Pennsylvania (state): What are the differences between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia?

Pittsburgh has made the top 10 most affordable cost of living cities, and it's one of the best kept secrets in the country.

Having lived for over a decade in each city (I grew up in suburban Pgh. and went to school (grades 1-12) & graduated from North Allegheny HS, then went on to Drexel Univ. in Philly & now live in suburban Phila.), I can truly say they both have their own unique qualities and are great places to live. Competitive sports teams, great restaurants, night life, top-notch universities make each city (I'm including the greater metropolitan area of each) a great choice to live & raise a family. The only real downside, and Pittsburgh probably fares a little worse in this case, is the winter weather. The main difference between the two that really sticks out in my mind is the attitude people have toward change. People from Philadelphia are much more resistant to change of any kind whatsoever, be it positive or negative. Anything that has the potential to alter the status quo will always be met with resistance by Philly residents; eventually they may warm up to the new changes, but you can count on the fact that it will take some time. Pittsburghers, on the other hand, are much more likely to take things in stride, and accept change more willingly. That's not to say they won't resist changes they think are unfair or likely to have a negative impact -- they're just more inclined to "go with the flow" unless something provokes them to do otherwise. I won't get into the "soda" vs. "pop", and "water" vs. "wooder" trivial differences; to me, the attitude towards change is what really sticks out in my mind.

Pittsburgh and Philly are entirely different culturally. So much so that they might as well be in different states. Philly is primarily influenced by New York and the eastern seaboard cities. Pittsburgh is closer to the Midwest, so we culturally have more in common with Chicago than Philly.

When i moved from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and was searching for apartments. In one of the apartments the landlady asked me if i was from out of state for which i remarked i am from the same state Pennsylvania. Her next question was where from and when i answered Philadelphia she burst out laughing and she said that you are out of state and from a place which is practically New Jersey and now you are practically in Ohio. This pretty much sums up Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for me.