It's Our City is a project that uses TV, Radio and Web
to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.Philly Life: Why Stay?
Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 10:53 am - by Stephanie Marudas. Filed under: Uncategorized.
We want to know why you choose to make Philly your home. What is it that keeps you here? Why not move to another city or the suburbs? What helps keep you connected to the community? At the same time, we want to hear from people who might be thinking of leaving. And if you’ve already left, tell us why and what Philly needs to work on. To get the conversation started, we asked 27-year old Mike Casalaina and 25-year old Nick Millevoi these questions. They’re among the many musicians who make up Philadelphia’s local music scene. Both Casalaina and Millevoi have day jobs to support themselves. But when they can, they’re performing on stage, contributing to the creative pulse of our city. Ask Casalaina and Millevoi whether they’d move to NYC for a chance to play more venues, and they’ll tell you they’re sold on Philly. Check out our video to find out why.
Remember to tell us about what’s keeping you here, why you might leave or why you left.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I lived in Philly almost continuously from 1986 to 2006.
Why did I leave? Philly’s business taxes. When I went back to freelancing, I moved to New Jersey.
The idea of taxing a business on its gross income instead of its net is ridiculous.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Steven, thanks for your comment. How does living in NJ compare? Would you come back to Philly if the city changed the tax code you’re talking about?
October 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
I moved to Philly exactly one year ago from Minneapolis. I was pretty embedded in the art and music community there, but thought that I’d look for a job that had an interesting structure and process, so I came to the branding agency 160over90.
After sort of coming out here blind, with no prior idea of what the city was like, I find that I feel my hometown pulling me back. The art and music scene here is strong, and the job is great, but I wonder if there’s a ceiling on the opportunities available in this city… That and the culture here is a little different from the Midwest. I’m doing my best, though.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I stay because of MANY reasons. I went to school (Temple University) here and it’s close to home (Plainfield, NJ). Throughout my years in college I found myself exploring everything and anything there was to do. People may not like taking SEPTA but I had no problem whatsoever taking it to West Philly, University City, Northeast, North Phila. or any of the other neighborhoods that I’ve grown to learn more about.
I was always the person that wanted to LEARN more and more about my culture and see what Philly had to offer. Throughout my struggling college and “post college” life I landed a job with Taller Puertorriqueño. Here I learned about all the opportunities they offered and it was sad the “financial” issues they faced at times. I was also connected to the other Latino institutions like Concilio, Congreso, Raices Culturales, etc.
I was also happy to see all the other Latino activities Philly offered like food and nightlife. And believe me I’m NOT just saying this. There was something different to do everyday when it came down to the Latino culture. And no that’s not what I ONLY did, I’m glad Philly offered me more like the Liberty Bell, and the usually “run up the Rocky steps.”
I’ve been here for 5 years now and I find myself doing something different everyday. The best part…I’m in touch with something new everyday thanks to my job today
Go Phila!.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I’ve lived in Philly all of my life.
I’ve visited other areas of the world, but always come back to Philly.
I stay in Philly because I love a challenge.
I love the people and I understand the people.
I believe in this City, its spirit and diversity.
Because I work in technology and Philly is just beginning to realize how important technology is, I am on the ground floor of a major market.
I’m a trendsetter in the 6th largest city in the U.S. Not a bad position to be in, if you ask me.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I agree that Philly has a lot of character going for it. I moved out here several years ago and love the area.
I’d like to live in the city (currently I live/work in central Bucks Co.) but the extra wage taxes I’d pay by doing so are a major obstacle.
I might be more inclined to look past the taxes if I felt better about the public transportation system (would LOVE to be able to use that more vs. driving, if not get rid of my car altogether - which would offset much of the extra taxes).
But in my view, the rail system (both subway and regional rail), compares poorly to those of other large cities like DC, Chicago and NYC. I could go on for a while about why/how, but suffice it to say that SEPTA could/should do a lot better.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Adam, thanks for writing. Can you tell us more about what you mean when you say a “ceiling of opportunities” might exist here? Also, interested to hear more about your thoughts on how the culture between Midwest and Philly differ?
October 6th, 2008 at 11:51 am
I’ve lived in Philly all my life. The Philly of today is not the Philly of my childhood, it has disintegrated. We (my husband, our kids and I) are still here because it’s hard to move out of the city. It’s expensive to leave. We’ve looked into it before. There are other families in our situation also. The city where neighbors looked out for each other has become a city where no one cares, and deadbeats move into a neighborhood and drag the area down. No good jobs, the schools are in bad shape, kids are roaming the streets, the parents aren’t paying attention, and the rest of the community suffers for it. (Unfortunately, the slur “Filthadelphia” is well-earned.) In the ‘old days’ (when I was a kid), parents wouldn’t stand for that. The neighborhood wouldn’t tolerate that. Times have changed. I don’t know that it’s like that everywhere, but that is what Philly has become for us.
‘Some day’ - when we have the opportunity to and can afford to - we will leave Philly. Most of my family has left. Our friends have left. The ‘exodus’ continues (as the realtors say) - Philly is still emptying, just some of us have not been lucky enough to be a part of it yet, but we’re still looking for our chance. I appreciate all that Mayor Nutter is doing to turn Philadelphia around, but I don’t think that Philadelphia’s future will “brighten” enough in time for us to consider staying here. What’s holding us back is money and opportunity.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
To FabulousAndTechFilled, Tell us more about what you mean when you say that you stay here because you love a challenge. What’s the challenge of living in Philly?
October 6th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Justin, if you have a moment, do tell us what SEPTA needs to do to get better.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
To Justamom, Thank you for writing and sharing your experience. If you could give Nutter some advice, what would you tell him to get our city back on track in the way you’ve seen it slip?
October 6th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I’ve lived in and around Philadelphia most of my life. I would love to live in the city again. But I having a horrible time finding a job.
I finished my grad studies at Drexel University last September (2007) with a MBA and a MS in Television Management. I had about ten interviews between November 2007 and January 2008. I didn’t have another interview until August, and that was for an adjunct (part time) instructor’s position at a local college, which I took.
I am starting to look outside of the Philadelphia area for a job. I hate to leave but I might have to go where a job is offered. With the economy getting worse by the second, as it is today, I don’t really know if there is a job out there for me right now.
I am living with a friend in the ‘burbs, trying to find a full time job while working as an adjunct instructor and as a DJ for clubs, bars and private events. I’m keeping my head barely above water.
I love Philadelphia but it isn’t loving me back.
October 6th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Francie, Thanks for writing. What kind of help could our region’s leaders provide to keep people like yourself invested in the region?
October 6th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I came home to Philly after being away for 25 years and am so glad I did. Philly is full of contradictions…great history mixed with abject poverty mixed with gleaming impressive skyscrapers. I am amazed at how much things have changed in those 25 years and how much they haven’t. I am so glad we have Michael Nutter as mayor–we may finally move into the 20th century!
October 6th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Hi Stephanie,
Re: SEPTA -
1. Make it easier to buy fares.
Rail stations should house an automated ticketing kiosk/machine that accepts cash or plastic and can be used 24/7. Examples of systems using these include NJTransit, Chicago’s CTA, the DC Metro and the London Underground. Not even Suburban Station has one of these (to my knowledge neither does 30th St. but I haven’t used that station so cannot say for sure).
Also, let people buy and print out passes/tickets from home (to either redeem at station ticket windows, or to give/show directly to ticket-takers on trains, bus drivers, etc). There’s no good reason to force people to wait for these to be mailed.
Example of what happens when you don’t have these options: I needed to buy a pass for an upcoming trip to the airport from Suburban Station. Tried to do so in advance (to save money and hassle) at the Warminster R2 station (the station closest to where I work).
I was told that I simply could not buy that fare there because they did not have any of the appropriate tickets.
A kiosk that could sell any fare SEPTA offers would have fixed this (and cut down on the line I waited in).
2. Encourage people to make their commutes “green” by making more accommodations for bicycles on trains.
SEPTA’s bike policies can be found at:
http://www.septa.org/service/bike_ride.html
While they do make some strides here, it’s clear that they don’t view environmentally conscious commuters as a priority.
To use another egocentric example here, I cannot reliably expect to commute from CC to my job (within a bike ride of the Warminster R2, but too far to walk) using a bike, because of restrictions on how many cyclists may use the trains.
Without the knowledge that I can reliably be permitted board the train with my bike both in morning and evening peak hours, I risk being unable to get either to work or back home in a timely fashion. No thanks - much as I’d like to not drive to work, I’ll keep on doing it until there’s a better alternative.
3. Provide more, better shelters at bus stops.
There should be well-constructed, well-lit shelters at all of SEPTA’s bus stops. Ideally these would include comprehensive schedules/maps indicating which buses arrive, when they do so and where they are headed, as well as emergency call boxes as a safety measure.
If you want more people to use the bus to get around town, make it easier and more pleasant to use. That starts with the wait.
Speaking of call boxes…
4. More safety precautions on trains.
I think this is a no-brainer after the subway hammer attack. Yes, other passengers should have intervened, but SEPTA needs to come up with a way to make subway/rail passengers safer (and fix the damage the attack caused to its, and the city’s, reputation).
5. Offer WiFi on trains.
This is not so much a correction of a defect as a suggestion for adding value. In my view it would make the Reg. Rail much more appealing as a morning commute option.
(Does all this stuff cost money? Sure. But it’s stuff that helps to not only bring people back into the city, but raises the value of SEPTA’s services - even at a 10-20% premium over the ~$180/month they now charge for a monthly 6-zone TrailPass, this makes city living, or at least frequent visits, a much more attractive option for me.)
Anyway, that’s what comes to mind at the moment.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:35 am
In response to Stephanie’s question, I’d at least consider moving back to Philly if the Business Privilege Tax went away and if the Net Profits Tax were relatively simple to calculate (which it didn’t used to be).
I love living in NJ, by the way. Not only are there no business taxes in my town, there’s not even a wage tax. They get you on the property taxes, I understand, but they don’t apply if you rent, which I do. And I’m getting a much bigger apartment for less than I paid in Center City. Plus — unlike my former location on 13th Street — it’s quiet enough here to sleep at night.
I’m a 10 minute walk from a PATCO train station, and once I’m on the train it’s 15 minutes to Philly. Unlike SEPTA regional rail, PATCO runs 24/7.
The best of both worlds.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Justin, thank you for outlining your ideas for SEPTA. I’m going to see if we can get SEPTA on here to respond.
October 7th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Stephanie, I think it’s more a matter of civic pride and respect for elders than something the mayor can actually do himself. Little things like trash cans in the neighborhood that, when I do see them, are filled to overflowing - who is in charge of them? Trash collection is erratic and often falls on the street as much as in the truck (at least in my area). Those circulars and ever-present restaurant menus are always flying around everywhere, and McDonald’s trash, cans, beer bottles, cigarette butts - all of which contributes to the overall blight of even the nicer areas. Blight moves in, crime and vandalism move in also. A mayor can’t fix that - he already instituted ‘clean up’ days. If the city itself starts to improve with jobs, education, a better economic outlook, people aren’t so worried about paying their bills, putting food on the table, safety of their kids in schools, deadbeats in the neighborhood (we had a “domestic dispute” on our street just last night) … it’s like which comes first, the chicken or the egg? You see the older folks out there with their brooms and bags cleaning up their properties, and then the kids come along tossing trash. How do you make the parents care? We talk to our kids all the time. We talk to the neighborhood teens about respect for their elders, respect for others’ property, and they sneer at us. How do you get the parents involved? How would the mayor solve this problem? Is it the mayor’s job to intervene in broken family lives and wake up dysfunctional parents? He’s a great mayor, but he’s not Superman (that’s not meant as an insult). It’s like the difference shown in Philly between the first ‘Rocky’ and the last ‘Rocky’ - there’s no respect anymore (think of the bar scene). That’s the old Philly and the ‘new’ Philly - the respect is gone. I don’t know what to tell Mayor Nutter on how to bring that back - I wish I did.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:20 am
With many thanks to Justin for his several comments on SEPTA serivce, please allow me to give a brief response. We acknowledge that our fare colleciton system is antiquated, but help is on the way. We are presently studying state-of-the art fare colleciton systems that we hope to implement in the next few years.
We are actually quite proud of the strides we have made to make the system bicycle friendly, with bike racks on an increasing number of our buses and bike racks in stations. We also welcome a limited number of bikes on our Regional Rail trains. But to Justin’s chagrin, we cannot accomodate bikes on the trains during the rush hours, there’s simply no room for them. Some of our trains are standing-room-only during the rush hour, and until new rail cars begin arriving next year we have to give priority to people rather than bikes.
As for bus stops, we are workibng on providing more and better transit information at bus stops. The shelters themselves are not owned or maintained by SEPTA, but rather local municipalities.
Safety — is a constant priority. We are rapidly increasing the number of security cameras throughout the system, one of which recently helped in the quick apprehension of a suspect in the so-called “hammer attack”, which Juston mentions.
WiFi on the trains — as Justin suggests — sure!
October 7th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I stay because I was born and raised here. I went to school here. I got married and had children here. I can’t imagine life anywhere else. Sometimes, especially with the crime in the city, I think of leaving. But all of my family is here. My friends. I know this city. The trains. The buses. The highways. Philadelphia is all I know.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Hi Richard,
Thanks much for your response re SEPTA.
I do understand that there are limitations to what can be done and appreciate your efforts to improve service.
Re: new rail cars - increased capacity will indeed help with the cycling issue.
I hope that for the future SEPTA also has plans to encourage/prioritize this type of commuting. Perhaps a bikers’ car on each train, or something along those lines?
(Sorry to take up so much space here, and you’re welcome to get my email address from Stephanie if you prefer that to replying here.
It’s just frustrating that in a time when rail/bus/other public transit should prosper as a mode of transportation, more people don’t choose SEPTA over driving.
I’d like to see you guys carry more people, more profitably, and become a more prestigious way to get around the greater Philly area.
To me, the things I noted impede that, and they relegate SEPTA in the average person’s mind to an option only attractive to those who can’t afford to drive. SEPTA would greatly benefit by working to break that stigma.)
October 9th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Does anyone think it’s wrong that Philadelphia residents who move to the suburbs are made to feel guilty for this.? If you live in King of Prussia, aren’t you still a part of what the Philadelphia experience is. I’m sure a lot of Philadelphia residents take an occasional trip to the big mall.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I have lived in Philadelphia for almost 10years. To be honest, I never planned on staying here this long…but after obtaining my BFA & MFA…here I am.
I find a lot of my distaste of Philly comes with an inability to accept the life-style standards of Philadelphians, or those who are here. Is it too much to ask for men and woman to stop hockn a loogie on the street? Yelling profanities from one block to the next? Or not dropping your coke bottle on the ground after you finish the last sip?
I know some find that half the charm of Philadelphia is the attitude, aggression, and rivalry that lives here, but I find this behavior not only disrespectful and immature, but shows the lack of respect Philadelphians have for themselves and one another.
This makes it very hard to meet like-minded people, or even a significant other.
The lack of social activities (aside from very small pockets of groups) compounds this, and I find it very hard to stay entertained here.
In the past 10 years I lived in Germantown, Willow Grove, Ambler, Center City East, Center City West, South Philly and even New Jersey. I tried living here with a car, and parking (even with a permit) is still extremely stressful, costly and eats away time. Although I enjoy bike riding, I’ve had 3 bikes stolen from me. SEPTA is my main source of transportation, but as mentioned above, is so inconvenient.
However, since I’ve been here for 10 years, I’m now 27 and know Philadelphia better than my home city, but would never call it home.
I find my basic life requirements here are constraining me, and this is very difficult to cope with. Its making me a bitter and negative person and for these reasons I will eventually leave Philadelphia.
I know the city has many “plans” for Philadelphia, but its 2008 and officials are still “planning” on things that should have been implemented here in 2001. If a plan takes 5years to realize, then they should be thinking of the future Philadelphians who come here, not the ones who live here now. I’m just tired of waiting for Philly to catch up with the rest of the world.
October 11th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Amy, thanks for your honesty. It’s funny you mentioned people “hockn a loogie” because just yesterday near The Gallery I saw a man do the same thing. Yuck !!! It does make you want to flee. It sounds like you have given Philadelphia a chance. You have lived in more areas, that most people. And as someone who moved to Philadelphia from another state (Colorado) I was struck by how provincial locals are. Philadelphia and the region can be great, but it depends on if you meet a group of friends. Otherwise, the dirty streets, foul language, and high taxes are not going to convince anyone to stick around.
October 11th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
nick is beautiful.
i love you nick!
October 18th, 2008 at 2:59 am
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October 20th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I came here in 2002 because it has all of the advantages of NYC, without the disadvantages.
I made a lot of friends, and live in Chinatown.
Also, medical care here is world class.
I have not been disappointed.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Thanks Misha for sharing your thoughts. I think alot of people would agree that Philly has the benefits of a large city without all the hassles of NYC. Living in Chinatown has to be fun, because you never have to cook anymore either.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:09 am
To Alan: You’re right. I never cook. There are so many restaurants, I’m overwhelmed. It’s a never ending buffet. My wife is from Taiwan, I’m Jewish, so we go to the three Chinese places that are kosher. Singapore is next door, and it’s Buddhist vegetarian, and kosher. She’s Zen, so it’s good for both of us. The Reading Market is around the corner.
I also joined as many Meetups that I could. My calendar is filled.
I sold my car; I didn’t use it for four months. I go to Septa Plan My Trip. I think it was a good move to come here. My dentist is on Market; I walk as much as I can. When I had a stroke from a ruptured aneurysm, I got excellent care at Jefferson. The rescue squad came right away. A neighbor found me on the floor of the hall, in a coma.
All together, I like it.
October 21st, 2008 at 2:16 am
One more thing: XPN is the best station I have ever found.
Click on my name for my blog.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:19 am
Misha…your hyperlink didn’t come through. so can you just paste the address in so we can read your blog?
I’m glad to hear that Jefferson Hospital took good care of you. As for your favorite radio station, have you ever listened to 91FM, I hear they have a good station, lots of interesting stories etc.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:40 am
Sure: http://newyorkleftist.blogspot.com/
Copy and paste if necessary.
Yeah, I used to listen to 91, but now I always turn the stereo to XPN. I like their mix, and my wife likes it too. She doesn’t mind it on when she works. She does her auditing from home. We have DSL, and she plugs in her laptop. Her employer is good about letting her telecommute.
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
sandwiches
February 2nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
What kind of sandwiches?
March 18th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Moved here ~5 years ago to attend graduate school, and because I had family in the region at the time.
The reasons I’m still here: bought a house at an affordable price, in a walkable neighborhood that’s close to many of the entertainment options Philadelphia has to offer; Philadelphia is a city with character, acquired over its many years of history; met my future wife here; for a relatively long period of time, I was able to save a lot of money by not owning a car and getting around using public transit/car sharing. This freed up a lot of money for traveling/dining/etc.
The reasons I often wonder why I’m still here: what little employment is available in my field within city limits seems to be mostly dead-end jobs at companies where management works their employees like slaves, trying to get as much work as possible, at the lowest possible expense; jobs in the suburbs tend to be better, but most aren’t transit accessible, requiring a lot of extra expense in the form of car payments, insurance and fuel, not to mention the stress of a long commute on congested/inadequate roads; crime and animosity from long-time city residents often makes me feel unsafe/uncomfortable/unwelcome; I don’t feel like I get nearly enough in city services and quality of life to justify the high tax burden from the wage tax, extra 1% sales tax and other assorted nickle/dime taxes city residents pay.
Recommendations I have for city leaders: eliminate the gross receipts tax, and lower both the non-resident wage tax and the net profits tax to no more than 2% ASAP, as I guarantee this, along with some work marketing the city to businesses and builders, will make a significant difference in the city’s employment situation in a relatively short period of time. Longer-term, I think the city will also end up with more residents and tax revenue because of this. I might even choose to end the 10 year property tax abatement in favor of speeding up reductions in the two aforementioned taxes; work with suburban municipalities, the state and SEPTA to improve job access by encouraging new office buildings to be built in the immediate vicinity of regional rail stations, and train stations in general.
There are other things, I’m sure, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.
March 18th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
P.S. I can also identify with Amy from 12:38pm’s comments.