“Philadelphia is at a tipping point,” says Sean Blanda, cofounder and writer at the newsblog Technically Philly. “In the early 2000s anyone who moved to Philly was here in spite of the city. In 2012, this has created a diverse community of entrepreneurs who love Philadelphia and want to see it succeed.”
Philly has consistently but slowly improved since I moved there in 2002, but it was actually a pretty appealing place (for those of you who like such places) back then. It hasn't changed all that much really, aside from a slow expansion of decent neighborhoods.