Cost of Living in PHL

[SegmentKing]

Its not that I hate Phoenix, I just miss working at the airport and its something I feel I did very well at (was mentioned in CS Superstar at least twice a month), and I left my former station because I felt I belong back in the corporate environment..

*anyway*

Just wondering what the cost of living situation is like in Philly, or if there are ample "crash pads" until a permanent living solution is found...

or if folks can point me in the right direction towards apartments / rentals that don't take me an hour to get to work.

Thanks!!

 

[andyperkins]

Give this a try on rental info

www.forrent.com

You can get to the airport from Center City in 15 minutes...the problem is parking in town is a B@#$%.

Many of the folks working at PHL live in Delaware...maybe you should look there as well. Good Luck!

 

[PhxMama]

You WANT to go to Philly?

 

[Itestwell]

You WANT to go to Philly?

Why wouldn't you? It's a very fun city, lots to do, still affordable.... I find that most of the people that spend a lot of their energy bashing PHL don't know much more about it than the airport or the Lagoon. I moved here through USAirways base closures, and have thoroughly enjoyed the city. Come check it out, Phxmama, you fly for free!

 

[Jonnyd]

You WANT to go to Philly?

I'd love to go back and be a ramp manager or something if the position didn't have a revolving door attached to it. I'm sure I could do it better than anyone else and improve things, mainly because I'm friends with a lot of ramp agents there and I know they would work hard for me. You have to win the trust of the agents for them to really want to help you out. When they actually call me and say "it's a lot better around here and things are actually getting done" then maybe I'll considering going back. Until then, I'll stick to my cube in the sunny 75 degree weather with holidays off!

 

[andyperkins]

I've lived in Las Vegas NV, St. George UT, Charlotte NC, Pittsburgh PA, and now Philly and it's a great city I really enjoy living here. www.phillyfunguide.com

 

[PhxMama]

Oh, Im so sorry if you thought this was a bash on Philly! I KNOW Philly is a wonderful city, as a Jersey girl I spent many a day there! Villanova is a beautiful mainline school(go Wildcats!) my husband is a grad and Wharton too, is also in the city! If Smokey Joes is still around, near Temple, my initials may still be carved in a table-old boyfriend! Used to go to concerts, museums, climbed the steps like Rocky and spent many a school field trip down at the Liberty Bell. I love Philly and could go on and on ... its just what I've heard about the infamous airport. There's been too many threads about incompetent managment, babaric employees and their tactics, not to mention the big brawl last year. Its not the city but the idea of working somewhere in less than perfect conditions. Sorry, if I was so unclear!

 

[Itestwell]

Oh, Im so sorry if you thought this was a bash on Philly! I KNOW Philly is a wonderful city, as a Jersey girl I spent many a day there! Villanova is a beautiful mainline school(go Wildcats!) my husband is a grad and Wharton too, is also in the city! If Smokey Joes is still around, near Temple, my initials may still be carved in a table-old boyfriend! Used to go to concerts, museums, climbed the steps like Rocky and spent many a school field trip down at the Liberty Bell. I love Philly and could go on and on ... its just what I've heard about the infamous airport. There's been too many threads about incompetent managment, babaric employees and their tactics, not to mention the big brawl last year. Its not the city but the idea of working somewhere in less than perfect conditions. Sorry, if I was so unclear!

No offense taken. With regards to PHL and how horrible it is, please remember that most things on here tend to be "over dramatized...."

Smokey Joe's huh? Ill have to check it out!

 

[SegmentKing]

You WANT to go to Philly?

If I could put up with Republic-only operated flights for a while, I think i can handle anything.

PHL has been trying to re-invent itself and I've worked at a hub before, so this would be nothing new to me, just in a different position.

JonnyD-> I can't stop twitching around the holidays.. I am so used to working the counter/gate/ramp that it was unusual for me to actually see relatives on Thanksgiving... now getting home took forever, but still. My body has been permanently programmed to do certain things, including working Holidays (note: Trevor avatar at top, the "perfect" computerized airline employee!)

 

[Jonnyd]

If I could put up with Republic-only operated flights for a while, I think i can handle anything.

PHL has been trying to re-invent itself and I've worked at a hub before, so this would be nothing new to me, just in a different position.

JonnyD-> I can't stop twitching around the holidays.. I am so used to working the counter/gate/ramp that it was unusual for me to actually see relatives on Thanksgiving... now getting home took forever, but still. My body has been permanently programmed to do certain things, including working Holidays (note: Trevor avatar at top, the "perfect" computerized airline employee!)

That's true. Everytime I go back home I stop in the airport to talk to my buddies, and beleive or not sometimes I really being out in the snowy cold trying to get a flight out on time. It sounds nuts, but I just loved doing it. If the situation is right I'll definitely go back.

 

[SegmentKing]

That's true. Everytime I go back home I stop in the airport to talk to my buddies, and beleive or not sometimes I really being out in the snowy cold trying to get a flight out on time. It sounds nuts, but I just loved doing it. If the situation is right I'll definitely go back.

When I think of cold weather, I am reminded of my days doing de-icing training in Fargo in -10 weather with a strong wind from the north at 5am hanging from a bucket trying to deice a Brasilia...

 

[Jonnyd]

When I think of cold weather, I am reminded of my days doing de-icing training in Fargo in -10 weather with a strong wind from the north at 5am hanging from a bucket trying to deice a Brasilia...

Believe it or not 95% of the guys doing the de-icing in PHL are US rampers even thought it's outsourced. They each get pagers and are alerted when there are hours available. Most people on the afternoon shift will do it early in the morning and then work their regular shift.

 

[furloughednow psa]

Dont hate the city because of the airport. Phl is by far the best city out of are hubs. If I hated a city because of the airports there wouldnt be many liked cities.

 

[zethya]

Although I feel Philadelphia is one of the best looking and culturally stimulating cities in the U.S., it is not cheap to live there. For example, the Cost of Living Composite Index for Philadelphia is 119 and for Phoenix it's 98 - that is a fairly large difference. This index (which you can find in various formats on the internet), includes Housing, Food, Transportation, Healthcare and Utilities. It does not however include Local Taxes. An example of the differences outside of the index is that it might cost $400 a year to register a specific auto in Arizona, that same auto would cost less than $50 to register in Pennsylvania, and don't forget the infamous Philadelphia city Wage Tax for residents (not nearly as bad as NYC though). A further comparison with Philadelphia and other US hub Indexes - CLT = 93, PIT = 95, LAS = 111. I personally could never understand how anyone living on an airline/airport salary - other than a pilot or executive, could afford to live in center city in other than a shared relationship. Suburban Philadelphia (NJ, PA) can even be more expensive. This is not saying that one could not find affordable housing (in Metro Phila) - but it may not be in an area where you really want to live. An earlier post suggesting Delaware is possibly a good choice. The only ? is if you live say 30 miles from center city, will you still take sufficient advantage of the city itself. Myself, I'd choose to live in Phoenix IF 2 things changed - the maximm summer temperature was 95 (instead of 115-120) and the heavy smog (ala LA) vanished - but that has about as much chance of happening as the Philadelphia Wage tax has of being eliminated.

One last observation, people who seem to thrive best in the East Coast big cities are those that thoroughly enjoy the Urban lifestyle - cultural events (Concerts, Plays, Museums, etc.), the nightlife and the ambiance of just living among skyscrapers and city parks.

 

[Itestwell]

Although I feel Philadelphia is one of the best looking and culturally stimulating cities in the U.S., it is not cheap to live there. For example, the Cost of Living Composite Index for Philadelphia is 119 and for Phoenix it's 98 - that is a fairly large difference. This index (which you can find in various formats on the internet), includes Housing, Food, Transportation, Healthcare and Utilities. It does not however include Local Taxes. An example of the differences outside of the index is that it might cost $400 a year to register a specific auto in Arizona, that same auto would cost less than $50 to register in Pennsylvania, and don't forget the infamous Philadelphia city Wage Tax for residents (not nearly as bad as NYC though). A further comparison with Philadelphia and other US hub Indexes - CLT = 93, PIT = 95, LAS = 111. I personally could never understand how anyone living on an airline/airport salary - other than a pilot or executive, could afford to live in center city in other than a shared relationship. Suburban Philadelphia (NJ, PA) can even be more expensive. This is not saying that one could not find affordable housing (in Metro Phila) - but it may not be in an area where you really want to live. An earlier post suggesting Delaware is possibly a good choice. The only ? is if you live say 30 miles from center city, will you still take sufficient advantage of the city itself. Myself, I'd choose to live in Phoenix IF 2 things changed - the maximm summer temperature was 95 (instead of 115-120) and the heavy smog (ala LA) vanished - but that has about as much chance of happening as the Philadelphia Wage tax has of being eliminated.

One last observation, people who seem to thrive best in the East Coast big cities are those that thoroughly enjoy the Urban lifestyle - cultural events (Concerts, Plays, Museums, etc.), the nightlife and the ambiance of just living among skyscrapers and city parks.

I think Center City Philadelphia is still "doable". Remember, you don't need a car, which could be a big savings!