NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

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VictoriaF
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by VictoriaF »

I am well familiar with Chicago and New York, and between the two, I would strongly recommend NYC. However, Philadelphia also seems attractive. In fact, this discussion has encouraged me to visit Philadelphia and see it for myself.

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dwade1109
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

jridger2011 wrote:
dwade1109 wrote:
RNJ wrote:I can, of course, only share my own experience. One of the best decisions I've made, in a situation similar to yours, was choosing to live in NYC for a time in my late 20's and early 30's - and this was at a time when the city was in much poorer shape than it is now. There is ALWAYS something interesting to do (including just walking out the door); the variety of people you will come across in a single afternoon is unsurpassed anywhere in the country - perhaps (with the possible exception of London) anywhere in the world; inexpensive hi and lo cultural opportunities abound. The city is vibrant 24 hours a day. Great bus and subway system. If you want a change, close by (within 90 min) are great hiking and beaches. You can also take a day or weekend trips to Boston or Philly by train or bus.

If you are talking about a small, marginal difference in the quality/reputation of the program, I'd go to New York. If you are open, your horizons will be wonderfully expanded. For these and other reasons, this is exactly what I'd tell my son or daughter. NYC, hands down.*

*And yes, I've lived for a time in Boston and spent quite a bit of time in Philly.

Good luck.
Is money a real concern in NYC? That's 50-55k pretax and even though I will get subsidized housing and supplement from my emergency fund since this is a once in a lifetime experience I am still wondering whether I'll have more fun somewhere else if I can't afford NYC.
Yes, it is. $5 dollars average to dry clean a pair of pants, $4.50 for a large latte, $4 a gallon of milk, and I could go on..
Movie ticket here $14.50.
That's not far off from what we end up paying back home in Miami.

Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by VictoriaF »

dwade1109 wrote:Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
Check out Philadelphia hiking clubs, e.g.:

The Philadelphia Trail Club
Hikes are led each Saturday and Sunday throughout the year except in July and August when there are only occasional hikes and picnics at the carillon concerts at Valley Forge National Park. The Club also hosts some bicycle rides.

Hikes are usually held within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, with occasional hikes further afield--in the Poconos, the New Jersey Pine Barrens and Maryland for example
Batona Hiking Club
BATONA schedules hikes every weekend, rain or shine. Participants include adults of all ages who share our interest in outdoor activities.
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lostInFinance
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by lostInFinance »

jridger2011 wrote:
Yes, it is. $5 dollars average to dry clean a pair of pants, .
I pay more than $5 to dry clean a pair of pants and I live in the midwest and not Chicago either.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by LadyGeek »

VictoriaF wrote:
dwade1109 wrote:Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
Check out Philadelphia hiking clubs, e.g.: The Philadelphia Trail Club
Hikes are led each Saturday and Sunday throughout the year except in July and August when there are only occasional hikes and picnics at the carillon concerts at Valley Forge National Park. The Club also hosts some bicycle rides.

Hikes are usually held within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, with occasional hikes further afield--in the Poconos, the New Jersey Pine Barrens and Maryland for example
Batona Hiking Club
BATONA schedules hikes every weekend, rain or shine. Participants include adults of all ages who share our interest in outdoor activities.
Victoria
Those websites are discussing activity more than an hour from Center City (downtown Philly). You can hit the central Pocono mountains area, or any part of north Jersey, by driving the same amount of time from NYC. Serious hiking trails are near central PA (center of the state), or the NY state Catskills mountain area.

IOW, if you are willing to drive about 2 hours, you'll find lots of hiking in any of your choices. But then again, that's 4 hours out of your available time.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by VictoriaF »

LadyGeek wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:
dwade1109 wrote:Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
Check out Philadelphia hiking clubs, e.g.: The Philadelphia Trail Club
Hikes are led each Saturday and Sunday throughout the year except in July and August when there are only occasional hikes and picnics at the carillon concerts at Valley Forge National Park. The Club also hosts some bicycle rides.

Hikes are usually held within easy driving distance of Philadelphia, with occasional hikes further afield--in the Poconos, the New Jersey Pine Barrens and Maryland for example
Batona Hiking Club
BATONA schedules hikes every weekend, rain or shine. Participants include adults of all ages who share our interest in outdoor activities.
Victoria
Those websites are discussing activity more than an hour from Center City (downtown Philly). You can hit the central Pocono mountains area, or any part of north Jersey, by driving the same amount of time from NYC. Serious hiking trails are near central PA (center of the state), or the NY state Catskills mountain area.

IOW, if you are willing to drive about 2 hours, you'll find lots of hiking in any of your choices. But then again, that's 4 hours out of your available time.
You know the area better.

Advantages of hiking with clubs are (1) meeting local people, (2) learning from these people about other outdoor activities, (3) possibly sharing rides to and from hikes, (4) possibly splitting cars between the trail heads to have long one-way hikes instead of in/out ones.

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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by mlipps »

ieathoneybadgers wrote:Like other have already said, you won't be living or visiting the high crime areas in Chicago. And that's true for all of these cities, really. Here's a map of Chicago crime so you can get a sense for what's low and high crime areas: http://crime.chicagotribune.com/

Look up north at Edgewater, it is ranked 77, but the surrounding areas are the safest in the city and ranked 1 to 6. Crazy, right? Just steps away from each other.


EDIT: whoops, that 77 was the ranking, not the # of crimes. Fixed.
It's not a ranking, it's just a reference number. Dumb setup...But no way either Edgewater or Rogers Park are best or worst for safety in the city. Took me staring at the map a long time to decipher that.

Chicago's a wonderful place; it's not getting enough credit in this thread. I think culturally, the adjustment from a small town is much easier. I lived on the East Coast last year & hated it. Chicago's friendly in a way that east coast cities aren't in my experience. And everyone from NYC can go on and on about their cultural diversity & how there's always something to do, but Chicago has just much of it in my opinion. I've lived here 5 years total now & I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. On top of that, as others have said, it's quite affordable. I absolutely love it here & wouldn't move to any of those other cities if you paid me (although I'd visit if it were free. :D )
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by supersharpie »

Calm Man wrote:These cities are all wonderful and you may find that the life up north is far more fulfilling than in Florida. Maybe not. The areas differ a lot in what they offer. The problem with Chicago and Philadelphia is that poor leadership and fiscal problems are creating very high crime situations including homicides at alarming rates. NY and Boston are better now. This could change dramatically in NYC depending on the outcome of the mayoral election this November. Without getting political there is a great controversy on how police can operate which may have great repercussions. I know less about Boston but lived there for about 10 years once. It was great, but is signficantly colder than NYC.
Philadelphia is getting better as well:

http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-06/n ... iladelphia

Murder rate is the lowest since 1968.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by ieathoneybadgers »

mlipps wrote:
ieathoneybadgers wrote:Like other have already said, you won't be living or visiting the high crime areas in Chicago. And that's true for all of these cities, really. Here's a map of Chicago crime so you can get a sense for what's low and high crime areas: http://crime.chicagotribune.com/

Look up north at Edgewater, it is ranked 77, but the surrounding areas are the safest in the city and ranked 1 to 6. Crazy, right? Just steps away from each other.


EDIT: whoops, that 77 was the ranking, not the # of crimes. Fixed.
It's not a ranking, it's just a reference number. Dumb setup...But no way either Edgewater or Rogers Park are best or worst for safety in the city. Took me staring at the map a long time to decipher that.
Yup, you're absolutely right. Good catch!
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by jdb »

I also live in Florida and have spent time in each of cities. You will enjoy year or two in Philly, Boston and NYC (if can afford NYC). You may end up deciding to live in Chicago, it's my kind of town. Very friendly energetic people, just a terrific city.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by jdb »

reggiesimpson wrote:
ssquared87 wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:Just got back from Boston. The local Starbucks (Newbury St) had 20 customers. Three were old guys and the rest were beautiful young women. Your choice?
Yes!!! Girls in Boston are definitely more attractive than NYC girls from the times I went to Boston
My wife agrees. Maybe thats why we dont live there?
You're a single guy, this is important consideration. Boston without doubt has beautiful and well educated young women. NYC has by far the most stylish women, though in Manhattan there may be bit of an edge. Can't speak for Philly, never was there as single guy. But Chicago has kind of girls you want to marry ( I may be biased since met my wife at University of Chicago). May be a Midwestern thing.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by beachplum »

mlipps wrote:
ieathoneybadgers wrote:Like other have already said, you won't be living or visiting the high crime areas in Chicago. And that's true for all of these cities, really. Here's a map of Chicago crime so you can get a sense for what's low and high crime areas: http://crime.chicagotribune.com/

Look up north at Edgewater, it is ranked 77, but the surrounding areas are the safest in the city and ranked 1 to 6. Crazy, right? Just steps away from each other.


EDIT: whoops, that 77 was the ranking, not the # of crimes. Fixed.
It's not a ranking, it's just a reference number. Dumb setup...But no way either Edgewater or Rogers Park are best or worst for safety in the city. Took me staring at the map a long time to decipher that.

Chicago's a wonderful place; it's not getting enough credit in this thread. I think culturally, the adjustment from a small town is much easier. I lived on the East Coast last year & hated it. Chicago's friendly in a way that east coast cities aren't in my experience. And everyone from NYC can go on and on about their cultural diversity & how there's always something to do, but Chicago has just much of it in my opinion. I've lived here 5 years total now & I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. On top of that, as others have said, it's quite affordable. I absolutely love it here & wouldn't move to any of those other cities if you paid me (although I'd visit if it were free. :D )
I couldn't wait to move back to the Boston area after 6 years in Illinois with no decent skiing, mountains, ocean.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by RNJ »

dwade1109 wrote:
RNJ wrote:I can, of course, only share my own experience. One of the best decisions I've made, in a situation similar to yours, was choosing to live in NYC for a time in my late 20's and early 30's - and this was at a time when the city was in much poorer shape than it is now. There is ALWAYS something interesting to do (including just walking out the door); the variety of people you will come across in a single afternoon is unsurpassed anywhere in the country - perhaps (with the possible exception of London) anywhere in the world; inexpensive hi and lo cultural opportunities abound. The city is vibrant 24 hours a day. Great bus and subway system. If you want a change, close by (within 90 min) are great hiking and beaches. You can also take a day or weekend trips to Boston or Philly by train or bus.

If you are talking about a small, marginal difference in the quality/reputation of the program, I'd go to New York. If you are open, your horizons will be wonderfully expanded. For these and other reasons, this is exactly what I'd tell my son or daughter. NYC, hands down.*

*And yes, I've lived for a time in Boston and spent quite a bit of time in Philly.

Good luck.
Is money a real concern in NYC? That's 50-55k pretax and even though I will get subsidized housing and supplement from my emergency fund since this is a once in a lifetime experience I am still wondering whether I'll have more fun somewhere else if I can't afford NYC.
. Good luck!

I don't think any of these cities will be "cheap" and you won't be living the high life in any of them, but NYC does offer lots of cheap eats and great mass transit (if you start taking cabs you're finished). Also a very safe city with a vibrant student population: Columbia uptown, NYU (my alma mater) in the Village, and several other colleges and universities. In other words, LOTS of people in your situation. Even if you live poor, you will be much, much richer for the experience. Boston, Chicago and Philly are great cities. New York is the city
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by SGM »

"On the whole, I would rather be in Philadelphia." W.C. Fields epitaph.

"If there was anything good in Philadelphia, they would have brought it to New York." Anonymous.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by SPG8 »

SGM wrote:"If there was anything good in Philadelphia, they would have brought it to New York." Anonymous.
Everything runs it's course eventually...
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

jdb wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:
ssquared87 wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:Just got back from Boston. The local Starbucks (Newbury St) had 20 customers. Three were old guys and the rest were beautiful young women. Your choice?
Yes!!! Girls in Boston are definitely more attractive than NYC girls from the times I went to Boston
My wife agrees. Maybe thats why we dont live there?
You're a single guy, this is important consideration. Boston without doubt has beautiful and well educated young women. NYC has by far the most stylish women, though in Manhattan there may be bit of an edge. Can't speak for Philly, never was there as single guy. But Chicago has kind of girls you want to marry ( I may be biased since met my wife at University of Chicago). May be a Midwestern thing.
I've never heard of that reputation for Boston before this thread...unfortunately based on strength of programs right now I have it ranked Philly, NYC, Boston, and then Chicago. It's a tough decision because in terms of city I'm thinking NYC then Boston then Chicago then Philly although all 4 sound fantastic
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by DTSC »

There are probably more colleges and universities in the Metro Boston area than any other city in the U.S. Hence many young (presumably intelligent) people.

I've never lived in Philly. Boston is wonderful for a single person. Lots of culture/activities but still relatively affordable and with good public transportation. NYC is great, but will you have enough money to enjoy all it has to offer? As an example, I was just there last month - admission to the Empire State Building for 2 adults and 1 child was $75. If you don't want to wait in line with everyone else, the express ride is $49(!) per person.

Chicago has a lot to offer. However, the University of Chicago area is NOT particularly safe. Hyde Park itself might be OK, but a lot of crime if you wander just a few blocks off campus.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by user5027 »

I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and went to college in Philadelphia 37 years ago.

Our daughter went to two colleges in Philadelphia (bachelors and masters from 2006 to 2012). Neither was the school I went to. She only lived in the dorm freshman year (2006-2007) and has lived in apartments ever since; East Falls, South Philly and West Philly. She still lives in West Philly, works in the burbs and does a reverse commute.

When she was looking for the apartments I used the Philadelphia Inquirer homicide map to check out the area. In the middle of one of her hunts I was checking the map, and I noticed the news section reported of a stabbing in Princeton, NJ. Kind of put things in perspective.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by linuxizer »

dwade1109 wrote:Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
For good hiking you have to go up to Rickett's Glen/Endless Mountains. Most of the other hiking isn't so great. PA is known as Rocksylvania on the Appalachian Trail and with good reason.

However, there's one gem in the city, which is Wissohickon Park. It's surrounded by city but in a gorge so you can really lose yourself in nature. And it's really some of the better hiking I've done--certainly the best hiking within a two hour drive that we've found, and it's inside the city.

Philly also has a very active canoeing club. Pretty much any Sunday you can rent a boat and kayak around the Schuylkill. There are also crew teams, ultimate frisbee teams, etc. that all meet regularly. Fairmount Park is the (second?) biggest urban park in the country.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by beachplum »

dwade1109 wrote:
jdb wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:
ssquared87 wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:Just got back from Boston. The local Starbucks (Newbury St) had 20 customers. Three were old guys and the rest were beautiful young women. Your choice?
Yes!!! Girls in Boston are definitely more attractive than NYC girls from the times I went to Boston
My wife agrees. Maybe thats why we dont live there?
You're a single guy, this is important consideration. Boston without doubt has beautiful and well educated young women. NYC has by far the most stylish women, though in Manhattan there may be bit of an edge. Can't speak for Philly, never was there as single guy. But Chicago has kind of girls you want to marry ( I may be biased since met my wife at University of Chicago). May be a Midwestern thing.
I've never heard of that reputation for Boston before this thread...unfortunately based on strength of programs right now I have it ranked Philly, NYC, Boston, and then Chicago. It's a tough decision because in terms of city I'm thinking NYC then Boston then Chicago then Philly although all 4 sound fantastic
Don't believe everything you read. I think the comment is entertaining. I'm not clear on what exactly the above comment meant. The wedding business appears to be doing just fine in Boston. I have 2 20something daughers who live in Boston so I know a little bit about the girls guys want to marry (that sounds so sexist).I grew up in NYC, lived in Illinois and in Boston for 24 years. There are beautiful, well educated women in all these cities with the kind of "girls" you want to marry, and the kind of each sex that you wouldn't want to marry.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

linuxizer wrote:
dwade1109 wrote:Are there outdoorsy things to do near Philly?
For good hiking you have to go up to Rickett's Glen/Endless Mountains. Most of the other hiking isn't so great. PA is known as Rocksylvania on the Appalachian Trail and with good reason.

However, there's one gem in the city, which is Wissohickon Park. It's surrounded by city but in a gorge so you can really lose yourself in nature. And it's really some of the better hiking I've done--certainly the best hiking within a two hour drive that we've found, and it's inside the city.

Philly also has a very active canoeing club. Pretty much any Sunday you can rent a boat and kayak around the Schuylkill. There are also crew teams, ultimate frisbee teams, etc. that all meet regularly. Fairmount Park is the (second?) biggest urban park in the country.
Thanks for the tips!
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

beachplum wrote:
dwade1109 wrote:
jdb wrote:
reggiesimpson wrote:
ssquared87 wrote:
Yes!!! Girls in Boston are definitely more attractive than NYC girls from the times I went to Boston
My wife agrees. Maybe thats why we dont live there?
You're a single guy, this is important consideration. Boston without doubt has beautiful and well educated young women. NYC has by far the most stylish women, though in Manhattan there may be bit of an edge. Can't speak for Philly, never was there as single guy. But Chicago has kind of girls you want to marry ( I may be biased since met my wife at University of Chicago). May be a Midwestern thing.
I've never heard of that reputation for Boston before this thread...unfortunately based on strength of programs right now I have it ranked Philly, NYC, Boston, and then Chicago. It's a tough decision because in terms of city I'm thinking NYC then Boston then Chicago then Philly although all 4 sound fantastic
Don't believe everything you read. I think the comment is entertaining. I'm not clear on what exactly the above comment meant. The wedding business appears to be doing just fine in Boston. I have 2 20something daughers who live in Boston so I know a little bit about the girls guys want to marry (that sounds so sexist).I grew up in NYC, lived in Illinois and in Boston for 24 years. There are beautiful, well educated women in all these cities with the kind of "girls" you want to marry, and the kind of each sex that you wouldn't want to marry.
Haha true. Thanks for the insight.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by sevenseas »

I've lived in Philly and NYC, and know Boston and to a lesser degree, Chicago. My recommendations in order would be NYC, Chicago, Boston, and Philly. This is based on my perceptions of variety of things to see/do/eat, diversity of population, art/culture/music, and overall "feel" (a subjective measure, to be sure!) Note that these do not necessarily seem to be the things most important to you, just my own observations.

NYC is, as others have put it, a global city. I am quite biased, but feel that it is one of the great cities, perhaps the greatest city, in the world. None of the other places can compare to it in this sense. 8+ million people, from every country on Earth, who've come together in this place to try to make their dreams come true. It is hectic, loud, crowded, exciting, sometimes frankly exhausting. There is always something interesting going on. Even sitting on a park bench watching the world go by, makes for fascinating viewing. For an outdoor lover though, it leaves something to be desired. Leaving the city to find a quiet place to hike can be a chore...a minimum of an hour or two to make it to any place with really nice long-distance hiking, even farther for skiing in the winter, etc. Boston may be the best choice in this regard.

Chicago to me feels as sophisticated as NYC in its culture and dining as well as its socioeconomic diversity, but honestly Chicagoans strike me as more balanced, nicer, and less neurotic than New Yorkers (of whom I am one)! And it is not anywhere as overwhelming and draining as NYC can be. The architecture is amazing. The food (can you tell I love food) is world-class, in some categories better than in NYC.

For me, Boston and Philly are on a different level. Everything on a much smaller scale, and more sedate; I remember downtown Philly being almost sleepy after dark (it's been years though so maybe things have changed). I enjoyed my time there, and found things to love about it (still go down for Phillies games, the Philly Flower Show, museums, Reading Terminal Market), but it simply does not possess the grand scale, energy or worldliness of NYC or even Chicago. The thing is, NYC is so easy to get to from Philly that maybe it would be worth it to pick the best program, and just make the effort to come up often to visit.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by jane1 »

It depends on where you live within any of these cities. Once you narrow down to 2 cities, you can use that as an important factor.
A central part of NYC beats all, in my opinion. Although heart of Chicago would be better than a suburb of NYC...
Even a few blocks makes a big difference in quality of life. Boston is great for a young person because of all the universities close by. You might save the most in Philly or Chicago and least in NYC.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by AllySK »

dwade1109 wrote: Is money a real concern in NYC? That's 50-55k pretax and even though I will get subsidized housing and supplement from my emergency fund since this is a once in a lifetime experience I am still wondering whether I'll have more fun somewhere else if I can't afford NYC.
I had to post because I think it is definitely possible to live in NYC on $50-55k, especially if you'll get subsidized housing. Rent is the biggest expense by far. That isn't to say you should definitely pick NYC, but I think you shouldn't rule it out solely based on the cost. It's very easy to spend a ton of money, especially if you go out a lot. But it's pretty easy (for me, at least) to save a ton of money (although I'm quite frugal). No car, no gas. Usually heat and hot water are included in rent. I spend about $250 a month on food (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I go out to eat whenever I want (but that usually isn't more than once a week or so). (I do get some meals subsidized by work though. And I'm not really into the bar scene.) There are so many great restaurants in NYC, I think I'm really going to miss that when I eventually move away. I also really like being able to walk (or take the subway to) anywhere. NYC has tons of cheap or free things to do. You can go biking in Central Park, running in Riverside Park. You might be able to get a discount through work to get into the museums for free.

So, I think NYC is really great, but I also think you would have a great time in any of those cities. I also really like Boston - it's a small, walkable city with lots of history. It's also not as crazy/intense as NYC, which took a while for me to get used to. I went to school in Boston (Cambridge actually) and my first choice was to stay there, but I ended up in NYC - luckily I grew to like NYC a lot.

I would personally probably pick the city based on the strength of the program, because I really think you would have a fantastic time in any of the cities. (Haha, sorry, I've given three answers.)
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by Ged »

ClevrChico wrote:I can only speak to Chicago and Boston:

Boston - Most well kept large city I've been to. Even the city jail looks like a condo development. Their greyhound station is better than a lot of airports. City water is reverse osmosis. Great restaurants and seafood were reasonable. VERY expensive city in general. I've heard there's so many college graduates in the area that entry level jobs don't pay much either.
Yes, Boston is the ultimate college experience. There are 100 or so 4 year universities in the metro area. Much of the city is structured to support this. If it is to your taste the intellectual life is excellent in Boston.

It's also a very safe city. It has the lowest gun violence rate in the US. And while some dislike the lower temperature, the converse is you are closer to some great skiing.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by reggiesimpson »

Here is another plug for Boston (apart from all those beautiful young women). Its very walkable. Its a small city (unlike NYC) with a warm neighborhood feel wherever you go. And as one poster mentioned it has a very low crime rate.
The T is conveniently located throughout the city making it easy to get from one end to the other if you so choose. On a recent sojourn we hopped the T to reach Little Italy. As we got on the "train" two young people immediately stood up to give us their seats. That has NEVER happened in NY. One of them was a young woman who happened to be very beautiful..........but i digress.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by FireSekr »

sevenseas wrote:NYC is, as others have put it, a global city. I am quite biased, but feel that it is one of the great cities, perhaps the greatest city, in the world. None of the other places can compare to it in this sense. 8+ million people, from every country on Earth, who've come together in this place to try to make their dreams come true. It is hectic, loud, crowded, exciting, sometimes frankly exhausting. There is always something interesting going on. Even sitting on a park bench watching the world go by, makes for fascinating viewing. For an outdoor lover though, it leaves something to be desired. Leaving the city to find a quiet place to hike can be a chore...a minimum of an hour or two to make it to any place with really nice long-distance hiking, even farther for skiing in the winter, etc. Boston may be the best choice in this regard.
I'd actually disagree to some extent that NYC is as global as people claim. Yes, more so than most american cities, but it is not nearly as diverse as its reputation suggest. It tends to attract a certain crowd, and the cost of the city is a form of natural selection that filters out a good number of people. Because of this, there is much less interaction with different people/cultures etc. Living in NYC, I tend to hang out with friends who work in similar industry to me, and hence have a pretty similar background, or people in the area where I live. NYC is a group of many small neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has their own socioeconomic bacground.

I spent a year in London and it is a far more diverse group. Yes, neighborhoods are segregated on a socioeconomic makeup maybe even more than new york, but there is much more interaction with different groups both at work and when you go out and meet people at bars/gym club etc. In my team alone at work I worked with someone from Ireland, Brazil, Sweden, India, England, and Australia. Since I was a consultant, I also got to see what our clients offices looked like and they were equally diverse. Asking people what they studied in school, I had answers ranging from Econ to sociology, to law, to people who didn't even go to university

In New York, I'm on a six person team, 4 are either native New Yorkers or from conneticuit/New Jersey, one is from California and another is from Chicago. Each one has either a degree in finance, econ, or accounting, most have MBA from a top 20 school. The picture is very similar according to friends I have in other companies
Last edited by FireSekr on Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by FireSekr »

AllySK wrote:
dwade1109 wrote: Is money a real concern in NYC? That's 50-55k pretax and even though I will get subsidized housing and supplement from my emergency fund since this is a once in a lifetime experience I am still wondering whether I'll have more fun somewhere else if I can't afford NYC.
I had to post because I think it is definitely possible to live in NYC on $50-55k, especially if you'll get subsidized housing. Rent is the biggest expense by far. That isn't to say you should definitely pick NYC, but I think you shouldn't rule it out solely based on the cost. It's very easy to spend a ton of money, especially if you go out a lot. But it's pretty easy (for me, at least) to save a ton of money (although I'm quite frugal). No car, no gas. Usually heat and hot water are included in rent. I spend about $250 a month on food (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I go out to eat whenever I want (but that usually isn't more than once a week or so). (I do get some meals subsidized by work though. And I'm not really into the bar scene.) There are so many great restaurants in NYC, I think I'm really going to miss that when I eventually move away. I also really like being able to walk (or take the subway to) anywhere. NYC has tons of cheap or free things to do. You can go biking in Central Park, running in Riverside Park. You might be able to get a discount through work to get into the museums for free.

So, I think NYC is really great, but I also think you would have a great time in any of those cities. I also really like Boston - it's a small, walkable city with lots of history. It's also not as crazy/intense as NYC, which took a while for me to get used to. I went to school in Boston (Cambridge actually) and my first choice was to stay there, but I ended up in NYC - luckily I grew to like NYC a lot.

I would personally probably pick the city based on the strength of the program, because I really think you would have a fantastic time in any of the cities. (Haha, sorry, I've given three answers.)
Agreed that subsidized housing will make a huge difference depending on the size of subsidy.

How do you only spend $250 on food including restaurants? Definitely PM me because I'm spending double that and would love to work on bringing that number down
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by sevenseas »

ssquared87 wrote:
I'd actually disagree to some extent that NYC is as global as people claim. Yes, more so than most american cities, but it is not nearly as diverse as its reputation suggest. It tends to attract a certain crowd, and the cost of the city is a form of natural selection that filters out a good number of people. Because of this, there is much less interaction with different people/cultures etc. Living in NYC, I tend to hang out with friends who work in similar industry to me, and hence have a pretty similar background, or people in the area where I live. NYC is a group of many small neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has their own socioeconomic bacground.

I spent a year in London and it is a far more diverse group. Yes, neighborhoods are segregated on a socioeconomic makeup maybe even more than new york, but there is much more interaction with different groups both at work and when you go out and meet people at bars/gym club etc. In my team alone at work I worked with someone from Ireland, Brazil, Sweden, India, England, and Australia. Since I was a consultant, I also got to see what our clients offices looked like and they were equally diverse. Asking people what they studied in school, I had answers ranging from Econ to sociology, to law, to people who didn't even go to university

In New York, I'm on a six person team, 4 are either native New Yorkers or from conneticuit/New Jersey, one is from California and another is from Chicago. Each one has either a degree in finance, econ, or accounting, most have MBA from a top 20 school. The picture is very similar according to friends I have in other companies

My experience is quite different, which I would postulate may be due to differences in career type, neighborhood of residence, recreational interests and social habits, etc. My social group (mainly derived from work colleagues) has included people from Quebec, Brazil, Russia, Trinidad, Taiwan, Belgium. I venture to Queens and Brooklyn often in search of good food, which on any given day could include Thai, Korean, Indian, Georgian, Mexican, Dominican, Peruvian, Japanese, Brazilian, you name it. Many of these restaurants are in neighborhoods of corresponding ethnicity, so part of the fun is exploring local grocery stores, bakeries, etc. Heck, just a trip on the 7 train from Grand Central to Flushing will take you past literally a dozen or more different ethnic neighborhoods! Last weekend, I got my hair cut by my Albanian stylist and colored by my German colorist at a French salon, bought bread and pastries at a French bakery (i.e. original branch is in Paris), and then groceries at my local Italian market...all within 15 blocks of my apartment. This is what I mean by "global"...that in my every day interactions (as well as those with closer friends, colleagues, etc.), I can interact with people from all corners of the globe.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by FedGuy »

ssquared87 wrote:I'd actually disagree to some extent that NYC is as global as people claim. Yes, more so than most american cities, but it is not nearly as diverse as its reputation suggest. It tends to attract a certain crowd, and the cost of the city is a form of natural selection that filters out a good number of people. Because of this, there is much less interaction with different people/cultures etc.
I think a lot of the cultural and national diversity is in the outer boroughs. I live in Midtown Manhattan and feel that I see plenty of diversity, but parts of the outer boroughs are a whole different league.

I read a while back that a group of linguists has based themselves in New York City because more languages are spoken in NYC than in any other city in the world, including numerous obscure languages spoken by only tiny populations globally, a number of which have speakers living in communities mostly in Queens or Brooklyn.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by DouglasDoug »

Not knowing you, its rather difficult. New York is the height of culture and sophistication, not to mention global opportunities. As a young man, the giddy social life might appeal, with its low to high variety. The city's energy alone is worth the price of admission.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by VictoriaF »

DouglasDoug wrote:Not knowing you, its rather difficult. New York is the height of culture and sophistication, not to mention global opportunities. As a young man, the giddy social life might appeal, with its low to high variety. The city's energy alone is worth the price of admission.
The problem with New York City is that after a year of living there the OP won't want to leave it and will be destined for the life of poverty.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by FireSekr »

VictoriaF wrote:
DouglasDoug wrote:Not knowing you, its rather difficult. New York is the height of culture and sophistication, not to mention global opportunities. As a young man, the giddy social life might appeal, with its low to high variety. The city's energy alone is worth the price of admission.
The problem with New York City is that after a year of living there the OP won't want to leave it and will be destined for the life of poverty.

Victoria
+1 It has many positives and negatives and as much as I despise certain aspects of it, I've been saying that I'm going to leave for 4 years and I'm still here, and very poor
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

VictoriaF wrote:
DouglasDoug wrote:Not knowing you, its rather difficult. New York is the height of culture and sophistication, not to mention global opportunities. As a young man, the giddy social life might appeal, with its low to high variety. The city's energy alone is worth the price of admission.
The problem with New York City is that after a year of living there the OP won't want to leave it and will be destined for the life of poverty.

Victoria
Hopefully not! Haha
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by BolderBoy »

ieathoneybadgers wrote: http://crime.chicagotribune.com/
Look at the Quality of Life numbers - overwhelming majority are less than 2 (on a scale that goes up to at least 12!!!)

That alone would keep me away from Chicago.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by frugaltype »

Boston is a cultural nirvana and swamped with historic sites. You won't need a car there.

I've been to NYC 3 times, and each time someone was incredibly rude within about the first five minutes. Also, it's filthy.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by Valuethinker »

For the long term all of these cities have their advantages and disadvantages for a long term place to make family and career. You wind up in the suburbs, and suburbs are similar everywhere in North America.

But if it is only *one year* of your life, then I would choose New York City. Because there is nothing else like it in the world. Cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong have a flavour of it, London has some elements of it (but lacks the vertical scale, London feels like a town compared to Manhattan), Paris etc. But no other city quite matches New York for its intensity, concentration, commitment.

Live in Brooklyn in some hip neighbourhood (I think even parts of Queens are getting there). Make a point of seeing as much of the city as possible in that year-- one thing a weekend. For example, in Staten Island they have Snug Harbor a former sailor's home from the 19th century, and they have Richmond Town, where they have relocated all the main colonial historic buildings in Staten Island onto one site.

Also the Hispanic Museum in Harlem-- was planned to be the location for a cluster of museums that was never built. The Cloisters. Do a tour of Harlem. Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Etc. Walking tour of the Grand Concourse in Bronx. Bronx Zoo. etc.

A warning: I made a similar bet in coming to London, over 20 years ago, thinking I would be there but a year. I'm still here.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by Valuethinker »

frugaltype wrote:Boston is a cultural nirvana and swamped with historic sites. You won't need a car there.

I've been to NYC 3 times, and each time someone was incredibly rude within about the first five minutes. Also, it's filthy.
And you know, when I've visited NYC people have been very friendly and helpful. And it's not filthy compared to London or Paris. What I would say is it is high pressure and fast-- takes a while to get used to that.

Boston I would say is quite a cold city: interpersonally cold. I love it for its sense of history, it's really one of the few places in America that feels 'old world' and European-- it does often feel like an 18th century colonial town (in the way that Quebec City feels like an 18th century French colonial town). And I come from Toronto which has been called one of the loneliest cities in the world.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by eharri3 »

Philly. Cheaper than the other 3, 2 hour drive from NYC, short hop flight to the other two cities. There are cheap and nice apartments available all over Delaware County, a working class suburb 15 minutes south of the city. Take your pick of any that are close to I-95 which takes you right into the heart of the city.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by burgrat »

The OP mentioned cycling and hiking. In Philadelphia, there is the Schuylkill River Trail (http://schuylkillrivertrail.com/) which runs from Center City out beyond Valley Forge along the Schuylkill River. It is a really nice multi-use trail. You can ride your bike for probably 25+ miles out of the city along the river out to Valley Forge. The area along Kelly Drive by the row houses is great for people watching, running, or grabbing a water ice (love those!). As far as hiking, there is Fairmount Park and the Wissahickon area (http://www.fow.org/) that are literally minutes from downtown Philly and they offer good hiking trails.
I was impressed by the amount of outdoor activities that were available so close to the downtown area there.

Can't forget to mention the annual Bogleheads meeting is there too!
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by beachplum »

Valuethinker wrote:
frugaltype wrote:Boston is a cultural nirvana and swamped with historic sites. You won't need a car there.

I've been to NYC 3 times, and each time someone was incredibly rude within about the first five minutes. Also, it's filthy.
And you know, when I've visited NYC people have been very friendly and helpful. And it's not filthy compared to London or Paris. What I would say is it is high pressure and fast-- takes a while to get used to that.

Boston I would say is quite a cold city: interpersonally cold. I love it for its sense of history, it's really one of the few places in America that feels 'old world' and European-- it does often feel like an 18th century colonial town (in the way that Quebec City feels like an 18th century French colonial town). And I come from Toronto which has been called one of the loneliest cities in the world.
I find generally people are very friendly in NYC, I grew up there and visit at least once a year. If you think it's filthy now, you should have seen it back in the 70s. On a visit to central park around 2000 I was siting atop a long staircase overlooking a fountain with families pushing strollers and a pretty pond with boats and a restaurant. I hadn't been to that area in decades, and it was so clean I didn't recognize that it was an area I frequented as a teen. Oh and then of course there is the disneyfying of Times square.

When I moved back to Boston in 1992 after having lived in the midwest, I couldn't believe just how cold Boston people could be. Though I think they have thawed considerably over the years. If you limit yourself to just downtown Boston, and it's nearby neighborhoods, then you won't need a car, unless you mind the fact that the "t" closes at 1. NYC by far outweighs Boston with it's transportation. As much as I love Boston, you can pretty much see most of the sights in a few days, where as I have yet to see all of NYC and always find something new to go do or see when I'm there.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by MrMiyagi »

NYC by far. I would avoid Philly like the plague, it is horrible. Frankly I'd rather live in smaller cities than Philly. It's a small city disguising itself as a "real" city...but has all the horrible problems of a big city.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by PoeticalDeportment »

I was a medical student in NYC, and a resident in Boston. Boston was great (clearly a step above Chicago or Philly) - but none of them are comparable to NYC. If you look at it from a purely financial perspective, it will be harder/impossible to come out ahead in NYC compared to the others - but you will think it was the best money you ever spent (I sure feel that way).
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by Valuethinker »

re NYC

I think the 'trendy' neighbourhoods are now no longer in Manhattan-- the young funky people live in Williamsburg etc. There may even be parts of Queens (Long Island City?).

So it's worth exploring living in Brooklyn-- (somewhat) cheaper and with more of a 'vibe'. The cost of living in Manhattan has driven a homogenization.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by Userdc »

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, although I personally would just cross Philly off the list. It's a perfectly nice medium sized American city, but I don't think there's anything unique about Philly that you'd miss in the other cities.

Chicago is the cheapest and has the worst climate. New York is the most exciting and the most expensive by far. Boston is a good middle ground.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by rsgdmd »

If we're talking one year and the fellowship is best in Philly, I would think that would be the main concern. We're not talking NYC, Chi, Boston vs. Lincoln, NE or Peoria (no offence). Philly has a lot going for it - positives compared to the other choices, some negatives. But, if a top fellowship will positively affect the rest of your career, it seems like it should be a no-brainer.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by FireSekr »

Valuethinker wrote:re NYC

I think the 'trendy' neighbourhoods are now no longer in Manhattan-- the young funky people live in Williamsburg etc. There may even be parts of Queens (Long Island City?).

So it's worth exploring living in Brooklyn-- (somewhat) cheaper and with more of a 'vibe'. The cost of living in Manhattan has driven a homogenization.
This.

In NYC trendy areas are East Village, West Village, SoHo, Murray Hill (surprisingly) SoHo, Chelsea. Essentially anywhere below 23rd st and above canal, west of avenue A, east of 8th ave. Upper East is popular too because its the cheapest non-ghetto area of the city

In Brooklyn Williamsburg, Park Slope, Borough Hall area. I may be leaving something out but off the top of my head those are the main ones.

Queens-Astoria. (LI City is near there, but not as good as Astoria for nightlife and restaurants. Its popular because they have new apartments at low prices vs. a comparable building in manhattan)

Thing to realize though, Brooklyn is not cheaper than Manhattan. Williamsburg may be slightly less, but not significantly. Astoria used to be cheap but prices there are also very close to Manhattan now, but cheaper than any of the places I mentioned above
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by dwade1109 »

So an update now that I am closer to decision-making time:

My first choice as of right now is Philly, due to the strength of the program and the experience I had in Center City.

After that my options are NYC, Boston, Atlanta, and suburban Detroit. All four are excellent training options with pros/cons:

1) NYC
Pros: subsidized housing or can live with my brother who has a 1-bedroom and a 6 figure salary
most unique city
once in a lifetime experience
not a bad flight back and forth to home
Cons: weakest program of 4

2) Boston
Pros: very strong program
young, educated city
Cons: weather
would have to leave early from work Fridays to fly home for weekends

3) Atlanta
Pros: two best friends live there
best weather
Southern hospitality
Cons: may be missing out on northeast experience

4) Detroit
Pros: best program of the rest
Cons: location! Plus tough to find flights to and from home

Just for those curious how this all is panning out. Good life exercise to figure out what is really important to me.
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Re: NYC, Philly, Boston, or Chicago?

Post by MacHeath »

Choose NYC if you have a high tolerance for large crowds of noisy people on every street at every time of day or night. You'll also need to be comfortable with huge piles of garbage on the sidewalks since Manhattan has no alleys like other cities do (Chicago and Philly are much cleaner downtown). NYC really smells bad in summer, and there are bazillions of rats. Get used to $20 martinis, and you'll need to live way out in the far reaches of Queens (unless your company has housing for you).

But hey, to each his own. They do have the best pizza and bagels, hands down.

I wouldn't choose an option just because of having the "strongest program", though I would probably avoid the weakest program.
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