Philadelphia Movers

Phiadelphia New Comers Guide

Moving to Philadelphia and its surrounding areas, even when moving within Pennsylvania, can be a shock to the system. When moving greater distances, it's even more pronounced. The City of Brotherly Love is a massive urban sprawl that offers a lot to do and has many unique qualities. So the key to making a successful transition to such a big area is to have a plan, and a great place to start with that is with a Philadelphia new comers guide.

Here's a news flash: You don't have to wait to get to Philadelphia to get your hands on a great Philadelphia new comers guide or even several. Start by contacting the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, which you can visit on the Web at http://www.greaterphilachamber.com/. The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce publishes and provides free a massive, in-depth Philadelphia new comers guide that covers shopping opportunities, tourism, entertainment and much, much more.

They'll also include a city-sponsored Philadelphia new comers guide and a Pennsylvania guide. These vital guides deal with topics such as driver licenses, vehicle registration, boat registration, fishing licenses, voting, utilities and so forth. Reading all of these guides is a great opportunity to make sure that you've planned for everything. They also point out the major misconceptions that people have and the mistakes that they make when they move to Philadelphia and its surrounding areas.

Local newspapers serve as an excellent complement to a Philadelphia new comers guide. While guides can be dry and extremely structured, the local newspapers let you experience and learn about your new area in a more organic way. Here's the good news: Many of these newspapers are available free. The biggest newspapers in the area are the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In both cases, they like to attract new customers by sending a free paper to their current residence. The Metro, which is a free paper in the area, will put you on a mailing list and send issues regularly.

The Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer are also available in a joint operation online at www.philly.com. The website doesn't have all of the finer details that the newspapers offer, but it's a great place to start. The site offers sections for entertainment, business, restaurants, classifieds, shopping and so forth, so it helps give you a strong sense of the area. There are also regular columns on Philadelphia living, and often, this can be particularly helpful to those who are new to the area.

What many newcomers don't realize is that Philadelphia was once the second largest city in the British Empire-second to London. Of course, everyone recognizes that the city has great historical value, but many people do not realize the true extent of it. Philadelphia is a cornucopia of historical sites, and there are literally thousands of sites within the state to visit. So if you're driving to your new home, as you enter the state and then the city, stop at the various travel centers along the way and get the free guides. Reading these will introduce things that you can do and experience in the days and years ahead.

Philadelphia also boasts a rich, and in some cases iconic, sports tradition, and the city is one of only thirteen that all four sports represent: the NFL Philadelphia Eagles, the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, the MLB Philadelphia Phillies and the NBA Philadelphia 76ers. In the western part of the state, Pittsburgh boasts the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, the MLB Pittsburgh Pirates and the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins. The city also offers a wide array of minor league and semi-professional league sports. There are also racetracks, horseracing and Greyhound racing tracks, bike races, boat races and so much more.

Philadelphia is also home to a thriving economy that has been mostly able to remain flourishing even when the overall country's economy was on a downturn. A big reason for this is the city's diversity. This wide array of economic sectors includes biotechnology, financial services, food processing, healthcare, manufacturing, oil refining and tourism. The city also boasts its own stock exchange, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, and it's the home of several major Fortune 500 companies. The federal government also has several major facilities in Philadelphia, including the United States Mint and a division of the Federal Reserve Bank.

Of course, no newcomer's guide would be complete without mentioning the local weather. Those accustomed to the northeast simply take it for granted, but those moving from other parts of the country, especially southern regions, will want to consider it and prepare for it. The seasonal changes can be quite drastic, and the hot and muggy summers are in stark contrast to the bitter winters. For the newcomer, winters with 32.3°F averages and 10°F lows at night being common, will take some getting used to.