Philadelphia vs Long Island

[diamedic17]

Philadelphia vs Long Island...where would you choose and why (Based on area alone, forget the schools that are there for a moment)

 

Note:  I am married with a baby daughter and two dogs (wife is a Nurse Practitioner and I would be doing Bio PhD program)

[Chai_latte]

I was faced with the same decision.  I chose Philly, and I'm so happy that I did.  Note: I'm a native NY-er. 

Don't be fooled by its supposed proximity.  LI is its own thing.  IMO, there's really nothing to do out there.  If I remember correctly, there are a bunch of strip malls w/ places like Lowe's etc.  If that's what you're looking for, by all means pick Stony.  But, if you're looking for museums, "good eats", cultural events, Philadelphia Science Festival/Philly Tech Week etc., Philly is the better bet.  Now, of course, you have to take the bitter with the sweet.  While my adopted city has more vitality, it also has a relatively high rate of homelessness and crime.  It also has poor public schools, so that's something to bear in mind as a parent (but, you coud always live in one of the suburbs w/ a stronger school system or go private).  I'm pleased with the public transportation here.  It's not as efficient as NYC, but nothing to sneeze at.  LI, on the other hand, makes car ownership a necessity.  Lastly, don't underestimate the benefits of going to school near other universities (and hospitals- for your wife).  There are so many more opportunities at your disposal, if you take advantage of them.

[diamedic17]

I don't think you understand how much that helped me!!  Thank you so much!!  

[Chai_latte]

Good!  When I commented, I didn't realize how far away you were.  You're a southern dude.  So, you're really not familiar with the area.  If you have any other Q's, you can always PM me.  I was grateful to have some buddies in Philly to help me navigate things (and I was just transitioning from NY to PA).

 

Oh, also if you are remotely interested in start-ups/entrep. after graduation, there's a research park: the University City Science Center (near UPenn) and a lot of activity at the old Philly Navy Yard.  A number of companies are housed there and it's the epicenter of the city's green initiatives (as a bio guy, that might be of interest).

Edited January 21, 2013 by Chai_latte

[diamedic17]

Well, I'm originally (I've only lived in SC for 5 years) from Wilkes-Barre, PA which is about 2 hours north of Philly but I've never been to Long Island before and while I lived 2 hours away I haven't been to Philly all that much.  I would be interested in just about anything to be honest after graduation however my ultimate goal is a research position within the gov't at either USAMRIID, NIH, or CDC. 

 

Thanks again for all of the help!!  Where are you attending now if you don't mind me asking?

[Chai_latte]

Thanks again for all of the help!!  Where are you attending now if you don't mind me asking?

I just PM'ed you. I try to keep things semi-anonymous on the forum.

I see. Unfortunately, I don't know much about it, but you can definitely ask about gov't research positions/connections when you visit schools and speak to POIs. And don't forget to swing by career services at these prospective schools. Find out how connected/involved they are in your area of interest.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Chai_latte

[Hanyuye]

Native New Yorker here, Philly wins by a longshot. As per the Chai_latte said, it's a whole city with history, LI is just a residential ....ahhh....uhhhh..island.