Philly geeks

[naomi 343]

Do you like it there?

 

Good points/bad points?

 

Vibe of the people in general? I know it's a difficult question but for example I would describe Sacramentans as basically friendly and a little boring (lot of people here work in bureaucracy).

 

Does it suck being outside during the muggy summers?

 

Is the natural scenery right outside the city pretty or ?

[shotsup 832]

Philthysucks

 

do not let anyone tell you otherwise. hell on earth. HTH

[drobeski 3,061]

The septic tank of America

[Giants Fan 85]

Same thing as New Jersey.

 

But they did have one really cool hardcore band, back in the day.

 

FEAR.

 

[naomi 343]

Out of curiosity I searched baptist churches in Philly looking for independent ones, and then got on google street view around North 24th Street and West Montgomery. Really depressing looking area. But I thought it could be interesting to find my way downtown staying on the street view alone and looking for skyscrapers in the distance. For a long time there were none in sight, and the intro to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air started coming to mind. Pretty sure that was West Philadelphia. Because if there's all that and it's separate from West Philadelphia, holy ###### . Managed to get downtown, went through it and straight into another poor neighborhood. Very depressing but interesting. Made me think about the kids who grow up in that gigantic swath (saw a lot of them), how it would be understandable if it seems like a huge feat to get themselves out of there.

[Giants Fan 85]

Wesside!

 

That's right ... I lived a lot of my younger years on the West Side of lower Manhattan. Greenwich Village .... to be exact. Kind of a rich, gay area. And I used to sneak away ... walk all the way east until Bleeker dead ends into Bowrey. And there was a little club called CBGB and OMFUG ... and we would hang out there all day .... and talk about how the Police sucked. The band. We never really got in any trouble. That's East Village. East Side. But .... the West Side is much nicer. If you love downtown, and you can afford it, the West Village is much easier to live in. My Mom is in the apartment we keep there right now. Survived the hurricane well. James Gandolfini lives just down the street. Used to be what's his face from Shawshank redemption and what's her name .... his wife from Bull Duram before they got divorced. Lotta famous neighbors. Saw Bill Murray and Al Pacino once (two separate occasions), right outside my building. No big deal. John Stewart .... fellow West Villager .... tell him I say hello ... if you run into John Stewart. He'll have no idea who you are talking about, but I have actually seen him on the street .... at least once.

[Giants Fan 85]

Tupac raped some ho' in the West Vill .... so.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell%27s

 

Been to that place several times, back in the day. Before it got all gangsta.

 

Whadya got in Philthy? Meat and cheese sandwiches? Is Geno dead now? Can we shut the fock up about Cheeze Whiz on a sandwich?

 

We use real cheese in New York, pal. Deli style ... American cheese. Unless you want Swiss. Or some nice Provaloné ... maybe some nice prahhschootablabla ... friggin Itallians .... I still dunno what they are saying half the time ..... just say yes. It tastes good. Better than Cheez Whiz anyway.

[Giants Fan 85]

Best cheese steak sandwich I ever had? In Arizona.

 

http://tucsoncitizen...er-worked-hard/

 

If you never got to order a "Trash Can" sandwich at Greasy Tony's .... too bad for you. Best sandwich ..... evah!

 

I mean let's admit it ... Philly .... really doesn't have a stranglehold on cheese melty sandwiches, and cream cheese. Other cities in the US have access to meat and cheese too, these days.

 

Not to mention better sports teams.

 

[naomi 343]

Thanks GF.

 

Other cities in the US have access to meat and cheese too, these days.

True.

[MDC 5,893]

I'll give you a serious reply when I'm not on the iPhone later.

[Blitzen 0]

The septic tank of America

 

I thought that was Detroit.

[pingpong 0]

Do you like it there?

 

Good points/bad points?

 

Vibe of the people in general? I know it's a difficult question but for example I would describe Sacramentans as basically friendly and a little boring (lot of people here work in bureaucracy).

 

Does it suck being outside during the muggy summers?

 

Is the natural scenery right outside the city pretty or ?

Philly gets a bad rap. It is a smaller version of NY. Plenty of diversity, but on a much smaller scale. The people are generally nice, but have the Northeast impatience about them sometimes. Not nearly the same as NY, but not warm and fuzzy like the South. It is near everything you may want, beach, mountains, lakes, nature trails. The humidity sux bad, but you get used to it. The surrounding area is very nice, and the Philly park system is great for nature lovers without having to leave the city.

[MDC 5,893]

Do you like it there?

 

Good points/bad points?

 

Vibe of the people in general? I know it's a difficult question but for example I would describe Sacramentans as basically friendly and a little boring (lot of people here work in bureaucracy).

 

Does it suck being outside during the muggy summers?

 

Is the natural scenery right outside the city pretty or ?

 

I generally like it here. I don't want to live here forever but I'm relatively young and like it a lot for now.

 

Lots of good points. It's still a very affordable city where you can rent a decent 1-BR apartment for $800 or so if you don't mind a quick subway trip to the downtown and rowhouses generally go for under $300K. The standard of living for what you earn is generally a lot higher than NYC. There's a ton of culture here and if you like live music, film, theater, etc. you won't get bored. It's a city of diverse neighborhoods - I've lived all over Philly and South Philly, Northern Libs, the Art Museum area, Fishtown, Center City, etc. all have a different vibe and feel. I think a lot of different kinds of people could find a home here. It's an extremely walkable and commutable city. If you live and work here you can generally get by without using a car on a day-to-day basis. Philly is also a foodie's paradise, and I'm not talking about cheesesteaks - I'm talking about literally hundreds of terrific restaurants, from 5-stars on down to excellent BYOBs and pub food. Say what you will about the teams but it's an excellent sports city, and the vibe down at Citizens Bank Park any day of the week or on Eagles Sunday is electric. Also quite a few nice parks like Rittenhouse and Washington Square, access to Kelly Drive and within driving distance of the shore or PA sites like Valley Forge and Lancaster County. It can be a really great place to live.

 

The downside ... you really need to know your neighborhoods, because while it's generally very safe for employed people in the better neighborhoods there are also some extremely shady and dangerous ghettos here, namely in deep West and North Philly. City services are very poor here. Outside of Center City it really is a very dirty city, the school system is overall very weak, and they don't plow the side streets at all in the winter. We tend to get the worst of the weather, with some really fierce snowstorms the past few years and extremely hot and humid summers. Yes, the muggy summers suck. August has been pretty nice albeit rainy. We had a stretch of about 3 weeks in July when it was consistently in the mid-high 90s and past 100 for a few days in a row with high humidity. I guess if you're from Texor or Louisiana that might not bother you but having lived in NYC and now here, the hot weather is definitely rougher in Philly.

 

The vibe of the city in general is pretty good but yeah, like New York and other major Northeast cities people are rushed and impatient, so it takes a thick skin. It's definitely not as slow and friendly as the Midwest or South. For someone who's in his/her 30s or younger I think this would be a terrific place to live, especially if you're single and looking to move to a new city where you won't know many people. I came here in my 20s and never went back.

 

Hope that all helps, and good luck.

[BiPolarBear 476]

I went to Philly regularly on business and lived in Frederick, MD. Like MDC says; the restaurants are just unreal. Also there is a great market downtown where you can buy fresh produce and other stuff. I was into tea, and found tea there that I had never had before (like gunpowder tea).

 

The thick skin part: I was driving down a street in Philly and a guy coming at me from the opposite direction cut over into my lane. I did a major swerve to avoid a head-on. When the guy scooted by me, he looked me right in the eye and shot me the bird. He hit the on-ramp as was gone.

 

One of the great parts of being in Philly is that you are in comfortable driving range of NY and DC. You can really broaden your since of history and get a dose of culture.

 

Looking for the down? Many cold months with snow on the ground. It can look a little bleak if you are used to a place that is sunny and warm most of the time.

 

Hope that is helpful.

 

[naomi 343]

MDC,

 

What prompted you to move there? (if you don't mind the asking).

 

Saw what you mean about poor city services and the dirtiness when I was on google street view last night. Except for downtown, city pride and TLC was obviously non-existent. I'm thinking none of what I saw is where it's considered decent though.

 

Thanks for hitting all the questions. That was really good info, I appreciate it

 

BPB and pingpong- danke

[zmanzzzz 1]

i was the handler for the 94 philly rage utimate frisbee team.

 

there was an ex eagle db i used to huck to that used to party with chris carter.

 

i rule.

[drobeski 3,061]

i was the handler for the philly rage utimate frisbee team.

[zmanzzzz 1]

 

we played a tourny at leihigh against the reining world champs new york and lost but had fun. afterward we did a round of folf and i won. tradition was they called me 'king' until someone else beat me. my computer job and mbna, newark del ended and got the fock out back to montana, so am still 'king'.

 

you dweebs should be honored that i even post here.

 

http://users.datarealm.com/rage/bio.html

 

have i mentioned my ff record?

[MDC 5,893]

MDC,

 

What prompted you to move there? (if you don't mind the asking).

 

Saw what you mean about poor city services and the dirtiness when I was on google street view last night. Except for downtown, city pride and TLC was obviously non-existent. I'm thinking none of what I saw is where it's considered decent though.

 

Thanks for hitting all the questions. That was really good info, I appreciate it

 

BPB and pingpong- danke

 

I came here for graduate school, met a woman and fell in lurve Got a job down here and never came back. I'm married now and probably sticking around for a while. My wife is one of the many Irish Catholic Philadelphians who thinks this is the greatest place on earth and never wants to leave.

 

The metro area is massive so it's hard to know where you were looking to move. If I were young and single I'd get into Northern Liberties, the art museum area or the Passyunk Square section of South Philly. PS in particular is a very affordable and cool neighborhood. My last apartment there was a huge, newly renovated 2 BR for $800 / month. Great part of town, if you're white. The Italian oldheads down there won't like you much if not.

[Sho Nuff 719]

While it seemed like an interesting place when I visited (and yes, some great food and history)...but wow, what a dirty focking city.

[Brad GLuckman 518]

I had a lot of fun when I visited there earlier this year. Great sports and bar scene.

 

However, my brother lives there and is trying to find a job somewhere else because he and his wife say it's an awful place to live.

I will add, he doesn't do much. Any of the restaurants and history/culture that may be appealing to most people don't apply to him since he doesn't do a whole lot besides work. He mostly dislikes the dirtiness and the people.

[MDC 5,893]

I can't deny it: Philly is a filthy town. Center City is clean but unless you're renting or can afford upward of a half million for housing you're going to be in one of the neighborhoods, and trash is a problem. Got to take the bad with the good, I guess.

[phillybear 364]

This city is a festering dump. We are almost Detroit. Give us a year or two.

 

Oh, and by all means visit the areas MDC mentioned, because there certainly aren't roving flash mobs of youth beating white folks to bloody pulps and sometimes death.

[MDC 5,893]

All that stuff I said about Philly? Take away all the good points and add a 1.5 hour bus commute and you've got the Northeast.

[phillybear 364]

All that stuff I said about Philly? Take away all the good points and add a 1.5 hour bus commute and you've got the Northeast.

 

The far Northeast has stuff you haven't seen in decades. Like lawns, indoor plumbing, cars that don't sit on top of cinder blocks, guns fights in rec centers at noon, and sidewalks that aren't soaked with urine.

 

Nobody wants to buy your drugs, Louis.

[KSB2424 3,083]

I'm typing this from Center City. Staying at the Four Seasons, had coffee and a blueberry muffin whilst sitting outside at Cafe' Cree (or whatever the hell the name was). It was off of Ben Frankin. Philly's pretty cool if you ask me. Of course I think I'm in the nice part of town.

[MDC 5,893]

I'm typing this from Center City. Staying at the Four Seasons, had coffee and a blueberry muffin whilst sitting outside at Cafe' Cree (or whatever the hell the name was). It was off of Ben Frankin. Philly's pretty cool if you ask me. Of course I think I'm in the nice part of town.

 

You're like 2 blocks from my office.

[MDC 5,893]

The far Northeast has stuff you haven't seen in decades. Like lawns, indoor plumbing, cars that don't sit on top of cinder blocks, guns fights in rec centers at noon, and sidewalks that aren't soaked with urine.

 

Nobody wants to buy your drugs, Louis.

 

Northeast is just a big dirty suburb with all the bad of a city and none of the good.

[jerryskids 5,206]

I'm typing this from Center City. Staying at the Four Seasons, had coffee and a blueberry muffin whilst sitting outside at Cafe' Cree (or whatever the hell the name was). It was off of Ben Frankin. Philly's pretty cool if you ask me. Of course I think I'm in the nice part of town.

 

In the past I posted here that in a 36 hour span visiting my brother in the lovely city of Philadelphia, his motorcycle was stolen and we were held up at gunpoint on Market St. In the ensuing discussion, locals pointed out that the problem was that I was in a bad part of town, which was further defined as only the west, north, east, and south sections of Philly. Which means that if you go 10 feet in any direction KSB, you'll probably be gang-raped.

 

Enjoy your visit.

[shotsup 832]

You're like 2 blocks from my office.

 

Get him a coffee

[nikki2200 4]

In the past I posted here that in a 36 hour span visiting my brother in the lovely city of Philadelphia, his motorcycle was stolen and we were held up at gunpoint on Market St. In the ensuing discussion, locals pointed out that the problem was that I was in a bad part of town, which was further defined as only the west, north, east, and south sections of Philly. Which means that if you go 10 feet in any direction KSB, you'll probably be gang-raped.

 

Enjoy your visit.

 

Dude. You were in WEST PHILLY in the 90s at 2 am stumbling around wasted. Of course you got mugged. Duh.

 

Where you were is not like that anymore.

[phillybear 364]

Dude. You were in WEST PHILLY in the 90s at 2 am stumbling around wasted. Of course you got mugged. Duh.

 

Where you were is not like that anymore.

 

Yeah. Nowadays you'd be killed too.

[phillybear 364]

Northeast is just a big dirty suburb with all the bad of a city and none of the good.

 

Yeah. Living in a "suburb" is a bad thing.

 

BRILLIANT!!

[nikki2200 4]

Yeah. Nowadays you'd be killed too.

 

Not where he was. He'd have to go about 15 blocks more west now.

[phillybear 364]

Not where he was. He'd have to go about 15 blocks more west now.

 

Heavens to Murgatroid!!!! But what of this elaborate utopia canvas MDC is painting of Paradiselphia?

[jerryskids 5,206]

Dude. You were in WEST PHILLY in the 90s at 2 am stumbling around wasted. Of course you got mugged. Duh.

 

Where you were is not like that anymore.

 

If you google map Drexel University, it is 2.5 miles west of the NJ border. That doesn't leave much for "East" Philly.

 

Like I said KSB, 10 feet... gang rape... enjoy!

[Mungwater 588]

If you google map Drexel University, it is 2.5 miles west of the NJ border. That doesn't leave much for "East" Philly.

 

Like I said KSB, 10 feet... gang rape... enjoy!

 

He just turned his boxers around and took off in a dead sprint

[KSB2424 3,083]

He just turned his boxers around and took off in a dead sprint

[KSB2424 3,083]

I'm from North Carolina and this is a true stroy.

 

So I get in the elevator this morning in Philly. A man is in front of me and when we walk into the elevator he turns directly to the right where all the buttons are. I walk in behind him to the back of the elevator and say "Eight please" (with a smile) in my deep southern accent. The dude hits 5 and then just looks at me. I get the hint and step up and over to press the 8th floor button myself.

 

Yankee asshole. No wonder phillybear wants to mass murder people.

[phillybear 364]

I'm from North Carolina and this is a true stroy.

 

So I get in the elevator this morning in Philly. A man is in front of me and when we walk into the elevator he turns directly to the right where all the buttons are. I walk in behind him to the back of the elevator and say "Eight please" (with a smile) in my deep southern accent. The dude hits 5 and then just looks at me. I get the hint and step up and over to press the 8th floor button myself.

 

Yankee asshole. No wonder phillybear wants to mass murder people.

 

The gauntlet has been dropped.

 

One of two things happen next. Either you get off on the 5th floor also, and then use your club that you carry around in your backpack. Or as the elevator starts to ascend, you quietly move behind and plant a gentle smooch on the back of his neck.