Is Philadelphia a good place to live?
Philadelphia’s strong and growing job market, foodie scene, unprecedented access to other major cities, one of top-rated park systems in the county, Philly is quickly becoming one of the most popular places to live in the United States. In fact, realtor.com named Philadelphia #3 in the Nation for America’s Most Affordable, Trendy Cities.
Yes, and here are 25 reasons why Philadelphia is a great place to live…
So what are theย reasons why Philadelphia is a great place to live?
Here are 25 of them…
QUICK SUMMARY:
- Quaint Original Character
- Year-Round Festivals
- Cultural Sites Galore
- Amazing Greenery
- Access to Quaint Small Towns
- Diverse Neighborhoods…each with their own charm
- History
- Parks
- Great Public Transportation
- Foodie Town
- Job Opportunities
- Unprecedented Access to NYC and Washington DC
- Affordability
- Sports Culture
- Not as congested as other major cities
- Good Walkability
- Outdoor and Bike-Friendly
- BYO Restaurants
- Good Weather
- Diverse Cultures
- Water views Available
- Near By Suburbs
- Broadway Shoes
- Excellent Kid Activities
- Fantastic Local Shopping
NOW FOR THE SPECIFICS…
1. Quaint original characterย – Many of the streets are original cobblestones, making you feel relaxed without the major congestion faced in fully paved, lit-up big cities with high-rises on every corner.
2. Year-round festivals than most other cities – from Spruce Street Harbor Park to Winterfest near the City Hall to the Old City Neighborhood Festival to the Thanksgiving Parade to the Midtown Village Fall Festival, there are seemingly festivals every single weekend providing something to do at every corner.
3. Cultural Sites – An amazing culture with arts and museums across the city. ย Philadelphia houses several museums and art institutes like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, the Museum of American Revolution, and is home to the only Rodin Museum outside Paris.
4. Amazing greenery – In addition to some of the largest parks in the country, the city is also adorned with beautiful tree-lined streets like the iconic Pine Street, Locust Street, Delancey Street, Quince Street and more. You can be walking in the city and fall in love with a quaint narrow original tree-lined street.
5. Access to quaint towns – In addition to the small town feels within Philadelphia, you also have unprecedented access to some of America’s best quaint small towns like Haddonfield (just across the river), New Hope, Princeton, Doylestown and so many more, within a 20 to 30-minute drive.
6. Diverse neighborhoods with their own charm – There are so many different neighborhoods in Philadelphia, each so unique offering their own special character, from the historical sites in Old City, to the quaint tree lined streets in Society Hill, to the Main Street quaint small-town feel in Chestnut Hill or Manayunk, to the shopping districts in Rittenhouse. There is a neighborhood for virtually every personality all in one city, with lots of places to shop locally in Philly.
7. History – Philadelphia was the birthplace of the nation so it has tons of historical sites, including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin Museum, and more to visit. History is everywhere from these major sites to historic rows of houses, cobblestone streets, and original courtyards.
8. Parks – Philadelphia has one of the best-rated park systems in the entire world. Philadelphia is named in Frommer’s list of top 10 cities in the world for parks.
9. Great public transportation – Philly is ranked 5th in the nation for public transportation by Walkscore. SEPTA trains and buses are clean and reliable, taking you throughout the city in all directions and even out to the near-by suburbs.
10. Food – Philadelphia is filled with some of America’s award-winning restaurants with people driving in from NYC and other parts of the country. Philadelphia has always had amazing food (cheesesteaks and other options) but as of recent, there are a growing plethora of popular local dining organizations from Stephen Starr, Schulson Collective, and the group behind Zahav restaurant. There’s also the famous Reading Terminal Market and now the Bourse Food Hall.
elPadawan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11. Plenty of job opportunities – Philadelphia is one of the strongest job markets in the country. There are plenty of corporate offices, educational institutions, and medical centers, distribution hubs which create an abundant and diverse job market for residents.
12. Great access to Washington DC and NYC –ย Philadelphia has unprecedented easy to major cities like Washington DC and New York City. You can hop on Amtrak and be in New York in less than 90 mins and D.C. in about 2 hours.
13. More affordable – Although Philly is getting more expensive, it’s still significantly more affordable than cities like Washington DC, Boston, and NYC. In fact, the cost of owning a home in Philadelphia is the lowest among the nation’s 10 largest cities (source: Pew)
14. Great sports culture – Whether you like Football (Eagles), Basketball (Sixers), Hockey (Flyers) or Baseball (Phillies), there is always some sports activities to enjoy. Philadelphia fans are known for their die-hard culture.
15. Not as congested as other cities – While Philly has traffic, there is much less congestion compared to bigger cities, so you can walk around without worrying about bumping into other people.
16. Good walkability – easy to walk around Center City. In fact, you can probably walk from end of Center City to the other in about 45 minutes with many pedestrian-friendly streets on offer.
17. Outdoor and bike-friendly – Philly has a tremendous amount of trails for hiking, walking and bike trails in the parks and areas like Wissahickon, Fairmount Park, Pennypack Park, Morris Arboretum, Cynwyd-Heritage Trail, and near-by parks like Valley Forge.
18. BYO restaurants – With a plethora of BYO restaurants, you can bring your own wine saving you considerable money when dining out. We’re not sure if other cities have this, but not many. Some charge modest corking fees.
19. Good weather – the weather is warmer than cities like NYC and Boston, which means milder winters.
20. Diverse cultures – a huge mix of cultures and backgrounds from different parts of the world come together.
21. Water views available – In Philadelphia, you can definitely get waterfront views at the Schuylkill and Delaware River.
22. Lots to do in nearby suburbs – Not only is there a lot to do in Philadelphia, but there are so many things to do in nearby suburbs and counties, including visits to America’s only Sesame Place, Peddler’s Village, Legoland, Camden Aquarium, Longwood Gardens. You can even see polo matches on Saturday’s (Tinicum Park Polo Club)
23. Awesome broadway show options – There are plenty of broadway and independent shows at Forrest Theatre, Kimmel Center for Performing Arts and the Walnut Street Theater, America’s oldest theater.
24. Excellent activities for kids – There are tons of kid-friendly activities including, Blue Cross RiverRink, Legoland, Franklin Institute, Camden Aquarium, Philadelphia Zoo, Bucks County Children’s Museum, Please Touch Museum, and Hershey Park.
25. Fantastic shopping choices –ย lots of local Philly shops in areas like Rittenhouse, East Passyunk, Chestnut Hill, and Manayunk.
With so many great features that deliver an unparalleled lifestyle, it’s no wonder that Philadelphia has grown at such a rapid rate.
Ready to find a specific Philadelphia Neighborhood to live? Check out our Philadelphia Neighborhood Guide, or a list of affordable Philadelphia Neighborhoods.
Last Updated: February 11, 2021
