'NY-Delphians' Coming Into Mt. Airy: Your Thoughts?
An ex-New Yorker talks up Philly's charms.
To hear a writer in Philadelphia Magazine tell it, there's a trend afoot—New Yorkers who have grown tired of their city's numerous difficulties are beginning to move south, particularly to areas like Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy.
The piece, called "Why New Yorkers Are Moving to Philly and What it Means For Our City," terms these transplants "NY-Delphians."
It presents Philadelphia as a cheaper, more manageable place to live, where it's easier to find work and raise a family (and where the food and culture can rival New York's).
Here's a snippet:
You’ve seen us on playgrounds in Chestnut Hill and West Mount Airy, all in black, clutching espressos, waxing ecstatically about how “cheap!” and “pretty!” everything is here, while our Ramones-clad little ones run around giddily. We may look and sound insufferable, but the truth is, we’re stunned. Everything is so much nicer—the houses, the people, the landscape—that it can take months for post-traumatic effects to wane. To wit, on the first night in my new house, I stayed up all night unpacking kitchen boxes. At around 4 a.m., I heard a rattling sound. Oh, God, I thought. Rats. It was the automatic ice-cube-maker. I burst into tears.
The article quotes Mt. Airy resident Christopher Plant, a realtor at Elfant Wissahickon who once lived in Brooklyn. He says that New Yorkers who have come to Philadelphia are often "pulling off" renovating neighborhoods that have often resisted change.
I'm definitely curious to hear your thoughts on this topic. Let us know how you feel in the comments or in the below poll.
Kay Wisniewski
1:16 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
As an ex-NYer who has spent 30 years here, I agree that Philly gives you more for your money, time and effort. It has meant that I could garden in a wonderful zone and develop in ways I had not imagines.
Edward Bethea
1:16 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Have had several on my block in the past few years. They put their pants on one leg at a time.Who knew? Hi,Alan.
Morgan King
1:16 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Awesome - I love to see any increase in demand for our little downtown's fine restaurants and shops.
Merrill Hilf
1:16 am on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Mt Airy is similar to Brooklyn, without all the great restaurants, and the same gentrification problems.
Jon
1:56 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
As another native NYer who moved here over 25 years ago, this is nothing new---it would be new if it were NYers commenting to NY from Philadelphia. But people have intermingled between the closely located cities for years and the great housing ( the much lower cost of which enables the incoming people to send their kids to the great private schools---public schools remain a problem here except for the small number of magnet schools)--and living conditions make it a joy to live in Philadelphia. And gentrification is not an issue in West Mt. Airy, where most of the NYers move. It has been a stable and well kept neighborhood forever.
Merrill Hilf
10:13 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
As to gentrification, Mt Airy has plenty of blocks with vacant land, problem houses, and long time residents less than thrilled with new folk. East Mt Airy is included here, it's not just the four or five blocks near the co-op. True, compared to NY, housing is cheap, but maintaining an old house is not. Maybe you got lucky with your immediate neighbors, if not, their problems are your problems.
Jon
11:03 am on Friday, August 31, 2012
Merrill, although I do live within 5 blocks of the co-op , West Mt. Airy is the entire West Side of Germantown Avenue north of Pelham Road and to the Wissahickon. In that area, I cannot think of any block with vacant land. Of course, anyone can have trouble with their neighbors, especially if they buy a twin, but I guess I have been lucky on that score (and bought a single). Still, it's a great place to live and I raised my 2 kids here. I will admit though that conditions are different on the other side of G'Town in part.