Hate to burst your bubble. I recently moved here from the DC metro myself for work. I've found the following: Philly SEPTA is no DC metro (trains aren't frequent enough, nor do they go many places in town, its truely a commuter rail for suburban workers to get to the office & back home), Suburbs are sleepy & full of families up here (no high-rises with restuarants & shopping like Arlington or Bethesda). There aren't cultural attractions everywhere (but DC is unique in this aspect cuz Capitol, Kennedy and Embassies). The city is dingier than you expect, with streets & sidewalks that are often cracked and aren't clean. I'm from Arlington and in Philly, I always have to dress down. There's also a lot more homelessness. And it is true that crime is worse here (since not everyone works some secret job where they're concerned about their clearance). I'm a man and would be concerned about visiting random places... There's a reason this place is more affordable. EDIT: some people are downvoting, but I'm just providing my experience vs DC. don't mean to step on your identity, but this place is objectively dirtier