Philadelphians find a lot to like about their city. When asked what they most appreciate about Philadelphia, they mention culture, restaurants, professional sports teams, shopping, the wealth of things to do, and the convenience of it all.
But when asked to focus on what they dislike, Philadelphians put crime front and center. Despite all of the attention on the current financial woes of City Hall, residents see public safety as the main problem facing their city. Far and away, fear of crime appears to represent the major downside of living in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Research Initiative survey was conducted by telephone between January 2 and January 19 among a citywide random sample of 1,600 city residents, ages 18 and older. Most of the survey was completed before January 15, when Mayor Nutter announced that the city's budget shortfall was bigger than previously projected. Interviews were conducted with 1,200 landline users and 400 cell phone users to reach a broad representative sample of Philadelphians.