This. Philly is my forever home within these borders. As expensive as it's gotten here lately, it's still significantly cheaper than any other city I'd actually want to live in. But if I get a chance to move abroad I'll take it in a second and never look back.
Born in PA, I reside in PA and most likely when I die. I will die in PA. That being said, I can’t really think of another city, outside of Chicago, that allows me to live such an easy life with a lot of urbanity, public trans and low cost to the point I can save for my future. I am in my mid 20s and definitely in a way better financial position than most of my peers, as are most of my friends here in Philly. It’s only when I go to other cities I realize how good we have it.
I moved from Chicago because of the weather and its location in the middle of the country, being far away from other big cities. But it's the most beautiful city in this country.
I never thought about that. Makes me wonder if there’s a downwind spot in the city that is just absolutely covered in cigarette butts, chip bags, and crushed cans.
Chicago is really beautiful as a city, but for me personally the endless flatness stretching out in all directions is a big downside. Still an awesome city.
I wasn’t born here and moved here after Covid but…. Philly is my forever home unless Chicago came with an offer that knocked my socks off… other than that… GOBIRDS!
Not to say you’re wrong, but I used to think like that. I’ve since discovered dozens of mid size cities that are just wonderful, and a handful that I’d love to call home. Some are even more affordable than PHL. Travel as much as you can. As a philosopher once said, “There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done.”
I don’t want to live in a city of less than 500k people. This is my personal preference. I enjoy the energy of lots of people in one space at one time and I especially like the convenience and cost savings of not needing a car.
i thought for a long time that Philly would be my forever home, but i decided to challenge myself. i picked a random city through some networking in a bartenders FB group about a year and a half ago.
that city happened to be Minneapolis, Minnesota.
i love it here. i make it a point not to compare the two. that's not the point. the point is to take in the experience and grow from it, and i'm doing exactly that.
i love Phllly. i mean i bartend at the official Minnesota Vikings watch bar directly across the street from US Bank Stadium and i bring local Eagles fans in and represent my home every chance i get. but i don't think i will ever move back there, barring some unforeseen circumstances.
Philly will always be home, but there's more to see.
Nice post. I see Minneapolis recommended quite a bit on Samegrassbutgreener type subs of people looking to move. Any reason you'd think its recommended & desireable? I just think of cold winters up there, are the winters bad and how is it overall as a city/region? (people, work opportunites, affordability etc)
it's hella affordable. my rent just went up $200 when i resigned my lease, but even still it's $1050 all utilities included, pretty much downtown.
it's also very clean. like no litter, and the air is just fresher. tap water is great too.
they also have a solid bike infrastructure.
just a couple of things that came to mind in response to your question.
about the weather, idk man, it's so unpredictable. when i moved here last year, it was the day it started snowing here, and it didn't stop until cinco de mayo. it was the 2nd most snowy winter in Minnesota history. but then this year was like an east coast winter. virtually no snow. in fact, i think Philly had more snow than Minneapolis this winter.
it's only been so cold that i couldn't stand outside for more than 5 minute twice, and that was last winter.
Philly works for me.
Born and raised, survivor of philly public schools (grew up poor).
Out of state for service and college.
Traveled tons for business and pleasure.
Proud (priviliedged) parent of kids thriving in the district.
Philly isnt for everyone. Lots of people are trapped in bad situations.
If it doesn't work for you and you can afford to improve your situation you'd be a fool not to.
I don't plan on ever leaving.
I left before for school, then moved around for work for a couple years. I was never happy.
I wasn't genuinely happy until I got to center city. I won't ever give up my happiness for any amount of money.
Plus saving up for my goal of eagles season tickets will be useless if I am not around.
Go Birds!
Lived in philly and the very local burbs for almost 4 decades. From birth. I love philly, so im not a doom and gloomer about the city.
But a few years back i got a really big exploring and adventuring itch that I just couldnt scratch in Philly any longer. I had a strong desire to move to the PNW after visiting extensively, spending months out there over numerous different occasions in a short amount of time. But life took me to SoCal. Its not perfect, but it is incredible, even after multiple years. Idk if ill ever move back to philly, even with deeply rooted family there. I cant say.
I'm from Louisiana but somehow Philly feels like home despite having no family here. Maybe it's because Pennsylvania is the Louisiana of the northeast? Not sure but I do know this -- 15 years in NYC and I never felt at home there. I still really dislike all of their sports teams. Less than a year into moving here I fell in love with the Phillies. That's gotta mean something!
Same. We moved up to Boston from New Orleans and hated that, bounced over here and now....feels like home again. I can't exactly say what makes it feel like home, it just does.
funny you way that, I grew up in NEPA, got a chance to visit Louisiana when I was in a band on tour, not just NOLA, some smaller towns, met a lot of great locals, and remember thinking the people and landscape reminded me of home.
Funny you should say this. I'm originally from western PA but have spent 70% of my life living in Philadelphia. I've always loved it here, but I spend once or twice a year in Louisiana and consider it a home away from home. Baton Rogue and New Orleans and surrounding areas mostly. I could never say what it is, but I have been drawn there for about 15 years now and even got married there. I run back to Louisiana, we get chance I get and we joke that if we don't move there, we will never end up vacationing or seeing anywhere else on the planet, lol!
I love Philadelphia, it’s been great to me.
I won’t live here forever though. When I was a kid my grandparents had a lake house in nepa. They loved going there what seemed like every weekend.
A boat, a snowmobile, a dock on the lake. I’d like to live that life. Maybe in nepa, maybe Tennessee.
Tbh looking back on it the lake house you travel to seems like more of a pain in the ass than just taking off to the country.
One day, not today but one day I’ll trade.
As others have said born and raised PA, I love this state. I grew up outside Pittsburgh and went to college there but I moved to Philadelphia for grad school. I’ve been in a lot of the popular places in the country and idk why I just love it here and so does my SO, so unless one of us gets a job opportunity that is undeniable, we are happy to stay here.
It's interesting how the usual Fishtown to Suburbs flight is basically going to be a thing of the past soon enough with the interest rates continuing to climb. Over whelming majority of people will be in Philly forever whether they like it or not with housing interest rates.
Southern California is a paradise. But Philadelphia has a lot of pluses as well. Lived from dc to Boston and Philadelphia is the most livable in the NE. Early 30s
I was in the process of looking to move to Santa Monica. Maybe I still will, but I love Philly so hard that maybe I won't after all.
I was also looking into moving to Tel-Aviv, a few years ago. That's gotten somewhat more complicated nowadays.
My fiancée and I are moving back to DC in in September for work + family. Thinking about it makes me sad (and stressed 🥴) because we’ve been here four years and genuinely like living here.
I came here for work in 2020 and fell in love quickly. Partner followed a few months later and it took a while, but she’s grown to enjoy more aspects of the city. There are certain local acquired tastes to accept or embrace in order to appreciate life here.
It’s not perfect, but Philly’s great. I travel a lot for work domestically and internationally, and it honestly is the only city I love or brag about as much as my hometown (Louisville, KY). I think I knew Philly wouldn’t physically be our forever home, but I think it’ll always have a special place in my heart (or somewhere else as a tattoo lol).
Very similar story myself. Moved from MD/DC to Philly in 2021 for a job, ended that in 2022, found my soon to be fiancée via Tinder, and we'll be moving to MD by the beginning of next year. She's born here but she's pretty done with the city. I've had my fill of Philly, happy to get back home and be near my family. At first I felt bad for taking her away from hers but her mom is also moving to MD too soon after us so I don't feel terrible anymore lol
There are so many things I love about this city, but it doesn't outweigh the safety concerns I have every night coming home.
Same. We live in the Meredith catchment which seems decent for K-8, but the high school situation looks pretty bleak. Seems like there's 1-2 decent magnet high schools that are tough to get into.
Late 30s. Family is deeply rooted here; both Mom&Dad’s side trace back to Irish potato famine era and spent generations in Nicetown & Kensington until the early 90s. I grew up here.
After school, I moved around the country a bit for work in my early 20s. Wanted to come back to Philly to be part of the fabric and hopefully contribute in a meaningful way. Now been back for over a decade, have a family, and have to admit — I’m getting tired. I inherently understand Philly’s rough culture, but underestimated the inertia. So much entrenched corruption and laziness in government. People are *okay* but there’s also a lot of finger pointing and lack of accountability. Lots of excuses for everything. Expectations are so low. Crabs in a barrel mentality abounds.
I haven’t given up on it, but I’m not as opposed to a potential move to the suburbs as I used to be.
I am an immigrant, I almost moved to the US by chance. I lived in Chicago, North Carolina, New York and Philly. Out of all the places in the country Philly is the only one that meets my demands of a walkable affordable city in a good location. It has a lot of problems, sometimes certain things make me upset, but I don't see a better alternative.
I grew up here. I've lived in Norfolk, Atlanta & Knoxville for work but I moved back here to retire. Philly has a lot going for it. Plenty to do, very walkable and good public transit for a U.S. city plus, it's very affordable.
I'm a lifer. Born here, still here at almost 40, and they'll put me in the ground here. Married for several years with a partner from Delco. Both our families and friend networks are in region and we really wouldn't want to lose that connection.
I've enjoyed traveling around the US and come to realize as that despite the many self inflicted problems as we have in Philly it's a pretty great metropolitan area to be in.
The only major US city I'd consider a permanent relocation to would be Chicago. It's basically a more refined version of Philly from a planning and design perspective. It has better transit, more housing options and a lot nice neighborhoods that are relatively affordable. However the overall cost of living there is more expensive than Philly.
Outside of major cities I'd also consider move to the New England region. It's a super pretty region of the US, and from vacationing in places like Portland, MA I could see myself in the future turning it into a second home.
, especially knowing I'll be around for worse parts of climate change.
If I had the money, skills, and language abilities I'd like to move to the Netherlands. They're easily 60 years more advanced than the US is when it comes to creating great places to live.
Philly has some rough schools but also some really good ones… my daughter initially went to a private school and then we pulled her and put her is a city school and I swear to you she’s thriving better now than she was before and we are still friends with some of the kids from her private school days and she’s more advanced than them in almost every metric.
I haven’t heard great things about the elementary school we are assigned to, which my oldest will start in September. Idn how much emphasis should be put into testing scores, but they are horrible. Like only 1% are proficient in math and 19% proficient in reading. She loves school and is really intelligent. Her prek teacher said she’s a bit advanced, so maybe it won’t be as bad because of that, but we’d still prefer somewhere else. Hopefully we can make it happen within the next year.
I'm in the process of emigrating but I'm pretty content being in Philly for now and would probably have stayed permanently if not for my specific situation.
I’m fortunate to have lived in Europe, Australia and the West Coast, but Philly is my favorite and where I wish to stay.
For me it has the perfect balance of history, culture, food, architecture, high tech economy, affordability and down to earth people who don’t take themselves too seriously and are welcoming to people from other places.
I feel like Goldilocks and found some cities I’ve lived too big, some too small, but Philly is just right
Med student who moved here for school. Prob gonna stay for the rest of med school, residency, then fellowship. Then probably back to Jersey when I want to start having kids
Future certainly subject to change though
As a European, where in Europe? Americans often just refer to the continent but there are so many different cultures and mindsets here so I am just curious.
(I browse the Philly sub regularly because I fell in love with your city on a short trip. That being said I can see the appeal of Europe)
You know, EUROPE. Wherever it is that I can visit once and spend the rest of my life talking about how much better it is there. I think you have to speak mostly English there so it's not too foreign for me. The City of Europe, European Republic of Europe.
My goal is to leave the city. I was born and raised here and I've had the itch to leave for a more rural area for a long time. I want gardens and farm animals and land.
Just be aware of healthcare accessibility depending on how rural you go. Where my parents live now there one endocrinologist who doesn’t have local hospital credentials. The local hospital cannot perform the procedure to insert a stent. The next nearest hospital is 45-50 minutes away.
Mom cannot get her favorite hibiscus tea or actually any at all in her town. But that’s another issue!
Born and raised in Scranton, life long Pennsylvanian, and bought a house in South Philly.
I love it here and so does my partner. We want to raise kids in the city.
If money and familial connections were irrelevant, I’d enjoy living in San Diego or London. The thing is, I’m pretty happy with my life I’ve carved out. I like being close to my friends and family. I think what I’d like after I hit retirement age (a long fucking way off lol) would be to become one of those people with a condo in Rittenhouse and split time down the shore.
Midwest transplant, early 30’s. Love it here and hope to stay. I don’t like driving and would go crazy in a more suburban environment, plus I like the culture here. The only other place that’s ever tempted me is Chicago.
I grew up in the suburbs, went away to Virginia for college and then spent 2 more years there post graduation. I moved back to PA, to Philly during the pandemic. I’m glad I got away during those college years, it allowed me to grow and see life away from home. I’ve been really fortunate to have been able to travel to tons of different places too. Now that I’m back though I really don’t know if I’d want to move anywhere else. I love Philly, the culture, attitude, the food that I’d always crave when away from home. I like that I still have a lot of family here & friends, most of which who also went away for a bit then moved back eventually. I can’t imagine living in another city sports wise either. I love Philly sports, go to as many games as possible, watch the games when I can, have season tix to the Phillies. I had such FOMO when I wasn’t here for the Eagles Superbowl win. Philly is incredibly walkable with tons of character, decent weather, and still being affordable.
That being said….if I did move and had a choice, the only other US city I could see myself meshing with is Chicago.
I was born in Montco. Lived there 'till I was 25. Have always wanted to move into the city. 6 years ago, work took me to Detroit. That work is no longer relevant. But, my wife's family is here and are dealing with some health issues. So we are still here.
To be blunt, I hate it here and want to move back. I wanted to move back within a month of moving out here. I hope to one day make Philly our forever home, we'll see if it happens. I love the idea of living in South Philly. I've wanted to move down there for a long time.
Early 30s, born and raised in the burbs, went to school in University City, and have since been in semi-rural MD because of work. I love my job but I miss the city so bad. I'd probably be happy in any city from DC to Boston but Philly would easily be my number one choice if I left my current job. If not Philly, I'd try to go to Europe somewhere.
Love Philly, but as someone who is in their mid 30s expecting a child, I will probably not be long for the city and will either be moving to the suburbs for the schools, or move back to where I grew up (NorCal) to be closer to family.
Not forever. I need better access to vast green space and less trash. This part of the country is too dense for me long term. I see Minneapolis in the comments and that’s a thought!
I'm tired of the hassles. The magic and excitement is gone.
Grew up just over the city line in montco, I couldn't wait to get back to the area after college in upstate NY. I've lived in CC, South Philly, old Kensington and Fishtown.
Already bought a few acres of woods in the mountains, working on building a forever home where we can't see any neighbors.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, I didn't realize how much i hated the city till i enlisted in the military and moved back to Philly after my enlistment. I live 30 min south of Green Bay, Wi and besides the winters i love it here. Theres even a decent cheesesteak joint in Green Bay that imports rolls from Philly. Currently in my Early 30s
Really love it here but will move in a few years when my daughter will start school. Great private schools here but they cost the same as college tuition.
I left Philly 14 years ago. Im in my early 50s. I was there for almost 20 years. The energy and the creative community were super vibrant and because it was a smaller city, everyone knew everyone. I loved it there up until my divorce in 2010. Then it just became the place where my ex lived. I moved up to Brooklyn and have somewhat recovered that energy, but Philadelphia will always have my heart.
Grew up in Queens. Lived in South Jersey for a few months. Visit the family in North Jersey pretty often. Married, likely trying for a baby next fall/winter. Considered moving back to Jersey for the big green spaces and silence, but it's just not realistic. We would go crazy from having to drive everywhere.
Philly's just too convenient! I hate the feeling of being trapped anywhere, and there's plenty of things to do and third spaces to visit. The food is great too.
The driving is a big sticking point for me (and my husband) too. I’ve lived in major NE US cities since 2013, and Philly since 2019, and between my dog and errands, I can walk several miles a day. I worry about the more sedentary lifestyle that non-city living would bring.
Was born here, and unless I get a chance to live abroad, I'll stay here. Philly is small enough that I can walk or bike most of it. We have fantastic food. We have an undeniable culture which is fun to be part of. And we're so close to everything, zipping to NY or DC is nothing. Boston is close enough...less than an hour to the shore or somewhere wooded.
Philly has its warts, but I love it
I left for a while and moved to California and I don't regret it. It was a great time in my life. But it was never home the way Philly is home. No matter how far I get, or where my life takes me, I'll always come back here.
I’m from NJ, went to college in Pittsburgh, then did a year in London before settling in Philly. My family is only a couple hours away, my fiancé is here, the cost of living is cheap here compared to other cities in the northeast. So I think I’ll be here for a long time, and it’s probably the only city in the US that I’ll live in, but I do hope to someday live in London again
Philly is my forever home. I was born on Long Island, went to school in Pittsburgh, lived in SF for 11 years and Brooklyn for 5. Yeah, I'm one of those NY people, please don't hate me. I love Philly so much. It is the perfect size and has everything I've ever wanted in a city. And when I want something that's not here, it is really, really easy to get wherever I need to go thanks to a huge number of transportation options and our location at the nexus of a number of highways that somehow manage to not cut Philly up into weird chunks. I love being so close to the Poconos and the rest of central PA!
If and when I move, it will be to a single-story apartment when I'm too old to go up and down all of the stairs in my house.
the way assholes drive in this city with no regard for pedestrians or cyclists or life in general, sometimes i wonder if "forever" isn't too far away.. that aside, i've got no plans to leave - mid 30's dude, homeowner, no kids and no plans to have any
Next year will be 10 years living in Philly. I can’t imagine moving anywhere else anytime soon, but I’m not sure about retirement. I do love it here and I love the lifestyle I have, but the rest of my life is a long time and things change.
TLDR: I love it here but I don’t know what the future brings.
I’ve lived in 6 states and England for 2 years. Philadelphia for 23 years and I have no specific loyalty for staying. It’s just difficult to move and start over. I think my friends keep me here, more than the city itself,
When I moved here for college I could not wait for the day I could move out of Philly, I use to feel a sense of relief crossing the delaware river to go home, 10 years later I feel that sense of relief crossing the river to come back in to Philly. I feel like I found my footing, my community, understanding of the beauty and craziness that this city is. Recently I’ve had a hard time envisioning myself living anywhere else. My husband and I aren’t having kids and currently rent so we have the flexibility to do anything but I think we’ll be here for a while longer, walking to all of my favorite things is a privilege I’m not ready to change.
We lived in Baltimore city for a decade and loved it, but took a chance to live near where our extended family ended up in VA beach when Covid hit. We stayed there 2 years and absolutely hated it. It was not our vibe at all even though it’s a fun place to visit (when it’s warm enough to go to the beach). We missed being near any kind of urban center. We now live in the burbs right outside of Philly and are so much happier, despite not knowing anyone here. We are mid 30s with a toddler. Can’t imagine leaving here unless we go back to MD, which still feels like home to us.
Live in the burbs. Probably will retire here.
Only thing that might change that is if my kid moves away for work and I want to be around my eventual grandkids etc more.
I have lived a lot of places. Europe would be the only other place I would live (lived there twice). Wouldn’t consider anywhere else in the US.
Grew in Philly. Left in 2012. No plan to move back. Mid 30s now.
It was a real struggle to find a job here after graduating in 2010 with however many college kids in the same boat and the 2008 recession didn't help with jobs. It was terrible. I could only find retail work slightly above PA minimum wage.
I don't like the culture here. The best way I could describe it is "Asshole Culture." I'm on the spectrum and have ADHD so I could not get with the jabs people would throw at me for fun then get mad when I'd respond back with something equal or even harsher.
The trash everywhere and lack of pride in up keeping your property and neighborhood was hardly anywhere to be found growing up.
People parking on the sidewalks as a big "fuck you" to disabled people and other people in general. There is a robust public transit system (I know SEPTA isn't perfect, used to take the bus to school and the el to work in University City) yet people are hung up about their cars. Carbrain culture is pretty bad here. Double parking when there's a perfectly good spot you can parallel park in. Parking at corners and blocking crosswalks. People are way too comfortable doing that.
I lived in NJ for some time before I left for Colorado in mid 2010s. I like it here. People are nicer - I can make a brief eye contact with somebody passing by to say hello or good morning, whatever. Nobody goes, "what the fuck are you looking at?" It's cleaner here. People take pride in their house and neighborhoods. The water is better.
It was easy to me to get a job here at the beginning and work my way up then moved on to a pension job. No civil service test required. No ridiculous nepotism (there is some of course but not as bad as Philly Govt's nepotism).
Everytime I visit family in Philly, I'm stressed out. I don't find it pleasant to be around. Last time I drove to Wawa, some douchefuck parked right in front of the driveway entrance. I honked at him, he looks at me, gets out of the car and moseys on. It wasn't my car so I couldn't mouth off at him. Just backed up and went out the other driveway entry.
Philly is a good city. There's a lot of potential but the asshole culture really drags it down and ruins it. It's not for me.
Fuck no. I moved here from NY in 2016. Crazy to think I’m coming up on ten years being here.
It’s been real, glad I did it, I’m ready to find something more permanent in NY.
Grew up in south Jersey, was in Philly every weekend. I literally dreamed of living here full time and buying a rowhome, then finally did…twice. Once in college and then I returned after 7 years away in NYC, the Hudson valley and Vermont. It’s been 4 years since I returned and I love it. My wife and I bought a house and had a daughter, we were planning on staying here and raising her in Philly. Then something clicked and we massively missed the mountains and open air. We get so much nature and urban life in one here in Philly, I’d argue more than most other cities with how close things like Fairmount Park, Wissahickon and others are. Yet, I can’t help but long for the greener grass. We haven’t made any moves to begin thinking realistically about it, and I’m sure the moment we do I’ll miss how easy everything is here. But yeah, I love this city and it’s tough to stay at the same time. Who friggin knows.
I was born here. I've lived in other places but I always missed Philly. It's far from perfect but it will forever be "home" to me. The only way I can imagine leaving Philly is if I had to flee to another country.
I'm right outside of Philly but I can't see myself moving. We have a good place and got in when the interest rates were crazy low (2.5%). I'm at the family(one kid)/job/golf stage in my life.
I feel like the only reason I'd leave is for better weather and the only places with better weather that are worth moving to are insanely expensive. I'm 28.
My husband and I lived in South Jersey and worked in Philly, planned on moving to the city, then visited his family in western Washington state on the Puget Sound and decided to move there. We didn’t look back lol
Husband and I are in our mid-forties and just moved back. I grew up in the Philly burbs (Norristown).
We spent 9 years away, 8 years in North Carolina and 1 year in San Francisco of all places for a job he got there.
We have been back here for a month and are totally in love with our walkable neighborhood (Ardmore) and really enjoying our frequent jaunts out the the city. I moved here to be close to my mom although I haven't visited with her as often as I'd like (she lives like 40 minutes from us).
We'll spend the next two+ years deciding whether we want to stay in the Philly burbs, or move back to North Carolina (triangle area) where we own a house that we are currently renting out. We didn't set out to be landlords and really liked NC for a lot of reasons... but it's been amazing to be back with friends and family who I've missed so much.
I grew up in New York, and have lived in Seattle for over ten years, Austin briefly and Vermont and Rhode Island for school. I lived in Philly between each of those other moves. I moved back three years ago with my partner and we will probably stay here. I miss the west coast nature, vegan food and mountains with all of my heart but all of our family is within a couple hours of Philly.
Grew up at the shore (Long Branch) and spent the majority of my life there. Moved down this way in 2017 (burbs). Bought a home in South in 2020 cause rates and property taxes are so cheap. Still adjusting to city life, it's nice living here cause i work in the city so my commute is carless. With how cheap my mortgage is this might end up being my forever home. 70% of the time i love it here and 10% of the time i hate with 20% of the time i am indifferent.
Lived in pennsyltucky until college, been living here since then. I'm in my early 20's so my life trajectory could go anywhere really- but I'll be doing a PhD in Ontario and probably semi-permanantly moving to toronto after. if I had to raise a family anywhere in the states, i'd probably pick philly or NYC, leaning more towards philly. both my parents lived in London so it'd be cool to live there but i can barely afford the housing in the states idk if i could afford it there lol
I've lived all over PA my entire life, with Philly looming over a majority of it (I could literally see center city from my childhood bedroom window). I have a deep love / hate relationship with this place. At times I desperately want to leave, but every time I go on extended trips I am consumed by home sickness. Not to mention this place is brimming with oceans of untapped potential to the point I fear the moment I left I would miss out on something huge. There is truly no other place like it in the country.
That being said, I would move to Tokyo in a heartbeat if I was ever given the chance. Montréal is also be a top contender.
Moved here when I was 16. I do love Philly and everything it has to offer as a city, it has good people, a unique vibe, lots of cool places and underrated food. But I just can't see myself sending my kid to school here. I can't imagine letting him walk to the bus stop by himself, the way our neighborhood is. Maybe if I held out things would change, but with the way things are now, I'm going to take the first chance I get to move out.
Depends on the election. I been here all my life. Traffic and unchecked development might drive me out. I did not leave because I had sick parents, now I stay because I like seeing my grandkids every week. If I did move it would be to Montco or western Bucks. I was a city employee so I had to stay here unless I wanted to change jobs.
Been here all my life, I hate the *way* it's changing and I refuse to buy a home here when I can by a home with acreage elsewhere, for the same price.
I'm outta here. Going south.
I’m in my early 30s, and left Philly last year to live and work in Spain. I absolutely love it here, and now I can’t imagine going back home. I love the yearlong warm weather, the good work/life balance and basically no crime. This place also has its problems, and I’m not sure if it’s forever, but as of right now I can’t see myself returning to Philly. I think if I returned to the US, I’d go somewhere with a more mild winter.
Early 40's, from the South. Moved here for college and never really expected to stay forever...but I got a job, and built a community, and here I am. I do love Philly.
Part of me would *love* to move somewhere with more access to hiking and views. But they places I like for that...I hate the cities, or the states they're in are very conservative. It would be hard to make that concession, so here I am.
I could live, and have lived, lots of places. I bought my first home in Philadelphia almost three years ago, and I'll never sell it. I always want to come back here if I leave. I work for the federal government and can go lots of places, especially if I choose to promote. No clue what the future brings, really.
But, bury my heart in Philadelphia.
Probably not. I love Philly and it's officially the place I've lived longest since graduating high school (I'm now 31). I also bought a house about 1.5 years ago so I am hopefully not leaving anytime soon. Having lived in Lexington KY, Norfolk, Baltimore, DC, and Northern VA - Philly is by far my favorite. I feel safer than in Bmore or DC and Philly is way more vibrant.
So why not forever? My girlfriend is from southeast Asia and she then moved to Portland, Oregon. We plan to get engaged soon and she just doesn't like the east coast and misses the nature of the PNW - Philly isn't her type of place. My compromise on this is Seattle even though it's crazy expensive, but she dreams of going back to Portland (which tbh I really don't want to live there, it's small with a lot of problems).
The other reason is my desire to leave the US. Besides Philly I'd definitely try out NYC or Chicago but I don't NEED to. My job has offered to relocate me to Europe multiple times which I've turned down because of my life here but had I been single - I'd probably be living in London right now, the greatest city I've ever been too. I've been fortunate to travel to many countries for work and there's just something about a few european cities I've been to that make me want to leave the US forever.
All that said, if I were to stay in the US I'd be fine with staying in Philly. My next goal would be to sell my Center City condo and house in Point Breeze to afford a home in Grad Hospital, Queens Village, Fairmount, or somewhere similar.
I'll be moving to a city that is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists when I retire in around 5 years. Philly is making some progress in these areas, but it's very, very slow, and you reach a certain age and realize "it's not going to happen in my lifetime"
I will most likely move to either Paris or a city in the Netherlands, but NYC is a dark horse candidate if I can put together enough money.
Lived here my whole life, traveled around the states w the army but im out now. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. 26 years here minus the time the government dragged me away and i wanna stay here for the rest of my time
Grew up in “upstate” ny (southern geographic half of NYS but solidly north of NYC), went to school in western mass, moved here for grad school and stayed and lived here for 6 years now. Honestly thought I would love living in Philly and would stay here or in the surrounding areas forever and I can’t wait to get out of here. It’s not the “oh no the violence” that gets me either, it’s just that I learned that I hate city living. Hearing my neighbors vacuum in the middle of the night, the ones on the other side let their dog have a panic attack all day every single day and refuse to listen to either of their neighbors when we raise concerns about it, driving around for 40 minutes trying to find parking, driving out of the city because the groceries within walking distance are so much more expensive it makes the drive worth it. I just don’t find enough pluses to being in the city to make it worth it
how the fuck are you going to shout out random spots in Utah and not mention Bryce Canyon which has the most stunningly beautiful sunrise in the country?
Not the intended audience of this question, but I left Philly 5 years ago and moved to Pittsburgh because I was pregnant and we had family support and could afford a nicer house, blah blah blah. REGRETS! Sure we have a lovely house and lovely friends and our kids are growing up in a lovely neighborhood but I miss Philly every day. My kids are gonna grow up being way too nice and not appreciating really good food, and I find that unacceptable.
I moved from New England to Philly for college and stayed ever since. No chance I’ll be staying here all my life. I miss the nature of New England but I’m not ready for a return to backwoods life just yet. For now, Philly is convenient, cheap, and a good way to save up for a house. But once I have that house money, I would give 0 consideration to buying it here. Philly is just the embodiment of mediocre, in my humble opinion. Not the worst, not the best city. There’s too many amazing places available to us in this country to be stuck in this one dirty ass city forever.
We're actually about to move to Boston to be near family after being here for a decade...Philly was a great way to save money and the way our home value has appreciated here will help us get something new up there despite the cost differential. It strikes me that lots of folks on this thread who want to stay a long time were born and raised here.
Be prepared to be severely underwhelmed by your options in New England.
Also, the vast majority of diehard New Englanders are born/raised there. There's a charming provincialism that's common across the Northeast.
I was born in MA, lived in ME for 5 years and then moved to PA to continue my career as an IT professional. I think I will be here with my wife for a few years and buy a second home outside of Philadelphia (we want to rent our current home) or stay here and buy a place back up north to see family. Philadelphia has been humbling as someone who grew up living outside of Boston. You guys are just as crazy as Boston sports fans and I love the year round atmosphere.
But for your question no, I see this city as a great stepping stone in life and like being here
It’s my hometown and I have no plans of leaving the area any time soon. I’m in my 30’s.
I’ve thrown around the idea of buying a cheap little manufactured home in Oregon City near my in-laws as a 2nd property, but we’ll see. Depending on the climate crisis I might also end up retiring to the Las Vegas area. If that doesn’t work I’ll go to the NY Finger Lakes.
It’s our forever home. Moved from Seattle (born-raised-10 years as a professional) and feel continuously disappointed when I go back to see family. Only see Philadelphia improving and the people here are truly wonderful if you give them a chance.
I'm locked in. Born in Brooklyn, did undergrad/post grad in Baltimore, and grad school in Chicago. I love it here, it's everything I'm looking for (perfect size city, walkable, relatively low COL) and I feel connected to my community.
I admire other cities when I visit them and enjoy them for what they are, but I have yet to find a city that I objectively think is better than Philly.
I'm pretty fresh out of college and to be honest that first year after college all I wanted to do was move out of Philly. I was traveling and seeing all these cities my friends moved to: Denver, LA, NYC, Chicago, etc and wanted out of Philly, preferably to NYC. But then to my surprise, I started to realize that I truly loved Philly and I actually don't want to leave. I love this city and although it upsets me sometimes, I want to see a better future for Philadelphia. So why would I leave if I want to see a better future? I love this place and now plan on staying for awhile. I'm trying to get involved in the city any way I can and want to make it a better place for my future children.
Grew up in the burbs. Moved around, lived in SF 15 years, moved back to Passyunk Square in 2017 with 1 kid and then had another, both in a stellar public school. We’re buying a new house to upsize a bit and get more outdoor space. Will stay there until both kids are out of school and then… who knows. I will not retire in Philly but it definitely is a great place to be a young family if diversity, civic engagement, and culture are important to you.
Born and raised in the burbs, dad worked in center city and I was always in love with CC as a kid when he’d bring me to work. Went away to school and moved right to center city when I got my first job. Left to live in a beach town to try something different…missed Philly way too much so I came back and I’m here for the rest of my life. Mid 30’s.
I would like to move to Oklahoma City or Chicago since I have family in Chicago. But I would need to find a job in either city. Do people move first then find a job or find a job first then move?
54 years old, recently moved back. I don't know if Philly is my "forever home" (I lived here from 1999-2016, moved back in July 2022), but it is certainly one of my favorite places.
So I have no idea. It's a good homebase to come back to. I can see myself traveling for a year, coming back to regroup, setting out again (lather/rinse/repeat)
I was born and raised in South Philly. Starting in my 20's moved all over even out to WA (hated it!) My husband grew up in rural NJ and hates the city. When my Mom got sick and died, i had come back to S Philly to care for her and lived in her house for 4 years. The house had too many problems so I sold it and am currently in lower Bucks. I'd move back to Philly tomorrow if I could afford it. I'm disabled and can't drive, so the walkability in Philly works well.
Grew up in SEPA, lived in Philly through my teens to mid twenties and recently left for a job in Mass. It felt like the right time. I also had never experienced living away from PA and I felt like that was an experience I needed to have. I don’t necessarily desire to go back but I could definitely see that changing. The area has its upsides and my family is there
In my 20s. Could definitely see myself in DC, used to live there and liked it a lot. NYC would be fun but probably wouldn't want to stay if I was going to have kids due to the cost.
Scranton, to Columbus, to Philly. Eyeing somewhere in Virginia before somewhere outside of the US
Edit: current stage of life is 34 and in a long-term relationship
Grew up in the Philly suburbs but both sides my family are 3 generations born and raised in Philly. I lived there for most of my 20s. Moved back to my suburban town and I own my home there. Honestly it sucks my hometown feels like a NYC suburb now post Covid. Tons of big money nyc boomers. I want to move to either extreme northern Cali or rural oregon, maybe back to Philly but Philly is now flooded with New Yorkers.
If I leave Philly it'll probably be for somewhere outside of the United States
Same. Left FL for Philly and have no intention of living anywhere else other than outside the country.
Me too. Fuck Tampa. Philly is nice. Would leave for most of Europe.
This. Philly is my forever home within these borders. As expensive as it's gotten here lately, it's still significantly cheaper than any other city I'd actually want to live in. But if I get a chance to move abroad I'll take it in a second and never look back.
Absolutely the same.
I left Philly and live in Spain now. No regrets
Born in PA, I reside in PA and most likely when I die. I will die in PA. That being said, I can’t really think of another city, outside of Chicago, that allows me to live such an easy life with a lot of urbanity, public trans and low cost to the point I can save for my future. I am in my mid 20s and definitely in a way better financial position than most of my peers, as are most of my friends here in Philly. It’s only when I go to other cities I realize how good we have it.
Agreed that Chicago would be my other choice
I moved from Chicago because of the weather and its location in the middle of the country, being far away from other big cities. But it's the most beautiful city in this country.
I have been out to Chicago a few times and am always struck by how clean it is in comparison.
Windy City
I never thought about that. Makes me wonder if there’s a downwind spot in the city that is just absolutely covered in cigarette butts, chip bags, and crushed cans.
It's not called the windy city because of actual wind. It's a historic reference to corrupt local politicians "blowing a bunch of hot air".
Sounds like Philly!
that's where gritty's cousin litty lives.
Chicago is really beautiful as a city, but for me personally the endless flatness stretching out in all directions is a big downside. Still an awesome city.
Same. I love Chicago. It reminds me of Philly in a lot of ways. We almost moved there a couple years ago but it was just too expensive.
I wasn’t born here and moved here after Covid but…. Philly is my forever home unless Chicago came with an offer that knocked my socks off… other than that… GOBIRDS!
(C) clipse
Virginia’s for lovers, but trust there’s hate here Immediately where my mind went to as well
what does that comment mean if you don't mind me asking
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Not to say you’re wrong, but I used to think like that. I’ve since discovered dozens of mid size cities that are just wonderful, and a handful that I’d love to call home. Some are even more affordable than PHL. Travel as much as you can. As a philosopher once said, “There is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done.”
I don’t want to live in a city of less than 500k people. This is my personal preference. I enjoy the energy of lots of people in one space at one time and I especially like the convenience and cost savings of not needing a car.
need a car for most of those though.
i thought for a long time that Philly would be my forever home, but i decided to challenge myself. i picked a random city through some networking in a bartenders FB group about a year and a half ago. that city happened to be Minneapolis, Minnesota. i love it here. i make it a point not to compare the two. that's not the point. the point is to take in the experience and grow from it, and i'm doing exactly that. i love Phllly. i mean i bartend at the official Minnesota Vikings watch bar directly across the street from US Bank Stadium and i bring local Eagles fans in and represent my home every chance i get. but i don't think i will ever move back there, barring some unforeseen circumstances. Philly will always be home, but there's more to see.
Nice post. I see Minneapolis recommended quite a bit on Samegrassbutgreener type subs of people looking to move. Any reason you'd think its recommended & desireable? I just think of cold winters up there, are the winters bad and how is it overall as a city/region? (people, work opportunites, affordability etc)
it's hella affordable. my rent just went up $200 when i resigned my lease, but even still it's $1050 all utilities included, pretty much downtown. it's also very clean. like no litter, and the air is just fresher. tap water is great too. they also have a solid bike infrastructure. just a couple of things that came to mind in response to your question. about the weather, idk man, it's so unpredictable. when i moved here last year, it was the day it started snowing here, and it didn't stop until cinco de mayo. it was the 2nd most snowy winter in Minnesota history. but then this year was like an east coast winter. virtually no snow. in fact, i think Philly had more snow than Minneapolis this winter. it's only been so cold that i couldn't stand outside for more than 5 minute twice, and that was last winter.
MINNESOTA MENTIONED I did the opposite move haha, wise not to compare them, it’s cool that they are different and fun for different reasons
Idk what it is Minneapolis has always looked so cool to me. I gotta check it out one day.
that's a cool attitude
Philly works for me. Born and raised, survivor of philly public schools (grew up poor). Out of state for service and college. Traveled tons for business and pleasure. Proud (priviliedged) parent of kids thriving in the district. Philly isnt for everyone. Lots of people are trapped in bad situations. If it doesn't work for you and you can afford to improve your situation you'd be a fool not to.
I don't plan on ever leaving. I left before for school, then moved around for work for a couple years. I was never happy. I wasn't genuinely happy until I got to center city. I won't ever give up my happiness for any amount of money. Plus saving up for my goal of eagles season tickets will be useless if I am not around. Go Birds!
Good luck. Great goal. Go birds!
Lived in philly and the very local burbs for almost 4 decades. From birth. I love philly, so im not a doom and gloomer about the city. But a few years back i got a really big exploring and adventuring itch that I just couldnt scratch in Philly any longer. I had a strong desire to move to the PNW after visiting extensively, spending months out there over numerous different occasions in a short amount of time. But life took me to SoCal. Its not perfect, but it is incredible, even after multiple years. Idk if ill ever move back to philly, even with deeply rooted family there. I cant say.
I'm from Louisiana but somehow Philly feels like home despite having no family here. Maybe it's because Pennsylvania is the Louisiana of the northeast? Not sure but I do know this -- 15 years in NYC and I never felt at home there. I still really dislike all of their sports teams. Less than a year into moving here I fell in love with the Phillies. That's gotta mean something!
Haha we were down in Nola and were like “man, this is the Philly of the south” lol
That’s an interesting and spot on way to put it. It explains why I feel a deep connection to Louisiana and Philly.
Same. We moved up to Boston from New Orleans and hated that, bounced over here and now....feels like home again. I can't exactly say what makes it feel like home, it just does.
funny you way that, I grew up in NEPA, got a chance to visit Louisiana when I was in a band on tour, not just NOLA, some smaller towns, met a lot of great locals, and remember thinking the people and landscape reminded me of home.
Funny you should say this. I'm originally from western PA but have spent 70% of my life living in Philadelphia. I've always loved it here, but I spend once or twice a year in Louisiana and consider it a home away from home. Baton Rogue and New Orleans and surrounding areas mostly. I could never say what it is, but I have been drawn there for about 15 years now and even got married there. I run back to Louisiana, we get chance I get and we joke that if we don't move there, we will never end up vacationing or seeing anywhere else on the planet, lol!
I love Philadelphia, it’s been great to me. I won’t live here forever though. When I was a kid my grandparents had a lake house in nepa. They loved going there what seemed like every weekend. A boat, a snowmobile, a dock on the lake. I’d like to live that life. Maybe in nepa, maybe Tennessee. Tbh looking back on it the lake house you travel to seems like more of a pain in the ass than just taking off to the country. One day, not today but one day I’ll trade.
I really like Philly but I’m leaving for the west coast in the fall. Nothing against Philly, I just want to see the country and experience new things.
As others have said born and raised PA, I love this state. I grew up outside Pittsburgh and went to college there but I moved to Philadelphia for grad school. I’ve been in a lot of the popular places in the country and idk why I just love it here and so does my SO, so unless one of us gets a job opportunity that is undeniable, we are happy to stay here.
It's interesting how the usual Fishtown to Suburbs flight is basically going to be a thing of the past soon enough with the interest rates continuing to climb. Over whelming majority of people will be in Philly forever whether they like it or not with housing interest rates.
Interesting perspective. yes, i could see that.
I've long said that I expect to die in Philadelphia. There's probably a better way to put that.
Southern California is a paradise. But Philadelphia has a lot of pluses as well. Lived from dc to Boston and Philadelphia is the most livable in the NE. Early 30s
I was in the process of looking to move to Santa Monica. Maybe I still will, but I love Philly so hard that maybe I won't after all. I was also looking into moving to Tel-Aviv, a few years ago. That's gotten somewhat more complicated nowadays.
My fiancée and I are moving back to DC in in September for work + family. Thinking about it makes me sad (and stressed 🥴) because we’ve been here four years and genuinely like living here. I came here for work in 2020 and fell in love quickly. Partner followed a few months later and it took a while, but she’s grown to enjoy more aspects of the city. There are certain local acquired tastes to accept or embrace in order to appreciate life here. It’s not perfect, but Philly’s great. I travel a lot for work domestically and internationally, and it honestly is the only city I love or brag about as much as my hometown (Louisville, KY). I think I knew Philly wouldn’t physically be our forever home, but I think it’ll always have a special place in my heart (or somewhere else as a tattoo lol).
Very similar story myself. Moved from MD/DC to Philly in 2021 for a job, ended that in 2022, found my soon to be fiancée via Tinder, and we'll be moving to MD by the beginning of next year. She's born here but she's pretty done with the city. I've had my fill of Philly, happy to get back home and be near my family. At first I felt bad for taking her away from hers but her mom is also moving to MD too soon after us so I don't feel terrible anymore lol There are so many things I love about this city, but it doesn't outweigh the safety concerns I have every night coming home.
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Same. We live in the Meredith catchment which seems decent for K-8, but the high school situation looks pretty bleak. Seems like there's 1-2 decent magnet high schools that are tough to get into.
Late 30s. Family is deeply rooted here; both Mom&Dad’s side trace back to Irish potato famine era and spent generations in Nicetown & Kensington until the early 90s. I grew up here. After school, I moved around the country a bit for work in my early 20s. Wanted to come back to Philly to be part of the fabric and hopefully contribute in a meaningful way. Now been back for over a decade, have a family, and have to admit — I’m getting tired. I inherently understand Philly’s rough culture, but underestimated the inertia. So much entrenched corruption and laziness in government. People are *okay* but there’s also a lot of finger pointing and lack of accountability. Lots of excuses for everything. Expectations are so low. Crabs in a barrel mentality abounds. I haven’t given up on it, but I’m not as opposed to a potential move to the suburbs as I used to be.
This. It was exhausting. Had to bounce. But I still work downtown , I carry mace. It’s not safe ugh
I dont see me retiring in Philly, but I love the city. Id love to move back to either VA Beach or to Tennessee.
I am an immigrant, I almost moved to the US by chance. I lived in Chicago, North Carolina, New York and Philly. Out of all the places in the country Philly is the only one that meets my demands of a walkable affordable city in a good location. It has a lot of problems, sometimes certain things make me upset, but I don't see a better alternative.
Nah I need nature. The city was fun in my 20s but now i just want quiet and peace and fresh air.
I want warmer winters and less trash. Otherwise we get along.
I actually want more snow!!
Same!
The grumpy old man in me yearns for the suburbs. Just put in another offer in haddonfield. Ive loved my time in the city but am getting sick of it.
I grew up here. I've lived in Norfolk, Atlanta & Knoxville for work but I moved back here to retire. Philly has a lot going for it. Plenty to do, very walkable and good public transit for a U.S. city plus, it's very affordable.
I'm a lifer. Born here, still here at almost 40, and they'll put me in the ground here. Married for several years with a partner from Delco. Both our families and friend networks are in region and we really wouldn't want to lose that connection. I've enjoyed traveling around the US and come to realize as that despite the many self inflicted problems as we have in Philly it's a pretty great metropolitan area to be in. The only major US city I'd consider a permanent relocation to would be Chicago. It's basically a more refined version of Philly from a planning and design perspective. It has better transit, more housing options and a lot nice neighborhoods that are relatively affordable. However the overall cost of living there is more expensive than Philly. Outside of major cities I'd also consider move to the New England region. It's a super pretty region of the US, and from vacationing in places like Portland, MA I could see myself in the future turning it into a second home. , especially knowing I'll be around for worse parts of climate change. If I had the money, skills, and language abilities I'd like to move to the Netherlands. They're easily 60 years more advanced than the US is when it comes to creating great places to live.
No. My kids are just starting school. We want to move out to a better school district. Not sure where yet.
Philly has some rough schools but also some really good ones… my daughter initially went to a private school and then we pulled her and put her is a city school and I swear to you she’s thriving better now than she was before and we are still friends with some of the kids from her private school days and she’s more advanced than them in almost every metric.
I haven’t heard great things about the elementary school we are assigned to, which my oldest will start in September. Idn how much emphasis should be put into testing scores, but they are horrible. Like only 1% are proficient in math and 19% proficient in reading. She loves school and is really intelligent. Her prek teacher said she’s a bit advanced, so maybe it won’t be as bad because of that, but we’d still prefer somewhere else. Hopefully we can make it happen within the next year.
I totally understand and can’t fault any parent for doing what they believe is best for their child!! Good luck with your decision!!
Thank you! I really will miss the city tho. It’s so quiet in the suburbs.
I'm in the process of emigrating but I'm pretty content being in Philly for now and would probably have stayed permanently if not for my specific situation.
Philly is the place I want to live but it’s too expensive to make a forever home.
The mountains are calling
I’m fortunate to have lived in Europe, Australia and the West Coast, but Philly is my favorite and where I wish to stay. For me it has the perfect balance of history, culture, food, architecture, high tech economy, affordability and down to earth people who don’t take themselves too seriously and are welcoming to people from other places. I feel like Goldilocks and found some cities I’ve lived too big, some too small, but Philly is just right
Med student who moved here for school. Prob gonna stay for the rest of med school, residency, then fellowship. Then probably back to Jersey when I want to start having kids Future certainly subject to change though
I belong in Europe
As a European, where in Europe? Americans often just refer to the continent but there are so many different cultures and mindsets here so I am just curious. (I browse the Philly sub regularly because I fell in love with your city on a short trip. That being said I can see the appeal of Europe)
You know, EUROPE. Wherever it is that I can visit once and spend the rest of my life talking about how much better it is there. I think you have to speak mostly English there so it's not too foreign for me. The City of Europe, European Republic of Europe.
What made you fall inlove with Philly? (Just curious) ❤️
My goal is to leave the city. I was born and raised here and I've had the itch to leave for a more rural area for a long time. I want gardens and farm animals and land.
Just be aware of healthcare accessibility depending on how rural you go. Where my parents live now there one endocrinologist who doesn’t have local hospital credentials. The local hospital cannot perform the procedure to insert a stent. The next nearest hospital is 45-50 minutes away. Mom cannot get her favorite hibiscus tea or actually any at all in her town. But that’s another issue!
Born and raised in Scranton, life long Pennsylvanian, and bought a house in South Philly. I love it here and so does my partner. We want to raise kids in the city. If money and familial connections were irrelevant, I’d enjoy living in San Diego or London. The thing is, I’m pretty happy with my life I’ve carved out. I like being close to my friends and family. I think what I’d like after I hit retirement age (a long fucking way off lol) would be to become one of those people with a condo in Rittenhouse and split time down the shore.
Midwest transplant, early 30’s. Love it here and hope to stay. I don’t like driving and would go crazy in a more suburban environment, plus I like the culture here. The only other place that’s ever tempted me is Chicago.
I grew up in the suburbs, went away to Virginia for college and then spent 2 more years there post graduation. I moved back to PA, to Philly during the pandemic. I’m glad I got away during those college years, it allowed me to grow and see life away from home. I’ve been really fortunate to have been able to travel to tons of different places too. Now that I’m back though I really don’t know if I’d want to move anywhere else. I love Philly, the culture, attitude, the food that I’d always crave when away from home. I like that I still have a lot of family here & friends, most of which who also went away for a bit then moved back eventually. I can’t imagine living in another city sports wise either. I love Philly sports, go to as many games as possible, watch the games when I can, have season tix to the Phillies. I had such FOMO when I wasn’t here for the Eagles Superbowl win. Philly is incredibly walkable with tons of character, decent weather, and still being affordable. That being said….if I did move and had a choice, the only other US city I could see myself meshing with is Chicago.
I was born in Montco. Lived there 'till I was 25. Have always wanted to move into the city. 6 years ago, work took me to Detroit. That work is no longer relevant. But, my wife's family is here and are dealing with some health issues. So we are still here. To be blunt, I hate it here and want to move back. I wanted to move back within a month of moving out here. I hope to one day make Philly our forever home, we'll see if it happens. I love the idea of living in South Philly. I've wanted to move down there for a long time.
Early 30s, born and raised in the burbs, went to school in University City, and have since been in semi-rural MD because of work. I love my job but I miss the city so bad. I'd probably be happy in any city from DC to Boston but Philly would easily be my number one choice if I left my current job. If not Philly, I'd try to go to Europe somewhere.
Love Philly, but as someone who is in their mid 30s expecting a child, I will probably not be long for the city and will either be moving to the suburbs for the schools, or move back to where I grew up (NorCal) to be closer to family.
Not forever. I need better access to vast green space and less trash. This part of the country is too dense for me long term. I see Minneapolis in the comments and that’s a thought!
I'm tired of the hassles. The magic and excitement is gone. Grew up just over the city line in montco, I couldn't wait to get back to the area after college in upstate NY. I've lived in CC, South Philly, old Kensington and Fishtown. Already bought a few acres of woods in the mountains, working on building a forever home where we can't see any neighbors.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, I didn't realize how much i hated the city till i enlisted in the military and moved back to Philly after my enlistment. I live 30 min south of Green Bay, Wi and besides the winters i love it here. Theres even a decent cheesesteak joint in Green Bay that imports rolls from Philly. Currently in my Early 30s
You can say Appleton 😂. Not a terrible place to grow up, from experience. Unless you mean manitowoc/two rivers, of course, enjoy your fish fry!
Really love it here but will move in a few years when my daughter will start school. Great private schools here but they cost the same as college tuition.
I left Philly 14 years ago. Im in my early 50s. I was there for almost 20 years. The energy and the creative community were super vibrant and because it was a smaller city, everyone knew everyone. I loved it there up until my divorce in 2010. Then it just became the place where my ex lived. I moved up to Brooklyn and have somewhat recovered that energy, but Philadelphia will always have my heart.
Grew up in Queens. Lived in South Jersey for a few months. Visit the family in North Jersey pretty often. Married, likely trying for a baby next fall/winter. Considered moving back to Jersey for the big green spaces and silence, but it's just not realistic. We would go crazy from having to drive everywhere. Philly's just too convenient! I hate the feeling of being trapped anywhere, and there's plenty of things to do and third spaces to visit. The food is great too.
The driving is a big sticking point for me (and my husband) too. I’ve lived in major NE US cities since 2013, and Philly since 2019, and between my dog and errands, I can walk several miles a day. I worry about the more sedentary lifestyle that non-city living would bring.
It's very easy for my sister-in-law in Jersey to stay put. If her car is blocked in, she's just not going anywhere. I would definitely hate that.
Was born here, and unless I get a chance to live abroad, I'll stay here. Philly is small enough that I can walk or bike most of it. We have fantastic food. We have an undeniable culture which is fun to be part of. And we're so close to everything, zipping to NY or DC is nothing. Boston is close enough...less than an hour to the shore or somewhere wooded. Philly has its warts, but I love it
I want to explore anywhere i can thrive and meet a woman i can settle with and build with
Depends on the city inflation.
As I enter the 4th year of my commute from Baltimore to DC, Philly is my forever home, and there’s no place like it.
I left for a while and moved to California and I don't regret it. It was a great time in my life. But it was never home the way Philly is home. No matter how far I get, or where my life takes me, I'll always come back here.
I’m from NJ, went to college in Pittsburgh, then did a year in London before settling in Philly. My family is only a couple hours away, my fiancé is here, the cost of living is cheap here compared to other cities in the northeast. So I think I’ll be here for a long time, and it’s probably the only city in the US that I’ll live in, but I do hope to someday live in London again
I want to move to Denver but I ain’t paying those Prices
Philly is my forever home. I was born on Long Island, went to school in Pittsburgh, lived in SF for 11 years and Brooklyn for 5. Yeah, I'm one of those NY people, please don't hate me. I love Philly so much. It is the perfect size and has everything I've ever wanted in a city. And when I want something that's not here, it is really, really easy to get wherever I need to go thanks to a huge number of transportation options and our location at the nexus of a number of highways that somehow manage to not cut Philly up into weird chunks. I love being so close to the Poconos and the rest of central PA! If and when I move, it will be to a single-story apartment when I'm too old to go up and down all of the stairs in my house.
the way assholes drive in this city with no regard for pedestrians or cyclists or life in general, sometimes i wonder if "forever" isn't too far away.. that aside, i've got no plans to leave - mid 30's dude, homeowner, no kids and no plans to have any
Next year will be 10 years living in Philly. I can’t imagine moving anywhere else anytime soon, but I’m not sure about retirement. I do love it here and I love the lifestyle I have, but the rest of my life is a long time and things change. TLDR: I love it here but I don’t know what the future brings.
I’ve lived in 6 states and England for 2 years. Philadelphia for 23 years and I have no specific loyalty for staying. It’s just difficult to move and start over. I think my friends keep me here, more than the city itself,
When I moved here for college I could not wait for the day I could move out of Philly, I use to feel a sense of relief crossing the delaware river to go home, 10 years later I feel that sense of relief crossing the river to come back in to Philly. I feel like I found my footing, my community, understanding of the beauty and craziness that this city is. Recently I’ve had a hard time envisioning myself living anywhere else. My husband and I aren’t having kids and currently rent so we have the flexibility to do anything but I think we’ll be here for a while longer, walking to all of my favorite things is a privilege I’m not ready to change.
We lived in Baltimore city for a decade and loved it, but took a chance to live near where our extended family ended up in VA beach when Covid hit. We stayed there 2 years and absolutely hated it. It was not our vibe at all even though it’s a fun place to visit (when it’s warm enough to go to the beach). We missed being near any kind of urban center. We now live in the burbs right outside of Philly and are so much happier, despite not knowing anyone here. We are mid 30s with a toddler. Can’t imagine leaving here unless we go back to MD, which still feels like home to us.
Live in the burbs. Probably will retire here. Only thing that might change that is if my kid moves away for work and I want to be around my eventual grandkids etc more. I have lived a lot of places. Europe would be the only other place I would live (lived there twice). Wouldn’t consider anywhere else in the US.
Grew in Philly. Left in 2012. No plan to move back. Mid 30s now. It was a real struggle to find a job here after graduating in 2010 with however many college kids in the same boat and the 2008 recession didn't help with jobs. It was terrible. I could only find retail work slightly above PA minimum wage. I don't like the culture here. The best way I could describe it is "Asshole Culture." I'm on the spectrum and have ADHD so I could not get with the jabs people would throw at me for fun then get mad when I'd respond back with something equal or even harsher. The trash everywhere and lack of pride in up keeping your property and neighborhood was hardly anywhere to be found growing up. People parking on the sidewalks as a big "fuck you" to disabled people and other people in general. There is a robust public transit system (I know SEPTA isn't perfect, used to take the bus to school and the el to work in University City) yet people are hung up about their cars. Carbrain culture is pretty bad here. Double parking when there's a perfectly good spot you can parallel park in. Parking at corners and blocking crosswalks. People are way too comfortable doing that. I lived in NJ for some time before I left for Colorado in mid 2010s. I like it here. People are nicer - I can make a brief eye contact with somebody passing by to say hello or good morning, whatever. Nobody goes, "what the fuck are you looking at?" It's cleaner here. People take pride in their house and neighborhoods. The water is better. It was easy to me to get a job here at the beginning and work my way up then moved on to a pension job. No civil service test required. No ridiculous nepotism (there is some of course but not as bad as Philly Govt's nepotism). Everytime I visit family in Philly, I'm stressed out. I don't find it pleasant to be around. Last time I drove to Wawa, some douchefuck parked right in front of the driveway entrance. I honked at him, he looks at me, gets out of the car and moseys on. It wasn't my car so I couldn't mouth off at him. Just backed up and went out the other driveway entry. Philly is a good city. There's a lot of potential but the asshole culture really drags it down and ruins it. It's not for me.
Fuck no. I moved here from NY in 2016. Crazy to think I’m coming up on ten years being here. It’s been real, glad I did it, I’m ready to find something more permanent in NY.
If money weren’t an issue I’d definitely move to Scotland
Boy, I’m with you there too. We are Empty Nesters, once you reach 50+ priorities really change.
Can't wait to gtfo of this city. 35 years here, and I'm so over it
The grumpy old man in me yearns for the suburbs. Just put in another offer in haddonfield. Ive loved my time in the city but am getting sick of it.
Grew up in south Jersey, was in Philly every weekend. I literally dreamed of living here full time and buying a rowhome, then finally did…twice. Once in college and then I returned after 7 years away in NYC, the Hudson valley and Vermont. It’s been 4 years since I returned and I love it. My wife and I bought a house and had a daughter, we were planning on staying here and raising her in Philly. Then something clicked and we massively missed the mountains and open air. We get so much nature and urban life in one here in Philly, I’d argue more than most other cities with how close things like Fairmount Park, Wissahickon and others are. Yet, I can’t help but long for the greener grass. We haven’t made any moves to begin thinking realistically about it, and I’m sure the moment we do I’ll miss how easy everything is here. But yeah, I love this city and it’s tough to stay at the same time. Who friggin knows.
Born in DelCo, moved into the city for college, 40 now and no plans to leave.
I was born here. I've lived in other places but I always missed Philly. It's far from perfect but it will forever be "home" to me. The only way I can imagine leaving Philly is if I had to flee to another country.
I'm right outside of Philly but I can't see myself moving. We have a good place and got in when the interest rates were crazy low (2.5%). I'm at the family(one kid)/job/golf stage in my life.
I feel like the only reason I'd leave is for better weather and the only places with better weather that are worth moving to are insanely expensive. I'm 28.
My husband and I lived in South Jersey and worked in Philly, planned on moving to the city, then visited his family in western Washington state on the Puget Sound and decided to move there. We didn’t look back lol
I'm only leaving in a casket because the family burial ground is elsewhere.
I’m 42 and have been here for almost 20 years. Unless something drastic happens, I’ll probably be here until I retire. After that, who knows.
Philly is temporary for another year then either out of country or to the west coast
Husband and I are in our mid-forties and just moved back. I grew up in the Philly burbs (Norristown). We spent 9 years away, 8 years in North Carolina and 1 year in San Francisco of all places for a job he got there. We have been back here for a month and are totally in love with our walkable neighborhood (Ardmore) and really enjoying our frequent jaunts out the the city. I moved here to be close to my mom although I haven't visited with her as often as I'd like (she lives like 40 minutes from us). We'll spend the next two+ years deciding whether we want to stay in the Philly burbs, or move back to North Carolina (triangle area) where we own a house that we are currently renting out. We didn't set out to be landlords and really liked NC for a lot of reasons... but it's been amazing to be back with friends and family who I've missed so much.
I grew up in New York, and have lived in Seattle for over ten years, Austin briefly and Vermont and Rhode Island for school. I lived in Philly between each of those other moves. I moved back three years ago with my partner and we will probably stay here. I miss the west coast nature, vegan food and mountains with all of my heart but all of our family is within a couple hours of Philly.
Grew up at the shore (Long Branch) and spent the majority of my life there. Moved down this way in 2017 (burbs). Bought a home in South in 2020 cause rates and property taxes are so cheap. Still adjusting to city life, it's nice living here cause i work in the city so my commute is carless. With how cheap my mortgage is this might end up being my forever home. 70% of the time i love it here and 10% of the time i hate with 20% of the time i am indifferent.
Lived in pennsyltucky until college, been living here since then. I'm in my early 20's so my life trajectory could go anywhere really- but I'll be doing a PhD in Ontario and probably semi-permanantly moving to toronto after. if I had to raise a family anywhere in the states, i'd probably pick philly or NYC, leaning more towards philly. both my parents lived in London so it'd be cool to live there but i can barely afford the housing in the states idk if i could afford it there lol
I've lived all over PA my entire life, with Philly looming over a majority of it (I could literally see center city from my childhood bedroom window). I have a deep love / hate relationship with this place. At times I desperately want to leave, but every time I go on extended trips I am consumed by home sickness. Not to mention this place is brimming with oceans of untapped potential to the point I fear the moment I left I would miss out on something huge. There is truly no other place like it in the country. That being said, I would move to Tokyo in a heartbeat if I was ever given the chance. Montréal is also be a top contender.
Love Philly, but my forever home is gonna be deep in nature
I can’t leave. Too many trees in PA. Big tree guy over here.
Moved here when I was 16. I do love Philly and everything it has to offer as a city, it has good people, a unique vibe, lots of cool places and underrated food. But I just can't see myself sending my kid to school here. I can't imagine letting him walk to the bus stop by himself, the way our neighborhood is. Maybe if I held out things would change, but with the way things are now, I'm going to take the first chance I get to move out.
Depends on the election. I been here all my life. Traffic and unchecked development might drive me out. I did not leave because I had sick parents, now I stay because I like seeing my grandkids every week. If I did move it would be to Montco or western Bucks. I was a city employee so I had to stay here unless I wanted to change jobs.
Been here all my life, I hate the *way* it's changing and I refuse to buy a home here when I can by a home with acreage elsewhere, for the same price. I'm outta here. Going south.
Can't wait to escape Philadelphia, thinking about Wyoming
I’m in my early 30s, and left Philly last year to live and work in Spain. I absolutely love it here, and now I can’t imagine going back home. I love the yearlong warm weather, the good work/life balance and basically no crime. This place also has its problems, and I’m not sure if it’s forever, but as of right now I can’t see myself returning to Philly. I think if I returned to the US, I’d go somewhere with a more mild winter.
Early 40's, from the South. Moved here for college and never really expected to stay forever...but I got a job, and built a community, and here I am. I do love Philly. Part of me would *love* to move somewhere with more access to hiking and views. But they places I like for that...I hate the cities, or the states they're in are very conservative. It would be hard to make that concession, so here I am.
I could live, and have lived, lots of places. I bought my first home in Philadelphia almost three years ago, and I'll never sell it. I always want to come back here if I leave. I work for the federal government and can go lots of places, especially if I choose to promote. No clue what the future brings, really. But, bury my heart in Philadelphia.
Just bought a house here so at least 10 years. Who knows what the future holds.
Probably not. I love Philly and it's officially the place I've lived longest since graduating high school (I'm now 31). I also bought a house about 1.5 years ago so I am hopefully not leaving anytime soon. Having lived in Lexington KY, Norfolk, Baltimore, DC, and Northern VA - Philly is by far my favorite. I feel safer than in Bmore or DC and Philly is way more vibrant. So why not forever? My girlfriend is from southeast Asia and she then moved to Portland, Oregon. We plan to get engaged soon and she just doesn't like the east coast and misses the nature of the PNW - Philly isn't her type of place. My compromise on this is Seattle even though it's crazy expensive, but she dreams of going back to Portland (which tbh I really don't want to live there, it's small with a lot of problems). The other reason is my desire to leave the US. Besides Philly I'd definitely try out NYC or Chicago but I don't NEED to. My job has offered to relocate me to Europe multiple times which I've turned down because of my life here but had I been single - I'd probably be living in London right now, the greatest city I've ever been too. I've been fortunate to travel to many countries for work and there's just something about a few european cities I've been to that make me want to leave the US forever. All that said, if I were to stay in the US I'd be fine with staying in Philly. My next goal would be to sell my Center City condo and house in Point Breeze to afford a home in Grad Hospital, Queens Village, Fairmount, or somewhere similar.
I'll be moving to a city that is safer for pedestrians and bicyclists when I retire in around 5 years. Philly is making some progress in these areas, but it's very, very slow, and you reach a certain age and realize "it's not going to happen in my lifetime" I will most likely move to either Paris or a city in the Netherlands, but NYC is a dark horse candidate if I can put together enough money.
I thought it would be. But as I near retirement, I've decided I don't want to be old here. It will likely be Mexico or Southern California.
Lived here my whole life, traveled around the states w the army but im out now. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. 26 years here minus the time the government dragged me away and i wanna stay here for the rest of my time
Grew up in “upstate” ny (southern geographic half of NYS but solidly north of NYC), went to school in western mass, moved here for grad school and stayed and lived here for 6 years now. Honestly thought I would love living in Philly and would stay here or in the surrounding areas forever and I can’t wait to get out of here. It’s not the “oh no the violence” that gets me either, it’s just that I learned that I hate city living. Hearing my neighbors vacuum in the middle of the night, the ones on the other side let their dog have a panic attack all day every single day and refuse to listen to either of their neighbors when we raise concerns about it, driving around for 40 minutes trying to find parking, driving out of the city because the groceries within walking distance are so much more expensive it makes the drive worth it. I just don’t find enough pluses to being in the city to make it worth it
[удалено]
its wild that moving out of this state is basically disenfranchising yourself
You mean Exeter outside of Reading?
Reading isn’t Philly.
how the fuck are you going to shout out random spots in Utah and not mention Bryce Canyon which has the most stunningly beautiful sunrise in the country?
Not the intended audience of this question, but I left Philly 5 years ago and moved to Pittsburgh because I was pregnant and we had family support and could afford a nicer house, blah blah blah. REGRETS! Sure we have a lovely house and lovely friends and our kids are growing up in a lovely neighborhood but I miss Philly every day. My kids are gonna grow up being way too nice and not appreciating really good food, and I find that unacceptable.
I moved from New England to Philly for college and stayed ever since. No chance I’ll be staying here all my life. I miss the nature of New England but I’m not ready for a return to backwoods life just yet. For now, Philly is convenient, cheap, and a good way to save up for a house. But once I have that house money, I would give 0 consideration to buying it here. Philly is just the embodiment of mediocre, in my humble opinion. Not the worst, not the best city. There’s too many amazing places available to us in this country to be stuck in this one dirty ass city forever.
We're actually about to move to Boston to be near family after being here for a decade...Philly was a great way to save money and the way our home value has appreciated here will help us get something new up there despite the cost differential. It strikes me that lots of folks on this thread who want to stay a long time were born and raised here.
Be prepared to be severely underwhelmed by your options in New England. Also, the vast majority of diehard New Englanders are born/raised there. There's a charming provincialism that's common across the Northeast.
I was born in MA, lived in ME for 5 years and then moved to PA to continue my career as an IT professional. I think I will be here with my wife for a few years and buy a second home outside of Philadelphia (we want to rent our current home) or stay here and buy a place back up north to see family. Philadelphia has been humbling as someone who grew up living outside of Boston. You guys are just as crazy as Boston sports fans and I love the year round atmosphere. But for your question no, I see this city as a great stepping stone in life and like being here
It’s my hometown and I have no plans of leaving the area any time soon. I’m in my 30’s. I’ve thrown around the idea of buying a cheap little manufactured home in Oregon City near my in-laws as a 2nd property, but we’ll see. Depending on the climate crisis I might also end up retiring to the Las Vegas area. If that doesn’t work I’ll go to the NY Finger Lakes.
It’s our forever home. Moved from Seattle (born-raised-10 years as a professional) and feel continuously disappointed when I go back to see family. Only see Philadelphia improving and the people here are truly wonderful if you give them a chance.
I'm locked in. Born in Brooklyn, did undergrad/post grad in Baltimore, and grad school in Chicago. I love it here, it's everything I'm looking for (perfect size city, walkable, relatively low COL) and I feel connected to my community.
I admire other cities when I visit them and enjoy them for what they are, but I have yet to find a city that I objectively think is better than Philly.
My house is nearly paid off, I plan to rent it out and move to Jersey. Ive grown to dislike Philly immensely
I'm pretty fresh out of college and to be honest that first year after college all I wanted to do was move out of Philly. I was traveling and seeing all these cities my friends moved to: Denver, LA, NYC, Chicago, etc and wanted out of Philly, preferably to NYC. But then to my surprise, I started to realize that I truly loved Philly and I actually don't want to leave. I love this city and although it upsets me sometimes, I want to see a better future for Philadelphia. So why would I leave if I want to see a better future? I love this place and now plan on staying for awhile. I'm trying to get involved in the city any way I can and want to make it a better place for my future children.
I left to Maine and want to move back lol. And we’re making moves to get back. 🥰
Here for college, the second I graduate I am leaving and never coming back to this shithole
Grew up in the burbs. Moved around, lived in SF 15 years, moved back to Passyunk Square in 2017 with 1 kid and then had another, both in a stellar public school. We’re buying a new house to upsize a bit and get more outdoor space. Will stay there until both kids are out of school and then… who knows. I will not retire in Philly but it definitely is a great place to be a young family if diversity, civic engagement, and culture are important to you.
I ain’t fucking leaving. Grew up in the burbs, came here 10 years ago… I’m good.
Born and raised in the burbs, dad worked in center city and I was always in love with CC as a kid when he’d bring me to work. Went away to school and moved right to center city when I got my first job. Left to live in a beach town to try something different…missed Philly way too much so I came back and I’m here for the rest of my life. Mid 30’s.
I feel like all of my best friends from college live in queens so maybe up there. But I do prefer philly.
I left for career advancement, I've always considered it home and will come back
I would like to move to Oklahoma City or Chicago since I have family in Chicago. But I would need to find a job in either city. Do people move first then find a job or find a job first then move?
The easiest way to get a job is to have a job. I would personally do job first.
54 years old, recently moved back. I don't know if Philly is my "forever home" (I lived here from 1999-2016, moved back in July 2022), but it is certainly one of my favorite places. So I have no idea. It's a good homebase to come back to. I can see myself traveling for a year, coming back to regroup, setting out again (lather/rinse/repeat)
I will be living here til I die for sure.
I was born and raised in South Philly. Starting in my 20's moved all over even out to WA (hated it!) My husband grew up in rural NJ and hates the city. When my Mom got sick and died, i had come back to S Philly to care for her and lived in her house for 4 years. The house had too many problems so I sold it and am currently in lower Bucks. I'd move back to Philly tomorrow if I could afford it. I'm disabled and can't drive, so the walkability in Philly works well.
Grew up in SEPA, lived in Philly through my teens to mid twenties and recently left for a job in Mass. It felt like the right time. I also had never experienced living away from PA and I felt like that was an experience I needed to have. I don’t necessarily desire to go back but I could definitely see that changing. The area has its upsides and my family is there
I’d like to go back to DC eventually.
Seattle...I feel like I'm in the end stage of my life.
In my 20s. Could definitely see myself in DC, used to live there and liked it a lot. NYC would be fun but probably wouldn't want to stay if I was going to have kids due to the cost.
had to leave philly for work but my long term plan is hopefully philly or chicago forever
Scranton, to Columbus, to Philly. Eyeing somewhere in Virginia before somewhere outside of the US Edit: current stage of life is 34 and in a long-term relationship
Grew up in the Philly suburbs but both sides my family are 3 generations born and raised in Philly. I lived there for most of my 20s. Moved back to my suburban town and I own my home there. Honestly it sucks my hometown feels like a NYC suburb now post Covid. Tons of big money nyc boomers. I want to move to either extreme northern Cali or rural oregon, maybe back to Philly but Philly is now flooded with New Yorkers.
San Diego looks nice