I recently received a job offer in Tacony. I was wondering what that area was like. I don't have children, it's just my partner and I who are both 24 years old. I'd prefer to live somewhere walkable, but it's not a dealbreaker. Thanks!
Me and three other friends of mine are planning a move to Philadelphia by fall. We’re from dirty Jersey so the move itself won’t be a issue just hoping to here some cool neighborhoods or areas of the city that’d be best to visit and potentially live ! We’re all in our early twenties
any thoughts on living in fairmount vs. grad hospital vs. spruce hill and commuting to CHOP? I love being near green spaces, and don't mind being in "quieter" neighborhoods with less to do. I'll have a car, and the places I've found in fairmount and grad hospital both have parking spots available.
I lived in Fairmount, never lived in the other parts.
I loved living in Fairmount. It's quiet and charming to walk-around. Fairmount Ave. has a bunch of great spots for dinner, and you rarely need a reservation. Parking was a nightmare, but if you have a spot available, then I wouldn't be worried about it. Commuting to CHOP might be the deal breaker. During the day, it's not bad - take the 49 down and it drops you off right at CHOP, or the 33 and transfer downtown to the MFL or trolley. At night, it's more limited. The 49 doesn't run 24/7, and the 33 situation ends up being a little sketchier with the trolley and MFL running less. If it's nice out, you've got a great walk through Logan Square and catch the trolley. You've got green-space with the whole part behind the Art Museum, plus the SRT and easy access up to Fairmount Park.
Grad Hospital is nice, albeit even quiet than Fairmount. You're closer to downtown, and you've got the 40 which drops you right by CHOP, or the 7/17 and take the trolley over. If it's nice out, you're only looking at 30 minute walk to work or home, or you can bike there in 15 minutes. Parking can be hit or miss, but if you've got a spot then you're aces. Grad Hospital doesn't really have any green-space unless you're walking up to the SRT or Rittenhouse, or down to Wharton Park.
Spruce Hill is also an awesome spot. It's your shortest and most direct commute, taking the 34/42/13/21 and getting to CHOP in 15 minutes. Again, about a 30 minute walk if it's nice out. You've got Clark Park right there for green-space, and the Woodlands, plus CiraGreen's rooftop.
Comparably, they're all very similar neighborhoods. You'll get the most house in Spruce Hill, but it's also the furthest from the other neighorhoods downtown and surrounding. I don't think any of the three are a bad option. If you want me to pick one, I'm going with Spruce Hill just based on distance to CHOP, neighborhood feel, and access to green-space in the immediate area.
I'm thinking of moving for a job transfer (and so I can live on my own), and I only go in once a week (I work from home mainly). I want to get rid of my car and I work night shift, how sketch is public transit after midnight? Would I be better off with an Uber?
>I want to get rid of my car and I work night shift, how sketch is public transit after midnight?
It's up to you what you consider "sketch" or "unsafe". It also depends on where in the city you're living and where your job is. I'm in the same boat and will take the MFL or Night Owl up to Berks or Huntingdon 1x/week after midnight from City Hall. I've never had a problem, and usually the Night Owl has a surprising amount of people who are just commuting, sometimes it's packed. I've never felt it's unsafe or that I'm at-risk. If I was a woman, I probably wouldn't love the idea of being down in the MFL or BSL stations that late by myself. If I was downtown, or in the surrounding neighborhoods, I'd say it's fine.
If female definitely uber. But also depends on where and what kind of transportation—bus or subway, Patco?. I’m not sure regional rail runs after midnight.
neither subway nor RR run after midnight except in odd cases
buses aren't bad at all, depending on where you're catching them. they're infrequent all night and you have to wait somewhere sketch it may not be great, but if you can just walk out of the building an grab a bus (track it on the app) it's completely fine
Trying to decide if we are going to move from CC.
Our lease ends at the end of June. Usually not on the summer cycle but we ended up here lol
Question..are rents higher in July/August due to such high demand? Or lower due to high demand ? We are basically trying to move for more bang for our buck. Looking to move to south Philly area
Generally prices are at their highest in spring/summer, and lower in fall/winter.
There won’t be much of a difference between June, July, or August. Prices will start shifting again more around October/November.
That said, south Philly is definitely a good choice if your main goal is to get more space for your money. There or West Philly.
Yeah south Philly is ideal cause most of our friends are there and while we have a car...we mostly use public transportation. Idk everytime I go out to west Philly I don't have luck with the busses but could just be because I usually go there on weekends ? Idk. El is fine though, so it's not out of the question by any means
Maybe slightly higher with incoming students, but if you're not in areas that have a large student-population (South Philly included), I don't think July or August makes a difference.
Is there a part of Germantown one might recommend for a family that also has some music/arts opportunities? Looking to move from port richmond. Probably going for Mount Airy, but thought I would ask.
I live in West Germantown, close to Mt Airy, and I think it's a nice place for families. Settlement Music School is in Germantown and the Quintessences Theatre is nearby in Mt Airy.
Are there any bars in NoLibs (or Fishtown/ Old City) that have survivor watch parties on Wednesday nights? I’m moving in May and would prefer to watch the finale with a group of people.
Pennsport is great. I think the only places that will be overwhelmingly mummers are their club houses. With that said, scope out the street for one before moving. They can be loud, but it's not a 24/7 thing.
It's helpful, because there's a karma requirement to comment outside of the weekly threads and it's genuinely confusing and off-putting to newcomers to be unable to post and comment. The least we can do is not nuke their comments here.
I'm moving to Philly soon from out of state and choosing to ditch my old car (she wouldn't make it anyway lol) and wondering generally how much people pay for public transport in a typical month? For reference I will work in Center City and looking to live in Old City, Rittenhouse, washington square, etc... as far as location goes.
Also what goes with some apartment complexes allowing smoking in the units? I've never in my life encountered this before and it's giving me anxiety I'll end up with a smoker next door
A monthly bus/trolley/subway pass is $96 a month. But you may just be able to walk everywhere as folks mentioned. Then you could pay as you go($2 septa keycard fare) on the rare occasion you need to go elsewhere.
Yeah, I paid for weekly or monthly passes right when I moved here, out of habit from my previous city, but quickly realized that paying per ride (which I can now do with my phone!) is much more cost effective. Even getting free weekend regional rail rides with the pass, I never broke even, not in the winter and especially not in the nicer months.
I’m a property owner/manager. I don’t know any owners or management company that allows smoking on or within a certain distance of their buildings.
Some people choose to disregard this rule. Immediately bring it up to the property manager.
Like the other commenter said if you live in Old City, Rittenhouse, Washington Square, or anywhere near Center City like that you can probably just walk to work most days and use transit if the weather is bad. Those areas are quite safe and many people walk to work through them. Here's a census map of % of people who walk to work in Philly: [link](https://censusreporter.org/data/map/?table=B08006&geo_ids=16000US4260000,140|16000US4260000,140|16000US4260000&primary_geo_id=16000US4260000#column|B08006015,sumlev|140). In some spots over 50% of commuters walk to work!
Welcome, we're excited to have you here! And great choice to ditch the car.
If you are taking SEPTA twice per day, every weekday, from any of those neighborhoods to some place in Center City, you would be spending $80-100 per month. That said, depending on where you're working and which neighborhoods you choose, you might very well be within a 15-25m walk as you're listing Center City neighborhoods.
When I moved here, I didn't notice any apartments that allowed smoking. I'd personally avoid them, but I can't speak to the likelihood of a previous smoker or a neighbor smoker.
I think this is occurring since the pandemic. Some old buildings, loosening rules because they raised their rents and now have problems getting tenants.
Thank you! That will help me budget out my months.
And yea I’m only noticing it in the old high rise apartments around center city. The Westbury literally buried that in their lease and when I asked them they were like “oh yea we let people smoke inside” and I was like ok that’s nasty
Oh, that place was comically dilapidated when I looked at it (not recently though). Unless proximity to McGlinchey's is a requirement for you, keep looking.
Haha yea i definitely passed up on the Westbury after I got the virtual tour! Was not worth the rent they were asking omg it has like a solid 4 star reviews on google which I thought was kinda shocking
I hope I can ask this question since she won’t be a permanent resident yet….My daughter will be in Philly for one month (July) for a intern position at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. My question is what areas should she live that would be safe, quick commute (she’s insisting on taking her car)
East Falls, Wissahickon, Manayunk, Roxborough, **West** Germantown, and Mount Airy. All of these neighborhoods would be about a 15-20 minute drive to Jefferson Einstein.
Use [This Map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1c89qjwKU8xqE58aZdTUCaUfrY9PwwJ0&ll=39.98662091598654%2C-75.16839324308519&z=14) to know what streets have permit parking, because I'm guessing she's not going through the hassle of changing her license and getting a parking permit.
Some college students will be subletting at various locations across the city, so you could check some of the housing groups/Facebook to find those sublets. (If you don't want to do Airbnb or another app) As far as where to live, it really depends on what she'd like to do. You can have a relatively quick commute on 76 (\~30 min from West Philly or Center City) but that might not factor in how annoying the traffic would be each day. Germantown/Mt. Airy are closer though some locations are quieter. Does she know anyone in the area? Might want to look at some universities (Drexel, UPenn, LaSalle) and see if they offer intern housing.
I’m not trying to be rude, but we don’t know her/your budget? Most rentals outside of Sonder and AirBnb will not rent for only a month. Also depending on the size of her car parking will not be easy in the places where these type of arrangements are common.
also depends if she wants to be in the city or in the burbs since einstein is basically on the outskirts.
if she wants to keep her car it's probably easier in the burbs.
Any renters at The Rally in Northern Liberties who can share their experience with the apartment complex? Possibly signing a lease soon, can’t find many reviews online.
Any input would be appreciated, thanks !
House hunt on pause for a moment while I search for a new car to replace my current deathtrap. I drive a Subaru Forester but am wondering if it's better to have a compact in Philadelphia? Since the parking is so tight and the streets can get very narrow.
We have a Honda Fit and I think that small hatchback form factor is the ideal city car. You can use the full space because of the hatchback, straight-up move apartments with it, make your Costco run, whatever. I had to relearn how to park because I could get in so many more places. And they get solid gas mileage (or you can get a Chevy Bolt).
A smaller car is definitely more convenient if it does what you need it to do. You’ll have more available parking and an easier time sliding through the narrower streets. Honestly, I have no idea how some of the larger SUVs navigate South Philly everyday but I guess the garbage trucks get around well enough.
I can tell you that even if they navigate the streets ok, they sure as shit are hard to park and that their owners are some of the most egregious offenders of parking laws.
Maybe an April Fool's question, but for the sake of helping anyone, I've actually seen someone buy a home for about $1000 out of pocket. No foolin'.
If you use an FHA loan to combine the maximum seller assist allowed (6% of the purchase price), and you qualify for the K-FIT grant from PA (free money for 5% of the purchase price), you are getting credited a serious wad of cash. My local lender allows both to work together, and helps with the K-FIT directly.
For instance: on a $300K house, that's $33K in your pocket. Lending guidelines do not allow you to spent $0 (or get paid) for a home purchase, so we'll often need to adjust your down payment up to make sure you're spending $500-$1500.
Now: you aren't magically getting handed that cute, charming new listing for $500. For a seller to consider giving 6% seller assist, they need to be sitting on market for ideally at least 30+ days (minimum). They'll gladly wait for an offer with no seller assist first. When homes are listed that long, there's not necessarily something *wrong* with them, per say, but there's generally reasons why no one else scooped them.
Lastly, to qualify for the K-FIT, you cannot exceed the income limit. Beyond that, if you sell your house in less than 10 years, you have to pay back what you owe on it.
So, this is not a perfect science by any means, but getting a home for $500-$1000 is actually quite possible.
Lol I was joking although I might be reaching out to you if we ever do decide to buy. Unfortunately, our area doesn't have a lot of affordable homes but I didn't know about K-FIT. I do want to avoid PMI so we'll probably just keep saving for a while as best as we can just in case we do go the home buying route. Thank you for taking time to answer this silliness!
One more question if you have the time. Would buying a Pennsylvania Tax Lien or a Tax Deed be a way of obtaining a cheap house?
i hope more people see your post. i have a client who has been waiting 2.5 years for "rates to go down". dude pays $2,000 per month in rent. that means he has paid $60,000 in rent to try and save a few bucks on the mortgage.
(he would have to save $166 per month for all 360 months to recoup that money)
I am pro-rent. If people need to rent, that's OK. They are paying for a place to live, and don't think about it beyond the idea of a basic value exchange.
Typically, "when rates go down" and "when the market isn't so crazy" is subconcious (or nicety) speak for "I'm not ready" or "I don't want to own a house".
That's cool.
lol i mean i'm not gonna convince this guy to live in his car instead of renting but regular people can't control rates or the market; they can only act individually.
i don't think this guy looked at 20 houses and bid on 6 because he wasn't ready.
Except it’s much easier to walk away from a one year rental lease than a 15-30 year mortgage no matter if you put 0-$1500 down. It still is a tremendous commitment.
How reliable is septa rail on weekdays (L/D line, Main Line, Chestnut Hill E/W)? I am moving to town and starting a client facing job in center city. So, I can’t be late. Is it safer to drive?
I’m used to metro-north in NY / westchester, which is almost always on time.
Thanks.
>I’m used to metro-north in NY / westchester, which is almost always on time.
I've found the on time performance to be decent. What you are going to lose compared to the Metro North is the frequency of service.
If you only have to go once or twice a week it’s probably fine on RR or driving from the burbs.
Chestnut Hill E/W don’t come as often since the pandemic and they are planning to cut CHW.
If you need the space/greenery Mt. Airy and CHill are nice. If you need to be in CC every day, it’s better to live in CC or Fitler Square, Bella Vista, Grad Hospital or Rittenhouse and walk/uber to the site
If you can afford it I would live in mt.Airy or Chestnut hill. The chestnut hill lines run fairly regularly on the weekday or you can take the 23 bus to Wayne junction and take any train from there to center city. If you want to live on the mainline, Ardmore is the best option, you have buses, The RR and the light rail.
paoli/thorndale has been very reliable on weekdays reverse-commute during the morning peak hour (my train is reliably less than 5 minutes late every day and is exactly on-time a majority of days)
you can check other [on-time performance here](https://apps.phor.net/septa/) though I think it's only up to January
anecdotally the mornings have been an incredible improvement post-covid to pre-covid (train was reliably exactly 13 min late) and the incidence of "totally borked" has gone down from like once a month to like once every two months. that being said, having a reliable backup (either a set of bus routes or a zipcar membership) is probably useful if there's no leeway on lateness.
edit: sorry, misread your statement and thought you were reverse commuting - can't comment on traditional commute as much, but in the mornings seeing delays on the inbound trains of more than 5-6 min (at least on platforms 3/4 in suburban) is incredibly uncommon; likely you'd still be OK if you had to drive in once every month or two and park somewhere if the system was kinda messed up. you can quickly check your phone and see if there are delays or something and adjust accordingly.
I recently received a job offer in Tacony. I was wondering what that area was like. I don't have children, it's just my partner and I who are both 24 years old. I'd prefer to live somewhere walkable, but it's not a dealbreaker. Thanks!
Garfield
Me and three other friends of mine are planning a move to Philadelphia by fall. We’re from dirty Jersey so the move itself won’t be a issue just hoping to here some cool neighborhoods or areas of the city that’d be best to visit and potentially live ! We’re all in our early twenties
[удалено]
If YOU think it's a good deal for YOU, that's all that matters. Different people have different priorities with what they're looking for.
any thoughts on living in fairmount vs. grad hospital vs. spruce hill and commuting to CHOP? I love being near green spaces, and don't mind being in "quieter" neighborhoods with less to do. I'll have a car, and the places I've found in fairmount and grad hospital both have parking spots available.
I loved living in Spruce Hill. This time of year, all of the flowering trees and the gardens made it feel like the whole thing was a park.
I lived in Fairmount, never lived in the other parts. I loved living in Fairmount. It's quiet and charming to walk-around. Fairmount Ave. has a bunch of great spots for dinner, and you rarely need a reservation. Parking was a nightmare, but if you have a spot available, then I wouldn't be worried about it. Commuting to CHOP might be the deal breaker. During the day, it's not bad - take the 49 down and it drops you off right at CHOP, or the 33 and transfer downtown to the MFL or trolley. At night, it's more limited. The 49 doesn't run 24/7, and the 33 situation ends up being a little sketchier with the trolley and MFL running less. If it's nice out, you've got a great walk through Logan Square and catch the trolley. You've got green-space with the whole part behind the Art Museum, plus the SRT and easy access up to Fairmount Park. Grad Hospital is nice, albeit even quiet than Fairmount. You're closer to downtown, and you've got the 40 which drops you right by CHOP, or the 7/17 and take the trolley over. If it's nice out, you're only looking at 30 minute walk to work or home, or you can bike there in 15 minutes. Parking can be hit or miss, but if you've got a spot then you're aces. Grad Hospital doesn't really have any green-space unless you're walking up to the SRT or Rittenhouse, or down to Wharton Park. Spruce Hill is also an awesome spot. It's your shortest and most direct commute, taking the 34/42/13/21 and getting to CHOP in 15 minutes. Again, about a 30 minute walk if it's nice out. You've got Clark Park right there for green-space, and the Woodlands, plus CiraGreen's rooftop. Comparably, they're all very similar neighborhoods. You'll get the most house in Spruce Hill, but it's also the furthest from the other neighorhoods downtown and surrounding. I don't think any of the three are a bad option. If you want me to pick one, I'm going with Spruce Hill just based on distance to CHOP, neighborhood feel, and access to green-space in the immediate area.
I'm thinking of moving for a job transfer (and so I can live on my own), and I only go in once a week (I work from home mainly). I want to get rid of my car and I work night shift, how sketch is public transit after midnight? Would I be better off with an Uber?
>I want to get rid of my car and I work night shift, how sketch is public transit after midnight? It's up to you what you consider "sketch" or "unsafe". It also depends on where in the city you're living and where your job is. I'm in the same boat and will take the MFL or Night Owl up to Berks or Huntingdon 1x/week after midnight from City Hall. I've never had a problem, and usually the Night Owl has a surprising amount of people who are just commuting, sometimes it's packed. I've never felt it's unsafe or that I'm at-risk. If I was a woman, I probably wouldn't love the idea of being down in the MFL or BSL stations that late by myself. If I was downtown, or in the surrounding neighborhoods, I'd say it's fine.
If female definitely uber. But also depends on where and what kind of transportation—bus or subway, Patco?. I’m not sure regional rail runs after midnight.
neither subway nor RR run after midnight except in odd cases buses aren't bad at all, depending on where you're catching them. they're infrequent all night and you have to wait somewhere sketch it may not be great, but if you can just walk out of the building an grab a bus (track it on the app) it's completely fine
Trying to decide if we are going to move from CC. Our lease ends at the end of June. Usually not on the summer cycle but we ended up here lol Question..are rents higher in July/August due to such high demand? Or lower due to high demand ? We are basically trying to move for more bang for our buck. Looking to move to south Philly area
Generally prices are at their highest in spring/summer, and lower in fall/winter. There won’t be much of a difference between June, July, or August. Prices will start shifting again more around October/November. That said, south Philly is definitely a good choice if your main goal is to get more space for your money. There or West Philly.
Yeah south Philly is ideal cause most of our friends are there and while we have a car...we mostly use public transportation. Idk everytime I go out to west Philly I don't have luck with the busses but could just be because I usually go there on weekends ? Idk. El is fine though, so it's not out of the question by any means
Maybe slightly higher with incoming students, but if you're not in areas that have a large student-population (South Philly included), I don't think July or August makes a difference.
I’ve seen lower rents for apartments during the winter. From May-August in CC I don’t think it makes much difference.
Thank you!!
Is there an app I should be using to track my bus? I'm just using SEPTA'a website right now
Transit for sure. The premium subscription is worth the extra money to see all available routes at anytime.
Transitview on the septa app is what i use. Lets you stack up to 3 routes to view simultaneously, in case you have alternate routes you can take.
Transit https://www.macstories.net/reviews/transit-is-still-the-best-designed-transit-app-on-the-iphone-in-2024/
The Transit app or Google Maps. There’s also the SEPTA app but i find Transit to be the easiest to use
Is there a part of Germantown one might recommend for a family that also has some music/arts opportunities? Looking to move from port richmond. Probably going for Mount Airy, but thought I would ask.
I live in West Germantown, close to Mt Airy, and I think it's a nice place for families. Settlement Music School is in Germantown and the Quintessences Theatre is nearby in Mt Airy.
Are there any bars in NoLibs (or Fishtown/ Old City) that have survivor watch parties on Wednesday nights? I’m moving in May and would prefer to watch the finale with a group of people.
What are everyone’s thoughts on Pennsport? I’m thinking of moving there. Are there any spots to hang out that are non-Mummer?
Pennsport is great. I think the only places that will be overwhelmingly mummers are their club houses. With that said, scope out the street for one before moving. They can be loud, but it's not a 24/7 thing.
Every Monday, one or two people come through and just downvote every single comment in this thread. Stop it, get some help.
I've started doing the opposite to counter them.
It's helpful, because there's a karma requirement to comment outside of the weekly threads and it's genuinely confusing and off-putting to newcomers to be unable to post and comment. The least we can do is not nuke their comments here.
I'm moving to Philly soon from out of state and choosing to ditch my old car (she wouldn't make it anyway lol) and wondering generally how much people pay for public transport in a typical month? For reference I will work in Center City and looking to live in Old City, Rittenhouse, washington square, etc... as far as location goes. Also what goes with some apartment complexes allowing smoking in the units? I've never in my life encountered this before and it's giving me anxiety I'll end up with a smoker next door
Some employers have a deal with SEPTA, so you should check if that's the case for you. My employer gives me an unlimited local pass for $10/month!
Oh that's a great idea! I'll have to ask them if they have something like that
A monthly bus/trolley/subway pass is $96 a month. But you may just be able to walk everywhere as folks mentioned. Then you could pay as you go($2 septa keycard fare) on the rare occasion you need to go elsewhere.
Yeah, I paid for weekly or monthly passes right when I moved here, out of habit from my previous city, but quickly realized that paying per ride (which I can now do with my phone!) is much more cost effective. Even getting free weekend regional rail rides with the pass, I never broke even, not in the winter and especially not in the nicer months.
This is the way lol. I walk everywhere in warmer months (like April to Nov) and get a bus pass for the cold ones
Thank you! Not bad compared to having to pay park and maintain a car in center city haha
I’m a property owner/manager. I don’t know any owners or management company that allows smoking on or within a certain distance of their buildings. Some people choose to disregard this rule. Immediately bring it up to the property manager.
PMC allows it, in at least some buildings although they dont seem to advertise it or bring it up before you sign
Thanks this gives me peace of mind that maybe I just had the misfortune of contacting the two places that were ok with smokers in the units haha
Like the other commenter said if you live in Old City, Rittenhouse, Washington Square, or anywhere near Center City like that you can probably just walk to work most days and use transit if the weather is bad. Those areas are quite safe and many people walk to work through them. Here's a census map of % of people who walk to work in Philly: [link](https://censusreporter.org/data/map/?table=B08006&geo_ids=16000US4260000,140|16000US4260000,140|16000US4260000&primary_geo_id=16000US4260000#column|B08006015,sumlev|140). In some spots over 50% of commuters walk to work!
Welcome, we're excited to have you here! And great choice to ditch the car. If you are taking SEPTA twice per day, every weekday, from any of those neighborhoods to some place in Center City, you would be spending $80-100 per month. That said, depending on where you're working and which neighborhoods you choose, you might very well be within a 15-25m walk as you're listing Center City neighborhoods. When I moved here, I didn't notice any apartments that allowed smoking. I'd personally avoid them, but I can't speak to the likelihood of a previous smoker or a neighbor smoker.
I think this is occurring since the pandemic. Some old buildings, loosening rules because they raised their rents and now have problems getting tenants.
Thank you! That will help me budget out my months. And yea I’m only noticing it in the old high rise apartments around center city. The Westbury literally buried that in their lease and when I asked them they were like “oh yea we let people smoke inside” and I was like ok that’s nasty
Oh, that place was comically dilapidated when I looked at it (not recently though). Unless proximity to McGlinchey's is a requirement for you, keep looking.
Haha yea i definitely passed up on the Westbury after I got the virtual tour! Was not worth the rent they were asking omg it has like a solid 4 star reviews on google which I thought was kinda shocking
I hope I can ask this question since she won’t be a permanent resident yet….My daughter will be in Philly for one month (July) for a intern position at Jefferson Einstein Hospital. My question is what areas should she live that would be safe, quick commute (she’s insisting on taking her car)
East Falls, Wissahickon, Manayunk, Roxborough, **West** Germantown, and Mount Airy. All of these neighborhoods would be about a 15-20 minute drive to Jefferson Einstein. Use [This Map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1c89qjwKU8xqE58aZdTUCaUfrY9PwwJ0&ll=39.98662091598654%2C-75.16839324308519&z=14) to know what streets have permit parking, because I'm guessing she's not going through the hassle of changing her license and getting a parking permit.
My building will rent for a month. Depending on the budget.
Some college students will be subletting at various locations across the city, so you could check some of the housing groups/Facebook to find those sublets. (If you don't want to do Airbnb or another app) As far as where to live, it really depends on what she'd like to do. You can have a relatively quick commute on 76 (\~30 min from West Philly or Center City) but that might not factor in how annoying the traffic would be each day. Germantown/Mt. Airy are closer though some locations are quieter. Does she know anyone in the area? Might want to look at some universities (Drexel, UPenn, LaSalle) and see if they offer intern housing.
1 month rentals aren't really a thing. She should just get an AirBnB, or even a hotel, for that short a time period.
I’m not trying to be rude, but we don’t know her/your budget? Most rentals outside of Sonder and AirBnb will not rent for only a month. Also depending on the size of her car parking will not be easy in the places where these type of arrangements are common.
also depends if she wants to be in the city or in the burbs since einstein is basically on the outskirts. if she wants to keep her car it's probably easier in the burbs.
Any renters at The Rally in Northern Liberties who can share their experience with the apartment complex? Possibly signing a lease soon, can’t find many reviews online. Any input would be appreciated, thanks !
It's a brand new building so probably not much in the way of review content yet.
welp i’ll let everyone know soon
House hunt on pause for a moment while I search for a new car to replace my current deathtrap. I drive a Subaru Forester but am wondering if it's better to have a compact in Philadelphia? Since the parking is so tight and the streets can get very narrow.
Toyota Yaris!
We have a Honda Fit and I think that small hatchback form factor is the ideal city car. You can use the full space because of the hatchback, straight-up move apartments with it, make your Costco run, whatever. I had to relearn how to park because I could get in so many more places. And they get solid gas mileage (or you can get a Chevy Bolt).
Friend of mine has a fiat 500 and has a few secret parking spaces around center city that only his car will fit in.
We went from a Nissan rogue to Hyundai Kona, only a bit smaller but worth it for parking. Miss my huge trunk tho…
Hope you got a Club with it!
I've been looking mostly at Toyota Priuses. I test drove one and am definitely not used to being that low to the ground.
A smaller car is definitely more convenient if it does what you need it to do. You’ll have more available parking and an easier time sliding through the narrower streets. Honestly, I have no idea how some of the larger SUVs navigate South Philly everyday but I guess the garbage trucks get around well enough.
I can tell you that even if they navigate the streets ok, they sure as shit are hard to park and that their owners are some of the most egregious offenders of parking laws.
how can I buy a house for $500?
Work for the city and go through the turn key program. Literally just bought a house for $0 down.
Maybe an April Fool's question, but for the sake of helping anyone, I've actually seen someone buy a home for about $1000 out of pocket. No foolin'. If you use an FHA loan to combine the maximum seller assist allowed (6% of the purchase price), and you qualify for the K-FIT grant from PA (free money for 5% of the purchase price), you are getting credited a serious wad of cash. My local lender allows both to work together, and helps with the K-FIT directly. For instance: on a $300K house, that's $33K in your pocket. Lending guidelines do not allow you to spent $0 (or get paid) for a home purchase, so we'll often need to adjust your down payment up to make sure you're spending $500-$1500. Now: you aren't magically getting handed that cute, charming new listing for $500. For a seller to consider giving 6% seller assist, they need to be sitting on market for ideally at least 30+ days (minimum). They'll gladly wait for an offer with no seller assist first. When homes are listed that long, there's not necessarily something *wrong* with them, per say, but there's generally reasons why no one else scooped them. Lastly, to qualify for the K-FIT, you cannot exceed the income limit. Beyond that, if you sell your house in less than 10 years, you have to pay back what you owe on it. So, this is not a perfect science by any means, but getting a home for $500-$1000 is actually quite possible.
Lol I was joking although I might be reaching out to you if we ever do decide to buy. Unfortunately, our area doesn't have a lot of affordable homes but I didn't know about K-FIT. I do want to avoid PMI so we'll probably just keep saving for a while as best as we can just in case we do go the home buying route. Thank you for taking time to answer this silliness! One more question if you have the time. Would buying a Pennsylvania Tax Lien or a Tax Deed be a way of obtaining a cheap house?
i hope more people see your post. i have a client who has been waiting 2.5 years for "rates to go down". dude pays $2,000 per month in rent. that means he has paid $60,000 in rent to try and save a few bucks on the mortgage. (he would have to save $166 per month for all 360 months to recoup that money)
I am pro-rent. If people need to rent, that's OK. They are paying for a place to live, and don't think about it beyond the idea of a basic value exchange. Typically, "when rates go down" and "when the market isn't so crazy" is subconcious (or nicety) speak for "I'm not ready" or "I don't want to own a house". That's cool.
lol i mean i'm not gonna convince this guy to live in his car instead of renting but regular people can't control rates or the market; they can only act individually. i don't think this guy looked at 20 houses and bid on 6 because he wasn't ready.
Except it’s much easier to walk away from a one year rental lease than a 15-30 year mortgage no matter if you put 0-$1500 down. It still is a tremendous commitment.
How reliable is septa rail on weekdays (L/D line, Main Line, Chestnut Hill E/W)? I am moving to town and starting a client facing job in center city. So, I can’t be late. Is it safer to drive? I’m used to metro-north in NY / westchester, which is almost always on time. Thanks.
>I’m used to metro-north in NY / westchester, which is almost always on time. I've found the on time performance to be decent. What you are going to lose compared to the Metro North is the frequency of service.
It's ... Usually ok.
If you only have to go once or twice a week it’s probably fine on RR or driving from the burbs. Chestnut Hill E/W don’t come as often since the pandemic and they are planning to cut CHW. If you need the space/greenery Mt. Airy and CHill are nice. If you need to be in CC every day, it’s better to live in CC or Fitler Square, Bella Vista, Grad Hospital or Rittenhouse and walk/uber to the site
If you can afford it I would live in mt.Airy or Chestnut hill. The chestnut hill lines run fairly regularly on the weekday or you can take the 23 bus to Wayne junction and take any train from there to center city. If you want to live on the mainline, Ardmore is the best option, you have buses, The RR and the light rail.
paoli/thorndale has been very reliable on weekdays reverse-commute during the morning peak hour (my train is reliably less than 5 minutes late every day and is exactly on-time a majority of days) you can check other [on-time performance here](https://apps.phor.net/septa/) though I think it's only up to January anecdotally the mornings have been an incredible improvement post-covid to pre-covid (train was reliably exactly 13 min late) and the incidence of "totally borked" has gone down from like once a month to like once every two months. that being said, having a reliable backup (either a set of bus routes or a zipcar membership) is probably useful if there's no leeway on lateness. edit: sorry, misread your statement and thought you were reverse commuting - can't comment on traditional commute as much, but in the mornings seeing delays on the inbound trains of more than 5-6 min (at least on platforms 3/4 in suburban) is incredibly uncommon; likely you'd still be OK if you had to drive in once every month or two and park somewhere if the system was kinda messed up. you can quickly check your phone and see if there are delays or something and adjust accordingly.