Angela,
I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I still have friends and family down there. So, I am probably in that area twice a month.
Everything that has been posted previously is true. There are some things about the town that are great. Other things outright suck. There are certain parts of town that I would be hesitant to go to, other parts are very nice but can be very expensive. As examples, I went to Temple and was always looking over my shoulder and on guard when there. I also have a friend that lives in Rittenhouse Square. It is very nice, very expensive. But, he lives in a guarded doorman building and never goes further than two blocks from his place alone at night.
My sister has her offices downtown. She likes doing business in the area. But, she has a very big dog that she takes to the office with her every day and accompanies her when she is out on the street.
OK, now that I wrote all of that, I guess it does suck in Philly.
