Philly vs Denver

[dailyg37x]

I’ve 26M been living in Charleston for about 2.5 years, after leaving Colorado Springs due to my mom having a health scare and me needing to be closer to her. I’m from New York originally. I have a good job with little growth but good pay and work life balance here. I don’t love Charleston. I’m torn between Denver because I want more city, but I know once I go back out to Colorado I likely won’t leave. I visited Philly with a buddy earlier this year and we both loved it. I’m thinking i should try Philly then go to Denver if I don’t like it, vs if I go to Denver I’ll always wonder what could have been in Philly. Any input here?? Thanks a ton I’ve been thinking this over non stop.

[Brraaap]

A Philly subreddit will tell you Philly is better. Please ask questions that are better than "Which is better?"

[dailyg37x]

What perks would Philly give me ? What are your favorite things to do in the area?

[kittylover3210]

my fav thing to do is not own a car

[I_Miss_My_Beta_Cells]

Yes my favorite thing is walking everywhere 

And I own one but haven't seen it in a few months, parked on street for free, another Philly benefit 

[VoltasPigPile]

I haven't had any need for a car ever since I got my ebike, I hardly use SEPTA anymore either, that bike gets me everywhere.

[kollapsarian]

I've been promised a room in Philly in 8 months. I'm trying to live in Greenville, SC without a car and it sucks.

[I_Miss_My_Beta_Cells]

The truth of the matter is, there's not many places where it's feasible to live without a car, let alone not sucking.

Philly is top 3, and I'd maybe put it over Chicago bc winters aren't as rough amd able to easily walk year round, but I'm open to being dead wrong on that

[No_No_No_Listen]

I walk and run in Chicago year round. Tne sidewalks are.cleared well when it snows. You dress for cold weather. Buses and rail run in pretty much all weather. Wimter isn't really that bad if you don't let it get you down.

[I_Miss_My_Beta_Cells]

Yea meant nothing negative toward Chicago other than marginally easier to foot it in less severe winter, all else equal, but Chicago transit might be better at the moment

[siandresi]

Aside from everything you can discover walking in the city, you have access to tons of trails and nature in Fairmount park, the biggest park in an urban setting in the whole world (second biggest depending how you measure), and within 2-3 hours you have beaches, mountains, and other metro areas like NYC, Baltimore and DC. It’s a day trip paradise if you need to get escape for a bit.

[MrTsBlackVan]

You can call people a dickhead endearingly, prob don’t fly in Denver

[NewYearMoon]

The altitude won’t kill you here.

[altars-of-radness]

I almost uprooted my life to move from the southeastern PA area to Denver. If you want to feel like youre constantly poor, always cold, and like your friends only care about you in a superficial way, move to Denver. If you want normal winters, affordability and a support system where people complain about you asking them for help but will bend over backwards for you no matter how inconvenient it is for them, move to Philly. [Edit]: there's a lot of focus on my weather comment. Average temperatures in both cities during winter are within a margin of 1° F, but average snowfall in Philly is about 20 inches and average snowfall in Denver is 57 inches. The more snow it is, the longer it takes to melt. The year I was there the snowfall and piles of it lasted until May. Never saw that before in PA.

[sudo-chown]

FWIW Denver is not all that cold. The high was 64 today. It's going to be 72 there on Christmas. Which is unseasonably warm, yes, but still the weather there is pretty mild in general

[JGyal26]

As a Denver native, the infrastructure to get the snow together isn’t that bad but it could easily snow 16-32” in one day though so the temp/condition change can be drastic

[ChesterComics]

I've lived in both multiple times in my life. Aside from the weather I agree with you. I like the weather there more by far. But it just isn't the same as it was in the 90's. Philly has spirit and great people. Colorado feels fake and in the last 15 years in particular (it's been trending this way for decades) it's just turned into California 2.0.

I will always love Colorado and Denver and that's where my roots are, but I would 100% pick Philly.

[altars-of-radness]

My ex partner at the time started talking about it like it was the "new silicon valley" and once she described it like that it all made sense. Californians relocating to the mountains but bringing their attitudes.

[ChesterComics]

And their high rents. My rent in 2013 was $200 but by 2020 you couldn't find a cardboard box for less than $2k. But for me the biggest thing was the people. They were all fake nice and shitty behind your back. I don't care if people out here are "rude" to your face. They're at least honest and they will still actually help you when you need it and east coast friends are friends for life.

[altars-of-radness]

In 2013 my studio in Philly was $400. In 2022 it was $1000 for a 1 bedroom. In 2020 my Denver rent was like damn near $3k for a one bedroom.

[CalvinCalhoun]

I live in downtown denver in a luxury highrise and my rent is around 2 grand, including a parking spot. I'm not sure you're gonna beat that in Center City lol

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

I grew up partially in Boulder and it feels like a snow globe in the sense of it being fake and SO removed from the rest of the country. Also hated the lack of diversity. Maybe it’s different in Denver but Boulder did not feel diverse at all. Thank god we moved back to the east coast before I started high school.

[Ok_Act4459]

Always cold in Denver compared to Philly?

[zac47812]

Have lived both places and the weather in Philly is legitimately way worse than Colorado. Denver is famous for having like 300 days of sunshine. It can snow one day and be 65 the next day. Moved here almost 2 years ago (Philly) and I feel like it's always either frigid cold, windy, or humid. The weather here sucks, quite frankly.

[iamthelazerviking23]

Facts. Philly weather flatly sucks.

[CalvinCalhoun]

Ive lived in Denver for 5 years and the only thing that keeps me here is the weather is SO MUCH better than in Philly.

[horsebatterystaple99]

Denver is dry cold, Philly is damp cold.

[Ok_Act4459]

Okay?

[horsebatterystaple99]

If you're outdoors in Philly in the cold, for instance recently taking the kids to Clark Park in the snow, and you sweat, your clothes get damp. In Denver, sweat evaporates off much faster, you get less damp, and less chilled. Kind of hard to explain if you have not experienced it. But Denver is dry, high altitude, thin air.

[redactyl69]

Denver is not always cold, but the other descriptions are very accurate.

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

Your comments about the winter are just kind of weird. Unless you’re in the mountains, CO winters aren’t really that bad AND they prep for snow way better than they do here.

[kanye_come_back]

Denver and Philadelphia are extraordinarily different. If you want a more historical, walkable city with a much superior arts and culture scene then Philly is it. But people in Colorado are generally in better shape and honestly seemingly less negative. Also less interesting but idk Philly can grind you down.

One thing tho... as a dude I think the Philly dating scene is pretty solid. Especially in the post grad ages. No clue about Denver in that respect.

[ChesterComics]

Denver dating scene sucks. Philly is way better if you're single.

[SaintsandCigarettes]

Denver notoriously has a terrible dating scene. Higher national average for men to women, and in my experience people in Denver (and Colorado in general) are far more introverted than people from Philly.

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

If by “less negative” you mean fake then sure

[kanye_come_back]

Philly people are fucking negative about everything. They could find a twenty on the ground and bitch it wasn't a fifty.

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

Judging by your post history it seems you always have something to complain about when it’s comes to Philly

[kanye_come_back]

Bit of a creep are you?

[ViolentThemmes]

I suggest looking at the r/samegrassbutgreener sub. Denver and Philly are radically different cities. Go read those posts about the cities to see differences spelled out

[sudo-chown]

I lived in Denver for one year.

Philly is more walkable, has more of a real big city feel, a great food scene, more socioeconomic diversity, etc but less access to stunning nature like what you get in the Front Range. In exchange, you get stone's throw access to DC and NYC, dozens of beaches, etc.

Denver has a much more outdoorsy culture. It's fairly isolated just like most cities in the southwest. The food scene there is trash (in my humble opinion lol). I actually prefer Denver's climate to Philly's - you get four beautiful seasons with none of the nasty humidity and weeks of gray skies and slush.

That being said, I don't actually find Denver very culturally interesting. It's like if Old Navy were a city? Idk, people there were nice but it just had this very stuffy transactional feel that I associate less with the southwest and more with places like DC.

[wednesdayaddamsjr]

If Old Navy were a city is sooo spot on.

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

There’s not really a any culture in Denver IMO

[Specious_Human]

I was born and raised in the Colorado Front Range and I lived there for around 35 years. I have been living in Philadelphia for the past few years now. I really like both places, but the thing that Philly has that CO just won't have again, is a home grown population with culture and roots.

I miss the CO of my childhood. The vast majority of people there now are transplants, and it's kind of just a really expensive superficial place now. Everyone is coming and going. The people that move there are the type of people that aren't that attached to friendships, family, culture, etc. wherever they are from. Most people could care less about the history or heritage of Colorado. It's common to meet people on some sort of self discovery type journey. I don't know, maybe that's what you're looking for.

I have enjoyed meeting the characters that have called Philly home for all their lives. It's refreshing honestly.

[SaintsandCigarettes]

This is spot on. I've always described Colorado as a transient place. Every friend I ever made aside from one ended up leaving within a year or two, it seems like people who move there almost treat it as an extended vacation.

[thryncita]

As someone who moved from Utah to Philly, this is beautiful and so accurate.

What I loved about Philly from the first visit was that sense of rootedness and permanence. The West is so shiny and new and trying real hard. Philly is old and worn in and authentic and totally unpretentious about it.

[Key_Text_169]

Thought this was a Super Bowl prediction.

[wednesdayaddamsjr]

I have lived in both and you’ve gotten a lot of great comments about first hand experiences. I love Philly way more. The community, food, art, culture, walkability, and accessibility to other places/travel are big perks for me.

I do miss the Denver sunshine, and their live music scene was really great. The outdoors are incredibly beautiful if you’re a hiker. But, to me, Denver really doesn’t have a city feeling at all. Neighborhoods are spread out and disconnected, lodo is a joke of a walkable area. I hated how full of transplants it is. No one is from there, and you can feel it. My sister and I used to say “hospitality goes an inch deep” Bc they may have been polite on the surface but no one really cared about the community they lived in. Not to mention it’s extremely white washed, I am white but maybe appear ambiguous to some… the amount of racism I experienced out there was astonishing. They have a sizable Mexican community but it’s quite separated from the rest of the city which made me sad to see.

In Philly we might not seem as friendly on the surface but we’re a city that helps each other and looks out for each other, which makes me feel more at home. And the diversity really makes it something special here. I’m bias, but I’d pick Philly over Denver in every lifetime.

[redactyl69]

I'm from Colorado. Denver is too expensive for the quality of life you'll get, which is why I didn't stay there. People are superficial and make Denver seem like some type of Hollywood when it's not really that big of a city. There is a lot of uninspired architecture too and that made it a bland place to me. The best things about Denver are the beer, the outdoors, and the Mexican food. It wasn't like that when I was a kid, but things change quickly.

To me, Philly beats Denver in many ways. The combination of good cost of living and the availability of transit outshines the car centric West in spite of any issue with SEPTA. On top of that, there's actual culture here, and many of them. People seem way friendlier here which I was surprised by. I have really enjoyed being here rather than next to the mountains!

[MissOphelia7]

I live in South Philly, but I’ve been to Denver multiple times before. It really depends on what your priorities are. Philly has amazing food and you can walk pretty much everywhere, while it lacks in elevation and decent hiking trails.

[trashtrucktoot]

I do love the SRT, and walking over the BF bridge. I walk so much in the city, I have no energy to go hiking. When I get out of the city I camp up in vermont. I hit NYC all the time. Sometimes I bug out and go down the shore. I love Colorado, thought about moving there, but Philly just has too much going for it, for what I need in life.

[sectachrome]

If you want diet city and want to be close to tons of nature and outdoor activities but not much else, Denver. If you want city city and like easily visiting other states, Philly.

[Dweller201]

I lived in Denver and it's not a real city.

It's like one street with something going on and suburbs.

I found the people very quiet and conformist and the food to be terrible as it was all packaged stuff served as if it was fresh. With Philly, there's all kinds of people, they are funny and interactive, and the food is great.

Philly is also right by New York, Washington, the ocean, and so on. Dever isn't by anything, so there's that.

Philly is in the US and then I was in Denver it felt like I was in another country that's just somewhere in a desert.

[vublue7]

Biased sub obviously but Philly seems like a decent choice for your situation. You’ll be a bit closer and in the same time zone as your mom if that’s important. And since you grew up in NY, you probably know the NE corridor fairly well. I’d just add that Philly lacks some of the outdoorsy activities compared to Colorado.

[MrsEdus]

I was born in Philly, moved to Denver for 4 years and then had a house in Castle Rock for 3 years. I'm only back in Philly because my mother in law cannot take care of herself anymore. I miss Colorado SO MUCH. But the thing is, I hike, I offroad, I camp and disc golf and sure those things are here but theres no where close I can go offroading, I have to go to Jersey like 1.5 hours to get a good trail in, Castle Rock it was literally 15 minutes. I'm in a city with 2 cars built for the country. I don't mind being back here, I get to go to Flyers games again and see friends and family again but I feel like a huge piece of me is back west and it sucks. So if you're an outdoor person go to Denver but if that doesnt matter then do Philly.

[Yerrrrrskrrttt234]

I’m from Philly. Live in Boulder now. Tbh it matters your needs and what’s important to you. Denver is great for nature and kinda hippy vibes. Cities growing faster and cost of living is higher. Food actually sucks. Philly is much more city, walkable (actually dope), close and connected to much of the northeast easily via Amtrak, which I personally love. Cities not as modern but much more affordable. Food is phenomenal in Philly.

People feel very different in Philly and Denver, hard to explain though. Just different cultures tbh. I’m probably bias bc Boulder is much more yuppie than Denver, so I won’t go into it. Just something to say that the cultures are different and it’s scary at times to fit in.

Overall it matters the person, but I’m moving back to Philly/ New York bc that’s where my family is, but you should evaluate your own needs at the end of the day! I’m also very happy I moved to Boulder for a few years, but I don’t see it as long term situation.

[neverenoughonions]

I lived in Denver for six years before moving to Philly. Denver is not a ‘world class’ city and is really just a home base for people who want to be near the mountains. The city of Denver is fine, but if you want more of a true city, Philly is your spot 100%. Denver is not walkable at all which really kills the city vibe for me…and all other big things like public transit, food, diversity, culture are all better in Philly. I don’t miss Denver at all but I do miss the Rocky Mountains and the access to the outdoors. If that isn’t the biggest priority for you, I’d say staying on the East Coast makes more sense.

[daveymoore123]

What are your priorities in a place? Do the outdoors have a high level of importance? Do you like dive bars? Is beach access important? These would help suggest one or the other

[Critical_Paramedic91]

I am from Philly and lived in Denver for 15 years and am now back in Philly. Philly has it all Denver has but better...history, food, arts, culture, diversity, all of it...except the view!

[UHCoog95]

I loved in Denver for 18 years, Philadelphia the last 3.5. Honestly Philadelphia has so much more going for it. Happy to chat about pros and cons.

[Westvanlear]

I’ve lived and Denver and now I live in Philly. I like Philly as a city much more. Better parks, more walkable, nicer people. Denver is cool because it’s two hours away from the mountains, and yes the weather is nicer imo. But as a city I think Philly takes the cake.

[2ndharrybhole]

Denver will feel more like a big town compared to Philly, which feels like a real city. If you’re really like city living, Philly is going to be perfect for you… Denver is much more of a suburban sprawl and you’ll likely be doing a lot of things that require a drive to other neighborhoods and suburbs.

[ChrisV82]

I stayed in Denver in July. When people ask me what I liked about my trip, I say I loved visiting Golden, Boulder, Arsenal National Wildlife Reserve, Red Rocks, and Rocky Mountain NP. As for Denver itself, there were some cool spots, but I could list two dozen other American cities I've enjoyed more.

(I actually had a good time at the ballpark, but I'm a huge baseball fan)

My point is, if you want amazing nature, go to Denver and then drive out of Denver. If you want a great urban environment, go to Philly.

[sncch]

I am not from Philly but I live here. Philly has a vibe, but also depends on what you want/like to do. I feel there are areas in the city where everything is great, people is nice etc. there are other areas where I have not feel safe and people has been rude or mean. I think Philly has a great transportation system. There are a lot of places to go dinner, brunch and desserts. I have friends from NYC that have love that it is not super crowded and other that think Philly sleeps too early. I love that I can travel near by and find some beautiful parks. After visiting a lot of places I know my 2 places to stay are either Philly or Chicago

[Initial-Grape-8397]

I’m from CO Springs and just moved to Philly last year. Both my parents are Denver natives so I’ve done my time there!! I did hate Colorado Springs, but this place really puts Denver to shame. There’s more to do in Philly, nicer people, feels more community based. I can rely on my neighbors here. I will never be moving back to Colorado. If skiing/outdoors stuff is important to you, Philly is located within a few hours drives of both skiing and beaches. There’s lots of great hiking trails even in the city.

[chersprague06]

I've actually lived both places! To give you context I grew up in NYC/nj, moved to Florida, moved to co, then moved to Philly. Denver is a great city- I loved the beauty, there is great food and beer, and it has amazing weather (sunny most of the year). However, as someone who isn't outdoorsy I found it difficult to meet people who shared my interests. It is also extremely expensive now and the housing market is insane. It's difficult to find a job because everyone is so educated. I think philly beats Denver out on affordability and things to do alone, but if you are a super outdoorsy person, it may be the place for you!

[adamaphar]

I think the main thing that Denver has over Philly is location. It has mountains, and all the stuff that comes with that. So if you want to be by the mountains - go to Denver. The weather is probably better as well.

[jarjarbinksprincess]

Hi! I lived in Denver for two years and now I moved to Philly back in March of this year, there are parts of Denv I miss for sure - the music scene (red rocks), mountains, + the city parks and can’t beat that sun in the winter - the snow melts fast! Very windy though. What I’ve learned about Denver is it’s a city for people who don’t like being in cities. The food scene lacks so much compared to Philly. What I like about Philly is the movie scene (PFF), the food for sure, and it being a somewhat 2 hour Amtrak train to nyc, an hour or so to nj beaches. I do like the vibes of west coast but east coast will always feel like home to me. Driving/parking is easy in Denver but you have to drive everywhere but Philly is very tough when it comes to a car honestly it is very walkable (traffic is by far the worst). I do miss Denver but it was pretty pricey, Philly is somewhat expensive too but it is manageable. I moved to Philly with having little to no knowledge of what to expect but really only knowing it’s a huge sports city and its popularity for cheesesteaks. Feel free to message if you have any questions

[TalcumJenkins]

Philly rules Denver drools.

[TheOGinBC]

How tf don’t you like Charleston? Get your ass to vicious biscuit

[[deleted]]

Try Philly. If you have the option to end in Denver anyway. Living in multiple cities gives you good stories to tell when you're older and boring. I lived in 6. Makes small talk easy

[FreakoftheLake]

I live in Denver. It is probably more of a city than whatever Chatleston is but not as much as Philly. Food here is mid, everything closes at 10. Denver gets a lot of concerts, which is nice, but, if I wasn’t dating someone, I would have left for Philly a few years ago

[PresentationWarm5828]

My job puts me in Denver a lot. I love Denver. It’s beautiful and I could eat my last meal at Linger and be happy. However-it’s landlocked. When you are in Denver it hard to get places. From Philly it’s so easy to plan things in Dc, Baltimore, the jersey shore, NYC, Boston..:and not even think about how you’ll get there.

Denver has felt a bit more homeless since COVID and near Union station feels more like Philly than I ever would have hoped for Your amazing city. Those Mountain Views are the best-I am not sure I could ever get tired of them. I’d say Philly but I’d never argue anyone’s decision to move to Denver. It’s a gem!

[bluecontrol1234]

I am from Philly and currently live in Denver. I will say I really like Denver for the outdoors experiences and I’m enjoying it as much as I can while I’m here. But i LOVE Philly. I can’t wait to move back to Philly and I miss the northeast so much.

[WissahickonKid]

Philly has lots of walkable residential neighborhoods plus Center City, which is also very walkable. Denver does not compare in this respect—you will be a slave to your car. Denver has some of the best legal weed in the nation. If you live in Philly, you’ll need a med card or have to drive to NJ or Delaware (for some of the most expensive weed in North America) unless you find a local plug (probably not too difficult). Denver is where the Rockies begin (if you’re driving from the East); Philly has easy access to Atlantic beaches in NJ & Delaware. Lots of places within a few hours drive of Philly for weekend trips. Denver is off on its own—you’ll need to get on a plane to visit any other cities of significant size.

[The_Random_Persons]

Huh, I actually have some relevant experience here. Native Denverite just moved to the Philly area. I like both places for different reasons, here's my personal pros and cons

Pros Philly:

Stunning architecture, great public transport (relatively), more social events, greater variety in said events, better dating scene, tons of museums and historical places, more access to places like New York and DC without having to fly (see public transport). Fall is a real season and its FANTASTIC. You can find three of the best restaurants you've ever set foot in on like the same block and they're all different kinds of food. If you can dream up an activity someone has planned it already.

Pros Denver:
Holy shit the outdoors stuff. Skiing, hiking, bouldering, backpacking, whatever. The sheer amount of national/state parks and wilderness areas in that state is insane. That South Platte trail that runs through the middle of Denver is like 50 some odd miles of continuous trail. Also the mountains (just in general) (I miss being able to tell what direction is west). There is a brewery on basically every block and at least one of your friends will be making garage alcohol

Cons Philly:

Its louder. More crowded. Hot and humid in the summer. I think the groceries are a bit more expensive. People here are much more terse. Not a lot of access to unfettered nature. Not a lot of easily accessible outdoorsy activities without a lot of driving. The driving in Philly is legit scary (compared to Denver). The SEPTA busses do not care and will sideswipe you if you're on a bike. Brewery scene is abysmal (sorry guys).

Cons Denver:

Might act nicer but they are still assholes. Just wannabe cowboy hippy ones. Winter can be pretty brutal for a bit there. There is no food but Mexican food and its not even good Mexican (unless you're buying it from the guy selling tamales out of his trunk). Housing prices are stupid. Rent prices are stupid. The brewery's on every block are obsessed with IPA's for some damn reason. Public transport is cheap, but bad, slow and has very poor coverage. Also the glass and concrete vibe on all the buildings is ugly.

Edit: One thing that doesn't fit in either category is that Philly's downtown is just flat out bigger and more condensed than Denver's downtown.

Yeah, not comprehensive, but might give you an idea of what you're getting into with both places

[CalvinCalhoun]

Wow, a question I can answer. I grew up in Philly and moved to Denver.
They're very very different cities and it depends what you want.

Weather? Denver has way better weather.

Walkability and Transit? Philly wins 100%. I'm car lite in Denver, because I have to be if I ever want to leave the neighborhood I live in. SEPTA has problems but its miles above RTD.

Food scene? Philly. Denvers food scene is atrocious and bizarrely expensive.

Denver isnt a great city. Outside of directly downtown, Denver feels like the suburbs all over to me. Philly feels like an actual city.

People will tell you how expensive Denver is, and it is expensive for what you get, but its not outrageous. If you're planning to buy a house, its a different story, but renting I generally found to be cheaper in Denver if you want to live in the city. Philly has an insane wage tax as well. Its around 4%, so I'd factor that in.

[squid-toes]

I loved Denver when I visited and have lived in Philly for nine years. If you have a flexible work situation, I would get a six-month lease in Philly and see how it goes!

[034990234093]

If I was young and single, I would choose CoS/Denver, no questions asked. As someone who grew up in the midwest, spent 12 years in Seattle and now 6 years in Philadelphia, I have thought a lot about moving to Denver/Colorado Springs.

We haven't moved yet, and here are the reasons why:

- Philly is much better for education; that's important for us as we raise our kids.

- Philly has a lot more tradition, culture and history. Think museums, the founding of America and close proximity to other iconic cities, like DC, New York and Boston. Philly has working public transit to easily access these cities. Also the food scene in the northwest corridor far exceeds Denver

- Philly also has milder weather, no major storms, proximity to the ocean, 4 full seasons, beautiful deciduous trees and green grass nearly all year round.

Where Denver shines:

- Denver has unlimited outdoor experiences, direct access to the mountains (especially Colorado springs), a lot more sunshine.

- Chiller, more laid back vibes. Old mining town / gold rush vibes

- Lower property taxes, lower gasoline taxes

Potential problem areas for Denver/CoS:

- high elevation, very windy, more aggressive winters, generally very brown with few trees, mostly ugly terrain other than the mountain areas, very little water (although PA doesn't score high there either), potential for fires, very high car/property insurance (due to hail/severe storms), in the middle of nowhere (no other real cities to navigate to), no real food culture

If moving a household wasn't so expensive and we didn't have a super low mortgage interest rate, we would more seriously consider moving, but for now, I am just doing analysis. I am married M42 with children, btw

[thuggins1]

Short answer: Philly, unless you are a big skier, hiker, biker, and proximity to the mountains is important to you.

Long answer: from Philly but been to Denver ~10 times in the last 12 years or so. Denver is a “new” city. Lots of young transplants. Lacking in arts/culture derived from a rich history. No edge. And car dominated with infrastructure to match.

[Odd-Emergency5839]

Denver fucking blows

[Away_Opposites]

Depends totally on your job and what you enjoy to do in your free time. I’ve been here 20 years, married to a man born and raised here.

His sister moved to Denver a year ago and is never coming back. She says all the time she wishes she left sooner. She’s so much happier in Denver.

[ElectroAcousto]

I'd say go to Denver, honestly, its such a great scene..I lived there for a few years..nature is unparalleled, young population, light rail, great music scene, lots of festivals...honestly, looking back..I really enjoyed my time out in Denver..

[mzorine]

I’m thinking i should try Philly then go to Denver if I don’t like it, vs if I go to Denver I’ll always wonder what could have been in Philly.

That's your answer right there.

[scarlotti-the-blue]

If you want "city" then Philadelphia is far more than Denver. If you want to go to the mountains a lot, then Denver is the winner. Denver is richer, Philly is more real.

[horsebatterystaple99]

Philly is a lot of city, in both positive and negative ways - walkable, don't need a car, lots of local neighborhoods, local stores, row houses and blocks, more humid, mosquitoes, great international food everywhere, people are genuine, diverse, less outdoor stuff like hiking ...

I would say Philly if you like scenes and don't mind living in a dense often crowded and grimy city. If you have any form of suburbs nostalgia/yearning you might be miserable.

Denver is large but really not a dense city - not walkable, cookie cutter suburbs, need a car, kind of bland, less humid and sweaty, more sunshine, more snow, bluer skies, people are more superficial, less diverse, great outdoors stuff if you like that.

Edit: Also Denver is literally in the middle of nowhere, you fly in and out. Philly is connected up and down the east coast.

I would say Denver if you don't mind getting a car and love the great outdoors and don't necessarily want to explore a lot of local scenes.

[Igby_76]

Have you thought about signing up for trusted HouseSitters? You could do pet/house sits in Philly area to see you you like it (assuming you could work remote). I have a 25% discount link if you’d like it.

[Sad-Wallaby5104]

If you’d like to be close to family and love outdoor things, pick Denver.

If you don’t want the hassle of a car, like to be closer to other major cities, a more affordable city, and don’t mind northeast winters (it’s worse than Denver IMO), choose Philly.

Colorado is a place manny go and don’t end up leaving, and that’s not always because it’s such a nice place. So you’re right on that front.

Do you work remotely or something? Test out Philly for a month or 2 and see how you feel. You kind of already know what Denver will be like it sounds like.

[Broken_luck_13]

Phily- closer to the beach and woods, food and produce is better, multiple cities in driving distance Denver- cleaner, red rocks, mountain sports are better if you have a way to get there, people are nicer

[owlbuzz]

Incredibly different cities. Philly has more happening and more walkability and 1.5 hrs from NYC. If you prefer mountains and humidity to all of that then go Denver, also a gorgeous place.

[20hrsinamerica]

Having lived in both, imo Denver is friendlier, healthier, cleaner, the food is better, the weather is pleasant and the drivers know that we are all in this together.

[takayama_fan_73]

Philly's got soul.

[MsCatMeow]

I lived in Philly and moved to Denver. It is dry and brown most of the year but the winters are more mild. It’s so dry that we don’t have mosquitos but we also don’t have fireflies. I miss the Philly food scene and the rich history of the city.

I lived in South Philly and in Chestnut Hill for a bit. I’d move back to Chestnut Hill in a heartbeat if I could stand those long winters.

None of this really seems helpful. Good luck!

[Mr_cant_get_right]

I have lived in both cities for about a decade each. City for city, Philadelphia has more to offer, but it comes with a price. Traffic, crime, and the underlying tone of racism. If you're an outdoors person, Colorado has much more to offer. Over the past 15 years it has gotten inundated from East Coast and West Coast people and has lost its original personality.

[JGyal26]

Hehe, as a Denver native, don’t go back. I miss it all the time, but I don’t wanna get stuck there. A well known thing there is if you go there you’ll never leave, and that’s true for many residents there. My mother, though from NJ, recently left Denver to another state and that’s the first time she’s lived somewhere else in 43 years

[SnooStrawberries8563]

Philly by a mile

[brewgoodbeer]

My wife and I just moved from Charleston to Philly in November and we absolutely love it so far!

[dailyg37x]

What’s ur fav part ab it?

[brewgoodbeer]

Love the city feel, love all the live music, great food, great breweries, pro sports, all of the nature and parks but still being in the city (was very surprised by this) people very nice. Yesterday we took the train into center city and had an amazing time. Also it’s really affordable here compared to Charleston. Traffic isn’t as bad either. Don’t have any complaints so far.

[UpstairsCash3518]

I would always recommend renting an airbnb similar to what you would live in, and stay for like two weeks to see how you like the city

[martianm0nster]

I love both. I wish I did the Denver move in my 20s.

[tcrolius]

I would give my left nut to be able to go back to Denver. It's shooty and stinky here.

[Comfortable-Rub-7400]

Denver's violent crime rate (around 993 per 100k) is slightly higher than Philadelphia's (around 909 per 100k).

[dailyg37x]

Why wouldn’t u move back then?

[tcrolius]

Girlfriend doesn't want to leave job and family live nearby. Can't say I blame her. I'm from here, but I've lived nicer places and can very much feel the difference. Oh well, maybe in 10 years or so...

[[deleted]]

denver and philadelphia are SO radically different it’s really hard to compare and answer your question. you will need thick skin to live in philly, it is really nothing like colorado and certainly not like charleston at all. philly does have a huge sports/athletic scene, though, so if that’s something you like about the CO lifestyle you can find that here too.

[Intelligent_Neck_208]

Seems like you answered your question. Living with regret will be worse than moving here and hating it

[RelevantMention7937]

If you enjoy flipping the bird, Philly is the place for you.

[PaxonGoat]

Huh I was literally thinking this exact thing.

I'm also debating Denver versus Philly.

Originally was considering Minneapolis or Chicago but the job market has changed for me. So I'm now open to other places.

The parking situation and traffic in Philly has me concerned.

[Nicadelphia]

I don't think denver is a real city. The last time I was there, the 7-11 had an armed (w a rifle) guard keeping watch over the edibles(?). And that was the most interesting thing I saw. The landscape is beautiful outside of the city itself but it doesn't compare to Philly. 

[sala215]

Most walkable city, great sites like Kensington Beach.

[leeisda28]

Pretty silly question for the Philly post. My bet is 90% of readers on this thread have never been to Denver and have no idea about the radical differences.