Philly draws less national conversation than New York City or D.C. despite its own distinct character. (Reddit)
The job market has been described as tough, with competition even for entry level and service positions. (Reddit, Reddit)
School quality varies widely, from underfunded public schools to well regarded options like Penn Alexander. (Reddit, Reddit)
Some families weigh private school costs and safety concerns heavily when deciding whether to raise children in the city. (Reddit, Reddit)
The region offers accessible outdoor escapes, from urban trail systems to state parks within a short trip. (Reddit, timeout.com)
“The job market is terrible right now” (a resident)
Who tends to love Philadelphia, PA
Outdoors enthusiasts: Nearby parks, trails, and lakes offer hiking, kayaking, and zip lining options.
Live music fans: Multiple well regarded venues host shows across the city and suburbs.
Dog owners: Parks and cemeteries nearby provide great space for dogs.
Community joiners: Residents describe the city as friendly with neighborhood associations and meetup groups to join.
Jobs and work
The job market feels terrible right now, with even service industry jobs being competitive for newcomers. Even service industry jobs up here are competitive if you are lacking experience.(Reddit)
One resident mentioned a job fair and suggested looking into sales support jobs with a lot of work from home options. You could also look into sales support jobs, also alot of wfh and you just(Reddit)
A healthcare worker with 15 years experience found job offers in Philly paid insultingly low wages. I was offered a few jobs in Philly and the pay was insulting so I ended up(Reddit)
One resident worked remotely at a local cafe when their internet went down my internet went down for a few days, I worked remotely at the New Wave Cafe(Reddit)
Family and schools
A middle class family stretches its budget below their means to afford private Montessori schooling. It's so bad families who would be considered “middle class” live way below their means to send their kids to $20-30K per year Montessori schools(Reddit)
Outdoors and trails
"Riddly Creek State Park and French Creek State Park have nice trails less than an hour outside the city, Yellow & Orange trails…" Riddly Creek State Park and French Creek State Park have nice trails less than an hour outside the city, Yellow & Orange trails, Wissahickon(Reddit)
One resident says Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park is great for kayaking since it is small and has no motorized boats allowed. Lake Galena in Peace Valley Park is a great place to kayak(Reddit)
One resident recommends the Treetop Quest zip line and ropes course and a rock climbing gym in Bridgeport. Treetop Quest zip line and ropes course in Philly; Bridgeport has a nice rock climbing gym open to the public(Reddit)
One resident suggests biking, busing, or training to the Wissahickon to start walking and also mentions Belmont Plateau, Cira Green, and Awbury Arboretum. Check out the trails in Belmont Plateau. Cira Green sky Park. Awbury arboretum(Reddit)
Making friends
One resident recommends Meetup Philly for finding groups, even something as simple as a walking group, as a starting point. Try Meetup Philly, there's always different groups there, even if it's just a walking group to join(Reddit)
One resident suggests finding a hobby with meetups in the city or attending events at a social club like Saika Cafe in Callowhill. finding a hobby that has meetups in the city, or potentially attending events at a social club(Reddit)
One resident says that after living in Philly for almost a year, they have not made a single friend and feel their options are limited. I haven't made a single friend, no hyperbole. I feel like my options are kind of limited(Reddit)
One resident says Philly is super friendly and advises getting involved in a local community group since most neighborhoods have associations. Philly is super friendly. Just get involved in a local community group(Reddit)
Dating
One resident describes dating in Philly as surprisingly bleak, noting the median age of singles in the city. Dating in Philly is actually very bleak surprisingly(Reddit)
One resident says Philadelphia is a great place to be single with a nice variety in the dating scene. I consider Philadelphia to be a fairly prime place to be in the single's scene(Reddit)
One resident suggested finding dating prospects through meetup groups and social sports like running clubs or pickleball. Philadelphia 20s and 30s Social on Meetup.com, running clubs, pickleball or other social sports(Reddit)
Events and festivals
One resident says Ardmore Music Hall is the best venue in the Philly area, with The Fillmore, Foundry, and Brooklyn Bowl in Fishtown also being great. Ardmore Music Hall is the best venue around the Philly area(Reddit)
One resident lists local venues like The Fillmore, Johnny Brenda's, Kung Fu Necktie, and Underground Arts, and mentions the Philly Discord community. Local venues like The Fillmore, Johnny Brenda's, Kung Fu Necktie, Underground Arts(Reddit)
Getting around
One resident says traffic is bad and routes 9, 12, 21 and 42 help get up and down during busy highway times. Routes 9, 12, 21 and 42 will get you up and down Walnut and(Reddit)
One resident describes a commute to Paoli from South Philly that took 1.5 hours one way with most of it bumper-to-bumper. It took me 1.5 hours to get to work near Paoli(Reddit)
One resident says commuters are at the mercy of the highway which can be shut down or hit by mudslides. You're pretty much at the mercy of the highway. Sometimes it gets shut down sometimes there's a mudslide(Reddit)
One resident describes a bike parking garage connected to a train that runs every 5 minutes and can take you across the country. connects to a train that comes every 5 minutes, that can take you across the country(Reddit)
Arts and culture
One resident suggests Theatre Philadelphia as a first stop for finding major performances during a visit. Theatre Philadelphia should be your first stop for any major performance going on during your stay(Reddit)
One resident feels the Franklin Institute needs a refresh because much of the exhibit content seems broken. the Franklin Institute needs a refresh because it looks like half the stuff inside is broken(Reddit)
One resident said the city has a really active arts scene with a thriving community of artist run spaces. We have a really active arts scene here, you should go for it(Reddit)
Through the year
Summer: Summers in Philadelphia are hot and muggy under a humid subtropical and humid continental climate mix.
Fall: Fall brings changing foliage along with heavier rain and more intense storms linked to climate change.
What Philadelphia, PA is known for
Philadelphia Pride March and Festival (June): Parade and festival in the Gayborhood with food and performances
Roots Picnic (June): Weekend of music performances handpicked by The Roots
Philadelphia Film Festival (October): Festival premiering Oscar contenders and local films
More on Philadelphia, PA
The full Varro guide adds rent and home prices, local taxes, schools, healthcare, getting around, weather by month, and a quiz that shows how Philadelphia, PA fits what you want.