Philadelphia, PA

Dirty, smelly and I did not feel safe.

I've lived in the Philly area for almost my entire life (on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River). It's true that there is a lot of crime there, but it's not nearly as bad as it was in the late 80's/90's. It always cracks me up when I hear out-of-towners say that Philly is so bad...not true. There are some crime ridden areas, such as West Philly, but there are also many nice areas of the city, such as Society Hill (honestly, I didn't even feel like I was in Philly the last time I was in Society Hill!). I have read that Philly is a cross between NYC and Miami, and I have to agree with that statement. It has a lot of restaurants/attractions and things to do, but in limited quantities - so it gets old pretty quick. The lack of intellectual people is kind of annoying - but hey, Philly has Penn and Wharton, The Curtis Institute, and Jefferson Medical School (which has the hardest residency programs in the country to be accepted to). My point is that it's unfair to label all Phil... Read more

Filthadelphia is lame. Sure, the city of brotherly love has a few interesting historical sites and museums to see, but it's a filthy, overcrowded place with high crime. Every time I turn on the 6 o'clock news, they're always talking about yet another murder in Filthadelphia. Hell, a few days ago, they had 3 murders within the span of 5 hours. The city is a scum magnet. Driving and parking in Philly isn't as bad as NYC, but it's still pretty atrocious. If you don't know where to look, expect to pay $20 for parking. It's a piece of trash city.

Gotta love Philly! Like New York and Chicago it's an "old school" city, which I really like. Old school cities have 3 things that most Sunbelt cities lack: character, history, and infrastructure. Philly has all 3 in abundance. Philly is also arguably the TOUGHEST city in the nation! New York may have held that title in the PAST, but with post-Giuliani gentrification, and the subsequent preppie/yuppie/hipster/skinny jeans takeover...not so much anymore. The era of 'New York as a hellhole' The Warriors/Fort Apache/Mean Streets/Taxi Driver days are LONG GONE. Philly is the town that BOOED and threw snowballs at Santa Claus! And cheered Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin's injury! Yep, we all know what those sports fans (*ahem* Iggles fans) are like, not to mention SEPTA transit workers (and riders)! And Rocky! Sure, there are cities in much worse shape than Philly (Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, etc), But Philly's undercurrent of surliness is a unique breed, kinda like New York in the '70s, ... Read more

Philly is a great city, made up of lots of neighborhoods, each with its own personality. It has great food like cheesesteaks, water ice, and soft pretzels and it has a culture of its own. It also has a great downtown with lots of trees and parks and beautiful architecture. People can say its not filthy and crime ridden but that isn't true, its definitely a little rough around the edges, its got bad neighborhoods like north philly but these are places that you can easily stay away from if you don't live there. Its a real city with lots of history that isn't a piece of plastic where housing is pushed up to keep out anyone who isn't rich and white like Boston or NYC of DC. My favorite city in the country.

terrible cities

Killadelphia.Lack of drive in people for a city.Lack of love.When I first arrived the city itself is easy to get adapted to.After a year the novelty sure as hell wore off.I describe all business to have a horrible customer service demeanor.These people dont like to work and will give you hell if you think they are supposed to do their job.I have never seen this many unemployeed people in a city.Lack of wanting to learn anything.Stuck on stupid and ignorant.So much weed contact everywhere.Grimy, selfish people, yes in the thousands. Thousands of people on welfare and child support.Baby mamas and so many pregnant women everywhere.It's sick.Ghetto.Mice everywhere, great to visit onbly don't ever live here.Your brain would starve for intelligent conversation, rude people will bring out the worst in you, and I suggest you check out how many shootings we have a year.Check it out in the Philadelphia Inquirer and check out the college drop out rate in this city on FASFAs website. I would never... Read more

Great city with a lot of history, neighborhood pride and identity, and a cozy small town feel. The main problem is the decay in parts of North and West Philly but it seems like circumstances are slowly improving. Many old neighborhoods are being revitalized as we speak. It's a fun city and a weird city, with tons of crazy local tradition that might scare tourists if they're not informed. Very underrated by outsiders and (especially) suburbanites from the area, who almost never actually spend time in the city, aside from MAYBE a commute to work. If someone from suburban Philadelphia tells you the city is hopeless, don't listen to them. Philly has been through rough times since the 1950's, but it's more comparable to Chicago or Boston or D.C. than Detroit or Cleveland or St. Louis (not to insult those last three cities, but they have suffered considerably more than Philly in population loss, urban decay, job loss, and other things). Crime did escalate a few years ago but it's back... Read more

Great + Beer/Bars + Food/Restaurants + Price + Sports + Colleges/Universities + Kelly Drive/Fairmount Park + Historic Places Sub par - Public Transportation (Septa) - Snow plowing in the winter - North Philly

Filthydelphia

If you're brave enough to dodge bullets in order to see the historical part of the city, then you're a trooper. Otherwise, stay home and watch some Cops or CSI for your dose of violence and flip over to PBS for some historical programming. They don't call it Killadelphia for nuttin'.

Smack dab in between New York and Washington, DC, Philadelphia is a city with a with a personality (give or take it) all its own. Philadelphia has a rich history and Old City and Society Hill will amaze you with the beautiful colonial homes. The food is Philly cannot be beat! Aside from feeling the brotherly love you can feel super full from all the soft pretzels, water ice, cheese steaks, and other street foods. The city has neighborhoods that are rich with color and faces (I won't say friendly). Philadelphia residents have a low tolerance for stupidity and have no problem on letting you know how stupid you are! Also, the Parking Authority will put you through the ringer if you are unlucky enough to get a ticket! This city is just awesome and you should check it out for yourself.

For whatever reason, I always had a certain aversion to the state of Pennsylvania, even though I never really had any experiences there until I reached adulthood, and even then they were pretty minimal. Maybe it had something to do with growing up only a few minutes away from NY; I don't really know. I've always loved New England and upstate NY, but Pennsylvania invariably "weirds" me out-- even objectively beautiful areas like the Brandywine Valley, or Bucks County, or the western, mountainous part of the state. The small towns like Belfast and Pen Argyl (where Jayne Mansfield sleeps her eternal sleep under a heart-shaped marble tombstone in an incongruously remote country cemetery) and over-the-hill cities like Easton and Allentown always seemed creepy, seedy, like towns and cities out of the "Twlight Zone" but without the mystical charm or ambiance. The first time I remember going there was in the mid-80's with a friend who, for reasons I no longer remember, had to get a passport to... Read more

My hometown, it's real, raw, uncensored, unlike those plastic West Coast towns Go Eagles!

I have lived in Philadelphia for 18 years im originally from Harrisburg, PA. I have to say that Philly is where you wanna be if you come from a small town. This city isn't the cleanest, not the prettiest, however there are tons of things to do. Downtown center city is filled and over flowing with every kind of person you can imagine. There are so many places to shop, eat, and hangout that one can never get bored. There are high paying, medium and low paying jobs in Philly, but you definitely have to do the work. Most employers do not return phone calls in a timely fashion (they may not even pick up the phone) there are alot of automated customer service lines that lead you no where, so you have to really be a go getter in this city to find a good job. If your looking for a gig, you will definitely find it, there are people in every major groove that need help or are offering help, however you may not be able to make a living off of it. Center City is the main core of Philly, it's wher... Read more

Im changing my vote after three years.   Yes the Center City area with museums, restaurants, and parks are nice but the rest of the city is collapsing.  Im so done with the Philly attitude and people who can't speak properly.    I think partying is just to overdone in Philly also.  I stood on 2nd st.at 2:30 when the bars let out and it was a pathetic zoo.

One of my ex-wives came from South Philly. I still hold that against the Quaker City.

The city is not only a dump but dangerous in many spots. Stay far away if possible!

I was pleasantly surpised by a visit to Philly recently. My first by the way. The city is a lot more vibrant than I anticipated. And friendlier. Cheesesteak was good.  the philly art musuem is humongous. Indepence Hall area really historic, obviously.  I didnt realize Philly was the birthplace of not only America, but, hospitals, libraires, firehouses, and more. Highly recommend a visit.

Museums are so-so...lots of history here, so Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the new Constitution museum are must-sees. Sports fans here are pretty mean...they booed Santa Claus!!!

dirty and humid.

Philly is a great place to visit with all the history and good food. This is the place where America began. Lots of the old neighborhoods still exist and the old ambiance has not been totally wiped out by demographic change or politically correct changes.

Whether or not you like Philadelphia probably depends on what neighborhood you're talking about. I think its real strength as a city is its capacity to preserve the past. There's no other city that has managed to preserve its original design so well -- not even Boston. This has a lot to do with William Penn's smart, clear design for the town...so easy to walk around the city core, where the architecture is still mostly small scale. And the people there are wonderful, as long as you don't act like a bratty yuppie. The downsides are the horrible public transportation, the deeply neglected look of all the urban infrastructure, the corrupt city government, and the low percentage of college grads in the workforce (smallest of any major U.S. city). P.S., PhillyBoy, there are actually a LOT of Cosis in Philly, like them or not! I would walk by a couple of them every day.

Philly is clearly on an upswing. Center City is becoming quite the place to club, shop, dine, and live - it's really become a "class act" that is still getting better. Many beautiful suburbs along the Main Line. Close to New York, D.C., and the shore. What I do find is that the people in general are rude - not everyone, but many. In living there for 6 months on business, I found that it was the native Philadelphian's (this doesn't necessarily include those from Philadelphia's suburbs) had the most issues - rude, insecure, ignorant, parochial, too hung up on their losing sports teams...you get the picture. It's the people that come to Philadelphia (out of towners and suburbanites) that make it cool - not those from the inner city (or Northeast Philly - the largest mass of White Trash in America). Overall, if you could get rid of the slugs that bring Philly down, it will emerge as a World Class city.

Philly is a love-it-or-hate-it type of town. For the young urban professional, it's probably a nightmare. If you're accustomed to the cozy neighborhoods of D.C. such as Adams Morgan, or the ritziness of Chelsea, you'll absolutely hate it here. Philly has nice areas, but it's not a "cute" or "cozy" town. And I've always liked it that way. Not many Au Bon Pains or Cosis here. We prefer to keep it original with mom and pop's hoagie and pizza shops. I guess Philly just has a more authentic feel to it. I live in D.C. now and it just seems very sterile and antiseptic. The same goes for S.F. If you want flavor, soul, personality, and an underdog, gritty persona, I think Philly might work for you. If you want cute and cozy, you might wanna head out west or to D.C.

Great city. Diverse culturally, lots of history, much to explore, and not too difficult to get around too for the most part. There's still much for me to explore and analyse about Philadelphia, but I just enjoy being there. Granted, there are a lot of bums and/or crackheads walking the streets and some parts look like real shitholes, but i'm used to that kind of thing living near Atlantic City most of my life. Most people will say that Philly doesn't have it's own character, which I think isn't entirely true. Philly has more subtle charm and character. You can certainly tell it apart from other citys (especially NY) once you've been here a couple times. It's just an interesting city and there's much to like.

On the surface, 3 maybe even 4 stars. Underneath, the reality is it's more of a 1 or 2 star city. Pros: Center City is a very cute neighborhood in Philly, food is amazing here, very rich cultural history, fairly affordable housing, good universities. Cons: Outside of Center City, Philly is overwhelmingly filled with rundown ghettos and the suburbs in PA are pretty backwards and boring. Philly doesn't seem to really have any character of it's own, despite what the locals say. Surprisingly, I've found New Yorkers are much friendlier than in Philly. Maybe, everyone here has an inferiority complex or something, I have no idea, but there is a definitely an obnoxious attitude among the people here. Philly's main selling points are it's proximity to the Jersey Shore and New York City. If you have to sell a city by advertising it's proximity to other places, that doesn't say much. The nightlife is a joke. Everything closes by 2 a.m., which is pathetic since there are bars and club... Read more

Very livable city-relatively low rents,decent public transit system-but awfully slow and provincial.

OK. Where do I begin? I've been here in Philly since late May, and have mixed feelings about this city. Center City is above average, not like downtown Chicago or anything. The city offers several nice parks like Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square, Logan park. Old City is very nice with all the historical sites around 5th and Market St. such as Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the libery bell, etc. Not to mention the excellent nightlife over around second street near Penn's Landing with all the bars and night clubs. Then, there's the Ben Franklin Parkway that includes Logan park along with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Ben Franklin Institute, and ends right at the Art Museum. Nice site. Also, City hall at Market and Broad St. is a real gem. Then you have all the colleges. Let's see...There's UPenn (oldest school in the country I believe), Drexel, St. Joseph, La Salle, Temple, Villanova, and a whole bunch of smaller lesser knowns, helping to make this a very young vibran... Read more

I live right over the Walt Whitman and love spending the day on South Street. The best is the Mummers Day Parade. Most people don't understand it, but to me there is nothing better than watching big drunk guys dressed up and dancing around. However Philly is becoming victim to the same crime that has taken over many cities. You used to be able to visit your grandpops iron shop and find many other truley harworking folks that actually earnerd their living. Now drugs and crime are starting to take over again.

Such a great city thats only getting better

You will die of a cholesterol time bomb if you stay here long enough. Great eating town...one of the best. Too much cheez whiz on your steak aint too good for you.

I live in Philly and I can tell you for sure - Philly is the best. We have the best resturants and food in America, the second highest number of community gardens-per-capita (we're slightly behind Pittsburgh) in America, 18 farmers farkets, the largest urban park in America (over 10 times the size of Central Park), walkable streets, a good public transit system, affordable housing (but for the rich ones, there's always Rittenhous Sq and Chestnut Hill), lots of sidewalk cafés, America's first university, America's first zoo (gotta ride the zooballon), parks everywhere, the most murals of any city in the county, and much much more. Oh, and for the record, Philly is NOT a wannabe New York. We have our own style.

Pathetic, ugly, horrible city with crime, slums and rot everywhere. Even the streets of Baghdad have more beauty than Philadelphia!

Philadelphia really is probably one of the best cities in the US, if not even the world. I have been an avid visitor and have been to most other major US cities. It offers something for everyone. A big city with a small town feel with genuine people. It must have the best food of any city with everything to choose from including all of the famous original Philly treats. It has to be the most well rounded when it comes to what a city can offer. It is unmatched with history, one of the best orchestras, best zoo outside of SD, best museams, arts of all kinds, good nightlife that is only getting better, resturants, bars, ect. It has a stunning skyline that is set for more projects from what I hear. It has the largest park of any city and a great park system all together. There is tremendous culture here with proud neighborhoods. There are some of the best colleges and institutions in university city. Phila has some of the best sports fans I have ever seen. Granted, they havent ... Read more

Septa is the worst transit system in the country. With rising healthcare cost they feel as though they should have to pay for benefits. The schedules are never right. The customer service is horrible. The Trains are disgustingly dirty. Who in there right mind would put fabric seats on a mass transit system. Thats just stupid. I have rode mass transit in New York, Toronto, and London. And Septa is by-far the WORST!!!!!!

Unsafe and dirty.

Philly can definately offer a stimulating experience. It's so rich in history and full of many significant sights to recall the roots and beginnings of this great country. Penn's landing on the waterfront also has some neat ships and submarines you can tour including a battleship dating back to the Spanish-American war. The archetecture in Philly is fascinating, especially on Society Hill which has an abundance of brownstones, cobblestone streets, horse and buggies and sort of reminded me of Boston a lot but Philly definately has it's own individual character. City hall right in the middle of downtown is like an archetectual centerpiece for the city with an impressive clock tower and a commemorative statue of William Penn. This is probably the best looking city hall I've ever seen. The food here is great, especially if you like Italian dining, check out South Philly. Philly definately is an impressive city yet something seemed like it was missing while I was there yet I couldn't quite ... Read more

A good, solid city. It mixex East Coast cosmopolitan/sophistication, with a nice hometown feeling to it too. Revitalizing itself a lot, probably the best emerging major city. The birthplace of the Nation. Also, the only Northeastern City without a distinctive accent. I don't have a problem with accents, in fact I think they add chareter to a place and I made a weblist on them, but it is nice to go to a place where you KNOW what the people are saying...... However I have to say that I am baffled by the fact that Philly is rated higher than it's neighboring NYC, philly is nice and all, but come on.

I've lived here my whole life. I grew up in NE Philly, and its a great place to live and work. There's plenty of culture in Philadelphia. The cheesesteaks and soft pretzels are awesome!! The bars/clubs are always a good time (however, very pricy in Old City). The only reason I went with 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the ghettos, and they're expanding. You can see the lower parts of the NE starting to go to hell. What a shame. Note: Whatever you do, don't venture into North or West Philly, big big mistake.

Fine place by the Delaware River. I would have seen more, including North Philadelphia to give a definite rating. However I see how aesthetic it is- there are many parks. There's a welcoming dowtown area, nice museums, great universities and a fine history. If I were to move into another place, this city would likely be my best bet.

Well I visited Philly for the first time for a college rowing tournament recently. First off I must preface and say that the weather was ideal sunny and 70 degrees and I only spent two days there but I thought Philly was absloutely fantastic. The rowing event was set on a beautiful park along the Schuylkill River. Downtown kind of blew me away with it's vibrancy and amount of people walking the streets. The residential area down around the historic sights is really impressive. It's not flawless , center city has its grittier spots but all and all I thought philly was a great experience.

Philadelphia is extremely underrated as a city. Ha caligula, how many people did you meet in Philly to generalize as the rudest people you ever met? Personally, I think that they are the most tight knit, loyal, and real people I've ever met. I'm sorry Philly is not Boston, D.C., Chicago, S.F. or LA because they are so refined (oh wait! no I'm not. Philly is original and if you don't get it, see ya later).

Despite the claims on this website, has more in common with Detroit than New York City. Basically a dying city with little appeal beyond history. Boston, D.C., Chicago, S.F., and even L.A. are more appealling as large cities. Not to mention, by far the rudest people you will meet. People complain about NYC and Paris, but Philly takes the cake. Stick a fork in this city, it's done.

Simply a great city. It's sad most people don't realize how nice it is. Very livable downtown, the arts, sports, Philly has it all.

I'm generalizing because people are basically the same all over but Philly has, it seems, the most obnoxious people of any city I've been to.

Cool city. I love Philly. Center City and University City are going to be something special in the next 10 to 15 years...I can't say enough about how incredible the residential areas are. Back in the day most of the early money in this country was in Philadlephia and the housing stock in the Nw part of the city show that. Chestnut Hill-Mt Airy-Overbrook-east Falls, the stone mansions are awe inspiring...The brownstones and colonials downtown are worth a visit in itself... The hoods are really bringing Philly down, hopefully something happens on a national level to address the inner cities. Because the bombed out hoods of N.Philly and W philly are too much for Philly to tackle by itself.