Just got back from Philly-- Some impressions - Page 2 - PhillyBlog

Marcy55 · #11 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 08:59 PM

steveatx,
I'm in the process of moving to Philly also and second lot of what you posted. On another matter. You say your from Austin Tx. My husband and I will be making a cross country trip (USA) this fall and will be visiting your city. Any insider advice as to what to see and what to avoid?

MayfairMeat · #12 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveatx

Hopefully next summer when I have some cash saved up! Unless you want to give me a job now!

You could do a loan...

on Prosper.com

I'll bid $50 on a P2P loan for your move if you want to finance it instead of saving for it. Gotta have a job lined up first though before you move here.

Getting a city job is not easy unless you work in education or healthcare--which are the only two fields here that is growing like hotcakes. Overall, the job market is still good if you include the suburbs into the picture.

billy ross · #13 (**permalink**) 05-14-2008, 09:10 PM

Philly was cursed to have more than our share of awful utopian public housing complexes, which have proven to be hellholes. Quite a few have been demolished or simply renovated into much more desirable housing, stuff which would make a good neighbor, and these changes have positively affected many city neighborhoods. Unfortunately, as you discovered, it hasn't happened around 46th and Market quite yet.

About our surfeit of incredible architecture: I have been to other places countless times and followed historic markers to historic sites, only to conclude that if that place were in Philly it would be so unnoteworthy that we would think nothing of demolishing it.

KByrd · #14 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveatx

I just got back from a weeklong scouting trip to Philly. I was quite impressed! It is definitely a place I could call home some day. Here are some outsider impressions if you are interested:

Architecture: There is so much varied and interesting architecture to be seen. Charming colonial rowhouses, pre-war and modern skyscrapers, and best of all--Victorian style homes in UCity. It is just a shame that so many beautiful and detailed older buildings, which many newer cities would die for to call their own, sit in states of disrepair.

SEPTA: It was pretty easy to get around, but there should be more subways and subway/surface lines, and less dependence on the bus. Lines going under South Street and maybe 5th and 21st or so would be awesome. Some gripes: Why is the area around the 46th Street el station so run down? It has great access to CC. And why doesn't the el make any CC stops west of City Hall?

People: I don't care what impressions I may have gotten on PhillyBlog--everyone I met was courteous and friendly, and willing to help out to give directions. They weren't as rushed and dismissive as in New York, or as haughty as in Boston. There were definitely quite a few people I wouldn't strike up conversations with, but that element is in every city. What was disappointing is that I felt that a lot of people there don't appreciate the fact that they live in a vibrant, interesting city and choose to trash it. I was so sad to see so many people just throw their wrappers on the ground-- even people who were right next to trash cans!

Parks: On my first afternoon I hiked on the Wissahickon. It was so beautiful that I couldn't believe I was within Philly's city limits. What got to me were the graffiti tags on basically every tree that lined the walk-- really uncalled for. I went to Clark Park for the People's Flea Market, and took in all of the energy. That place is a great asset to the community. Rittenhouse was great too, a wonderful living room for the city. I love parks and squares where you can just hang out, listen to music and watch people doing whatever they are doing. No place like Rittenhouse has been built for a very long time.

Wawa: I'm in love. Who wouldn't love a place where you can make your own milkshake and adjust the thickness, order a sandwich on a touchscreen, take money out of an ATM for free and purchase twin packs of pre-boiled hard-boiled eggs?

Just a couple of comments. The Victorian houses in Univ. City were in MUCH
worse shape 20 years. Today, I consider them to be very greatly improved.

The 46th and Market Sts area has a storied and, almost forgotten, history in American
culture. In the building that says it's the Enterprise Center(I don't have a clue
whether any enterprising actually goes on inside !), was the home of WFIL TV/Radio,
the home and originator of The American Bandstand show in the 1950s and
early 1960s. Part of the reason it's in such decay now is because of the El
re-construction project although the area was declining way before that.... since the late
1970s.

People in Philadelphia, typically the native population, have been in the shadow
of NYC(and nominally DC) for so long that we(I'm a native) frequently
feel inferior because of it. There's a lot of discussion about that... even
our new mayor talks about it... but I don't know how we are going to get
past those feelings. It doesn't help that companies like Apple(there's
a long thread about it on phillyblog) bypass the city(Center City in this
case) and place Apple stores in the burbs. It hurts. And when we read
things like Boston now having the largest Apple store in the country,
it really hurts. It makes us feel inferior and ask the question over and over,
"What's wrong with us?" We're a much larger city than Boston. We have
great universities and colleges here. We have an intellectual community here
who would FLOCK to a big Apple store. Why is Apple ignoring Phila. Why???
I think I know one of the reasons why, but that's another thread.

Lastly once upon a time most of bus lines of today were trolley lines. People have
talked about building more subways or expanding the existing city rail system
but I'll believe it when I see it.

KByrd · #15 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveatx

I was visiting from Austin, and stayed with a friend at 46th and Walnut. I went all around Center City, checked out South Philly (Italian Market and Snyder east of Broad), drove through Belmont to get to the Wissahickon, and explored West Philly from 52nd eastward, Manayunk, Mount Airy and Germantown.

People who post here will generally tell you to avoid a lot of W. Phila west
of 50th/52nd St. But there are good neighborhoods further west, Cobbs
Creek, the Overbrooks(Overbrook, Overbrook Park, Overbrook Farms)
and the Wynnefields(Wynnefield and Wynnefield Heights).

KByrd · #16 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billy ross

Philly was cursed to have more than our share of awful utopian public housing complexes, which have proven to be hellholes. Quite a few have been demolished or simply renovated into much more desirable housing, stuff which would make a good neighbor, and these changes have positively affected many city neighborhoods. Unfortunately, as you discovered, it hasn't happened around 46th and Market quite yet.

Actually it has... just north and west of Market St, toward Haverford Ave and Fairmount Ave.
That's where the Lucien Blackwell homes are. And, no, I don't want to get into
a big discussion about his widow and her ties to that project!

steveatx · #17 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcy55

steveatx,
I'm in the process of moving to Philly also and second lot of what you posted. On another matter. You say your from Austin Tx. My husband and I will be making a cross country trip (USA) this fall and will be visiting your city. Any insider advice as to what to see and what to avoid?

*Barbecue at the Salt Lick in Driftwood
*Tex Mex at Chuy's or Juan in a Million
*Swimming at Barton Springs
*Coffee at Spider House or Epoch
*If you like to party, Sixth St. between Congress and 35, or Fourth St. between Lavaca and Congress at night
*Walk up Mount Bonnell to check out the view
*Go to the Whole Foods flagship store (amazing)
*Walk down South Congress between Nellie and Johanna Sts.
*Dinner at Magnolia, East Side Cafe, South Congress Cafe or Kerbey Lane

steveatx · #18 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastChestnut

You could do a loan...

on Prosper.com

I'll bid $50 on a P2P loan for your move if you want to finance it instead of saving for it. Gotta have a job lined up first though before you move here.

Getting a city job is not easy unless you work in education or healthcare--which are the only two fields here that is growing like hotcakes. Overall, the job market is still good if you include the suburbs into the picture.

Hey, thanks for the offer EC

The problem is getting that job. I have more than enough saved up to make the move itself, but I want to have a good cushion so I can spend a little while finding a job once I get there. It seems that unless you are in those fields you mentioned, if you have an out of state address when seeking employment you will be looked over.

alesis · #19 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 11:00 AM

I'm tellin' ya that the royal castle doesn't care if you are from out of state.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveatx

The problem is getting that job. I have more than enough saved up to make the move itself, but I want to have a good cushion so I can spend a little while finding a job once I get there. It seems that unless you are in those fields you mentioned, if you have an out of state address when seeking employment you will be looked over.

romano · #20 (**permalink**) 05-15-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveatx

Hey, thanks for the offer EC

The problem is getting that job. I have more than enough saved up to make the move itself, but I want to have a good cushion so I can spend a little while finding a job once I get there. It seems that unless you are in those fields you mentioned, if you have an out of state address when seeking employment you will be looked over.

What field are you looking in? Finding a job in the city rather than the suburbs might be tricky, but certainly not impossible.

One upside of Philly being in the shadow of Boston, NYC and DC is that it's still relatively affordable. Those cities sometimes feel like playgrounds for the rich, while in Philly, you can still afford a place in a relatively nice area on a middle class salary.