[Imperial Historian]

Cause, on 16 October 2021 - 08:41 PM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on 16 October 2021 - 06:56 AM, said:

Cause, on 15 October 2021 - 08:34 PM, said:

I’m inclined to forgo the extra money and stay. Any thoughts?

Does it have to be either / or? Can you ask them to hold the Boston offer so you can start living in Philly and take up the Boston offer a later if you so choose? Work with lots of travel gets very tiring for many people after a while but others love it.

A life sciences career has way more options in Boston than Philly long term but it doesn't mean Philly is a bust. A big shot life sciences consultant and business development chap advised me to quit the UK and move to Boston or California if I wanted to make it. I didn't and I'm doing fine but there are undoubtedly more jobs in those areas.

The New England Biolabs campus is an idyllic place to work, for example. I visited a few times and it's lab mecca.

I think it’s partly just bad timing. I just signed a lease and moved i to my new apartment this Friday! The thought of moving cities, packing again, finding a new place and starting a new job in a nee city all in a month also just seems too much right now.

In 6 months, if the job feels more stable I’d be open to discussing it again and at that point I’m sure if I said I’d move I could ask for the extra money etc than.

Do they not have a relocation package? Normally you'd expect some money to relocate for a new job, but you'd probably be unable to get it if you moved after 6 months.

If you do move to Boston, I'd try and negotiate up on the salary, the company will be forking out a lot for travel and hotels if you are travelling up from Philly regularly so it's beneficial to you both, and you are right a salary goes a lot further in Philly.

Good luck whatever you do!

[Grief]

Cause, on 16 October 2021 - 08:41 PM, said:

Mezla PigDog, on 16 October 2021 - 06:56 AM, said:

Cause, on 15 October 2021 - 08:34 PM, said:

I’m inclined to forgo the extra money and stay. Any thoughts?

Does it have to be either / or? Can you ask them to hold the Boston offer so you can start living in Philly and take up the Boston offer a later if you so choose? Work with lots of travel gets very tiring for many people after a while but others love it.

A life sciences career has way more options in Boston than Philly long term but it doesn't mean Philly is a bust. A big shot life sciences consultant and business development chap advised me to quit the UK and move to Boston or California if I wanted to make it. I didn't and I'm doing fine but there are undoubtedly more jobs in those areas.

The New England Biolabs campus is an idyllic place to work, for example. I visited a few times and it's lab mecca.

I think it’s partly just bad timing. I just signed a lease and moved i to my new apartment this Friday! The thought of moving cities, packing again, finding a new place and starting a new job in a nee city all in a month also just seems too much right now.

In 6 months, if the job feels more stable I’d be open to discussing it again and at that point I’m sure if I said I’d move I could ask for the extra money etc than.

It might be worth breaking it down to which factors you think are important in the short and long term.

Mostly I'd see career moves as a long-term question. Having to break your lease and relocate is clearly a hassle in the short term, but in the long term you'll almost certainly forget about it. Whereas if you strongly prefer life in Philly compared to Boston then that's a long-term issue.

It doesn't sound like either choice is bad which is a good place to be. And as you say it isn't necessarily a permanent choice.

[Macros]

If they're going to spot for the hotels and travel when you go to Boston, meet them halfway and get a salary increase and relocate to Boston, break down the maths for them and get an increase that meets the financial needs, and let your relocation package suck up the rental break. Reach out to you landlord they might be willing to compromise a bit on the package as well

[Abyss]

Cause, on 15 October 2021 - 08:34 PM, said:

Okay so the job story continues

Option 1: move to Boston. Earn 100% salary and 8k to help with moving costs. Breaking my lease will cost at least 4500.

Option 2: earn 90%. Travel to Boston frequently and stay in hotels near the company hq.
... Any thoughts?

Just my $0.02... i have visited both cities multiple times, lived in neither.
I like Boston better. The food is better, the entertainment is better, the people are nicer (ish), the vibe is just better.
Philly has some great elements, but given the choice i would conquer live in Boston and turn it into the North American capital of my empire but spend winters in San Francisco.

[amphibian]

Part of the vibes of Boston vs Philly revolve around whether you're white or not. I pass for full white, so I got the better experience. People who don't pass for white regularly say that Boston is the most racist big city in America. I believe them and I've seen that kind of shit happen during my three years living there.

So... YMMV.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 18 October 2021 - 04:30 AM, said:

Cause, on 15 October 2021 - 08:34 PM, said:

Okay so the job story continues

Option 1: move to Boston. Earn 100% salary and 8k to help with moving costs. Breaking my lease will cost at least 4500.

Option 2: earn 90%. Travel to Boston frequently and stay in hotels near the company hq.
... Any thoughts?

I like Boston better. The food is better, the entertainment is better, the people are nicer (ish), the vibe is just better.

I've only been to Boston once, but I will 100% agree with this. Boston is GREAT, and Philly was much more lacklustre for us. We have always said that out of all the American cities we've visited, we'd go back to Boston in a HEARTBEAT.

[Malankazooie]

Practice saying "pawk tha caw in a haw-ferd yawd" over and over and you'll do just fine.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Abyss, on 18 October 2021 - 04:30 AM, said:

Cause, on 15 October 2021 - 08:34 PM, said:

Okay so the job story continues

Option 1: move to Boston. Earn 100% salary and 8k to help with moving costs. Breaking my lease will cost at least 4500.

Option 2: earn 90%. Travel to Boston frequently and stay in hotels near the company hq.
... Any thoughts?

Just my $0.02... i have visited both cities multiple times, lived in neither.
I like Boston better. The food is better, the entertainment is better, the people are nicer (ish), the vibe is just better.
Philly has some great elements, but given the choice i would conquer live in Boston and turn it into the North American capital of my empire but spend winters in San Francisco.

You were probably eating at the wrong restaurants. Granted, the tourist trap restaurants in Philadelphia are garbage, Le Bec Fin was overrated, and I don't like cheesesteaks or pork sandwiches. But I'm guessing you didn't go to Zahav, Vetri, Morimoto, Pizzeria Beddia.... Philadelphia also has a large number of great inexpensive restaurants, though you have to know which ones to go to.

I did a quick glance through expert rankings of the best foodie cities in the United States. Where both are ranked, Philadelphia is ahead of Boston:

ranks Philadelphia #6 and Boston #16
https://www.2foodtri...ties-in-the-us/

ranks Philadelphia #6, Boston unranked:
https://www.washingt...america-ranked/

ranks Philadelphia #16 and Boston #21
https://www.cozymeal...t-foodie-cities

ranks Philadelphia #36 and Boston #50
https://wallethub.co...die-cities/7522

Boston nightlife is a joke---barely any afterhours clubs, boring bars. As for entertainment---Philadelphia benefits immensely from being near NYC but much less expensive, great fringe festival. Low cost and central location also make it a major destination for conventions and conferences. As for immersive entertainment---it was lacking in the past, but Philadelphia has added a lot in the last few years. While I don't care about team sports, Philadelphia sports fans at least make it interesting, and usually don't go too far for it to not be funny (pelting Santa Claus with snowballs, lol)... plus there's Gritty.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 19 October 2021 - 04:43 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Paddy's bar is a hot place to eat in Philadelphia or so I hear...

[Malankazooie]

And what about Ben Simmons? What's the deal?

[Slow Ben]

I read that in a Seinfeld voice.

“What’s the deal with Ben Simmons”?

[Malankazooie]

Indeed. What is the deal? A Philly denizen might be able to offer more insight. I think the 76ers need to bring Gritty to practice to get the situation sorted. "Fuck around and find out."

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Malankazooie, on 19 October 2021 - 08:35 PM, said:

Indeed. What is the deal? A Philly denizen might be able to offer more insight. I think the 76ers need to bring Gritty to practice to get the situation sorted. "Fuck around and find out."

Saw his name in an Inquirer headline, noticed it was about team sports, and scrolled on.

On reflection, I would grant that Boston clam chowder, Boston cream pie, and Boston-style baked beans are a bit better than Philadelphia cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, and scrapple. But that's saying next to nothing because I don't like any of the latter (would not recommend unless you're really into that sort of thing). Whereas the Boston regional stuff is okay. Philadelphia does have some relatively unique great restaurants. (There was once a 'cheesesteak' in Philadelphia that I liked---venison with 'wild mushrooms, cipollini onions and truffle-flecked sottocenere cheese'... they had great duck fat popcorn too.) Boston has some great Taiwanese restaurants, but you'd probably be better off going to Taiwan.

Shoofly pie isn't common in Philadelphia but it is good delicious. Bit better than Boston cream pie. Pennsylvania Dutch apple milk dumplings are also very good, can be found at Reading Terminal Market.

[Lady Bliss]

Lobster rolls.

*mike drop*

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Lady Bliss, on 20 October 2021 - 01:01 AM, said:

Lobster rolls.

*mike drop*

If we're going by 'local delicacy this place is associated with more than any other place, such that tourists feel obliged to try it' then that's Maine not Boston. Personally I don't like them (the ones in Boston or otherwise outside of Maine at least... they're almost as bad as cheesesteaks). Maine is more than 4 hours from Boston.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 20 October 2021 - 01:54 AM

[Malankazooie]

I know it's middle of the week, but messing with my groove is Amazon Prime trucks running on Sundays. It's been bothering me. I thought it would be a great thing but I like quiet Sundays more, not their trucks zipping around the neighborhood with the "vehicle in reverse beep/alarm" that is prevalent noise pollution on what used to be a quiet day.

[Abyss]

Azath Vitr (D, on 20 October 2021 - 01:53 AM, said:

Lady Bliss, on 20 October 2021 - 01:01 AM, said:

Lobster rolls.

*mike drop*

If we're going by 'local delicacy this place is associated with more than any other place, such that tourists feel obliged to try it' then that's Maine not Boston. Personally I don't like them (the ones in Boston or otherwise outside of Maine at least... they're almost as bad as cheesesteaks). Maine is more than 4 hours from Boston.

Clam chowder in a bread bowl then.

[Lady Bliss]

Abyss, on 20 October 2021 - 08:37 PM, said:

Azath Vitr (D, on 20 October 2021 - 01:53 AM, said:

Lady Bliss, on 20 October 2021 - 01:01 AM, said:

Lobster rolls.

*mike drop*

If we're going by 'local delicacy this place is associated with more than any other place, such that tourists feel obliged to try it' then that's Maine not Boston. Personally I don't like them (the ones in Boston or otherwise outside of Maine at least... they're almost as bad as cheesesteaks). Maine is more than 4 hours from Boston.

Clam chowder in a bread bowl then.

Yes! And fried clams with the bellies! I miss New England.

[Malankazooie]

A 6'er of Sam Adams and a knuckle sandwich.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Malankazooie, on 20 October 2021 - 11:22 PM, said:

A 6'er of Sam Adams and a knuckle sandwich.

I will also grant that Yuengling is worse than Sam Adams. (Again not saying much. Both cities have much better beers available---there are a bunch of great breweries in Philadelphia: Crime and Punishment, Evil Genius, etc.)

Researching judicial retentions to fill out my ballot for the upcoming election today was a bit of a slog. It's a simple yes/no vote and apparently judges are almost never not retained.