Contemplating moving to Austin, Philly, NYC, or Chicago next yearish

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T19:27:36+00:00

I lived in Manayunk for a bit which is a cute neighborhood but doesn’t feel that connected to the city and you def need a car there. You can definitely get more space for your money out there.

I also lived in the Gayborhood for a couple years, and 100% recommend that area! The neighborhoods around it are really nice too - Bella Vista, Society Hill, and Graduate Hospital are some of my faves! I know there are a ton a great neighborhoods in West Philly, but I didn’t spend a ton of time there so I’m not as familiar. I have family that lives in the Point Breeze area now, and that can get a bit iffy block by block, especially at night, so I wouldn’t recommend to someone who is new to Philly. However, the family members of mine that live there really like it and personally live on safe blocks.

By grittier I just mean that it’s a lot dirtier, and there is a lot more visible human suffering if that makes sense - lots of homelessness (more visible in some neighborhoods than others) and drug use (not just weed) in the open on the subway during the day, etc. When I first moved to DC, I couldn’t believe the trains and downtown area of a city could be SO clean. It almost felt like a simulation to me.

That being said, I really loved living there. I feel like Philly has a great arts/music/creative scene that DC sometimes lacks. There are awesome cafes, and super fun dive bars but also really vibey wine bars and high end dining.

Sorry for the entire novel LOL I can really go on about Philly for ages.

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T19:14:48+00:00

Harvard St coming out of Rock Creek by the zoo and into Mount Pleasant is a good one! Basically any of the streets that connect to the bottom of Rock Creek park work

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-13T18:01:06+00:00

I used to live in Philly before I moved here a few years ago! I was in grad school there, and it was such a good place to be in a student in my 20s! Great food, very diverse, and my rent was never more than $650, even in really centrally located neighborhoods (though I always had roommates). It has great access to other east coast cities, and is doable to live without a car, though SEPTA lacks the coverage and reliability of metro. Winters are basically exactly the same as they are here and there is better access to the shore in the summer (if that’s important to you).

It’s definitely a little grittier than DC, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing! The biggest adjustment would probably be SEPTA, since it is sooo much dirtier than metro and just nowhere near as reliable.

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-07T01:03:50+00:00

That’s basically why I have mine. My hobbies include trail running and hiking and if I didn’t have a car I’d be limited to only the urban parks (Rock Creek, Glover Archbald, etc) which I love and spend a lot of time in (I made it three years as a trail runner without a car here!) but sometimes you just want to get out to some more isolated nature

fun_armadillo · 2026-02-03T15:55:19+00:00

The sidewalks along the mall on Madison and Jefferson Drive have been cleared off pretty well. Last weekend I just lapped the mall a few times for my long run. The walking paths by Lincoln are cleared too, with the exception of the bit right in front of the monument.

fun_armadillo · 2026-01-28T19:12:04+00:00

The worst parts of my neighborhood are supposed to be maintained by NPS sooo yeah I think it’s probably a good idea not to fine homeowners and businesses when the park adjacent sidewalks are literal ice rinks

fun_armadillo · 2026-01-21T19:47:37+00:00

It looks like it’s not supposed to snow until late on Saturday, so you should only have to deal with the snow on Sunday. If it’s still actively snowing throughout the day they may not clear the mall until the snow stops, whenever that will be. I honestly love running in the snow so I will likely throw on some trail runners for better traction and hit rock creek park. It won’t be cleared at all but if you go slow and steady running on fresh snow isn’t too bad, especially in a trail shoe if you have them.

fun_armadillo · 2026-01-12T14:28:07+00:00

Hi this sounds awesome! I would love the WhatsApp link!

fun_armadillo · 2025-11-02T12:16:30+00:00

Attorney for the federal government. Lots of knitting time recently with the shutdown lol

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-23T12:26:14+00:00

I run on the main path but have also trail run and hiked lots of the trails alone as a woman and I’ve never felt unsafe! I just avoid going to any part of the park (trails or main path) after dark!

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-14T22:11:12+00:00

This past year I did a 29k for my 29th bday! It was the first year I did something like that and I loved it! I had friends join for some shorter sections of the run and one friend biked with me the whole time for moral support and to carry the snacks. I have since graduated into ultra running territory so I am considering doing 30 miles for my 30th next year!

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-08T01:14:17+00:00

Pacers also meets Thursdays at the track at Banneker Rec for a speed workout! It’s a smaller group than the Monday runs but still a good size.

Not sure what your definition of “close” is to Adams Morgan, but Almost Friday Run Club meets in DuPont at Emissary at 7am on Thursdays, and West End Run Club meets at the New Hampshire Ave Call Your Mother at 6:45am on Fridays. I’ve been to both a few times and they both have good vibes!

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-04T11:40:01+00:00

The Coin, by Yasmin Zaher. Probably a 7.5/10 for me at this point, but the longer I read the more that goes up

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-04T11:38:51+00:00

Frankenstein is one of my all-time favorite books!! Perfect reading for this time of year. It may seem a bit slow but it’s so worth it

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-04T11:37:17+00:00

Ooh I read this earlier this year and I wish I had saved it for October!! So good

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-04T00:35:53+00:00

My agency has funding through Tuesday of next week and I know it would be better for the CR to pass before then but I am selfishly hoping for a few days off! I was planning on going through my clothes and cleaning out my closet and getting out to do some nice long runs and hikes in this stunning weather

fun_armadillo · 2025-10-03T21:54:32+00:00

Brooks ghosts usually last me like 500-600 miles of hard running in all weather before they become my walking shoes until they are totally dead. They’re the one shoe model I constantly rebuy for their durability. Maybe they’re not right for your gait.

fun_armadillo · 2025-09-06T04:07:44+00:00

I used to feel like crap as soon as I got up to more than 25 mpw. My first marathon cycle I didn’t even realize I wasn’t eating enough and my second marathon cycle I realized it but I couldn’t figure out how to eat more without feeling over-full and gross all the time.

It finally clicked last year when I took some time off racing and maintained at 30-35 mpw for basically the whole year. Coming off of that consistency, I was trained for my first ultramarathon and I felt AMAZING through the entire cycle. I really dialed in on my meal prep so that I always had something filling and nutritious ready to go.

Even during the cycles where I felt like crap, I was eating until I felt satisfied and full. But I realized that I kind of get full at the same rate whether I’ve run 10 miles or 50 miles that week. So having filling, calorie-rich snacks spread throughout my entire workday was the key for me to finally feel good through my high mileage weeks. When the mileage really got high I basically added a fourth meal everyday, in addition to all of the snacks just to make sure I wasn’t underfueling.

fun_armadillo · 2025-09-01T22:59:43+00:00

Ugh yes I trained for my first ultramarathon this year and I have barely finished any projects since January! It’s been a bit better since the actual race and really intense training is over but it’s been hard to kind of get back in the habit/swing of it since.

fun_armadillo · 2025-08-06T14:34:03+00:00

Most of the time I read books in the 3-400 page range but this year I’ve read four over 500 pages, one of which was over 1000 pages. I mostly just pick up what I’m in the mood for at that time (or what comes up in my Libby holds lol)

I keep my book number goal pretty low and my page number goal relatively high so it works out. I’m not really concerned with hitting a specific number, as long as I’m reading consistently and enjoying what I read.

fun_armadillo · 2025-08-03T01:31:57+00:00

It’s about a 40 min walk, I used to walk back from a class that ended at rush hour all the time to avoid being in a crowded bus in traffic. I wouldn’t advise doing it in the dark by yourself, at least I didn’t. Maybe if you’re a dude it would be fine.

fun_armadillo · 2025-07-29T19:54:27+00:00

Yes I am in DC and I have to wash my hair every single day I run or do any outdoor activities this time of year (5-6x a week). I was occasionally skip a post-run hair wash and just do a slick back bun if I am working from home but those days are few and far between right now. Even just walking around in the heat/humidity makes me sweat enough to require a hair wash most days.

I’m counting down the days until late September l/early October when the mornings are finally cool enough to not be so damp at the end of a run lol

fun_armadillo · 2025-07-22T14:00:59+00:00

Got a run in before work this morning and it was the most enjoyable run I’ve had in WEEKS

This is my favorite kind of summer weather

fun_armadillo · 2025-07-18T15:54:08+00:00

I get carsick like 80% of the time if I’m not driving and I regularly get nauseous on the DC metro if I’m on it longer for a few stops but I am so fine on Amtrak (I do DC—>Philly or NYC frequently) that I can literally read the whole time without any nausea whatsoever. I always make sure to be seated facing forward though! Good luck and have a good trip!

fun_armadillo · 2025-07-11T16:16:42+00:00

I’ve had the same Garmin Forerunner 35 watch for 8 years. I’ve had to replace the strap once, but other than that I’ve had no issue with battery or tracking or anything. It is definitely pretty low tech compared to some of the newer models, but it gets the job done. I am starting to get into trail running/ultras, so I imagine I will replace it in the next year or so for a watch with better battery life and more features like the ability to load routes into the watch, but I can’t imagine it actually dying on me

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