Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh

[Muck308 55]

Pittsburgh did quite a good job of bouncing back after the Japanese took over most of the steel mills and unions. There is STILL a steel industry in western PA, but on a much smaller scale. Pittsburgh population in the sixties was over 600,000 within city limits, now it is around 330,000. But the region of greater Pittsburgh (which in cludes Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Westmoreland, Washington, Indiana, and Armstrong counties - and a few more I believe) is in the millions, just under 2 actually I believe. So you had a huge decline in population... but then a bounce back in a regional sense. Now... banking, pharmaceuticals (sp?) and medicine are in the forefront. Pittsburgh has some of the best hospitals in the world and has always been on the forefront of medicine. Pittsburgh is the countries 4th largest center of finance. It is vital to the economy of the entire country. Pretty impressive transformation from a town that was pitch black 24 hours a day due to the pollution. It is a breathtaking city with the downtown peaking out from behind hills viewed from all around the city. 

Now to Philadelphia; Obviously a great town. So much of the US's history is routed there. But as was stated above... it is in another league. True. But when compared to other cities in that league (NYC, Chicago) It doesn't hold it's own. Philadelphia is surrounded by a decaying urban sprawl. Center city is nice, but it is surrounded by ghetto. This doesn't speak well for Philadelphia. However the culture in neighborhoods like North Philly is extremely unique. So it is not the look of the neighborhood, but the actions of it's people that still make it great. So the fact that it looks decrepid really doesn't matter since the residents create vibrancy.(is that a word?)

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh but attended school in Philadelphia. Both are great American cities. Philly is much bigger and has had more influence. Pittsburgh created the steel that built most American cities... so it has had it's share of influence as well.

So, Philly is bigger and older and that is something to say. But you cannot deny how the industry of Pittsburgh has shaped this country since the industrial revoltion. Pittsburgh has certainly done a better job of re-defining itself in the last 40 years. Philly was held back for years b/c big companies didn't want to be headquartered there due to the building limit (No structure was to ascend beyond William Penn's hat atop city hall) That was abolished, and Philly gained great corporate tenanats. This propelled Philly into the future.

So to make a final decision. I have to say Pittsburgh since it has a had a better ratio of influence and culture based on size. It's smaller than Philly but has made it's presence known. I have traveled all over the world and everywhere Pittsburgh is well known. Impressive for a town with just over 300,000 in the city limits. (do you know how many cities in the world have 300,000 people that nobody has ever even heard of?) In summation I will quote Charlie Daniles Band

"You just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and I think you're gonna finally understand."

Don't mess with the Burgh, baby. My hometown and one of the greatest cities the world will ever know. Go Pens.

p.s. I still love you too, Philly.

[Mebert 5]

Philadelphia gave us Rocky. Pittsburgh gave us Flashdance.

End of discussion.

[ILL Tonkso 1,238]

Hmm for me this is Soft Cheese versus Bridges.

Bridges Win! One for Pittsburgh!

[Muck308 55]

Rocky was a story. So was Flashdance. If you care to deal in reality this is of no consequence. The writers of those movies were not even from the respective cities they were filmed in. Poor shame, Mebert. Poor shame.

[Mebert 5]

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that jokes were against the forum rules.

[Muck308 55]

relax... maybe I took that too hard... fair enough. I guess it's just that I forgot that crap even existed until you reminded me of it. Thank God some decent movies have been made here though. I apologize for being a tighta$$

[aestiva 0]

I got it. Breasts beat fists.

BTW      Tonkso- I count  (from memory)  six bridges spanning the Delaware; at least one a double decker.

[patriots_1228 51]

although philly doesn't have a iconic bridge like that yellow thing in pittsburg.^

not that bridges matter

[aestiva 0]

I guarantee Philadelphia residents have more bridgework than Pittsburghians.

[ILL Tonkso 1,238]

Lol doesn't Pittsburgh have more bridges than any other city?

[Shingure 56]

Uh did you happen to look at the Ben Franklin Bridge. Or the Walt Witman , Along with the Tacony Palmarya , Commodor Barry , and There is another one in North Philly I cant think of. Plus there are tons of bridges that cross over creeks and man made cutaways in the city. Pittsburg doesnt even have a bridge that crosses the historically important Delaware River ,no? Philly has it.

[Muck308 55]

There are plenty of bridges in Pittsburgh. I've looked for a formal count, but depending on who you get it from, it varies. What constitutes a bridge? Is it city limits or regional? blah blah blah. I've heard that Pittsburgh is 2 worldwide for # of bridges... behind Venice, Italy. Who knows. Who cares. There are a crap load of bridges here. But it is definately more than Philly. That's all I know.

Patriots 1228; there are many yellow bridges. The Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne Bridges (closest to the point) The 6th, 7th, and 9th st. bridges. (6th has been renamed to Roberto Clemente Bridge) Those cross the Allegheny. North side of point. Then there is the 10th st. bridge which crosses the Mon. South side of point. There is no need to differentiate between south and north number streets in Pittsburgh... everyone just kinda knows what your talking about either way.

[skyliner22 16]

He's probably reffering to the bridge you can see from PNC Park

[ILL Tonkso 1,238]

"Pittsburgh has approximately 446 bridges and regards itself as "The City of Bridges". Some locals claim it has the most in the world. However, Hamburg, Germany more than likely has the most bridges of any city in the world, with more canals and waterways than Amsterdam, Netherlands and Venice, Italy combined. In the United States, New York City has more bridges than Pittsburgh, numbering approximately 2000. [1] What constitutes a true bridge (length, etc) is part of what causes this discrepancy. [2]. The city's proximity to three major rivers and countless hills and ravines has led to its becoming known in the United States as the City of Bridges."

[christianmori 0]

ahhhh but the housing arckotecture(sorry im a awful speller) is much nicer in philly art in the city with morurals is quite buitiful

[xxbydesign 1]

I have lived in Philadelphia for the past 5 years, and I can honestly say its the place I can see myself living in another 10. To a degree, because Philly fell behind in the 1970's, were getting all of our development now, and it's very exciting to watch these dramatic changes take place. I've seen the skyline change 3 times: with the addicitons of the St. James, Cira center, and Comcast center, respectivly. Now there's talk of the American Commerce Center, a projct that needs some serious editing, in my opinion, but one that is exciting none the less.

That said, I have always wanted to go to Pittsburg; I do not know why, or what is there, but I feel an odd pull to go there at least once in my life. I know theres a big rivalry between the two sides of Pennsylvania, so I just wonder what its like; is the grass really greener?? lol. I'll def need to make a trip some time.

But, unfortunatelly, my heart is in Philly, so thats my vote.

[Muck308 55]

I forgot to mention a couple others. The 16th street bridge (very yellow now, after being repainted a couple years ago.) It is on the north side of the city crossing the Allegheny river. The West End bridge is also yellow. Crossing the Ohio in, you guessed it the western part of Pittsburgh. 

16th street

West End

between 6th (clemente) and 7th

some refer to the 7th street bridge as the Andy Warhol Bridge... with the Warhol museum on the north... I was never a big fan of Warhol... or pop art for that matter. I'll call the 6th the Clemente Bridge... but the other two will always be 7th and 9th in my book.

On to Philly

The Ben Franklin

Some stone bridge in West Philly

The briges over the Deleware are certainly more dramatic... and much bigger than any in Pittsburgh... but there is something about Pittsburgh's many many bridges. I especially love the repetition of the 6th, 7th and 9th st. bridges.

[ford-prefect 5]

I'd have to say Philadelphia. Pittsburgh is a nice city and all, but Philadelphia is just so rich in history, and has some of the greatest architecture in America. There used to be a law that no building could be higher than William Penn on the Philadelphia City Hall, unfortunately that's no longer true, but that and independence hall and numerous other great old buildings remain. It also began the most common street naming method, having one direction of streets, often parallel to a riverbank, being numbered, and the streets perpendicular to the riverbank being non-numbered. Since William Penn didn't want the streets to be named after people, he used a lot of tree names, so you can find an Oak St. in Arizona or someplace despite the fact that they don't grow there.

[Muck308 55]

I can't deny that... I used to study architecture at Philadelphia University... there is some great architecture there...

[LegoMyDego28 1]

South Philly is not a craphole. If your going to bash both of these cities get facts straight. What people don't realize is that every single city in the country has bad areas. Not just the cities everyone thinks are bad. NYC, Chicago, and LA the hallmarks of American cities all have very bad neighborhoods. Philly is no different, however South Philly is not a craphole. You have obviously never been to South Philly because you would realize that most of it with the exception of Gray's Ferry is a decent middles classed neighborhood. When everyone says that every area outside of Center City is a ghetto, you sound undeducated and ignorant. South Philly, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, University City, Roxborough, Manyaunk, Fairmount, and countless areas in between all are safe and great places to live. Stop trying to compare cities that have no business being compared, this is not just for the post I'm replying too but to everybody. Pittsburgh has its good and bad just like Philadelphia, just like Chicago, like Houston, like Detroit. Every city has good and bad. Everyone seems to have one thing in common in all these threads, either you are all biased towards your own cities or you insist on assuming things about cities that you have never been too. Everyone sounds so ignorant on these threads.

[aestiva 0]

Who said Philly was a craphole ?    I missed that.    Philly is no *****tier than any other city.

I really love Baltimore; It's the murder capitol of the east coast, But it is really great city.

[Muck308 55]

LegomyDego, to say that everyone in these threads is ignorant is in fact an extremely ignorant statement. Obviously, you were very offended by something someone said about South Philly. And that p'ed you off b/c... well I would guess b/c you are passionate about your home town. Did it ever occur to you that others might be passionate about disliking South Philly? Are other people allowed to voice their opinions as well? Or just you?  A person has the right to hate a city just as much as they have a right to love it. Use your head.

[LegoMyDego28 1]

You shouldn't judge a city if you haven't been there, how is that a well put together opinion. Thats all I am saying, if you haven't been there or are going by what you see on tv then it's hard to judge any city.

[Muck308 55]

That is a valid point... but you had a lot more to say that just that... I don't hold it against you... You were just a little upset by what you read I imagine. But one service that threads like this can provide is education... Rather than label hundreds of people in dozens of threads as ignorant, why not post your description of Philly and tell us why you love it so much? I am sad to say that when I lived in Philly... I almost never toured about the Southern portion of the city. South street obviously... I was in college... but beyond that, I've no idea. Tell us why it is so great, that what this thread is for!

[M-SIL 2]

Pittsburgh because it has a much nicer skyline and a better football team.

[simsmart 1]

No contest. Philidelphia has Cheesesteaks!

[patriots_1228 51]

sorry, but its undisputed fact that philly is one of the most dangerous cities in the country. If you need, i can get numbers.

[IDS2 3,368]

Philidelphia is dangerous, yes, but it is also the home of Independence Hall and many other historic landmarks as well as One and Two Liberty Place which are awesome buildings. Pittsburgh is an awesome location at a fork in the river with cool bridges and a nice proportional skyline and PPG Glass Tower. Never been to either, so I can't say which one is better...

[bulllittt757 0]

the "the use to be" murder capital. My vote 4 Killadelphia

[bulllittt757 0]

the "the use to be" murder capital. My vote 4 Killadelphia