Phila. also has MANY wonderful suburbs. You can avoid paying the city wage tax that way!!
King of Prussia has some of the lowest property taxes around.

"King of Prussia has some of the lowest property taxes around."

But of course, then you are stuck in suburban King of Prussia which is like any suburb in America. My sense is the OP was looking for something more urban and cool. Someplace like Manayunk would be a compromise.

Having lived and worked in both (CC 15 years, Loop/ Old Town 3 years) the biggest differences I noted were weather related.

Chicago is so much colder than Philly. You get an extra month of Fall and on the other end an extra month of Spring in Philly. And the transitions between the seasons is gentler on the East Coast. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I find living in Chicago simply brutal in the winter.

Philly does have a wage tax if you work or live in the city, so you cannot escape it by living in the suburbs if you work in Philly.

The 9% sales tax in Chicago is a real drag – one of the highest in the nation. And its on everything. In Philly there is generally no tax on food or clothing or medicines.

Lots of restaurants in both locations. And I would relate both similar in diversity.

BTW, airfare between the two cities is pretty cheap. You can almost always get a fare for under $200.

Thanks for the info,
Yes Chicago weather is really harsh, both summer and winter and it seems like there is no inbetween. Summers are so humid and winters are bitter cold.
Didnt PA have a really bad snow storm this past winter?
Also, can you tell me a little about the wage tax? What is it?

We had very little snow in Phila this past winter. The wage tax for 2007 is 4.301% for residents and 3.7716% for non-residents working in the city.

The winters here have bee quite mild. We didn't even use our snow blower last year. We live in the Suburbs about 25 minutes from CC. We like to go into the city for plays concerts, there is a diverse community, and the arts are very good in philly. Great museums, if that type of thing interests you and PHL is not at a loss for great restaurants. I think all cities have a crime rate.

The only time people are rude is when the Eagles loose. That is quite often I am sorry to say. I have family in JAX where the superbowl was played in the past. The Floridians there were happy to see the Eagles fans board the plane!! You must also remember you can go to the beach here. You will not be more an 1 hour or so to some of the best Joisey (Jersey) beaches. Cape May a little farther. You won't have that in Chicago. There are may Italian restaurants which also feature BYOB. You also will never have cheesesteak like the ones in PHL on South Street. When you visit be sure and have one. Walk around Society Hill area, that is nice. I think you would be happy here in Pa. I would give it a try. If you leave the city you can head for the poconos where it is country you are only 45 monutes or so to New Hope and Bucks county which has some of the most beautiful scenery. B&B's and old fashion playhouse, and quaint shops. You would not be bored here. C"mon down!!

Maybe we EVEN can convert you to an Eagles fan.

Does anyone else think it's going to be hard to find something nice for $200k-$250k in Phila.? That sounds really low to me. And where's "Randon"?

Anyway, I've visited Chicago a lot and like it, but I think you'd like Philly, particularly its location: 2 hours to the beach, two hours to NYC or Wash., 2 hours to the mountains.

I's suggest you look at South Philly -- but just be careful about which area you choose. The area from the stadium and north on Broad for several blocks is nice and affordable. Manayunk is a possibility. Rittnhse Sq is nice but expensive. South Jersey's not my cup of tea, but to each his own. As far as crime goes, most of the it takes place in neighborhoods you'll never come near.

By and large, winters are mild in Phila. If you're looking for a teaching job, you can walk into a position in Philadelphia, but getting into a suburban district will be tougher.

Radnor is the town I might have some opportunities. Thanks for all the input. Also, does Philly have a large Italian population? Or a Hungarian population? I know many settled on the east coast and stayed but I was wondering if there were still many today. Chicago has a very large Italian and Hungarian population which is also very comforting. (like to stay true to my roots) My husband is 100% born and raised in Italy and my grandparents came from Italy and my other grandparents came from Hungry. Where we live now, not too much diversity and not one Italian or Hungarian!

You won't be able to touch Radnor for $200-$250k. Housing has gone up a lot in the suburbs over the past few years.

South Phila. has a huge Italian population.

Don't think you can touch Chicago for $200-250K either, nor any place at all on the Pacific Coast. Where are you coming from, and are you prepared to go up a far amount in order to buy? If you rent for a year, you'll get a much better idea of all this, of course.

In Chicago there are condos going for 200-250 right now in various places throughout the city.

My husband is Hungarian and we many friends who are hungarian. There are many on the East coast scattered around. I cannot say in Philly where they are all living. Italian very large Italian popularity with many great italian restaurants. There is or was a large Hungarian population in or arouond news brunswick N.J that is where my husbnd first settled when his parents came here from Hungary. We live in the suburbs of PHL.

thanks for the info, are there any farmers markets or delis in Philly as well?

Because your family is mostly in Chicago, I would bet dollars to donuts that you will end up there eventually ~ like if you have children later or as your parents age.

Now that your are in your 20s, you are so young, this is the time to explore! Go live in Philly, go live Seattle, go crazy and spend a year in Italy. Just do it. Chicago will be waiting for you when you are done exploring the world.

OF course there are farmer markets and deli's. As said before the beauty of PHL is you are close to so many other activites you can explore. D.C N.Y, Lancastor where the amish live, beautiful country as well. Baltimore, the inner harbor. You would have a lot to explore here in addition to philly that you would not get elsewhere, or Chicago. I would give it a try, espcially since you are so young. What is the worst thing that can happen???? You don't like it and you return to Chicago. Simple as that. It is a totally reversable decision. Once you have children it is not as easy to explore as it is now.

You can get a one-bedroom condo in Old City/Center City for $200K.

Reading Terminal Market is probably the most popular market. You can also take the speedline (PATCO) into Haddon field or Collingswood for their weekend farmer's markets.

I'm a big Reading market fan. http://www.readingterminalmarket.org/

As for delis? Everywhere. But the best "sandwich" food you'll find is the "cheesesteak hoagie," which isn't exactly kosher.

The Italian Market in South Philly is great as well. It's just about perfect to go down there on a Saturday morning and have a great cup of coffee sitting outside, shop for fruits and veggies, meat and seafood, then get some great cheese at DiBruno's.

Also, this might be an unpopular suggestion, but you could buy in Northeast Philly which still has many safe neighborhoods. The real estate prices are reasonable, and there is mass transit readily available.

Along Suki's suggestion, upper Roxborough can be very affordable and very safe. It's certainly not a "hot" neighborhood, but it is very convenient to commuting downtown.

We bought our first house there. It certainly wasn't awe-inspiring, but the location was great and the price fit our budget at the time. My husband and I both worked in center city and had no kids at the time, so we didnt' want a longer commute from the more expensive suburbs. We moved before our kids started school.

I miss the close access to Valley Green and Kelly Drive.

You can dind a home in the King of Prussia area for your price and it's close to Radnor and a 30 minute frive into center city.