New York City vs Philadelphia
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, New York City leads 4–2. Character is a different question: New York City is the island of arrivals; Philadelphia is the city where the republic began.
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Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
New York City
369
Philadelphia
58
New York City leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
New York City
291
Philadelphia
329
New York City leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
New York City
99
Philadelphia
13
New York City leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
New York City
75
Philadelphia
90
Philadelphia leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
New York City
20
Philadelphia
24
Philadelphia leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
New York City
2
Philadelphia
1
New York City leads
| What we measure | New York City | Philadelphia | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 369 | 58 | New York City |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 291 | 329 | New York City |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 99 | 13 | New York City |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 75 | 90 | Philadelphia |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 20 | 24 | Philadelphia |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | 1 | New York City |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: New York City in orange, Philadelphia in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
New York City scorecard →
The island of arrivals
Philadelphia scorecard →
The city where the republic began