'NY-Delphians' Coming Into Chestnut Hill: Your Thoughts?

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 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.

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