest friends. I met my best friends here on a stoop next to a beer store! But my neighbor is a raging deplorable with anger management issues who makes my life hell.

Nobody is judgmental here. You can go grocery shopping at the Acme in a grungy robe and slippers and nary a person will give you a nasty look.

It's easier to get to New York, Washington or Baltimore here than it is in Boston.

My parents live in Lancaster County and it's a quick Amtrak ride to some of the most beautiful and relaxing countryside on God's green earth.

I do love Boston, but I couldn't live there. Too small, too many white people and too expensive.

Come to Philadelphia, OP. I'd be happy to show you around and be your friend.

Both cities seem to have black/white race issues (but not really Latino, Asian issues). But Philly much less so - at least it seems to have an entrenched, active and huge AA community. They are politically powerful and the city seems more integrated at a lot of levels. Boston seems stuck in its WASP, liberal ways with an academic acceptance but not practical, street-level integration.

Definitely Boston. Philly is just packed to the gills with lowlife scumbag trash. Boston does have a serious problem with racism, but overall the people there are far more educated. Plus, it's on the ocean.

Boston for sure. I love how Massachusetts is the bluest of the blue states. There’s a sense of comfort that you can just be yourself out in the streets. And then there’s the proximity to Provincetown. The weather does suck though.

Philadelphia is much more quirky and bizarre, if that counts. There are shops, buildings, museums, that are truly one-of-a-kind and no one seems to make a big deal over the fact.

Boston is far more aristocratic and urbane but can seem a bit over-designed.

There is not - and could not - be a show called "It's Always Sunny in Boston".

Does Boston still have the Combat Zone? I notice no one mentioned Boston snow.

R35 has it Close to right. Outside the small historic area it’s a fucking combat zone. If you’re white, you really have to stick to the suburbs - for real. And even the historic area is pretty run down. Even the Ritz Carlton there is shit.

I visited a couple times as a kid and then went back about two years ago - honestly I don’t know if it has always been this bad or what, but it was fucking grim. If it costs a lot less to live there, well that’s for good reason.

Boston is closer to Montreal.

Boston--closer to beaches, mountains, funkier liberal suburbs, more charm.

[quote]If you’re white, you really have to stick to the suburbs - for real.

Some of the worst neighborhoods in philly are entirely white. You sound like a typical suburb queen, we have them in both philly And in Boston. “Dark people are scary!!”

R48, I work in Boston about once every two months, I have for about ten years now. I travel up and air Bnb, damn is housing expensive in Boston!

I live in Philly because, well, I like it.

lived in both and prefer my home state Philly. Great food, Great bread a la sarcones! You can afford to live in Philly and you have so much culture and diversity . Boston has winters from hell, no spring, straight to summer and odd heatwaves. I live on the north shore of boston now due to family commitments but id move back to philly in a flash if I could. I miss hoagies, lorenzos pizza, the secret cinema, and the feeling of being part of a neighborhood.

R42, since last summer beer and wine is sold in grocery stores. The distributor still owns the stuff, unless you’re a brewery, but the lincense to sell it has been loosened.

Better question: Philly vs New York

I know the answer, just give me what Philly has to offer.

R63, you don't know what the "combat zone" was in Boston, you pompous ass.

As an educated black man (4th generation college educated) and having been born in Boston, but raised in Washington and having a Mother from Cambridge and a father who graduated from Boston University, I'd sadly say NOT Boston...like everything , things and cities change. Actually, all cities are changing . I found Boston racist, pretentious and certainly not the hub for intellectuals my father always boasted about, of course that was back in the late 1920s. Good Luck...have you thought of Barcelona?

I can’t really speak to Boston but I moved to Philly a year and it has been a mistake. It’s bleak and the people aren’t schlubby and depressing. If money truly is no objective there is absolutely no reason to live in Philadelphia.

Random Trivia: how many Philadelphians experienced fatal overdoses in 2017?

Lots of people in this thread have clearly never lived in either city. Lol at people calling UPenn "grungy"!

I went to school and worked in both Boston (currently) and Philly. Boston is more beautiful but quite boring. Philly is much more vibrant and livable. Philly also is packed with excellent universities and hospitals, for the record.

yes i agree vibrant is the word for philly back in the day the gayborhood, italian market, south street. boston is a bland city. all they have going for it is lobsterrolls and the coast

Philly is closer to NYC and DC and even though money is no object, you do get more for it there. However much of it can be a depressed crime ridden shithole like Baltimore, Hartford, Newark, Wilmington, etc. Boston is nicer but with cold weather, colder people, and is a bit more expensive. Boston does give you access to the Cape, Nantucket, and Maine, etc. I like rugged swarthy, Jewish and Italian men, so maybe Philly. Sex overall (bars, sex clubs) might be better in Philly but Boston probably has more twinks. Both places can be insular. Food might be a tad better in Philly. Summers in Philly are insufferable and while warmer than Boston, winters are sleetier. Probably leaning toward Philly.

[Quote]Boston does give you access to the Cape, Nantucket, and Maine, etc.

Bon Appetite just ranked Portland the 2018 Restaurant City of the Year.

Portsmouth is nice too.

I just don't want to be landlocked if I'm living on the east coast. Also, I prefer New England beaches to the Jersey Shore.

the shore is something I just don't think about when living in either place

Interesting how you identify yourself R72. "1217" ? Troll post.

1217 Philly phucks, OD,d, you fool.

Boston

R66 you’re right (and the NJ suburbs of Philly like Haddonfield are also shit) - and those areas are depressing crapholes as well. And I’m 40 and have lived in NY all my life - I like being able to live in a city that’s safe and not decrepit and depressing as fuck. Maybe it hasn’t always been this bad but right now Philly is a shithole.

And my father is from Princeton so I have a definite soft spot for that area.

Boston, not even close.

[quote] Maybe it hasn’t always been this bad but right now Philly is a shithole.

no, it was MUCH worse. not even that long ago

[quote]And my father is from Princeton so I have a definite soft spot for that area.

no, you just are rich white asshole

Back to the pipe R81 .

Oooh r83 you’re so woke. Forgive me for calling an area what it is.

I’d try Boston first.

R78 = Boston intelligence.

[quote]Forgive me for calling an area what it is.

no forgiveness for cunts like you. neither boston nor philly deserve you

Philadelphia. Walkable, affordable, very cultured for a city of its size (many museums, theater companies, world class orchestra), good restaurants, great parks. I think Penn's campus is beautiful for an urban school. As others have said, the suburbs are the most beautiful in the country.

You can live very well there.

Philadelphia is the kind of place where the founding fathers said, "rather than stay here in this city, we'd rather move to a swamp in Maryland." Think about it.

That’s not what they said. DC was a huge compromise. No one liked it, Washington particularly.

Please, come to Boston.

Boston. Because Ben Affleck.

I love Philly. My niece lives there and is very happy after living in nose in the air globalized environments. Philadelphia has a nice local quality missing from many other East Coast cities, and black people have a healthy say in how the town is run. The town feels optimistic and on the upswing after years of bad times.

I like both. However if you like easy access to natural environments, for good skiing, beach and just natural beauty I think Boston wins. Deep down my roots are in the industrial North East and Philly is closer to that. I do love the light in Boston, there is something about it.

Prefer Philly but R95 is right that Boston has access to more natural beauty. As much as I love that, it’s not enough to make Boston attractive to live in.

I was born in Bucks count (philly burbs), lived in both Boston, Cambridge, (and New York City)

That being said - The city of Philadelphia is a complete shit hole, save for a couple, small pockets of neighborhoods within the city. I only ever go into the city for a couple docs that I see.. growing up I don’t remeber it bing as unsafe as it is now, although some neighborhoods since then have certainly improved, and some have drastically worsened. My cousin recently graduated from the Tyler school of art, and had the unfortunate experience of living on campus, in north philly. She was attacked and robbed at her doorstep her senior year. So she moved out and spent the remainder of the year commuting to school from he parents home in the burbs (a nice burb.)

Boston - I only ever lived in Beacon Hill, and my exposure to Boston was pretty much exclusively back bay/south end/ north end/and beacon hill...with the exception of taking the red line T to Cambridge - of course those areas in a Boston are wonderful.

Cambridge -considering I lived only a couple short blocks from Harvard Square, it was lovely, but there are some bad parts in Cambridge most definitely

My sister lives in a nice home in a nice suburb of Boston. I’ts probably worth around 1.3milliin. You could get what she has in a nice town in a nice Philly burb for probably around 1 million. . So the cost in Boston is A little higher then philly.

Few suburbanites hate their city more than Philly. Maybe St Louis, Cleveland. Maybe it’s because the suburbs are so nice and the cities have high poverty rates.

There are a lot of nice neighborhoods in Philly - but North Philly is the absolute poorest, most crime-ridden, drug filled section of the city. Need to compare a similar sized area - such as Center City Philly (Society Hill and Rittenhosue Square) to Boston. If you consider Center City vs Boston, very similar. But Philly center is surrounded by desperate poverty - true shitholes. But to call the city as a whole a shithole reeks of the uniquely suburban Philly city-hate mentality.

Then that’s me r98, am David I make no apologies for it. When my cousin was attacked last year, my love for most of philly diminished completely. Like I said, there are nice small pockets within center city - but that’s it.

Philly is also a much larger city than Boston. I don’t think many realize that center city is just a small portion philly - you have the entire section of northeast philly (which has its own set of problems) etc, which definitely is nothing like center city.

I mean I make no apologies for it.

Sorry my iPad keypad is freezing up

R97, ugh, more tiresome buckco assholes. So glad you hate philly, and please stay away

Those thugs who nearly killed the gay couple in CC where from your neck of the woods, you know

[quote]Then that’s me [R98], am David I make no apologies for it.

Sorry that you’re so shitty and proofreading, but typical. Again, glad you will stay away, you’re the suburbanite who is insufferable.

R94 - you mention blacks as having a healthy say in how Philly is run. They make up 44% of the population, why wouldn’t they? Do they not in Boston?

Unfortunately, Philadelphia is not run in a healthy way. It’s incredibly corrupt. Both White and Black pols are on the take.

[quote] Do they not in Boston?

apparently not

Boston is about 48% white, 22% black, 20% latino, 10% Asian. Asian is the fastest growing demographic. The suburbs are mostly white, which makes the city of Boston feel whiter than it actually is. Boston has never had a non-white mayor, but Massachusetts has had a black senator and a black governor. Cambridge has had a black (gay) mayor and black lesbian mayor.

"After living in nose in the air"

Ugh, could you please learn to hyphenate, R94?

I like and appreciate them both - but Boston feels like a finished thing, whereas Philadelphia is still somehow a work in progress.

Ugh, what’s the difference?

I grew up in a nice section of Philadelphia and no one ever goes to the the “bad” parts. I’ve lived in Boston and live in NYC now.

The desirable areas of Philly are great- they have everything that NYC has to offer- great music and art scenes (both classical and cutting edge), amazing restaurants, beautiful parks, world class education and healthcare, a thriving gay scene. I think the nice areas are more beautiful than NYC. Everything is on a much smaller scale than NYC which makes it easier, but after living there for a while, you realize it lacks the energy and global feel that NY has. My all-time two favorite restaurants are in Philadelphia.

When I was in my early 20s, I volunteered in one of the dangerous neighborhoods, and my parents would have killed me if they new where I was going. Honestly, I feared for my safety in that area, but some of the kids I worked with were really amazing. After spending time with them, it became clear that they would have a really tough time ever integrating into “normal” society. Growing up in poverty, surrounded by violence, with no responsible parent is a difficult thing to overcome. It is really sad and no amount of money will make it better for them. One of the kids who I had a great relationship with warned me not to walk on her street at night, that I would get shot! How sad is it that she has to fell that way?

The nice neighborhoods outside of center city feel like the “cool” Brooklyn neighborhoods- strong sense of community with cute bars and restaurants and fun local shops.

Boston felt even smaller to me, with less energy. I could never live in Boston for a long time, but I wouldn’t mind living in Philly.

The politics in Philadelphia are totally corrupt, but the taxes are still lower than in NYC.

Very good post

I wonder where all the people calling Philadelphia a "shit hole" actually live. I'd love to see how perfect your little lives are.

I love Philly. The people who hate this city are welcome to never step foot within the city limits. GTFO.

Exactly

I think a lot of the suburban hate for Philly is a black/white issue that gets confused with a crime/poverty issue. For a lot of Philly suburbanites, black=Philly=poverty=crime. As a born and bred Philly suburbanite (Delco - like Bucksco, a land of Deplorables), most people I grew up with make this equation without bothering to try to understand the distinctions and cause/effect of each category. They live in suburban bubbles. I am amazed how many NEVER go to the city - 20 minutes away - because it is “crime-ridden”. Even though Center City - where everything a suburbanite would do is located - had a crime rate lower than Boston.

r114, and deco has chester, the best example of the American dream deferred I've EVER seen in the US, worse than camden.

In Chester, the dream isnt deferred, it’s DOA. Though strangely, less than a mile away is a beautiful, wealthy, well-funded All-American dream town. It’s like Chester is this walled-in prison of poverty, crime and desperation -which also happens to be black -further feeding the black=poverty=crime equation of the Delco Deplorables.

Philly is larger, has more amenities, better restaurants, and is better situated; New York, DC, the Jersey shore and the Pocono mountains are all within 2-3 hours drive. Boston is much smaller and more remote.

[quote]It’s like Chester is this walled-in prison of poverty,

Don’t forget the fatcats whizzing by in the Acela to DC

Chester PA is the worst shithole in the country - never seen anything like it...

R119 worse than Camden NJ?

[quote]If you’re white, you really have to stick to the suburbs - for real.

MARY! There are some dainty little prisspots that post here.

Yes, people like you should definitely stay out in suburbia.

Not R119. Chester seems slightly more vibrant than Camden. Not as much blight and abandonment. Some middle class areas and it’s surrounded by safe decent suburbs. A lot of working class poor. I think it’s the contrast between Chester and the surrounding areas that make it seem so shocking. Income and race contrast is so stark.

Boston..

Philadelphia - as reflected in the diversity of opinions about it expressed here. May not be ideal for everyone but interesting, diverse and unique enough for people to have differing views about. Boston is a big yawn.

Boston is one of the world's economic engines. Philadelphia is not. That's why it's expensive - people get paid more and are willing to spend more to be there.

Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States yet it's all about the future: AI, robotics, bioscience, medicine, finance, and education are the drivers of economic success today. Without them, you're St. Louis or Detroit. With them, Boston's a city with a solid future and thousands (and the number is growing) of highly-paid jobs.

This isn't said to trash anywhere else - Boston is sooo lucky to be what it is today. It helps to be in the bluest state in the country, too, one with a billion dollar budget surplus and sensible voters if not always drivers. Philadelphia is unfortunately located in a state that's in bad shape financially and politically.

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor as metaphor: Washington, New York, and Boston are destinations. Providence, New Haven, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore are stops along the way.

Boston was founded 1636 (I think) and Philadelphia 1682, so both qualify as being two of the oldest cities in the US. Puritans founded Boston, Quakers founded Philadelphia. Puritans were exclusive, Quakers inclusive. Boston kept this nose in the air attitude well into the 20th century. For a time the saying "banned in Boston" I guess usually applied to books and plays was widespread in the 20th century. Philadelphia had little of that attitude as far as I know. There have been books written comparing the two cities. Benjamin Franklin certainly liked living in Philadelphia moreso than his native Boston.

Boston is TINY. Philly is the second largest city on the eart coast.

Having only cursory firsthand knowledge of each, I'd go with Boston. I know New Englanders are as cold as the winter climate, having lived in the Berkshires, but I'd love to be around the bookstores, cafes, general vibe of Harvard and other top-tier schools. My memory of Philadelphia was it was a dirty city with far too much graffiti, with a dangerous and dark vibe. No brainer for me.

Boston is the 10th largest city in America (Philly is #8)

[quote] Amtrak's Northeast Corridor as metaphor: Washington, New York, and Boston are destinations. Providence, New Haven, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore are stops along the way.

BULLSHIT. Philadelphia is not a stop along the way. 43 million visitors spending $11.5 billion in 2017. Philadelphia is the birthplace of America, and our history is an unparalleled tourist attraction. We get visitors from all over the world. I know, I work in the tourism industry. So don't try to diminish our achievements just because you visited the Liberty Bell 40 years ago on your first grade field trip and hated it. You're not an expert on this city, I am.

[quote] Boston is the 10th largest city in America (Philly is #8)

Another lie, we're #5 or #6, depending on Phoenix (which isn't a real urban core city).

I really HATE the Datalounge assholes who inject their opinions as facts.

Triggered much R130? Reads like a bad case of defensiveness. Read what I wrote before you respond: "Amtrak as metaphor."

You want to argue then argue, don't deflect. You disputed nothing I wrote.

Boston is number 10, Philly is number 8. Phoenix comes in at at 11.

These are official census metro areas, which is what people look at to rank cities, as the actual city limits are arbitrary.

Should have been a poll. Philadelphia in a heartbeat. I lived one dreadful year in Boston and hated it.

And I gave you facts why Philadelphia is not, as you say, "a stop along the way." Not sure what you mean by me deflecting. Sounds more like you backpeddling because I gave you facts.

R125 has a good point. I prefer Philly - but financially and politically, Boston and MA has its act together. Philly and PA are a financial and political mess.

After watching Parking Wars, I will never live in Philly. Boston all the way.

HOWEVER, I'd pick the suburbs of Philadelphia over Boston.

[quote]Amtrak's Northeast Corridor as metaphor: Washington, New York, and Boston are destinations. Providence, New Haven, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore are stops along the way.

Bwahaha... WTF does this even mean? Philly is the second largest city on that list, pretty sure it’s a destination for many. A “stop” and a “destination” mean the same thing in this context, unless you mean “terminus,” which none of these cities are, and would be beside the point anyway.

Well, all those cities are merely that: cities! Boston is a municipality!!

Aren't they both shitholes?

The population disparities probably come from some people looking at figures of the metropolitan region and some looking at those living in the actual cities.

In both cases,Philly is bigger and denser. But will agree Boston job growth is better - even it’s still smaller.

I've lived in both and find the recreational activities outside of Boston far better. Parks, too. Boston is surrounded by beautiful parks. Forget the damn suburbs of Philly - nice people, but they're sterile and only car friendly - I love the little towns outside of Boston that you can walk around and that have nice little town parades and harvest fairs. Skiing is less than an hour away, the ocean is cleaner than it has been in years, but lots of FREE beaches to explore right in the city itself.

Philly? You have to go to the 'shore' in Jersey if you want anything similar, and it's a far cry from a Hingham or a Nantasket Beach for access to city folk.

The only problem with the transportation in Boston is their rail line, mostly the Red line, and it's delays. That's being fixed with new stations and high speed trains come 2019. I see a lot to like in that city, in how it's cleaner and younger and more forward looking. It's also a lot more integrated in the neighborhoods, so it's changed and the people know it.

I loved the food, people, and the spirit of Philly. It was also more affordable when I lived a bit outside the city, in Prospect Park. The transportation system wasn't as affordable as Boston's, but I understand they also just raised rates, so maybe it's comparable. I will say the bus transit from the 'burbs of Philly sucked. The burbs of Boston were more connected and, again, easier to walk about it. Some of those small towns make the increased traffic a bitch, but I'd rather deal with that than the broad boulevards you see outside of Philly.

I also preferred driving in Boston. Philly drivers are incredibly aggressive. That may have changed a bit in Boston, but back when I lived there you'd be surprised to hear honking during rush hour.

Finally, I find the people more reserved in Boston, but I prefer it that way. I got a lot more mouthy fools bothering me in Philly (I'm a lesbian) and especially when I was just out jogging. I actually stopped for a little while because of it...big mistake in the land of cheesesteaks.

Agree R142- Boston has better parks and beaches. But I do think Philly suburbs can be as nice or nicer. And many walkable - though agree Philly people love their cars. Even people in the city insist on having a car. And susbufbanites look down on using public transportation. Wonder why Philly has obesity issues? Boston is definitely a healthier city. I’m shocked at how few people take care of themselves in Philly - Physically and mentally. Sad, stuck, overeating, overdrinking, angry. But would still take Philly first because it’s bigger, more diverse and more dynamic -as well as ending less isolated and northern than Boston.

^ being less isolated

What are these great areas everyone keeps talking about? Center City is so small and feels touristy. Would love to find the Philadelphia equivalent of Beacon Hill, the South End, or Harvard Square.

R145 - yeah, three areas no one can afford.

[quote]though agree Philly people love their cars. Even people in the city insist on having a car.

Who are you people? Blatantly untrue. Lifelong philly person here. Very few people own cars in the city (not fucking “Prospect Park” or anywhere in the “burbs”), at least very few people under 40, even 50.

I lived in Boston and have been to Philly for work.

Philly was one of the most depressing and sad cities I have ever witnessed. Just the vibe was so sad and downtrodden, I could not get over it. Even the wealthy parts were just gloomy to me. This is only my vibe. One of the most successful branches in m company is in Philly- and I love those guys. GREAT PEOPLE. But they are very angry and combative, but REAL. And I can see why. Anyway, I could not WAIT To get home to Boston. And I remember sitting in the cab (heading home to Boston) and feeling SO LUCKY AND GRATEFUL.

However, Boston is small as fuck, provincial, elitist AS FUCK, EXTREMELY UNFRIENDLY PEOPLE- You definitely will have to get out and find friendships- I remember at Club Cafe this group of men who would not even SPEAK to any guy who was not a true professional-Doctor, Lawyer, etc.

Frankly, I would not choose either city. I would rather live in Charleston or a place like that-

And if you live in Boston, and take some nice long walks, you will learn how incredibly small it is. It actually scared me when I realized it. I was beginning to get bored and lonely as it was, and one night it hit me that I had walked through the entire city!!!

You probably came to Philly after Trump was elected.

So sad that Philadelphia doesn’t have nice parks. Oh wait, it has the largest urban landscaped park in the WORLD.

The DL has always been notorious peddling specious opinions as fact.

[quote]Boston is an absolute bore and crawling with college kids. And people connected to the hospitals.

Philadelphia has FIVE medical schools. Plenty of students and “hospital people” to be found there as well.

The people posting about Philly are all idiots who 1) “went there for work,” ie, spent a few hours, tops, commuting between an airport hotel and god-knows-what, or 2) lived in a suburb for some unknown period of/era in time, and watched a lot of “Action News.” Anyone who thinks Philly is a city of car-owners with no parks clearly knows nothing about Philly.

Philly comes in at #5 in America in cities where people don't use cars, though Boston comes in at #3 after New York and DC.

Philly is an absolute shithole. I lived there for several years. I lived in Center City and in the suburbs for seven-eight years. The people are the worst and the food is overrated and gross. It is also incredibly provincial. The people who live there have never lived anywhere else. I also lived in Boston (well, Cambridge) and it was great.

Philly has some nice new buildings. Its skyline has become quite impressive.

R155 only eats at restaurants that sell food by the lb.

Wonder what has these Bostonians so upset.

That's been my experience as well, [R155]. Been living in Delco for work since 2010 and still can't find much to like about Philly. Thinking of moving back to NYC and commuting,

[quote] Been living in Delco for work since 2010 and still can't find much to like about Philly

Disqualified. You live in Delco.

If you can't find something to like about one of the largest cities in America, that tells me more about you than the city.

Go back to New York.

[quote]If you can't find something to like about one of the largest cities in America, that tells me more about you than the city.

I don't even live in Philadelphia and I agree, some of these responses are absurd. I've had many fun weekends in the city.

Of course I live in Baltimore, which is also frequently written off as a "shit hole", guess many DLers can't handle the least bit of grittyness. Funny, the same ones will also post about how Manhattan was better before it was disneyfied.

Lived in Philly from 18-27. It has its charms and I'm grateful for my time there, but I wanted to get the fuck out before 30. Not a place for longterm roots.

Some of these comments are ridiculous. A friend of mine bought a car when we were around 24-25 and I kept asking her why she bothered.

Damn some Philly people here who are triggered. Wtf? If someone here hates New York I don’t take it as a personal offense. Fact is, Philly is an extremely depressed, run down city at this point. And the historical areas are so small and they still have a depressing vibe - not to mention that’s not where people really LIVE. You might like it and be a great person but that doesn’t mean your city isn’t in bad shape - and has been for a while.

Why do you think it’s so much more affordable?

In true DataLounge fashion, I think the question ought to have been posted: Would you rather be Charlotte Vale or Tracy Lord?