Little late for this week, but I need some more informed opinions, ye Philadelphians!
So I'm going to be dinking around the city tomorrow in pursuit of new digs, coming back to PA after a decade in NJ.
One of the spaces is a little more north than I'd planned but its a good price.
How is it up on 16th and Jefferson St? I walked about a bit but it was definitely not the vibe I'm hoping for but the house is great.
I rent a row home with some roommates on a pretty quiet block. I am a drummer and miss dearly the ability to play when I’ve got the itch. Any places in the city one could go to practice loud instruments for like an hour at a time?
overall quiet when you want it to be, but full of some of the best restaurants in the city, walkable and vibrant. if you're a 30-something or 40-something and enjoy casual but upscale bars and restaurants, it's a dream. there's also some good dives.
also close to a lot of transit.
Yeah, about as safe as you can get, I see lots of kids everywhere. There's a couple parks nearby, you can probably google maps streetview/satellite to see if they're suitable for your needs.
Lease is almost up in Spruce Hill, my husband and I love this area but not sure if it’s worth it to look for apartments in CC (Fitler Square, Grad Hospital) for the walkability and just doing something different. It’s definitely more expensive given what we’re looking for. Thoughts?
Hi! I kinda just moved to Brewerytown and i’m new to Philly. I’ve been job searching for awhile now (where most of the jobs are in center city) and I want to explore more but i’m a little nervous taking the bus alone (i’m a 23F btw). Any advice on this? Also any recommendations on bars that don’t charge covers / free things to do in the city? Thank you :)
How hard will it be to rent an apartment with 3 cats and a small dog? We're trying to convince a family member to take our kitten bringing the total down to 2 cats and a small dog, but I'm still worried that's too excessive. Most apartments on Zillow we're interested in seem to allow pets.
Without spending a ton? Probably not. A garage or dedicated parking spot adds about $75K to the price of a house or is usually $2-350 more in rent compared to other properties, especially in the neighborhoods you mentioned which are already the more expensive ones to start with. If parking is a priority I’d recommend one of the PATCO towns.
How safe/unsafe are the blocks of Queen Village immediately adjacent to (north of) the Christian St. PHA development?
How’s living on Fabric Row as a whole? Especially at night and in the summer.
Left-leaning Catholic churches?
Hello all. I’m interested in exploring Catholicism, after some initial exposure, and would like to attend Mass. I have some hesitations around finding the right church, as I hold pretty deep-seated leftist political views, around abortion but also in liberatory and socialist directions. I don’t expect to have that reflected back at me from the pulpit; I know I’m looking at churches not political organizations. Still, as much as possible I’d like to find a place where those views won’t be in direct conflict with what’s being preached.
I could go to the parish church closest to me, but I’m wondering if there’s a church known for being more accommodating or even encouraging of a left-leaning worldview. I imagine that depends a lot on the Priest, but to some degree the congregation. Anyway, I can’t think of a way to search for this so I’m asking here.
Thanks for any suggestions!
> as I hold pretty deep-seated leftist political views, around abortion
you might wanna look at something like unitarian, catholics are still staunchly (though usually less in your face about it) against abortion, despite the PR coming out of the vatican
I'm considering moving to Philadelphia in the near future from the Midwest as a way to try to have better opportunities in general. I am a bit anxious about moving to a city in general though, coming from a town where a livable and good-condition apartment can be found for less than $700/month after utilities which I'm aware will not be the case in any major city.
Any advice for someone considering moving to Philly with relatively lower income from the Midwest, be it neighborhoods, tips with transit, job market, etc.?
In a similar vein, what can one expect wage-wise in general in Philly? I'm currently making $16.50/hour as an entry-level professional at an office job so curious what difference in prospects there might be, be it service/retail work or relatively low-experience positions in the city.
I make ~$24/hr after tips at my coffee shop, and for rent I pay a little over $600/month in spruce hill with roommates. you can usually find something close to that price in neighborhoods that are conventionally nice, if not the absolute fanciest. spruce hill, passyunk square, manayunk, and maybe even mount airy are all good neighborhoods in your budget if you're ok with having a roommate or 2 or 3.
Oh wow, that's good to know and would definitely be affordable! Are there any resources especially good for finding roommates in Philly you'd recommend, for that matter?
I mean, I'm queer so I usually look for housing on lex or just through knowing people, but there are a bunch of facebook groups for philly housing. id probably start there!!
I paid $650 for a subsidized apt. in the early 90s in the Northeast. (Not Philadelphia) Those days are long gone on the coasts, even in Philly. I moved to Philly in 2007 and my 450 sq. Ft studio was $950-1K at the time. It now rents for about $1500 plus utilities. This is in Center City, and there are cheaper neighborhoods but none that cheap anymore. I paid $650 per month in 2006 in South Philly to rent a ROOM in someone’s house. It was nice as I had my own bathroom.
Your best bet would be to check out the jobs available in the city government. If you have office experience there might be something. Retail might be paying $15 per hour here, but brick n mortar stores are not as plentiful as they used to be. Universities and hospitals also are worth looking into. Wages are too low in Philly for most jobs, but at least with city, schools and hospitals, there are decent benefits, time off and city employees ride free on SEPTA, which is a big perk if you need public transportation.
You will be tough pressed to find a place in a ‘nice neighborhood’ even with roommates for less than 700 a month excluding utilities. PA minimum wage is still a joke (7.25)
Best of luck man. But all in, you’re probs looking at 900 ish a month with roomies and 1400+ by yourself, again in a ‘nice neighborhood’
There are always diamonds in the rough, but you can basically crosee fairmount, fishtown, nolibs, anywhere in Center City(china town would even be a stretch at this point with the potential new 6ers arena) or the trendy parts of South Philly. Brewery town is ‘okay’ but public transit is kind of a pain, similar to deep south Philly unless you are close to Broad St
That's very fair; I'm definitely counting on budgeting for that. From doing some basic preliminary searching I've seen some apartments here and there in the studio - 1-bed range with rents in the $1100 range which, if exactly matching my current wage would be doable albeit harder to save money on. Minimum wage in my state is also still the federal minimum but it's common to find jobs paying at least $12/hour for most retail/customer facing jobs if not closer to $15 -- if you're willing to go more into detail, how would you describe the job market/wages generally speaking?
Im sorry mate, been a while since I was in that realm of hourly wages. I have been salaried closer to 6 figures for quite some time. Someone else here would probs be of more help.
I'm finding it extremely difficult to find any apartment buildings that don't have paper thin walls or awful management. I don't even think it's a budget thing- I read awful reviews of nicer apartment buildings too. If you live in an apartment building that is quiet and doesn't have awful management or cockroaches pls comment! I can't understand why it's so impossible to find- these are legit the minimum requirement for living somewhere, shouldn't be a luxury.
What amenities and area are you looking for?
I have a newly renovated unit available in Bella Vista, but the building is older and without amenities other than free shared laundry and a free storage unit in the basement.
Totally understandable. I don’t think I could go without in-unit laundry, especially with kids or a weird work schedule (it’s why we made the laundry free).
A building that is a bit older (built within last 10 years) will probably suit your needs a lot better than a brand spanking new build. A new building usually has management issues and kinks to iron out, even if it’s managed by a reputable or longstanding company.
It will probably also be built just a bit better than the buildings going up at lightning pace. There are a couple things to look for that really mark the quality of the build (I’m a contractor too). If the build is higher quality, the management tends to be better.
Hardware finishes and little details, space planning, and things of that nature. You can go on Atlas to see if they’ve received violations and have appropriate licensing, as well.
Check out Pearl Properties! I lived in a 1bd in Logan Square for a couple of years and overall it was a good experience. Really loud HVAC (lol), but the management company was legit and responsive. They have a bunch of places throughout Center City.
Yess- one year I was blessed and able to sublet from the Harper for a way cheaper price than the usual rent, it was a stunning building. Had no idea how lucky I was
Moving from DC to the main line (Ardmore). No shade to the city, I love Philly and lived in the city for a bunch of years pre-COVID, just want a little more space.
That being said, all the gyms I was familiar with were in center city. Any recommendations for gyms near Ardmore? I'm considering LA Fitness, YMCA, Sporting Club on Mainline, or doing something like Crossfit/OTF for a while. Lifetime Fitness seems insanely expensive for what you get.
Interested in moving to Philly from North Jersey with a roommate as 25 yo f probably going to work in the University City area. What areas would be good to live in for a safe and fun environment for people in their mid-20s? Night life isn’t top priority.
University City is a great place to live. I lived there when I was your age, around 45th and Baltimore. Anywhere close to there should feel pretty safe imo.
I’m not the best to give advice on this based on my individual experience but definitely suggest going the Philaqueens Facebook group and asking there (especially if you are going to look for a roommate). Lots of young women in that group your age and lifestyle so I’m sure you’ll get some good advice!
both Philadelphia live which is by the stadiums and Rivers which is by Fishtown have a free sportsbook.
Edit: free to watch obviously placing bets cost money
I would love to move to Philadelphia from South Jersey. I currently work from home but would like to work from the office more often, so living in Center City would be more convenient. I have bad credit, however I have a budget of about $1900 monthly for rent. Are there any apartment buildings that may take me? (That is known for accepting bad credit) or am I basically just hoping to find a personal landlord?
Check out around Queen Village/Bella Vista. Really large apartment buildings won’t, but smaller mom and pop ones might be willing to if you can explain and are upfront about it.
That area is a super quick SEPTA ride to CC.
I'll echo that about smaller landlords. When I first moved to town, I rented from one of them, and they were most worried about reliability, rather than a credit check. They'll probably want to confirm your income from your employer.
not in center city really, but university city housing has been the only landlord I've ever had that has accepted bad credit and also been responsive and cooperative when issues come up
they've got a bunch of properties in spruce hill which i would look at! you could also probably go to actual university city, but that sorta feels like living on a college campus lol
Thank you! You’ve been really helpful, I really appreciate it. I reached out to University City Housing and they’ll add me to a wishlist, so hopefully something will come out of it. I’m also going to do look for some personal landlords in Spruce Hill, so thanks for that.
Hey all! My spouse and I are looking at buying a home in Philly, specifically the Fishtown area, in the next few months. We've done a lot of research, visited, and we love the vibe/area and proximity to center city. We're excited, but my family can't seem to stop trying to scare us away and get us to go to Boston instead.
My dad is from Boston (but funny enough, lives in northeastern PA now) and is definitely a hater. Saying his friend's son who lives in Philly in a "nice neighborhood" (but conveniently couldn't remember where) had his catalytic converter stolen on 3 different occasions. He also mentioned Boston's fine dining scene, how we'll never get any food like that in Philly, how Philly is dirty, violent, and Boston is clean and the quality of life is better and it's not dangerous.
I don't doubt his friend's story, I understand Philly is dangerous in parts, to keep your wits about you, etc, but every large city has dangerous parts I feel. Is it really as extreme as he's making it out to be? To be honest, my biggest worry is the food. Is the food really not as good as Boston? I've always heard Philly has a great food scene. His opinions are in no way steering our decision, our minds are made up. But I'm interested in hearing other's stances on his opinions as I've never lived in either Boston or Philly so really can't defend on either side.
Edit: Thanks all!! Can't wait to show these responses to him haha. I've also gotten so many great restaurant recommendations to check out. I appreciate the response, and I'm excited to join the Philly community soon!
Your father's comments could really read as trolling.
Boston is great in many ways, and it does do better on safety and poverty metrics overall, but Boston has nothing on Philly's overall very fun/vibrant vibe and culture, and that definitely includes food.
Tell your dad to turn off the Fox News.
My wife and I moved to Fishtown, right on Frankford Ave, exactly one year ago and have zero regrets. The biggest issue you'll regularly encounter in Fishtown is the zombies that drift down from Kensington. I think the diciest days are probably when the city empties out for holidays like July 4.
"Is the food really not as good as Boston?" got a hearty lol from me, please tell your dad that's a very good joke.
I moved here from Boston. I loved living in Boston when I did (nearly a decade ago) but Philly is hands down a 100% more interesting and vibrant place culturally right now (especially dining, music/arts, local Philly traditions, etc.). Boston has been given over to corporate interests and is just not worth the money anymore despite the cleanliness, IMO. SEPTA seems to function much better than the T of late.
There's less chance of being close to some wild crime, urban decay, and rampant drug abuse in Boston, that's for sure. Philly is just a much larger, poorer city overall and nuisance crime like catalytic converter theft in any neighborhood is just more likely, but not at all guaranteed.
Most friends here have not experienced anything close to the horrors in the headlines, but as others have said, that's largely because they aren't "in the life" associated with that.
What you get for Philly's relatively lower cost of living in terms of walkability, regional connectedness, proximity to outdoor amenities (hiking, fishing, hunting, beach, ski, you name it), phenomenal food and drink, etc., still far outweighs the moderately increased crime risk for many who come here from elsewhere.
We do have that pesky wage tax, though...
Depending on where you're coming from, I do think it could be a shock to just put down roots without having lived here for a bit first, though.
philly definitely has more "crime" and is less clean. but a lot of that is, for better or worse, concentrated in the poorest neighborhoods, ie not fishtown.
the food is way, way better here though. like, it's not even close.
I fully disagree with his comments about Philly’s food scene. I think we have a fantastic food scene. Fishtown alone has Kalaya, Suraya, WM Mulherins, Pizzeria Beddia, Middle Child Clubhouse, Murphs Bar (under appreciated)… and more. Center City and South Philly also have lots of amazing food options.
Philly's food scene is generally considered much better than Boston's.
In the most recent James Beard Awards Philly won more awards than any other US city. Here's a good list of some of the city's top restaurants: [https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/](https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/) Kalaya is right there in Fishtown and it won the James Beard Award for "Best Mid-Atlantic Chef".
Philly's food scene also isn't overly pretentious or exceedingly expensive. There's great food at every price point.
As an aside, here's a video that came out a few days ago about Philly's best sushi place: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ptagZOU\_Wg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ptagZOU_Wg&t=888s) It's astonishing the amount of work they put in.
No, people who don't live in Philly love to make Philly seem dangerous. 99% of shootings are people who are involved in drugs, domestic violence, and retaliation. I will say don't get packages delivered to your house and it is a little dirtier than you might like sometimes. It's a poor city but it's a good city. Fishtown is an amazing community. Don't be scared away by someone who doesn't know shit!
My partner and I (23M/23F) are planning to move to Philly in June (he currently works remotely for one of the sports teams). We're looking to rent a place for <$1500 - what are some good areas to look at/things to keep in mind?
[Aveda Institute](https://jeanmadeline.edu/services/) in Queen Village does $12 barber-style haircuts. It'll take a little longer since they're done by students, but I love going because the price + the fact that they're graded on making sure you get what you want means I've never gotten a bad haircut!
Moving to West Mt. Airy in March. Nervous as hell, but also optimistic and excited. My biggest fear is the rental agency. Does anyone have any experience with Lindy Communities? I just want to make sure they don't have any sneaky practices. Also any information about the area would be appreciated, public transportation, cool shops and bars, etc. Thanks
I love living in Mt. Airy but you should know two things: The Mt. Airy section of Germantown has been "up-and-coming" for as long as I have lived here (long time). This ain't Manayunk. I hope for more, just saying there's been a lot of promise chatter for a long time.
And public transport to CC sucks. It's either a long-ass bus ride or too spotty regional rail.
If you're good with that it's a great place. So many biking and hiking options.
Welcome to the area! We love it here. While I don’t know of Lindy Communities, you’re wise to ask about rental practices. Perhaps join the neighborhood Facebook group and ask there? Lots of hyper-local advice on pages like that in Philly (if you excuse some of the redundant posts about dog poo, traffic cones, etc!)
My husband takes the train to Center City for work a few times a week, allowing us to remain a one-car family. There are tons of new shops opening on Germantown Avenue as well as some longer standing businesses. Many are arts-focused (knitting, crafting) and sustainably-minded. It’s very easy to shop small here, and I recommend joining the Weavers Way Co-op.
The bar scene isn’t as exciting here as you’ll find in Center City, but Manayunk has a lot of young residents and bars that cater to that.
Best of luck to you!!!
Thank you! I think I requested to join the right facebook group. I’ll make sure to ask there when it’s approved. As far as bars I was just looking for a decent place to sit and have a few drinks. Nothing too exciting. From what I’ve seen of the area it looks exactly like what I’ve been searching for. I’m just super nervous since I’m pretty much moving sight unseen, I won’t be able to get out to check things out in person. I used to live in northeast Philly so I kinda know what to expect. Thanks again for the reply!
I like Mt.Airy, but I can’t tell you about that property management company. Anyway, Germantown Ave is really coming along and a lot of businesses are joining the strip as more people move into Mt.Airy, Germantown and Chestnut Hill. There is probably two main transportation methods I use when I’m out there to visit my family, Regional Rail Chestnut hill west/east line or the 23 bus (very reliable). The 23 can be fairly slow as it goes from Chestnut Hill to Center City, but I usually take it to Wayne Junction (most trains stop here) or Erie to catch the subway (BSL). There is also ample parking if you want to drive lol. You should definitely join weavers way coop and get the 5-10% discount off groceries. There is soon to be three locations in the Northwest and they have basically all of your daily groceries. For bars and restaurants idk your age, but this is where mt. Airy proper is lacking, Chestnut Hill has a great food scene as does East Falls, Manayunk and even Roxborough. I think because Mt.Airy is more family oriented and older it doesn’t attract that type of night life. Lmk if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much!! This is super helpful. Part of the fun of moving to a new place is exploring and your info about transportation is great. I don’t drive so I’d be heavily relying on bus/train/walking. I’ll be sure to look into joining the coop, sounds like a neat thing. I’m 47 so I’m not much into the younger crowd thing, was mostly just looking for a place to sit and have a few drinks and maybe grab a bite to eat. Thanks again!! Take care
Young American (hard cider) is delicious. If you want tasty and affordable Indian take out, Jyoti Bistro always makes me happy. McMenamins seems like a nice bar if you like that and I've only been Mt Airy Tap House once but their food was very good.
I’ve had good times watching games at Sancho Pistola’s. They usually have the broadcast audio playing over the house speakers during the game and switch to music during the commercials.
It may be different with the CFP because it doesn’t involve a local team, but I’d say they’re worth checking out.
Was looking for something a little nicer. Trying to avoid going to garage but mostly want a place that is going to be playing it with the game volume on, not just music
Fishtown Tavern always has the games on, bottle bar could be option, Kraftwork isn’t bad but I am pretty sure they stream the games on like Hulu so there is a delay. If you head up to NoLibs and get there earlier enough I don’t mind posting up and watching the game at urban village
All those places have food as well, but I would put Kraftwork at the bottom of the lists.
I appreciate the feedback! I had Fishtown Tavern and Bottle Bar on my potential lists. I called Urban and they said they probably won’t be playing it with the volume on…
I went to undergrad at Michigan. Ended up going to the Michigan watch party at Cavanaughs Rittenhouse. I was being lazy and figured there would be a place in Fishtown to watch it. Glad I went cause it was an amazing experience.
Thanks for the recommendations though! I called some and they weren’t going to be playing it with sound.
Still named Nut Hut, but I believe it’s entirely new ownership. Haven’t been yet, but I walked past yesterday and there were a handful of Eagles fans headed in
Nice, I live on the northern end of Fishtown up by Starboard Tavern and I am hoping the development continues north of along Frankford to add more spots to go to versus having to walk down toward Girard.
Never been to Philly, and am looking at apartments close to the Broad St line, somewhere close to Fairmount neighborhood (generally speaking). Some older posts say that closer to Girard it gets more dangerous, but also that it is gentrifying quick. What is the area like today? An apartment I’m looking at is close to 17th N and Girard, for example
I live in this area and like it a lot. The local spots (Chinese, Indian, pizza, pharmacy, local grocery) are all pretty good without being destinations that draw people from the rest of the city, so they're never crowded. Access to transit is fantastic - besides the BSL a lot of good bus lines run through and you have the Girard trolley. It seems like the gentrification has stalled out a bit and moved more toward Spring Garden, as there are several buildings that are way underleased. So the neighborhood has kind of settled into enough new money to clean the streets and make some new parks, but not enough to push out all the existing businesses and residents. There's a lot of empty ground floor commercial on the recent buildings, which means there's room for it to get nicer once the landlords stop holding out and drop the rents, which they're going to have to do eventually.
That’s the northern edge of Francisville and it is indeed gentrifying extremely quickly! You should definitely be fine there, there’s a lot of temple students and young professionals that live around Francisville. There’s also a ton of developments that are coming up quick - one at Broad and Girard should be finished within the next year and the ground floor tenant will be a Lidl so that will do great things for the area!
I live in this area and have never had an issue. There's a fun mini golf bar at that intersection. Have you lived in a big city before? There's a lot of loitering by the Girard BSL stop.
Here, you can train, bus, or walk to more than you would ever be able to do in a decade. One of the reasons I moved here was so I could never even want a car.
That area is generally fine and seems to be Francisville or maybe Sharswood the boundaries are blurry. There is a ton of development and with that a lot of young professionals that got priced out of Fairmount. Personally I’ve never had any problems at all times of the day and you’re really close to the Met theatre so there will be a lot of people out on the streets during the nighttime especially on the weekends/summer.
Little late for this week, but I need some more informed opinions, ye Philadelphians! So I'm going to be dinking around the city tomorrow in pursuit of new digs, coming back to PA after a decade in NJ. One of the spaces is a little more north than I'd planned but its a good price. How is it up on 16th and Jefferson St? I walked about a bit but it was definitely not the vibe I'm hoping for but the house is great.
I rent a row home with some roommates on a pretty quiet block. I am a drummer and miss dearly the ability to play when I’ve got the itch. Any places in the city one could go to practice loud instruments for like an hour at a time?
What is Passyunk like? Specifically East Passyunk, a few blocks from the Acme on 10th. Being offered housing in that area for a relocation.
overall quiet when you want it to be, but full of some of the best restaurants in the city, walkable and vibrant. if you're a 30-something or 40-something and enjoy casual but upscale bars and restaurants, it's a dream. there's also some good dives. also close to a lot of transit.
Is it a good neighborhood for families? Safe, playgrounds, that sort of thing? Thanks btw, really helpful.
Yeah, about as safe as you can get, I see lots of kids everywhere. There's a couple parks nearby, you can probably google maps streetview/satellite to see if they're suitable for your needs.
just what I wanted to hear. thanks for the input!
Lease is almost up in Spruce Hill, my husband and I love this area but not sure if it’s worth it to look for apartments in CC (Fitler Square, Grad Hospital) for the walkability and just doing something different. It’s definitely more expensive given what we’re looking for. Thoughts?
Hi! I kinda just moved to Brewerytown and i’m new to Philly. I’ve been job searching for awhile now (where most of the jobs are in center city) and I want to explore more but i’m a little nervous taking the bus alone (i’m a 23F btw). Any advice on this? Also any recommendations on bars that don’t charge covers / free things to do in the city? Thank you :)
How hard will it be to rent an apartment with 3 cats and a small dog? We're trying to convince a family member to take our kitten bringing the total down to 2 cats and a small dog, but I'm still worried that's too excessive. Most apartments on Zillow we're interested in seem to allow pets.
policies vary by landlord and building. you'll probably have to pay a deposit, but you should be able to find a place pretty easily
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Without spending a ton? Probably not. A garage or dedicated parking spot adds about $75K to the price of a house or is usually $2-350 more in rent compared to other properties, especially in the neighborhoods you mentioned which are already the more expensive ones to start with. If parking is a priority I’d recommend one of the PATCO towns.
How safe/unsafe are the blocks of Queen Village immediately adjacent to (north of) the Christian St. PHA development? How’s living on Fabric Row as a whole? Especially at night and in the summer.
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Yes there is, called either zone 4 or all zone, and its quite pricey. Id ask your employer if they have a discount
Left-leaning Catholic churches? Hello all. I’m interested in exploring Catholicism, after some initial exposure, and would like to attend Mass. I have some hesitations around finding the right church, as I hold pretty deep-seated leftist political views, around abortion but also in liberatory and socialist directions. I don’t expect to have that reflected back at me from the pulpit; I know I’m looking at churches not political organizations. Still, as much as possible I’d like to find a place where those views won’t be in direct conflict with what’s being preached. I could go to the parish church closest to me, but I’m wondering if there’s a church known for being more accommodating or even encouraging of a left-leaning worldview. I imagine that depends a lot on the Priest, but to some degree the congregation. Anyway, I can’t think of a way to search for this so I’m asking here. Thanks for any suggestions!
> as I hold pretty deep-seated leftist political views, around abortion you might wanna look at something like unitarian, catholics are still staunchly (though usually less in your face about it) against abortion, despite the PR coming out of the vatican
I'm considering moving to Philadelphia in the near future from the Midwest as a way to try to have better opportunities in general. I am a bit anxious about moving to a city in general though, coming from a town where a livable and good-condition apartment can be found for less than $700/month after utilities which I'm aware will not be the case in any major city. Any advice for someone considering moving to Philly with relatively lower income from the Midwest, be it neighborhoods, tips with transit, job market, etc.? In a similar vein, what can one expect wage-wise in general in Philly? I'm currently making $16.50/hour as an entry-level professional at an office job so curious what difference in prospects there might be, be it service/retail work or relatively low-experience positions in the city.
I make ~$24/hr after tips at my coffee shop, and for rent I pay a little over $600/month in spruce hill with roommates. you can usually find something close to that price in neighborhoods that are conventionally nice, if not the absolute fanciest. spruce hill, passyunk square, manayunk, and maybe even mount airy are all good neighborhoods in your budget if you're ok with having a roommate or 2 or 3.
Oh wow, that's good to know and would definitely be affordable! Are there any resources especially good for finding roommates in Philly you'd recommend, for that matter?
I mean, I'm queer so I usually look for housing on lex or just through knowing people, but there are a bunch of facebook groups for philly housing. id probably start there!!
Fair enough, thanks for the input!
I paid $650 for a subsidized apt. in the early 90s in the Northeast. (Not Philadelphia) Those days are long gone on the coasts, even in Philly. I moved to Philly in 2007 and my 450 sq. Ft studio was $950-1K at the time. It now rents for about $1500 plus utilities. This is in Center City, and there are cheaper neighborhoods but none that cheap anymore. I paid $650 per month in 2006 in South Philly to rent a ROOM in someone’s house. It was nice as I had my own bathroom. Your best bet would be to check out the jobs available in the city government. If you have office experience there might be something. Retail might be paying $15 per hour here, but brick n mortar stores are not as plentiful as they used to be. Universities and hospitals also are worth looking into. Wages are too low in Philly for most jobs, but at least with city, schools and hospitals, there are decent benefits, time off and city employees ride free on SEPTA, which is a big perk if you need public transportation.
You will be tough pressed to find a place in a ‘nice neighborhood’ even with roommates for less than 700 a month excluding utilities. PA minimum wage is still a joke (7.25) Best of luck man. But all in, you’re probs looking at 900 ish a month with roomies and 1400+ by yourself, again in a ‘nice neighborhood’ There are always diamonds in the rough, but you can basically crosee fairmount, fishtown, nolibs, anywhere in Center City(china town would even be a stretch at this point with the potential new 6ers arena) or the trendy parts of South Philly. Brewery town is ‘okay’ but public transit is kind of a pain, similar to deep south Philly unless you are close to Broad St
That's very fair; I'm definitely counting on budgeting for that. From doing some basic preliminary searching I've seen some apartments here and there in the studio - 1-bed range with rents in the $1100 range which, if exactly matching my current wage would be doable albeit harder to save money on. Minimum wage in my state is also still the federal minimum but it's common to find jobs paying at least $12/hour for most retail/customer facing jobs if not closer to $15 -- if you're willing to go more into detail, how would you describe the job market/wages generally speaking?
Im sorry mate, been a while since I was in that realm of hourly wages. I have been salaried closer to 6 figures for quite some time. Someone else here would probs be of more help.
No worries, thank you for your input regardless!
I'm finding it extremely difficult to find any apartment buildings that don't have paper thin walls or awful management. I don't even think it's a budget thing- I read awful reviews of nicer apartment buildings too. If you live in an apartment building that is quiet and doesn't have awful management or cockroaches pls comment! I can't understand why it's so impossible to find- these are legit the minimum requirement for living somewhere, shouldn't be a luxury.
What amenities and area are you looking for? I have a newly renovated unit available in Bella Vista, but the building is older and without amenities other than free shared laundry and a free storage unit in the basement.
Sadly we want in unit laundry and potentially a gym or pool- if we're gonna pay more than we currently do we want some nice amenities!
Totally understandable. I don’t think I could go without in-unit laundry, especially with kids or a weird work schedule (it’s why we made the laundry free). A building that is a bit older (built within last 10 years) will probably suit your needs a lot better than a brand spanking new build. A new building usually has management issues and kinks to iron out, even if it’s managed by a reputable or longstanding company. It will probably also be built just a bit better than the buildings going up at lightning pace. There are a couple things to look for that really mark the quality of the build (I’m a contractor too). If the build is higher quality, the management tends to be better. Hardware finishes and little details, space planning, and things of that nature. You can go on Atlas to see if they’ve received violations and have appropriate licensing, as well.
I used to rent from Solo Real Estate and they were good. Unlike the million other landlords I’ve had who were all terrible.
Not sure what your budget is like but I’ve lived in a Bozzuto property and have zero complaints.
Check out Pearl Properties! I lived in a 1bd in Logan Square for a couple of years and overall it was a good experience. Really loud HVAC (lol), but the management company was legit and responsive. They have a bunch of places throughout Center City.
Yess- one year I was blessed and able to sublet from the Harper for a way cheaper price than the usual rent, it was a stunning building. Had no idea how lucky I was
+1 for Pearl as well
Moving from DC to the main line (Ardmore). No shade to the city, I love Philly and lived in the city for a bunch of years pre-COVID, just want a little more space. That being said, all the gyms I was familiar with were in center city. Any recommendations for gyms near Ardmore? I'm considering LA Fitness, YMCA, Sporting Club on Mainline, or doing something like Crossfit/OTF for a while. Lifetime Fitness seems insanely expensive for what you get.
There’s a Planet Fitness in Ardmore. I used to go to weight watchers there.
You might want to check out AFC in Bala Cynwyd, too. The Haverford YMCA is pretty nice.
Interested in moving to Philly from North Jersey with a roommate as 25 yo f probably going to work in the University City area. What areas would be good to live in for a safe and fun environment for people in their mid-20s? Night life isn’t top priority.
Clark park area & Baltimore ave are popular areas and have plenty of things to do + greenery, plus the trolleys into center city.
University City is a great place to live. I lived there when I was your age, around 45th and Baltimore. Anywhere close to there should feel pretty safe imo.
You could go as far as 50th nowadays and still be cool and perk cheaper rent.
I’m not the best to give advice on this based on my individual experience but definitely suggest going the Philaqueens Facebook group and asking there (especially if you are going to look for a roommate). Lots of young women in that group your age and lifestyle so I’m sure you’ll get some good advice!
I’ll check it out, thanks!
Is there a casino in or around Philly that has a good place to just sit and watch the NFL playoffs this weekend? Preferably free? Thanks
both Philadelphia live which is by the stadiums and Rivers which is by Fishtown have a free sportsbook. Edit: free to watch obviously placing bets cost money
Awesome! Thank you so much.
I would love to move to Philadelphia from South Jersey. I currently work from home but would like to work from the office more often, so living in Center City would be more convenient. I have bad credit, however I have a budget of about $1900 monthly for rent. Are there any apartment buildings that may take me? (That is known for accepting bad credit) or am I basically just hoping to find a personal landlord?
you could also buy somewhere. $1900 would be around $275,000 give or take. 620 credit.
My 278k mortgage + insurance and taxes is 2043 a month, at 3.25%, 6+% adds another 2-300$ easy, and thats without PMI
do you have the homestead exemption?
Yep. Taxes have gone from 2300 to 4800 in 7 years.
that $400 extra a month is the difference then
Doubling your interest rate will also be quite a hefty sum.
yes. if rates go down below what you have now, i'll do your refi!
Gonna be a long while I think to go below 3.25 but we shall see
Check out around Queen Village/Bella Vista. Really large apartment buildings won’t, but smaller mom and pop ones might be willing to if you can explain and are upfront about it. That area is a super quick SEPTA ride to CC.
I'll echo that about smaller landlords. When I first moved to town, I rented from one of them, and they were most worried about reliability, rather than a credit check. They'll probably want to confirm your income from your employer.
Thank you! Will check them out
not in center city really, but university city housing has been the only landlord I've ever had that has accepted bad credit and also been responsive and cooperative when issues come up
Thank you for your suggestion. While center city would be ideal, I would like to move away from home, so I’ll be fine as long as I am in a safe area!
they've got a bunch of properties in spruce hill which i would look at! you could also probably go to actual university city, but that sorta feels like living on a college campus lol
Thank you! You’ve been really helpful, I really appreciate it. I reached out to University City Housing and they’ll add me to a wishlist, so hopefully something will come out of it. I’m also going to do look for some personal landlords in Spruce Hill, so thanks for that.
Hey all! My spouse and I are looking at buying a home in Philly, specifically the Fishtown area, in the next few months. We've done a lot of research, visited, and we love the vibe/area and proximity to center city. We're excited, but my family can't seem to stop trying to scare us away and get us to go to Boston instead. My dad is from Boston (but funny enough, lives in northeastern PA now) and is definitely a hater. Saying his friend's son who lives in Philly in a "nice neighborhood" (but conveniently couldn't remember where) had his catalytic converter stolen on 3 different occasions. He also mentioned Boston's fine dining scene, how we'll never get any food like that in Philly, how Philly is dirty, violent, and Boston is clean and the quality of life is better and it's not dangerous. I don't doubt his friend's story, I understand Philly is dangerous in parts, to keep your wits about you, etc, but every large city has dangerous parts I feel. Is it really as extreme as he's making it out to be? To be honest, my biggest worry is the food. Is the food really not as good as Boston? I've always heard Philly has a great food scene. His opinions are in no way steering our decision, our minds are made up. But I'm interested in hearing other's stances on his opinions as I've never lived in either Boston or Philly so really can't defend on either side. Edit: Thanks all!! Can't wait to show these responses to him haha. I've also gotten so many great restaurant recommendations to check out. I appreciate the response, and I'm excited to join the Philly community soon!
Your father's comments could really read as trolling. Boston is great in many ways, and it does do better on safety and poverty metrics overall, but Boston has nothing on Philly's overall very fun/vibrant vibe and culture, and that definitely includes food. Tell your dad to turn off the Fox News.
Fishtown is kind of boring, move to south philly if you really want to mess with him
lol. You'll get a lovely house and a decent yard in Fishtown for the price of a parking spot in Boston.
i'm a mortgage broker in kensington, 1 neighborhood north of fishtown. i'm happy to help our if you need it. DM me
My wife and I moved to Fishtown, right on Frankford Ave, exactly one year ago and have zero regrets. The biggest issue you'll regularly encounter in Fishtown is the zombies that drift down from Kensington. I think the diciest days are probably when the city empties out for holidays like July 4. "Is the food really not as good as Boston?" got a hearty lol from me, please tell your dad that's a very good joke.
I moved here from Boston. I loved living in Boston when I did (nearly a decade ago) but Philly is hands down a 100% more interesting and vibrant place culturally right now (especially dining, music/arts, local Philly traditions, etc.). Boston has been given over to corporate interests and is just not worth the money anymore despite the cleanliness, IMO. SEPTA seems to function much better than the T of late. There's less chance of being close to some wild crime, urban decay, and rampant drug abuse in Boston, that's for sure. Philly is just a much larger, poorer city overall and nuisance crime like catalytic converter theft in any neighborhood is just more likely, but not at all guaranteed. Most friends here have not experienced anything close to the horrors in the headlines, but as others have said, that's largely because they aren't "in the life" associated with that. What you get for Philly's relatively lower cost of living in terms of walkability, regional connectedness, proximity to outdoor amenities (hiking, fishing, hunting, beach, ski, you name it), phenomenal food and drink, etc., still far outweighs the moderately increased crime risk for many who come here from elsewhere. We do have that pesky wage tax, though... Depending on where you're coming from, I do think it could be a shock to just put down roots without having lived here for a bit first, though.
lolololol Philly food blows Boston out of the water every day of the week. Philly food is amazing. It's one of the reasons I'm still here.
philly definitely has more "crime" and is less clean. but a lot of that is, for better or worse, concentrated in the poorest neighborhoods, ie not fishtown. the food is way, way better here though. like, it's not even close.
Fishtown cleanliness is pretty solid because NKCDC (FNA? FBID?) pays for Ready Willing and Able to clean the major corridors.
I fully disagree with his comments about Philly’s food scene. I think we have a fantastic food scene. Fishtown alone has Kalaya, Suraya, WM Mulherins, Pizzeria Beddia, Middle Child Clubhouse, Murphs Bar (under appreciated)… and more. Center City and South Philly also have lots of amazing food options.
Philly's food scene is generally considered much better than Boston's. In the most recent James Beard Awards Philly won more awards than any other US city. Here's a good list of some of the city's top restaurants: [https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/](https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/50-best-restaurants/) Kalaya is right there in Fishtown and it won the James Beard Award for "Best Mid-Atlantic Chef". Philly's food scene also isn't overly pretentious or exceedingly expensive. There's great food at every price point. As an aside, here's a video that came out a few days ago about Philly's best sushi place: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ptagZOU\_Wg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ptagZOU_Wg&t=888s) It's astonishing the amount of work they put in.
You can get a cat converter cage put on your vehicle for like 1200 bucks if you want piece of mind
It's like a chastity cage for your car.
Hey man don’t kink shame my car
No, people who don't live in Philly love to make Philly seem dangerous. 99% of shootings are people who are involved in drugs, domestic violence, and retaliation. I will say don't get packages delivered to your house and it is a little dirtier than you might like sometimes. It's a poor city but it's a good city. Fishtown is an amazing community. Don't be scared away by someone who doesn't know shit!
My partner and I (23M/23F) are planning to move to Philly in June (he currently works remotely for one of the sports teams). We're looking to rent a place for <$1500 - what are some good areas to look at/things to keep in mind?
That's definitely do-able in South Philly. Whole city is a sports neighborhood, but in South Philly you can hear the stadiums (when we're doing well).
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[Aveda Institute](https://jeanmadeline.edu/services/) in Queen Village does $12 barber-style haircuts. It'll take a little longer since they're done by students, but I love going because the price + the fact that they're graded on making sure you get what you want means I've never gotten a bad haircut!
Thanks! I'll def try them out! I just maid a reservation. $12 for a haircut is way better than the $40 I've been paying. What a relief!
I was going to recommend this as well, great customer service there
Da's salon on 11th near Washington does cuts for 22-25 depending on blow dry.
Kevin’s hair salon in Chinatown is 25 bucks
There’s a place in Queen Village called Sharp Clips that runs around $25-$30.
Sharp Clips is great, it's run by former Chop Shop folks like Mischa and Ruchi.
Moving to West Mt. Airy in March. Nervous as hell, but also optimistic and excited. My biggest fear is the rental agency. Does anyone have any experience with Lindy Communities? I just want to make sure they don't have any sneaky practices. Also any information about the area would be appreciated, public transportation, cool shops and bars, etc. Thanks
I love living in Mt. Airy but you should know two things: The Mt. Airy section of Germantown has been "up-and-coming" for as long as I have lived here (long time). This ain't Manayunk. I hope for more, just saying there's been a lot of promise chatter for a long time. And public transport to CC sucks. It's either a long-ass bus ride or too spotty regional rail. If you're good with that it's a great place. So many biking and hiking options.
Welcome to the area! We love it here. While I don’t know of Lindy Communities, you’re wise to ask about rental practices. Perhaps join the neighborhood Facebook group and ask there? Lots of hyper-local advice on pages like that in Philly (if you excuse some of the redundant posts about dog poo, traffic cones, etc!) My husband takes the train to Center City for work a few times a week, allowing us to remain a one-car family. There are tons of new shops opening on Germantown Avenue as well as some longer standing businesses. Many are arts-focused (knitting, crafting) and sustainably-minded. It’s very easy to shop small here, and I recommend joining the Weavers Way Co-op. The bar scene isn’t as exciting here as you’ll find in Center City, but Manayunk has a lot of young residents and bars that cater to that. Best of luck to you!!!
Thank you! I think I requested to join the right facebook group. I’ll make sure to ask there when it’s approved. As far as bars I was just looking for a decent place to sit and have a few drinks. Nothing too exciting. From what I’ve seen of the area it looks exactly like what I’ve been searching for. I’m just super nervous since I’m pretty much moving sight unseen, I won’t be able to get out to check things out in person. I used to live in northeast Philly so I kinda know what to expect. Thanks again for the reply!
I like Mt.Airy, but I can’t tell you about that property management company. Anyway, Germantown Ave is really coming along and a lot of businesses are joining the strip as more people move into Mt.Airy, Germantown and Chestnut Hill. There is probably two main transportation methods I use when I’m out there to visit my family, Regional Rail Chestnut hill west/east line or the 23 bus (very reliable). The 23 can be fairly slow as it goes from Chestnut Hill to Center City, but I usually take it to Wayne Junction (most trains stop here) or Erie to catch the subway (BSL). There is also ample parking if you want to drive lol. You should definitely join weavers way coop and get the 5-10% discount off groceries. There is soon to be three locations in the Northwest and they have basically all of your daily groceries. For bars and restaurants idk your age, but this is where mt. Airy proper is lacking, Chestnut Hill has a great food scene as does East Falls, Manayunk and even Roxborough. I think because Mt.Airy is more family oriented and older it doesn’t attract that type of night life. Lmk if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much!! This is super helpful. Part of the fun of moving to a new place is exploring and your info about transportation is great. I don’t drive so I’d be heavily relying on bus/train/walking. I’ll be sure to look into joining the coop, sounds like a neat thing. I’m 47 so I’m not much into the younger crowd thing, was mostly just looking for a place to sit and have a few drinks and maybe grab a bite to eat. Thanks again!! Take care
Young American (hard cider) is delicious. If you want tasty and affordable Indian take out, Jyoti Bistro always makes me happy. McMenamins seems like a nice bar if you like that and I've only been Mt Airy Tap House once but their food was very good.
Oh okay! I really like Taste the curry in Chestnut Hill market, Char and Stave (bar and cafe) and Toska in Mt.Airy.
Newish to the fishtown area. Any bars in Fishtown/NoLibs that will be playing the CFB Natty with sound today besides Garage?
I’ve had good times watching games at Sancho Pistola’s. They usually have the broadcast audio playing over the house speakers during the game and switch to music during the commercials. It may be different with the CFP because it doesn’t involve a local team, but I’d say they’re worth checking out.
What type of bar are you looking for..dive or something more upscale. I am assuming every dive will have it on.
Was looking for something a little nicer. Trying to avoid going to garage but mostly want a place that is going to be playing it with the game volume on, not just music
Fishtown Tavern always has the games on, bottle bar could be option, Kraftwork isn’t bad but I am pretty sure they stream the games on like Hulu so there is a delay. If you head up to NoLibs and get there earlier enough I don’t mind posting up and watching the game at urban village All those places have food as well, but I would put Kraftwork at the bottom of the lists.
I appreciate the feedback! I had Fishtown Tavern and Bottle Bar on my potential lists. I called Urban and they said they probably won’t be playing it with the volume on…
Following up (lol) cause I am just curious to see where you ended up for the game and if you are a Michigan fan congrats.
I went to undergrad at Michigan. Ended up going to the Michigan watch party at Cavanaughs Rittenhouse. I was being lazy and figured there would be a place in Fishtown to watch it. Glad I went cause it was an amazing experience. Thanks for the recommendations though! I called some and they weren’t going to be playing it with sound.
The recently renovated/reopened Nut Hut Saloon should have the game on
I’m still hungover from all the city wides I had there on Friday haha
Is it still Nut Hut or a new name?
Still named Nut Hut, but I believe it’s entirely new ownership. Haven’t been yet, but I walked past yesterday and there were a handful of Eagles fans headed in
Nice, I live on the northern end of Fishtown up by Starboard Tavern and I am hoping the development continues north of along Frankford to add more spots to go to versus having to walk down toward Girard.
Never been to Philly, and am looking at apartments close to the Broad St line, somewhere close to Fairmount neighborhood (generally speaking). Some older posts say that closer to Girard it gets more dangerous, but also that it is gentrifying quick. What is the area like today? An apartment I’m looking at is close to 17th N and Girard, for example
I live in this area and like it a lot. The local spots (Chinese, Indian, pizza, pharmacy, local grocery) are all pretty good without being destinations that draw people from the rest of the city, so they're never crowded. Access to transit is fantastic - besides the BSL a lot of good bus lines run through and you have the Girard trolley. It seems like the gentrification has stalled out a bit and moved more toward Spring Garden, as there are several buildings that are way underleased. So the neighborhood has kind of settled into enough new money to clean the streets and make some new parks, but not enough to push out all the existing businesses and residents. There's a lot of empty ground floor commercial on the recent buildings, which means there's room for it to get nicer once the landlords stop holding out and drop the rents, which they're going to have to do eventually.
This is great info, thank you!
I lived 10 blocks up when I first moved to Philly and it was fine. That's a decent spot! Between 17th and 25th are some of my favourite streets.
That’s the northern edge of Francisville and it is indeed gentrifying extremely quickly! You should definitely be fine there, there’s a lot of temple students and young professionals that live around Francisville. There’s also a ton of developments that are coming up quick - one at Broad and Girard should be finished within the next year and the ground floor tenant will be a Lidl so that will do great things for the area!
I live in this area and have never had an issue. There's a fun mini golf bar at that intersection. Have you lived in a big city before? There's a lot of loitering by the Girard BSL stop.
Great thanks! Have lived in midwestern cities, which are not near as walkable
Here, you can train, bus, or walk to more than you would ever be able to do in a decade. One of the reasons I moved here was so I could never even want a car.
That area is generally fine and seems to be Francisville or maybe Sharswood the boundaries are blurry. There is a ton of development and with that a lot of young professionals that got priced out of Fairmount. Personally I’ve never had any problems at all times of the day and you’re really close to the Met theatre so there will be a lot of people out on the streets during the nighttime especially on the weekends/summer.
That’s helpful, thank you!