We moved to Philadelphia in December 2017, so we’ve been here just under 16 months. Here are the main differences between Philly and NYC:
- Restaurant food in the sub-$100 range (dinner for two) is lots better in Philly. And there’s a BYO culture here that means lots of restaurants are in that range.
- It’s way smaller. You can live in the suburbs and still be like 20 minutes from the middle of town.
- There are lots fewer international people in Philly.
- There are no good corner stores–bodegas or Korean grocers–in Philly. It’s not a thing. I mean there are probably some somewhere, but it’s not like there’s probably one near you.
- Obviously real estate is a lot cheaper in Philly.
- Obviously NYC is way cooler.
Two more thoughts:
1. Mysteriously, people don’t jaywalk here. I mean not as much. The streets are really narrow so it’s easy to get across. But I think there’s an understanding about how car traffic would just not move at all if pedestrians asserted themselves.
2. It’s nice here. Easier than NYC. It’s just … I mean we’re in Philly, one of the oldest cities in the country, and it’s way less dense and developed. NYC is special.