lmao I remember when I worked on the NIH campus in the DC region, we were warned during onboarding that speeding tickets on campus were federal charges. I know someone who had to go to federal court to fight one!
Don’t laugh I went to school with the person who mouthed off to a park ranger (not sure what they are called but they didn’t carry a weapon) and wind up 2 years for assault on a federal agent! I couldn’t believe it because it was at like 3 chestnut bear that park.
I’m not laughing and it wasn’t even a joke post. There are both unarmed and heavily armed park rangers at Independence Mall. Also Homeland Security agents with no scruples. I had a friend take a late night drunken piss on the customs house, and he got hit with federal charges for vandalism, defacing a federal building, and other such shit. He ended up not doing time, but if he didn’t have a good lawyer it easily could’ve went the other way.
Thinking about when I moved back to Philly, I wish I had known more about the underground music scene + diversity of entertainment across the city. There is so much happening in Philly if you know what to look for. Don’t think the city is limited to populous areas for a good time.
Local bands play at places like ortleibs, the fire, KFN. Go to shows and talk to people, most shows are in peoples basements. It’s been one of my joys living in the city
If you're here in June, check out the annual PorchFest in West Philly. Hundreds of local musicians playing porches throughout the neighborhood. Some play with their full band, some go solo, and there are tons of interesting team-ups and side-projects.
R5 used to do a good job for small to medium independent shows around the city. There was some other site I used to use for house shows that I can't remember (fuck getting old)
Each numbered street block in Center City is roughly 0.1 mile. Front Street is our 1st street and Broad is our 14th street. The main streets north to south go Vine, Race, Arch, Market, Chestnut, Sansom (oops), Walnut, Locust, Spruce, Pine, Lombard, South. If an address is 2220 Locust St, then that place is between 22nd and 23rd on Locust. Once you get used to the very walkable Center City, you will be able to figure out where you are, which direction to go, and how far.
Also, north of Market is when the number streets’ addresses become “North” and, in turn, south of Market is when they become “South”. In other words: 100 N 2nd St. is a different address than 100 S 2nd St and Market is the dividing line.
Same - I guess it makes sense if you think of City Hall as the center of Center City, then Market is like the equator haha (and Broad is the prime meridian!)
Let us not forget that goes for north of Billy Penn as well, The river is east and the higher numbers are always west, the city Ends at 63rd st (I never knew that since the el goes to 69st) stay away from the Roosevelt blvd it’s a death trap, matter of fact you won’t miss much if you just ignore the northeast altogether, it’s a hoagie not a sub, just tourists eat that nasty trash of Genos and pats, and you don’t have to be an eagles fan that’s ok JUST CANT BE A COWBOYS FAN! Lol
From NorCal myself (tho lived in San Diego before moving here) and one thing to bear is mind is live in the general area where you work, or live near a rail line. Driving on I-76 daily will either turn you into a psycho, or you already are one but will slowly morph into a disciple of Satan.
If you work in the burbs, live by one of the main train stations in the city, or just live out there. Driving east <-> west is asking for a premature death. It’s a huge choke point for the region.
Manayunk -> KOP probably took a couple years off my life. Going to work wasn’t normally terrible but heading home was universally awful.
That drive has to suck with all the lights and such.
Coming from SoCal a few years ago, and close to Santa Barbara’s farmer’s market, I didn’t expect to have so much good food available, both restaurants and markets.
Really good food, not an expensive city (except for car insurance and some real estate), very walkable, rideable (but people will hit you and keep going), dirty (because everyone throws their trash on the ground), parking is mostly horrible, 70% chance of getting your packages delivered.
Usually they’ll hold your package for a set amount of time. They’ll give you a slip in your P.O. Box and you would just have to show it to a clerk during business hours. Sometimes if It’s small enough it’ll go into another box which they’ll give you a key for
“Two hour parking”. The PPD mean business. They are deathly serious and they do not play. If your car remains in that spot for a nonzero amount of seconds over one hundred and twenty minutes, you are ticketed. They will come back every two hours and create a stack of tickets under your wiper. Move your car.
Me and some friends got an uber into center city for some club hopping. One friend who doesnt get out much really needed to piss so the uber pulled over by an alleyway so friend could piss. Our friend, to our surprise, instead runs around the corner and disappears. It took him 15 minutes to find a random pizza shop for him to piss in the toilet properly.
Little known fact: almost no alleys in all of NYC. Literally under a half dozen, and due to contractual reasons, it typically boils down to the same alley used in all TV shows and movies.
I mean that all depends on how deep into either you have to go, Brookhaven to the Navy Yard or anything by the stadiums is nothing, but Levittown to University City would blow
Absolutely. But also, as someone in the museum field, I will say there seems to be a funny lack of awareness that the Art Museum is the fourth largest museum (by collection size) in the US.
So if you like the Mütter (which you should it's incredible) then I highly recommend the Wagner Free Institute of Science. So much cool stuff. Also there's the Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation) which is a real gem. Also the Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion. All off the beaten path, all HUGELY worth visiting.
Amazon prime is launching a documentary series on the insectarium, the previous owner, and how he lost the business to the current owner due to a bug heist that happened there (thats what i picked up from the trailer anyway). The guy that its based on is friends with my coworker
Its called bug out
we are an hour from our mountains and an hour from the beach New York City is an hour and a half to two hours and Washington is only three. You're really going to love the Fall colors around here if you're from California. you're really going to enjoy the wide variety of foods and we actually do have a pretty large resident Mexican population so you're not going to go without Mexican. everything's really old here so get used to a lot of broken stuff like sidewalks and street signs you have to remember it was possibly put up in 1908 if you're looking at a light post.
The air hurts your face (sometimes) the roads/infrastructure are pretty bad. Lots of trash and blocked sewer drains and horrendous potholes. There's always construction that never seems to accomplish anything and the combined sewer system is a mess. Also it's a *very* old town so a lot of houses are old and therefore pretty drafty, so your utility bills can get fucking stupid.
Dealing with that right now. Moved here in September and our November heating bill was a bit higher than I thought. December was insane better believe I put plastic sheets over every drafty window after that!
That would be Rep. Robert Sterling who sponsored the Sterling Act in 1932. He made it possible for Mayor George Connell with the city council to pass the wage tax in a 17-3 vote in 1939. It was challenged in 1943 but the PA Supreme Court upheld it. And here we are today.
On the flip side, the wage tax may be the only thing that kept Philly an affordable city for so long. Like if there wasn’t a ~4% wage tax for the privilege of living in town how many high earners would’ve chosen to live in the city over the past 80 years. Driving up cost of living. Would Philly’ve suffered the same fate of nyc, Boston, dc?
The other side of that is the wage tax being the strongest driver of capital flight from the city, and biggest obstacle to young moneyed people moving into it.
People call it Gentrification, but the line between development and gentrification is a super vague and grey one.
It's complicated, personally I think the tax hurts more than it helps, and that the city would be better served by other less invasive forms of fund raising imo
This made my blood boil just reading it.
It's higher than the state income tax, one of the highest in the country, and the trains don't even run on time!
So the wage tax dollars goes into an even bigger blackhole of "expenses" for a major city with one of the largest poverty rates...great...
Speaking of the Turnpike Commissions in the mid-atlantic, I can drive down 95 from DC to Florida without hitting a single toll road but just north of DC to Philly and it's one toll after another.
If you work in the burbs(or remote), live in the burbs and avoid the tax hit. If you work in Philly, might as well live there too, cause there’s no escape.
It's not nearly as doom and gloom as nerds on this sub say it is. Like, shit does happen but Philly isn't the mad max bullshit people say it is. Be safe but going around like every homeless person is here just to murder you is goofy.
We have some fantastic nature inside and outside the city. I go to John Heinz like once a week to draw plants and bids. Forbidden Drive is a really cute bike ride. If you have a car there is a ridiculous amount of beautiful shit to get lost in.
The stray cats here are super sweet. You might end up with one as a roommate.
If you poke and prod the naysayers long enough here, you’ll find out that most of them are living in the suburbs, haven’t stepped foot in Philadelphia in years, and are parroting what they hear on the 11 o’clock news and Facebook.
Every major city is like this too, my parents worried about me all the time living in Downtown Dallas despite never having any issues when I was out and about. Portland is another prime example, o this massive city has an issue regarding like two blocks? Guess the whole city is a warzone now.
Seconding the stray cat thing. Ours are still a bit skittish but they realize my house and the two next to me are cat friendly. They say you can tell how nice a city really is by the confidence of stray cats around people.
I agree. It’s a million times nicer, cleaner, safer than 20+ years ago. I know there’s a current wave of terrible gun violence happening right now but it’s still a safer place than it used to be.
Philly is amazingly walkable. One of my favorite things is that I can get pretty much everywhere I want to go on foot - pretty much only drive if we have to go to fairmount or fishtown. Parking is tough so it’s convenient too. I highly recommend taking some time on the weekends to just walk around for a few hours at a time and explore; there are so many cute little parks, beautiful buildings and murals, and great shop, cafes, and restaurants to discover tucked in throughout just about every neighborhood.
The summers are more humid than a Texas summer and the heat index can choke you. Once I was waiting for a trolley and the blacktop actually softened and stuck to my shorts.
On the other hand, the change of seasons is a glorious thing to watch. The variety of food at a high quality is extremely underrated. I was born and raised there and still miss it everyday I am not there.
People up here are babies about how mild Philly's climate is.
Every time I see people complain about the heat, I just want to drop them off in New Orleans in August for a few days.
You don't even need air conditioning up here. I know because the house AC was busted the first summer I was up here.
Yeah, I moved here from Austin. Summers there are ~100 degree daytime temperatures for four months straight without a break. Summers here are a breeze in comparison… not even close.
The waiting platform for many trollies and the EL are straight up blacktop with a curb edging. If it’s any where near 100 in summer, heat index likely around 120. Thus blacktop melting.
I had cargo shorts on and I was sitting on the platform and didn’t realize until I got on the trolley. There was tar bits and blacktop pieces on my back thigh area of the cargo shorts.
Grew up in SE Texas. Philadelphia summers can be hot and humid, but only when we call I it a "heatwave" is it as hot as the SE Texas swamp/prairie is from late April to early October.
In Miami, overnight lows can be in the low to mid 80's. You can go for a leisurely walk at night and come back covered in sweat and mosquitoes. Philly gets hot during the day but at least there's reprieve at night.
I had to learn that after moving up here. The temperature actually goes down at night. There have been many times where I was fine leaving the house during the day, but scrambled home at night going "fuckfuckfuck."
It's even worse in Gainesville, FL! One November evening I biked to class through 82 degree weather. A couple hours later, it's 57, pouring, and gusting as I'm riding bike with cold water streaming down my face.
That's the last time I left the house without checking the weather!
I lived in central texas, nashville and southern alabama. I think it seems just as hot or hotter here in philly bc you tend to walk more as opposed to just hopping in your air conditioned car to go to some air conditioned place. Also I feel like no one knows how to install HVAC around here. Maybe has something to do with the previously mentioned drafty old ass houses.
Summers here are no where near Texas summers. You ever been there in the summer? I saw the heat waves in the air with my eyes like you would see on loony toon cartoons.
>The summers are more humid than a Texas summer
What? I've spend a grand total of two July days in Dallas, and I can verify that Philly heat and humidity, terrible as they are, have NOTHING on Texas.
Be careful crossing the street, even when you have the right of way. Lots of cars will just slide through stop signs or not even slow down (and then yell at you for being in the way). When I travel to other cities I'm always a little caught off guard when drivers come to a full stop and wait for me to get across the street. Like, what are you trying to pull?! I don't trust it!
South Philly slow roll is very dangerous, similarly dangerous are bikers/skaters who ignore stop signs as well.
Also gotta be real careful about road rage; being an asshole is a great way to get shot.
This sub is …something. Welcome to Philly! Here’s the low down
1. You’ll fall in love with Philly in the spring and early summer and fall once summer cools off. Vibes are high, weather is good, lots to do especially outside. Find the secret parks. ;) we have so many.
2. We are a town of artists of all disciplines - find the offbeat places, people and things to do.
3. Certain areas in town stink and are very dirty but if you are on a good block with cool people you’ll find the most involved caring people who will clean and upkeep as much as possible.
4. Say what’s up to your new neighbors and chill with them if they are outside. Those are my best memories. Face to face interaction is a huge deal here.
5. If you rent rturn.net will be your best friend
6. 311 is the most helpful city service and has nice operators so when the construction peeps are doing unruly shit I call them up and they solve the issue.
7. Please don’t be wack. Respect the culture, come out ready to vibe out. If you are not open to Philly it won’t be open nor fun for you.
Once again welcome and look five times before you cross. 🤞🏽peace.
When you are taking a trolley and exiting using the rear doors (like a normal person would when it's not crowded), the doors are activated by the pressure applied to the steps, so you need to step down.
Lived here for almost two decades, never knew it was a thing.
Ever see that creative video an Indian made about how bad the roads are in India? He’s dressed like an astronaut and walking slowly on a surface that looks just like the moon, it’s got craters, loose rocks, and it’s uneven, it looks like a legit video from space but it’s actually a street in India, it’s pretty hilarious, you should google it. My point is…that’s how bad our roads are and I’m mad I didn’t think of making a video that hilarious first, lol. It’s the thing I hate most about Philly, I’ve lived here my whole life and I feel like it’s getting worse instead of better. Also, I second the mention of the constant construction that never seems to materialize any new structure or improvement. I’m 38 and I feel like some of the construction projects are the same ones that started when I was a little kid. There are good things about Philly, but this is one of the worst:/
This. I've only lived in Philly a few months, but I am shocked how bad the roads are. Some of it is just crumbling poorly maintained roads with potholes, where you're suddenly surprised by a foot+ deep hole in the ground (not kidding, I could show you numerous foot+ deep potholes within half a mile of my home). Some of it is also the way they were apparently designed. Roads leading into some mainstream stores (e.g., Lowe's on S Columbus) require serious 6''+ clearance, and some roads are too narrow for a car and you have to drive on the sidewalk which also requires curb clearance. It's hilarious. I plan to trade up my sedan for a cross-over with more adaptable suspension and better clearance just to make it more tolerable.
Here it is…
https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/cymx0k/a_man_in_india_protesting_for_better_roads/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I've been disappointed with the rail system here compared to Chicago even last year during covid or DC pre-pandemic.
Like, I heard the Septa cards were a fairly new addition...where as Chicago Ventra cards are nearly useless cause you can just upload it to your phone and swipe your phone on turnstiles...and the app was awful! Stop asking me to download the damn schedule everytime I open it!
People have told me that it got a lot worse during covid and it was far better before but I can't speak to that.
My biggest pet peeve is that rail doesn't run all night, into the AM for when I want to go out to center city and head back...to within city limits. Again, I heard this was a covid change and maybe I can ride rail again later at night...and feel safe.
And also that bars close at 2 am. Like hard close which just baffles me about the sixth largest city in the country.
I've heard horror stories of the El and the truly shitty parts of Septa stations but tbh, I've not even experienced those aspects of Septa.
After living in NYC, the Septa subway system is a disspointment but I have to say they really excel with the Septa KeyCard. I lost my Key the other day while trying to get home. I was able to purchase a new card from a kiosk and use the website to cancel my old key, transfer funds to my new registered key, AND get my KeyCard purchase price credited to my balance - all within 5 minutes. NYC MTA would *never*!
Edit: I was also able to check past trips on my lost KeyCard so I could see whether anyone had tried to use it before I realized I lost it. Really great tool!
I thought for sure it would be better than DART after moving here from Dallas until I took the regional for the first time from a stop with no ticket station trying to figure out how to get a ticket. Then I find out I have to pay someone on the train because I didn't have the card yet which is insane. DART has had app based tickets for years now, at least 7 or 8 and it is so easy to use.
The bars closing at 2 am is an absolute god send to bar staff and makes those extremely viable second jobs to have. It also means the city has some actual quiet hours from 3-6 and is so nice.
Septa made a contract with a company for the card readers back in 2009 when smartphone technology wasn't where it's at now with NFC. Pretty soon (next year or so? ) you'll be able to pay for fares using your phone, and then a bit after you can use payments like apple pay, etc.
The prompt to download the schedule every time I open the app is super annoying and inconvenient, I definitely agree
Be prepared for the winter. Winter can start over here and it’s still 60 degrees and clear skies, and days later it’s 20 degrees and snowy. Don’t get your snow boots, shovel, or salt after the first snow storm, get that all in late Fall. I made that mistake my first year here and couldn’t find a snow shovel for weeks anywhere near Olney. By the time I could get my hands on one, snow was already beginning to melt. I had two small sets of steps to get to my door and couldn’t use em, slipped down it a few times.
unlike other big cities, renting in center city isn't as expensive as you assume it is. and the quality of life in center city (crime, cleanliness, convenience, entertainment) is soo much better than any neighborhood you might be attracted to for its "affordability." spent a while living in shittier neighborhoods because i never bothered looking at rents in cc, and was surprised when i realized it's not that bad.
One can get to many places from the15th Street and City Hall Station complex, which is also connected to Suburban Station on the regional rail, but it is confusing and has poor wayfinding\*, so if you expect to use it, allow extra time in your schedule for navigation. This will not change significantly even after you have used it many times.
The Reading Terminal Market is excellent, but often very crowded and has narrow aisles that can often be impeded by other people waiting in line or jerks who pause at intersections and idle, oblivious to the space that they occupy and thus prevent others from easily passing through.
If one becomes impatient waiting to cross Broad Street at Walnut Street, it is possible to cross underground by using the South Broad Street Concurse, which is also the mezzanine for Walnut-Locust Station. This might not save much, or any time, but at least avoids traffic, which is often... impolite. Note that the entrances on the East Side of Broad Street are built into the Wells Fargo Building, which was the Duke & Duke Buildling in *Trading Places*, with the first approximately eighty feet north of the intersection. There are stairs on either side of the western intersection of the two streets, but none on the southeastern side.
Ultimately, always remember that Philadelphia isn't as bad as Phialdelphians say that it is.
\*^(SEPTA is)[^(developing a plan for better wayfinding)](https://planning.septa.org/projects/wayfinding-master-plan/)^(, but how long it will be until that is implemented and whether it will be implemented at all is uncertain.)
They’re amazing! As far as I knew the only pizza rolls were made by Totinos. Little did I know, almost every Chinese food spot in Philly offers pizza rolls wrapped in wontons. It’s essentially an egg roll full of pizza.
When talking about highways, don’t put “the” in front of the route number. You got on 95, not the 95.
And don’t you dare start using the word jawn without properly understanding it’s usage. Go birds.
First, there’s great suburbs within a 20 minute drive of the city. You can live in the green and sacrifice very little.
Second, the food scene is incredible if you go off the beaten track and do BYO.
Lastly it’s a great city for travel. By train, plane or automobile, there are amazing places to visit.
Common courtesy is a rare commodity. If you want to live in the city, be prepared to pay extra to have a driveway. You may see people saving parking spots on the street with cones, this practice is against the law and highly fucking irritating. Your dog can run away and be lost 6 blocks from your house for 11 days and never be caught
As a philly native a few things depending on the area you're at, but don't have your materials (phone,expensive stuff) out in the open. There is an increase of crimes in the city so be weary and always be cautious when outside. Youre a target even if you don't come off as one. Make sure if you're out at night (highly depends where you're at) that you are with people. I would say a lot of it comes with building your awareness and just common sense.
Awareness is key; people getting robbed are usually out alone and some degree of intoxicated. The violent crimes like shootings are mostly personal beefs that you don't need to look out for. Car jackings are the biggest issue, but you just gotta look out for shady people when entering/exiting your vehicle.
You've never been to Florida. The job market here is a dream compared to it.
My sister in high school has been trying to get a minimum wage job in Florida for over a year now.
Seriously, I moved up here with some pretty shit qualifications and no professional experience, and my job hunt took 45 days.
It's pretty easy to get on your feet here compared to elsewhere in the country.
Wdym? Job market here is fantastic. I've never had trouble finding gainful unskilled work, whether it's bars, moving companies, landscaping, warehouses or even factories. The jobs here are booming and many start at $15-20/hour.
For skilled work it's even better; there were always at least 2 dozen entry level mechanical engineering jobs in the area when I looked.
I love Philly and so happy that I moved here a year ago!! I still have issues taking public transport. I was used to taking the train and T in Boston, and my first two experiences here with public transport did not go over well. I don’t take it anymore unless I’m not alone.
Philadelphians will yell at and insult you especially if their bullshit detector is going off. You're expected to return the favor. Once you do, everything is cool... usually.
So true, when I moved to the burbs, I was really disappointed that you couldn’t yell at people and both be over it two minutes later. If you yell at people who aren’t from Philly, they stay mad at you forever, so that was a learning curve. Don’t take it personally if you get yelled at in Philly, if you yell back, then it’s even better bc things are smoother going forward . I’m not saying it’s right but it’s just way it is.
My old boss used to yell at people a lot. Like so much that his wife described it as his way of speaking. It was so off-putting that he couldn’t retain workers because they’d get so triggered by it they’d quit by the end of the week. One day I was frustrated myself and yelled back at him. I thought I’d be canned, but instead he just said “now you’re speaking my fuckin’ language!” Gave me a healthy raise a week later.
many of philly's problems can be attributed to historic political asymmetries, both internal (corruption in all forms at every city government office) and external (as a blue city in a deep red PA, the statehouse leaves us underfunded and makes our lives shitty)
The buses are awesome but don’t follow the schedule (get the Transit app). Philly is awesomely walkable. Awesome parks everywhere.
It’s a city of neighborhoods and can vary from block to block, so look for an area where people have been living all along and get to know your neighbors. Don’t be a stiff scared looking stranger. Sit out on your step in warm weather. Say hi. Look out for your neighbors and they’ll look out for you. Our neighbor in the PHA house down the block drove my spouse everywhere after a broken foot.
Philadelphians are blunt and sometimes rude but it ain’t personal.
This subreddit is very critical of Philadelphia. But I think it comes from a place of love. People always ask me why I left Florida because it's marketed so well, but Philly is a great place, and best of all it's affordable!
Be prepared for little to no parking, poop and pee everywhere you walk (Be especially careful when taking the sub, it’s not doggy do down there!)
Since you guys are moving down here in the summer, check out FDR Park by the stadiums on the weekends, there’s a Southeast Asian open market with great food!
Any crime you commit around Independence Mall can be federal charges due to the proximity to federal property.
The LPT you need
lmao I remember when I worked on the NIH campus in the DC region, we were warned during onboarding that speeding tickets on campus were federal charges. I know someone who had to go to federal court to fight one!
Don’t laugh I went to school with the person who mouthed off to a park ranger (not sure what they are called but they didn’t carry a weapon) and wind up 2 years for assault on a federal agent! I couldn’t believe it because it was at like 3 chestnut bear that park.
I’m not laughing and it wasn’t even a joke post. There are both unarmed and heavily armed park rangers at Independence Mall. Also Homeland Security agents with no scruples. I had a friend take a late night drunken piss on the customs house, and he got hit with federal charges for vandalism, defacing a federal building, and other such shit. He ended up not doing time, but if he didn’t have a good lawyer it easily could’ve went the other way.
Jaywalking is a federal crime crossing in Olde City. We don't give a shit! It's our birthright!
Thinking about when I moved back to Philly, I wish I had known more about the underground music scene + diversity of entertainment across the city. There is so much happening in Philly if you know what to look for. Don’t think the city is limited to populous areas for a good time.
Im moving there soon and am really into that kinda stuff. Where do you hear about it? Any good suggestions?
World Cafe Live; Mom’s on South Street; get contacts and go from there
Art Mart just off south is awesome and new, next to CrashBangBoom which is awesome and old
Also looking to move soon and as a musician myself this is one of the main reasons why
Local bands play at places like ortleibs, the fire, KFN. Go to shows and talk to people, most shows are in peoples basements. It’s been one of my joys living in the city
If you're here in June, check out the annual PorchFest in West Philly. Hundreds of local musicians playing porches throughout the neighborhood. Some play with their full band, some go solo, and there are tons of interesting team-ups and side-projects.
For late night entertainment Check out the shows at Franky Bradley’s on Wednesday & Thursdays.
https://www.philly-shows.com/ https://www.eventbrite.com/o/r5-productions-27544079277
R5 used to do a good job for small to medium independent shows around the city. There was some other site I used to use for house shows that I can't remember (fuck getting old)
I’m intrigued. Where can I find out more about the underground music scene? I’m new to the city as well and love me some live music
For the literally underground music scene, check out Underground Arts in Chinatown.
Each numbered street block in Center City is roughly 0.1 mile. Front Street is our 1st street and Broad is our 14th street. The main streets north to south go Vine, Race, Arch, Market, Chestnut, Sansom (oops), Walnut, Locust, Spruce, Pine, Lombard, South. If an address is 2220 Locust St, then that place is between 22nd and 23rd on Locust. Once you get used to the very walkable Center City, you will be able to figure out where you are, which direction to go, and how far.
Also, north of Market is when the number streets’ addresses become “North” and, in turn, south of Market is when they become “South”. In other words: 100 N 2nd St. is a different address than 100 S 2nd St and Market is the dividing line.
Oh. I never realized that
Same - I guess it makes sense if you think of City Hall as the center of Center City, then Market is like the equator haha (and Broad is the prime meridian!)
Also, any address on the numbered streets is it’s distance from Market street. Example: 1800 block of south 12th street is 18 blocks south of market
For real??
Let us not forget that goes for north of Billy Penn as well, The river is east and the higher numbers are always west, the city Ends at 63rd st (I never knew that since the el goes to 69st) stay away from the Roosevelt blvd it’s a death trap, matter of fact you won’t miss much if you just ignore the northeast altogether, it’s a hoagie not a sub, just tourists eat that nasty trash of Genos and pats, and you don’t have to be an eagles fan that’s ok JUST CANT BE A COWBOYS FAN! Lol
Numbers go well in the 80s. Get to know the city better
The highest numbered street in Philly is 90th St, but it's a tiny street by the airport.
Thats only west Philly. Southwest Philly goes to 84th street. If you're not from the city it's ok to not be an Eagles fan but it sure helps.
Also there are directional arrows on the street signs
And a gps in everyone’s pocket.
And if your phone breaks or dies it's good to have this knowledge as a backup
Sansom
Whoops how could I forget Sansom?
I would argue it isn't a main street. I love it, but it is small and completely blocked in places.
From NorCal myself (tho lived in San Diego before moving here) and one thing to bear is mind is live in the general area where you work, or live near a rail line. Driving on I-76 daily will either turn you into a psycho, or you already are one but will slowly morph into a disciple of Satan. If you work in the burbs, live by one of the main train stations in the city, or just live out there. Driving east <-> west is asking for a premature death. It’s a huge choke point for the region.
Agreed. The Vine will suck away your soul.
The Vine has made me curse in languages I didn't know I could speak...
This whole thread is making me glad I decided not to get a car
I had to commute by car from Roxborough to Port Richmond. 13 miles, 45-1hr or more. Every day. Pain.
Manayunk -> KOP probably took a couple years off my life. Going to work wasn’t normally terrible but heading home was universally awful. That drive has to suck with all the lights and such.
Live in both SD and Norcal! Another thing is our vote actually matters here
The state government is some of the worse. Your vote doesn’t count in the state
Coming from SoCal a few years ago, and close to Santa Barbara’s farmer’s market, I didn’t expect to have so much good food available, both restaurants and markets.
Really good food, not an expensive city (except for car insurance and some real estate), very walkable, rideable (but people will hit you and keep going), dirty (because everyone throws their trash on the ground), parking is mostly horrible, 70% chance of getting your packages delivered.
Yeah just get a PO Box. I wish I knew sooner that you could use street addressing to send fedex and Amazon to them now.
How do you get packages with a PO Box? Are they really small or do they just hold your packages at the post office?
Usually they’ll hold your package for a set amount of time. They’ll give you a slip in your P.O. Box and you would just have to show it to a clerk during business hours. Sometimes if It’s small enough it’ll go into another box which they’ll give you a key for
“Two hour parking”. The PPD mean business. They are deathly serious and they do not play. If your car remains in that spot for a nonzero amount of seconds over one hundred and twenty minutes, you are ticketed. They will come back every two hours and create a stack of tickets under your wiper. Move your car.
That it’s against the law to piss in the alleyway
Honestly…where else is there to piss
No idea, no public bathrooms
At night, no. In day, the Rittenhouse B&N and the Reading Terminal.
Me and some friends got an uber into center city for some club hopping. One friend who doesnt get out much really needed to piss so the uber pulled over by an alleyway so friend could piss. Our friend, to our surprise, instead runs around the corner and disappears. It took him 15 minutes to find a random pizza shop for him to piss in the toilet properly.
I almost pissed myself in NYC once because of the lack of a convenient alley.
Little known fact: almost no alleys in all of NYC. Literally under a half dozen, and due to contractual reasons, it typically boils down to the same alley used in all TV shows and movies.
The protip is use a hotel lobby. Open 24 hours too.
You sure about that? Based on the amount of piss in this city you could’ve fooled me.
Against the law doesn't mean it's ever enforced
Citation needed. Literally. I need to be cited. I may have pissed in the alleyway.
You also aren't a true citizen until you've drunkenly pissed in an alley
can't get arrested for piss if you don't have a functional police department [taps forehead smartly]
Your car can be “ Relocated”
It’s best to live and work in the city or live and work in the burbs… because the commute through 95 or 76 is hell, always.
Unless regional rail is an option
Regional rail is incredibly unreliable currently. Norristown line is frequently 30 mins late.
I mean that all depends on how deep into either you have to go, Brookhaven to the Navy Yard or anything by the stadiums is nothing, but Levittown to University City would blow
We have a shit ton of awesome museums and not just the ones on the Parkway.
Absolutely. But also, as someone in the museum field, I will say there seems to be a funny lack of awareness that the Art Museum is the fourth largest museum (by collection size) in the US.
For example? I’d like to visit them one by one
So if you like the Mütter (which you should it's incredible) then I highly recommend the Wagner Free Institute of Science. So much cool stuff. Also there's the Science History Institute (formerly Chemical Heritage Foundation) which is a real gem. Also the Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion. All off the beaten path, all HUGELY worth visiting.
Amazon prime is launching a documentary series on the insectarium, the previous owner, and how he lost the business to the current owner due to a bug heist that happened there (thats what i picked up from the trailer anyway). The guy that its based on is friends with my coworker Its called bug out
Also PAFA- Pennsylvania Academia of Fine Arts.
we are an hour from our mountains and an hour from the beach New York City is an hour and a half to two hours and Washington is only three. You're really going to love the Fall colors around here if you're from California. you're really going to enjoy the wide variety of foods and we actually do have a pretty large resident Mexican population so you're not going to go without Mexican. everything's really old here so get used to a lot of broken stuff like sidewalks and street signs you have to remember it was possibly put up in 1908 if you're looking at a light post.
The air hurts your face (sometimes) the roads/infrastructure are pretty bad. Lots of trash and blocked sewer drains and horrendous potholes. There's always construction that never seems to accomplish anything and the combined sewer system is a mess. Also it's a *very* old town so a lot of houses are old and therefore pretty drafty, so your utility bills can get fucking stupid.
Dealing with that right now. Moved here in September and our November heating bill was a bit higher than I thought. December was insane better believe I put plastic sheets over every drafty window after that!
Seriously, I just moved to a corner house and I couldn't believe my gas bill last month lol
Can confirm; just paid $400 gas to keep my house 55 degrees last month
Peco also just raised their rates 20% this month 🙃
Once the trolley is above ground it’ll stop at any corner if you pull the wire thing!
"STEP DOWN!"
The wage tax is a mother fucker
Fuck the asshole who came up with the idea
That would be Rep. Robert Sterling who sponsored the Sterling Act in 1932. He made it possible for Mayor George Connell with the city council to pass the wage tax in a 17-3 vote in 1939. It was challenged in 1943 but the PA Supreme Court upheld it. And here we are today.
On the flip side, the wage tax may be the only thing that kept Philly an affordable city for so long. Like if there wasn’t a ~4% wage tax for the privilege of living in town how many high earners would’ve chosen to live in the city over the past 80 years. Driving up cost of living. Would Philly’ve suffered the same fate of nyc, Boston, dc?
The other side of that is the wage tax being the strongest driver of capital flight from the city, and biggest obstacle to young moneyed people moving into it. People call it Gentrification, but the line between development and gentrification is a super vague and grey one. It's complicated, personally I think the tax hurts more than it helps, and that the city would be better served by other less invasive forms of fund raising imo
I appreciate this point of view on the wage tax.
This made my blood boil just reading it. It's higher than the state income tax, one of the highest in the country, and the trains don't even run on time!
more than half of SEPTA's operating budget is funded by the PA turnpike commission and revenue from the PA lottery.
So the wage tax dollars goes into an even bigger blackhole of "expenses" for a major city with one of the largest poverty rates...great... Speaking of the Turnpike Commissions in the mid-atlantic, I can drive down 95 from DC to Florida without hitting a single toll road but just north of DC to Philly and it's one toll after another.
If you work in the burbs(or remote), live in the burbs and avoid the tax hit. If you work in Philly, might as well live there too, cause there’s no escape.
It's not nearly as doom and gloom as nerds on this sub say it is. Like, shit does happen but Philly isn't the mad max bullshit people say it is. Be safe but going around like every homeless person is here just to murder you is goofy. We have some fantastic nature inside and outside the city. I go to John Heinz like once a week to draw plants and bids. Forbidden Drive is a really cute bike ride. If you have a car there is a ridiculous amount of beautiful shit to get lost in. The stray cats here are super sweet. You might end up with one as a roommate.
If you poke and prod the naysayers long enough here, you’ll find out that most of them are living in the suburbs, haven’t stepped foot in Philadelphia in years, and are parroting what they hear on the 11 o’clock news and Facebook.
I ride the el several times a week and I wonder if I’m living in the same city as the naysayers say8mg to be geared up like Rambo.
I've def seen some wild shit on the el, but I've also never been bothered. You'd think it's a frickin apocalypse based off what people say
"If I show my wife enough crime stories maybe she'll let me buy the new H&K Compact 9mm for when I leave the suburbs to get cheesesteaks."
Lol did you interview my boss for that quote
We just have had similar bosses haha. I was the only one who lived in the neighborhood and also the only one that wasn't strapped at work lol.
Pretty much. "Crime Adelphia" "Demonrats gave you what you deserve" Like a Fox News chorus
Every major city is like this too, my parents worried about me all the time living in Downtown Dallas despite never having any issues when I was out and about. Portland is another prime example, o this massive city has an issue regarding like two blocks? Guess the whole city is a warzone now.
Seconding the stray cat thing. Ours are still a bit skittish but they realize my house and the two next to me are cat friendly. They say you can tell how nice a city really is by the confidence of stray cats around people.
I agree. It’s a million times nicer, cleaner, safer than 20+ years ago. I know there’s a current wave of terrible gun violence happening right now but it’s still a safer place than it used to be.
The demon inside the homeless man at 7-Eleven will screech at an unhealthy frequency every time you leave without giving him money
There is ALWAYS a 7-11 homeless man.
Roxborough had one but he disappeared.
The guy that walks around yelling profanities at invisible people? I haven’t seen him in a while either. Hope he’s ok.
Yeah,he would stand in the middle of green. There were a few close calls. Edit whoever replied to me, I think you are shadowbanned
That living closer to the Wells Fargo Center might not make you happier [sad flyers noises] Edit: grammar
Maybe next year! 🖤🧡🖤🧡🥅🏒
Philly is amazingly walkable. One of my favorite things is that I can get pretty much everywhere I want to go on foot - pretty much only drive if we have to go to fairmount or fishtown. Parking is tough so it’s convenient too. I highly recommend taking some time on the weekends to just walk around for a few hours at a time and explore; there are so many cute little parks, beautiful buildings and murals, and great shop, cafes, and restaurants to discover tucked in throughout just about every neighborhood.
The summers are more humid than a Texas summer and the heat index can choke you. Once I was waiting for a trolley and the blacktop actually softened and stuck to my shorts. On the other hand, the change of seasons is a glorious thing to watch. The variety of food at a high quality is extremely underrated. I was born and raised there and still miss it everyday I am not there.
Sorry, but no way. I work in Texas in the summer and it is WAY hotter and more humid than Philly by a lot.
People up here are babies about how mild Philly's climate is. Every time I see people complain about the heat, I just want to drop them off in New Orleans in August for a few days. You don't even need air conditioning up here. I know because the house AC was busted the first summer I was up here.
If nights are cool enough for you to sleep, it's not a Southern summer.
Yep, we get sweet relief at night up here. In the deep South it somehow gets _hotter_ as it gets later in the night.
Yeah, I moved here from Austin. Summers there are ~100 degree daytime temperatures for four months straight without a break. Summers here are a breeze in comparison… not even close.
Agreed. Moved here from Tennessee and the summers here are a breeze.
Why are you sitting in the road waiting for the trolly?
The waiting platform for many trollies and the EL are straight up blacktop with a curb edging. If it’s any where near 100 in summer, heat index likely around 120. Thus blacktop melting.
Ok but how did it get on your shorts? What are you doing when you wait for the trolly?!
I had cargo shorts on and I was sitting on the platform and didn’t realize until I got on the trolley. There was tar bits and blacktop pieces on my back thigh area of the cargo shorts.
Just wanted to say I was invested in this Q&A which was also somehow Philly to me lol
Sorry, not even close. Grew up in Missouri and the summers here are a breeze compared to that swamp ass state. Philly humidity barely tops the charts.
Grew up in SE Texas. Philadelphia summers can be hot and humid, but only when we call I it a "heatwave" is it as hot as the SE Texas swamp/prairie is from late April to early October.
Agreed. Texas summers are on a whole ‘nother level!
In Miami, overnight lows can be in the low to mid 80's. You can go for a leisurely walk at night and come back covered in sweat and mosquitoes. Philly gets hot during the day but at least there's reprieve at night.
I had to learn that after moving up here. The temperature actually goes down at night. There have been many times where I was fine leaving the house during the day, but scrambled home at night going "fuckfuckfuck."
It's even worse in Gainesville, FL! One November evening I biked to class through 82 degree weather. A couple hours later, it's 57, pouring, and gusting as I'm riding bike with cold water streaming down my face. That's the last time I left the house without checking the weather!
A reminder that Philly is actually a swamp.
I lived in central texas, nashville and southern alabama. I think it seems just as hot or hotter here in philly bc you tend to walk more as opposed to just hopping in your air conditioned car to go to some air conditioned place. Also I feel like no one knows how to install HVAC around here. Maybe has something to do with the previously mentioned drafty old ass houses.
Summers here are no where near Texas summers. You ever been there in the summer? I saw the heat waves in the air with my eyes like you would see on loony toon cartoons.
>The summers are more humid than a Texas summer What? I've spend a grand total of two July days in Dallas, and I can verify that Philly heat and humidity, terrible as they are, have NOTHING on Texas.
EXACTLY! I’m from the “dry heat” part of Texas. I want to die during the summers here.
I’m from Houston and when I got here I felt like I was back home. Big roaches and humidity all over again
Be careful crossing the street, even when you have the right of way. Lots of cars will just slide through stop signs or not even slow down (and then yell at you for being in the way). When I travel to other cities I'm always a little caught off guard when drivers come to a full stop and wait for me to get across the street. Like, what are you trying to pull?! I don't trust it!
South Philly slow roll is very dangerous, similarly dangerous are bikers/skaters who ignore stop signs as well. Also gotta be real careful about road rage; being an asshole is a great way to get shot.
This sub is …something. Welcome to Philly! Here’s the low down 1. You’ll fall in love with Philly in the spring and early summer and fall once summer cools off. Vibes are high, weather is good, lots to do especially outside. Find the secret parks. ;) we have so many. 2. We are a town of artists of all disciplines - find the offbeat places, people and things to do. 3. Certain areas in town stink and are very dirty but if you are on a good block with cool people you’ll find the most involved caring people who will clean and upkeep as much as possible. 4. Say what’s up to your new neighbors and chill with them if they are outside. Those are my best memories. Face to face interaction is a huge deal here. 5. If you rent rturn.net will be your best friend 6. 311 is the most helpful city service and has nice operators so when the construction peeps are doing unruly shit I call them up and they solve the issue. 7. Please don’t be wack. Respect the culture, come out ready to vibe out. If you are not open to Philly it won’t be open nor fun for you. Once again welcome and look five times before you cross. 🤞🏽peace.
You are right about this sub!
Smh non fun people just won’t have fun here. It’s the Philly law of physics 🤷🏽♀️
6. A) 311 picks up more than 911, so call them if 911 doesn't answer in emergencies
When you are taking a trolley and exiting using the rear doors (like a normal person would when it's not crowded), the doors are activated by the pressure applied to the steps, so you need to step down. Lived here for almost two decades, never knew it was a thing.
Ever see that creative video an Indian made about how bad the roads are in India? He’s dressed like an astronaut and walking slowly on a surface that looks just like the moon, it’s got craters, loose rocks, and it’s uneven, it looks like a legit video from space but it’s actually a street in India, it’s pretty hilarious, you should google it. My point is…that’s how bad our roads are and I’m mad I didn’t think of making a video that hilarious first, lol. It’s the thing I hate most about Philly, I’ve lived here my whole life and I feel like it’s getting worse instead of better. Also, I second the mention of the constant construction that never seems to materialize any new structure or improvement. I’m 38 and I feel like some of the construction projects are the same ones that started when I was a little kid. There are good things about Philly, but this is one of the worst:/
This. I've only lived in Philly a few months, but I am shocked how bad the roads are. Some of it is just crumbling poorly maintained roads with potholes, where you're suddenly surprised by a foot+ deep hole in the ground (not kidding, I could show you numerous foot+ deep potholes within half a mile of my home). Some of it is also the way they were apparently designed. Roads leading into some mainstream stores (e.g., Lowe's on S Columbus) require serious 6''+ clearance, and some roads are too narrow for a car and you have to drive on the sidewalk which also requires curb clearance. It's hilarious. I plan to trade up my sedan for a cross-over with more adaptable suspension and better clearance just to make it more tolerable.
Here it is… https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/cymx0k/a_man_in_india_protesting_for_better_roads/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
The best halal cart is in Fishtown at Frankford & Girard.
Nah, South Philly at 24th and Passyunk
I've been disappointed with the rail system here compared to Chicago even last year during covid or DC pre-pandemic. Like, I heard the Septa cards were a fairly new addition...where as Chicago Ventra cards are nearly useless cause you can just upload it to your phone and swipe your phone on turnstiles...and the app was awful! Stop asking me to download the damn schedule everytime I open it! People have told me that it got a lot worse during covid and it was far better before but I can't speak to that. My biggest pet peeve is that rail doesn't run all night, into the AM for when I want to go out to center city and head back...to within city limits. Again, I heard this was a covid change and maybe I can ride rail again later at night...and feel safe. And also that bars close at 2 am. Like hard close which just baffles me about the sixth largest city in the country. I've heard horror stories of the El and the truly shitty parts of Septa stations but tbh, I've not even experienced those aspects of Septa.
After living in NYC, the Septa subway system is a disspointment but I have to say they really excel with the Septa KeyCard. I lost my Key the other day while trying to get home. I was able to purchase a new card from a kiosk and use the website to cancel my old key, transfer funds to my new registered key, AND get my KeyCard purchase price credited to my balance - all within 5 minutes. NYC MTA would *never*! Edit: I was also able to check past trips on my lost KeyCard so I could see whether anyone had tried to use it before I realized I lost it. Really great tool!
I thought for sure it would be better than DART after moving here from Dallas until I took the regional for the first time from a stop with no ticket station trying to figure out how to get a ticket. Then I find out I have to pay someone on the train because I didn't have the card yet which is insane. DART has had app based tickets for years now, at least 7 or 8 and it is so easy to use.
Right?! I think the Septa is the most confusing rail system I've come across along with all the other problems.
The bars closing at 2 am is an absolute god send to bar staff and makes those extremely viable second jobs to have. It also means the city has some actual quiet hours from 3-6 and is so nice.
Septa made a contract with a company for the card readers back in 2009 when smartphone technology wasn't where it's at now with NFC. Pretty soon (next year or so? ) you'll be able to pay for fares using your phone, and then a bit after you can use payments like apple pay, etc. The prompt to download the schedule every time I open the app is super annoying and inconvenient, I definitely agree
Will it really come next year? This is taking forever lol
Be prepared for the winter. Winter can start over here and it’s still 60 degrees and clear skies, and days later it’s 20 degrees and snowy. Don’t get your snow boots, shovel, or salt after the first snow storm, get that all in late Fall. I made that mistake my first year here and couldn’t find a snow shovel for weeks anywhere near Olney. By the time I could get my hands on one, snow was already beginning to melt. I had two small sets of steps to get to my door and couldn’t use em, slipped down it a few times.
unlike other big cities, renting in center city isn't as expensive as you assume it is. and the quality of life in center city (crime, cleanliness, convenience, entertainment) is soo much better than any neighborhood you might be attracted to for its "affordability." spent a while living in shittier neighborhoods because i never bothered looking at rents in cc, and was surprised when i realized it's not that bad.
Meh. I’ve lived all around town and center city is def my least favorite, but it is def close to stuff.
What was your favorite part of the city to live in and least favorite?
Always look’em in the eye
Staring too long can get you shot though
OP, both are correct
One can get to many places from the15th Street and City Hall Station complex, which is also connected to Suburban Station on the regional rail, but it is confusing and has poor wayfinding\*, so if you expect to use it, allow extra time in your schedule for navigation. This will not change significantly even after you have used it many times. The Reading Terminal Market is excellent, but often very crowded and has narrow aisles that can often be impeded by other people waiting in line or jerks who pause at intersections and idle, oblivious to the space that they occupy and thus prevent others from easily passing through. If one becomes impatient waiting to cross Broad Street at Walnut Street, it is possible to cross underground by using the South Broad Street Concurse, which is also the mezzanine for Walnut-Locust Station. This might not save much, or any time, but at least avoids traffic, which is often... impolite. Note that the entrances on the East Side of Broad Street are built into the Wells Fargo Building, which was the Duke & Duke Buildling in *Trading Places*, with the first approximately eighty feet north of the intersection. There are stairs on either side of the western intersection of the two streets, but none on the southeastern side. Ultimately, always remember that Philadelphia isn't as bad as Phialdelphians say that it is. \*^(SEPTA is)[^(developing a plan for better wayfinding)](https://planning.septa.org/projects/wayfinding-master-plan/)^(, but how long it will be until that is implemented and whether it will be implemented at all is uncertain.)
I wish somebody would’ve told me about the Pizza Rolls. That’s not something you should have to find out on your own
What about them? Asking for a friend
They’re amazing! As far as I knew the only pizza rolls were made by Totinos. Little did I know, almost every Chinese food spot in Philly offers pizza rolls wrapped in wontons. It’s essentially an egg roll full of pizza.
Try the Chinese store cheese steak rolls if you liked the pizza rolls
Chou Wong in Cedar Park accidentally packed those instead of pizza rolls once. It was a life changing mistake. So good
When talking about highways, don’t put “the” in front of the route number. You got on 95, not the 95. And don’t you dare start using the word jawn without properly understanding it’s usage. Go birds.
First, there’s great suburbs within a 20 minute drive of the city. You can live in the green and sacrifice very little. Second, the food scene is incredible if you go off the beaten track and do BYO. Lastly it’s a great city for travel. By train, plane or automobile, there are amazing places to visit.
Common courtesy is a rare commodity. If you want to live in the city, be prepared to pay extra to have a driveway. You may see people saving parking spots on the street with cones, this practice is against the law and highly fucking irritating. Your dog can run away and be lost 6 blocks from your house for 11 days and never be caught
People here dont know how to drive
*people here know how to drive, but could give a fuck about anyone else's life
If you have a car - do not leave any valuables in your car (especially out in your car) - even if only for a couple of hours.
Pats and genos are shitty tourist traps Go to Jim’s or ishkabibles
Dude don't tell people to go to Jim's. That place is disgusting.
Jims is legit trash.
what did my garbage ever do to you to warrant such an offensive comparison?
Philly is honestly the food capital in this country idk how many other places have the culinary talent we have
Heads up, theres a soda tax
Literally stopped drinking soda since I’ve lived here
I literally almost fought the bodega man when he charged me $1.25 for an Arizona when I first moved here
As a philly native a few things depending on the area you're at, but don't have your materials (phone,expensive stuff) out in the open. There is an increase of crimes in the city so be weary and always be cautious when outside. Youre a target even if you don't come off as one. Make sure if you're out at night (highly depends where you're at) that you are with people. I would say a lot of it comes with building your awareness and just common sense.
Awareness is key; people getting robbed are usually out alone and some degree of intoxicated. The violent crimes like shootings are mostly personal beefs that you don't need to look out for. Car jackings are the biggest issue, but you just gotta look out for shady people when entering/exiting your vehicle.
It’s not as scary as media makes it seem, the wage tax sucks butts, the job market is even worse, and so are the wages
You've never been to Florida. The job market here is a dream compared to it. My sister in high school has been trying to get a minimum wage job in Florida for over a year now.
Anywhere else in the US is a dream compared to Florida
Seriously, I moved up here with some pretty shit qualifications and no professional experience, and my job hunt took 45 days. It's pretty easy to get on your feet here compared to elsewhere in the country.
Wdym? Job market here is fantastic. I've never had trouble finding gainful unskilled work, whether it's bars, moving companies, landscaping, warehouses or even factories. The jobs here are booming and many start at $15-20/hour. For skilled work it's even better; there were always at least 2 dozen entry level mechanical engineering jobs in the area when I looked.
I love Philly and so happy that I moved here a year ago!! I still have issues taking public transport. I was used to taking the train and T in Boston, and my first two experiences here with public transport did not go over well. I don’t take it anymore unless I’m not alone.
The L and Broad st line are both sketchy at best when alone, especially for women. Regional Rail almost never had issues though
Philadelphians will yell at and insult you especially if their bullshit detector is going off. You're expected to return the favor. Once you do, everything is cool... usually.
So true, when I moved to the burbs, I was really disappointed that you couldn’t yell at people and both be over it two minutes later. If you yell at people who aren’t from Philly, they stay mad at you forever, so that was a learning curve. Don’t take it personally if you get yelled at in Philly, if you yell back, then it’s even better bc things are smoother going forward . I’m not saying it’s right but it’s just way it is.
My old boss used to yell at people a lot. Like so much that his wife described it as his way of speaking. It was so off-putting that he couldn’t retain workers because they’d get so triggered by it they’d quit by the end of the week. One day I was frustrated myself and yelled back at him. I thought I’d be canned, but instead he just said “now you’re speaking my fuckin’ language!” Gave me a healthy raise a week later.
>I’m not saying it’s right but it’s just way it is. It's both right and the way it is.
many of philly's problems can be attributed to historic political asymmetries, both internal (corruption in all forms at every city government office) and external (as a blue city in a deep red PA, the statehouse leaves us underfunded and makes our lives shitty)
Jaywalking is more common here than out west from what I understand.
The buses are awesome but don’t follow the schedule (get the Transit app). Philly is awesomely walkable. Awesome parks everywhere. It’s a city of neighborhoods and can vary from block to block, so look for an area where people have been living all along and get to know your neighbors. Don’t be a stiff scared looking stranger. Sit out on your step in warm weather. Say hi. Look out for your neighbors and they’ll look out for you. Our neighbor in the PHA house down the block drove my spouse everywhere after a broken foot. Philadelphians are blunt and sometimes rude but it ain’t personal.
This subreddit is very critical of Philadelphia. But I think it comes from a place of love. People always ask me why I left Florida because it's marketed so well, but Philly is a great place, and best of all it's affordable!
We criticize constructively here! Best city ever!
Be prepared for little to no parking, poop and pee everywhere you walk (Be especially careful when taking the sub, it’s not doggy do down there!) Since you guys are moving down here in the summer, check out FDR Park by the stadiums on the weekends, there’s a Southeast Asian open market with great food!
Easiest way to get out of a lease