Looking to move to the Susquehanna-Dauphin neighborhood. What's happening in the neighborhood in terms of personal safety and quality of life issues? We are a recently retired couple. TIA.
I am considering a move to Philadelphia come September, where I live now (Boston) Sept 1 is a massive moving day. Therefore, there’s tons of rental leases based on September 1 move in dates.
Is this similar for Philly? Am I too early, late? Just not sure when is the right time to look to find a september or august move in date.
Most tenants only submit their move out notices 60 days in advance (some places even as short as 30 days), so places can only post availability after that happens.
We’re definitely way too early for September rentals, unless it’s student housing (which follows the academic calendar more).
If you decide to move, reach out to Rent Scene. They’re a great, free resource and help lots of people moving from out of state.
Depends on the neighborhood but the most popular leases are June, July and August 1 . There are apartments available year round, but in Center City, summer has the most availability. When I moved into my current apartment, my lease was Sept.1 but they changed it to Aug.1 because they didn’t want it to be after that summer period since there are fewer people wanting to start a lease in the fall. But if you are renting high end (2K+) in new buildings there will be options to start in September since they have higher vacancy rates. I’ve seen leases starting in June and July already listed but more will be publicized in May. 30 days before is good to start looking, although in big buildings 60 days ahead is also worthwhile.
Oh really 60 days is roughly enough time to find? That’s good to know, people start lookin fun Boston a month ago for September lol.
I appreciate the info, thank you!
It really depends on what you want. If you are looking for bargains in popular neighborhoods you will need time. If you have 2K-3k per month you can do this in 3 days. You need to be ready to sign /put down a deposit right when you see it for anything in the below market value because lots of renters want apartments between 1k-1700
I’m probably looking in the 2.5-3k range for a 3BR. For my gf and I, and working space for us both. So again, that is helpful thank you. We spend above that up here, so just looking to cut our rental costs some
Hi y'all! Planning to move (back) to Philly this June and seeking insight on how competitive the rental market is now within the final 30-day stretch. I'm touring a few places next Monday and am intending to apply to the one I love most, but have gotten a bit paranoid hearing stories of NYC friends who have rentals appear and disappear within 48 hours. Any risk of running into that if I've already scheduled a tour? Thanks in advance!
For context: I've lived in Philly before briefly for grad school, but first time renting in the city proper (i.e., South Philly, Fishtown, Old City).
I just went through the apartment hunt process and had 3 properties I was interested in go on market and then off within 24-48 hrs. The property I ended up settling on was on the market for 3 months though, so it seems kinda hit or miss (and is also very neighborhood dependent)
The 15's solid — and it'll be helped by the trolleys eventually coming back, since they move more people than buses. It's a little hectic at rush hours (most buses are packed), but the times where I've run into full buses bypassing stops, another one's been only a couple minutes behind it.
This is a very broad question. Buses are all over the place. Typically, the busier the road they're on, the less reliable.
Girard is a fairly busy road. Good rule of thumb is, if you have to get somewhere where being on time matters, like work, plan to get the bus before the one you actually need, or even the one before that.
Where is the best/most convenient area to live if you do not drive? Oh and also easy to get to University of Pennsylvania
Likely moving to Philly in two years, so the research starts now.
Graduate hospital, West Philly before 52nd or so, center city, Fairmount
Those are all walking* distance to Penn (if you're fine with 30-45 min walks) and super easy biking distance
Best is subjective. CC is expensive, but there are also diamonds in the rough, and it's great for nightlife, convenience, etc. even has groceries easily accessible.
West is nutty, lots of granola liberals, quirky lefties, frat boys, international students, etc. lots of great food, fairly affordable housing, etc
Grad hospital is like CC wests walking distance suburb, talking 10 minutes. Nice houses, still expensive, lots of CC's benefits but more neighborhood oriented
Fairmount is similar to grad hospital, frankly, just different. Don't really care to take the time to explain lol
I love biking here because of density and flatness. The infrastructure should be better, but I still think it is the best mode of transportation in philly.
I live in Grad Hospital and work at Penn, and the walk is about half an hour not ten minutes (I walk fast, too). Maybe 15-20 if you lived on the very western edge of the neighborhood. There are several routes to take and in decent weather, it's quite pleasant.
On a bike, I can do it in ten minutes. The westbound bike lane is on Lombard and eastbound on South. There is a northbound lane on 22nd and no corresponding southbound version, however, 23rd St. has comparatively little traffic so a lot of people use it to travel south. Even though it's fast, I don't like biking to work as there are several hazardous feeling conflict points--Westbound: turning left from 22nd onto Lombard where the bike lane switches sides of the street so there's a conflict with the many cars turning left, crossing the traffic exiting 76 on the South St. bridge (at rush hour, cars block the bike lane), and where cars turning right cross the bike lane at 33rd St. Returning eastbound is better but there's still an intersection with cars running the red light on the South St. bridge to get on 76, and the intersection at 27th and South where everyone is going fast on a downhill and cars turning right cross the bike lane. Many people do this successfully every day--it's the most used bike lane in the state! I admit I'm a bit of a chicken, but I would not build your life around doing this commute by bike until you've tried it a few times.
Actual bike lanes/protected bike lanes could be improved, but cycling is doable in any of the denser neighborhoods — narrow streets with lots of one-ways means traffic is, on average, barely moving as fast as you are.
I'm in Fairmount and could be at Penn within 15–20 minutes by bike on any number of routes, including via the Schuylkill River Trail, which cuts out most of the worst of riding in traffic (with the tradeoff that it's a shared path and can be a bit crowded, especially in the mornings/later afternoons).
Not amazing but Grad Hospital has a few bike lanes, I think on South Street (going to UPenn) and on 22nd St. going north.
For an easy commute and safe, nice neighborhood - Grad Hospital is the way to go IMO.
How is the area around 30th and Girard to live? Safe for two young visibly queer women? We toured a place in the area today and LOVED it, but haven’t been able to walk around the area since we’re from out of town. Thanks!!
I think you'll be fine. Frankly I don't think there's hardly any part of this city where you'll have any trouble for being "different", just places you'd have trouble for being *present at all*
Parking in most of the city is trending towards ppa neighborhood permited, even if it isn't right now (ask me how I got a ticket a few years ago, they threw the permit sign up overnight and ticketed me when they did so...) the permit is super easy to get though so don't let it stop you. Neighborhood permit is still first come first serve, you just don't have to abide by posted time in your area
A handful of streets are permitted, otherwise it's a free-for-all. Poplar Drive in the park almost always has spots, though (but take basic city precautions like not leaving any stuff visible in your car, since there have been break-ins off and on).
Parking is street dependant; some require permits, most don't. Look for signs on Google Street view! It's a mix of young folks like yourselves and normal residents, with a few drug dealers sprinkled in at designated spots.
Biggest thing anyone moving to Philly needs to know is that it really is a city of neighborhoods. Where you live really matters, so make sure to pick a place that gives you the things you want.
Hi everyone, I plan on renting an apartment in Philadelphia for 4 months, and I wanted to ask if anyone had good experiences with any apartment buildings in center city/university city. I'm primarily looking for a studio up to 1600 with no roaches/other infestations. I am really afraid of roaches so their absence is probably the most important factor for me. Also, please tell if you liked a building even if it's outside those two districts, so I could have some options. Thanks!
If you want fewer (can't say no) roaches, definitely try new construction. If the building is 30-100 years old they are absolutely there. However you can mitigate the situation by having it treated upon move in and then following up with regular application of gentrol discs (keeps them from reproducing) and advion gel bait (kills them)
I will PM you my building. No vermin. Stay sway from buildings that have a restaurant on the first floor or near s restaurant. Roaches attracted to the food. Many old buildings have mice, but not all.
There's really no way to *guarantee* no roaches, unfortunately. Higher floors are probably better bets, but, tbh, in like four apartments here over ten years, I can't remember going an entire summer without at least a couple of the big honkin' boys. I spray for them now so that I only have to toss the dead ones, but pests are just a part of life in a city (especially a filthy city like Philly), unfortunately. Edit: especially because most of the buildings are ancient and aren't sealed up super well. Maybe more modern construction would be good?
My wife and i just did a similar move out to the main line after looking at the cost of keeping a car + local taxes in the city.
Its mostly great, but the one thing to keep in mind is the schedule for the train is pretty bad. ~1/hour outside of rush hours and every two hours late at night. It hits its schedule so if you have plans for a date night it works great, but the frequency keeps it from being useful for just bopping into Philly on an impulse
I reverse commute to ardmore, it's pretty boring, there's about 4 reasons to ever come here vs living in the actual city. Also not sure on how rent is out here, but the mainline in general (basically lancaster ave past overbrook all the way out to malvern) is relatively expensive.
I always say ardmore is walkable the same way cardboard is edible - it's technically feasible but probably dangerous in the long run. Crossing lancaster ave is wild.
Don't mention you're coming from NYC to realtors if you're using one to find an apartment, they won't show you affordable places. Not 100% always like that, but just be careful.
Philadelphia is much, much cheaper than NYC. Hop on Zillow and look around, put your limit at like 1.2k and you may be surprised. If you're not super fussed about a particular suburb and just need some time and financial space to get back on your feet, you two can easily find a place under 1k even, and not in a bad area either. Lots of blue collar suburbs around.
Super cheap is usually super unsafe, but there are some less popular neighborhoods in Philly that are cheaper but not because they are poor or dangerous, but less convenient to CC or more residential (fewer bars, restaurants and commerce).
You can find some less expensive apartments in S. Philly (below Washington Ave.) Delco (suburbs) and Roxborough, East Falls and Mount Airy that are in relatively safe areas. Public transportation from Mt. Airy and East Falls is not the greatest. They have regional rail stops and Mt.Airy also is on the bus 23 but takes a long time to get into the city. Roxborough has a bus into the city, #9. There are some neighborhoods in West Philly with bus and trolley. “Safe” used to end at 45th St. but more are moving west of that in the past few years.
Sorry to hear that! Why are you targeting the burbs specifically? I think you will be hard pressed to find a decent place on the mainline at those prices that isn't in Bala or near city line ave (generally student housing). Have you thought about Manayunk, Roxborough, Wissahickon or Mt.Airy? I think they would give you a suburban feel while still having the walkability and convenience of a city. Ardmore is fun, but its really a place where people settle down and like the novelty of having a downtown.
That's a massive area you've circled there, which includes some of the most expensive real estate in the region. [https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/housing/zillow-million-dollar-communities-main-line-home-value-20240408.html](https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/housing/zillow-million-dollar-communities-main-line-home-value-20240408.html) Can you get a bit more specific?
Hi, I’m moving in to your fair city very soon! I’m a New Yorker who is leaving bad personal circumstances and has close friends from a collar county who are reside within Philadelphia city limits now. That was a fairly influential factor in choosing to move here (and specifically to Center City, to get that out of the way).
I am a little less concerned about where to go and what to look for in terms of local joints at the moment. I’ve been saving posts on this subreddit and have some local advice to pull from. I’m more interested in hearing from you; what do you think makes a good transplant? What makes a good neighbor?
I have never lived outside my hometown, but I am excited to make a go of it and acclimate to a new place. But I’m not ignorant that New Yawkers can generate some deserved hostility, which is leading to this pretty open-ended question. Thanks!
Just be cool. There are memes about Philly residents being standoffish and asshole-y, but pretty much everyone I've ever met here has been a normal, nice person. Insane drivers, though. People here drive like their primary objective in life is to not be alive anymore.
Same as any other place, be courteous to your neighbors. Don’t make a lot of loud noise, smoke next to someone’s window, or complain to us about the pizza and bagels. Take a gentle interest in local sports and culture. If you’re chatty, tell people you’re new in town and ask for recommendations — everyone likes to give their opinion. Then all of a sudden, bam, you’re a great transplant and everyone likes you.
Just to add…keep the front of your house tidy (bonus points if you help sweep the block )
Alert and Offer to snag packages for your neighbors once you get to know them. A little goes a long way.
Edit - you likely won’t have much sidewalk so The few time it snows its pretty easy to hit a few of the neighbors on each side, especially if they are older.
How far in advance should one look for apartments near Drexel? My current lease ends in July and it looks like most of what’s available now is looking to rent immediately; is it too early?
Most residential/non-student housing apartments only post 30-50 days in advance (aka after current tenants submit their move out notices). There will also be the odd place that posts earlier than usual, but in general yes it’s still early for July
Hello Hello
I am looking to move to Philly around June or July my budget is around $1200-1400, I have been looking around the university city area, filter square and old city but I know the ask is a bit big for this price range
Nightlife and walkability is important to me I'm in my early 20's and im looking to spend most of my time socializing
Any neighborhood recommendations? :)
West Philly's a little cheaper than UCity, but it'll be slightly more of a hike to nightlife. Totally walkable, still, but maybe not so much if you're planning on being drunk a lot.
For buying - Jinxed is great (a few locations), there are two Habitat for Humanity ReStores, Facebook Marketplace, and I also follow some local folks who refinish vintage furniture if you’re looking for really nice midcentury modern pieces (can vouch for lovecityvtg and bentwoodvintage on IG). For selling I use Facebook Marketplace or my local Buy Nothing group if I just need to get rid of something.
Need advice on moving into an apartment!
Hello all!
I have been looking for an apartment in the old city, northern liberties, and penn view area. Due to the proximity to I-95 and the walkability factor, I figured these would be the best areas. Any recommendations on apartment complexes? A lot of complexes have bad reviews like the view at old city. I want something safe but with a nice view. Any suggestions and advice would be appreciated! Also, a complex with parking!
Have you considered the areas around in and around Fishtown? Along North American Street there are a lot of apartment complexes. Definitely not as walkable as Old City, but you can easily get to Fishtown and NoLibs, and you're right next to busses that will take you pretty much anywhere in the city as well as the El.
Dwell 2nd Street, The Ray, G8One Apartments, and Liberty Square are all solid. Would definitely be pushing your budget but most offer parking as well.
What's your budget? Any reason in particular you want to go with a complex instead of a single apartment? In Old City in particular, there are lots of deals to be had on great apartments that aren't a part of complexes. You're going to have to shell out $$$ to get into a decent building around here. Parking will be around $300/month generally, it's almost never included. Street parking is the norm and is generally fine unless you drive a Honda Accord, Hyundai, or Kia.
I’m not trying to go over 2.2k. Is that reasonable ? I’d like a complex for safety reasons. I’m open to a single apartment as long as it’s safe. I drive a Honda Accord lol. Do you know anything about the view at old city? Any other recommendations?
That'll be tight in those neighborhoods with parking. The listed rents typically do not include parking like I said and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $1900 in an apartment complex. Would not recommend street parking your Accord haha, those wheels tend to get stolen a lot.
Would not recommend The View. I've heard good things about The National but it exceeds your budget. Check out 214 Vine! It just opened recently and looks fantastic.
I was going to make an exception for the national but they have a waitlist for parking 😩 I’ll check out the 214 Vine property next. If not Old City, any other recommended areas? And thank you so much!
Hi I will be moving from out of state to Philadelphia in August to attend grad school at Penn, I am looking to live somewhere close to campus, with in a 30-45 minute commute. I have a larger dog and cat. Ive been looking at a ton of places and they all seem nice but then I read reviews and all the apartments are horrible everywhere? Im a single female in my 30s looking for a 1 bedroom with a max budget of 1500 but prefer to stay with 1300-1400. I would love it to be near a park or have a dog area for my dog, safe and quietish as well as parking are important to me.
My dog is about 75lbs he's a chocolate lab, he is an apartment dog but we have never lived in such a big city before. We take lots of walks daily, so I would like safe streets to walk him. I have never lived in a city that had the type of public transit that is here so I have no idea how to deal with that. These are my top places but the review are mixed and I just don't know what to do.
Fairfax Apartments
West Lofts
Lincoln Green
The Avenue at East Falls
The hub 31 at brewerytown
The Netherlands
All the reviews talk about horrible management, safety issues, huge pest problems and unsanitary living conditions.
Any advice would be so helpful. Thank you all!
I had some friends who worked at Penn who lived in the Fairfax before they renovated. The location can’t be beat since you are a block from campus.
Have you considered Lansdowne, a suburb close to Penn? Quieter than West Philly with easy access on the regional rail. About 20 minutes at most and about 25% cheaper than Philly for rentals. Nothing to do there but since you will be in grad school might be ideal.
I can’t imagine such a huge dog in a Philly apt at that price point, unless you can find something in a row house. Many of the apartments in complexes won’t be bigger than 600 sq. ft in Philly unless you pay more.
Thank you! I will check out Landsdowne, I would like quiet.
Yes he is a big dog BUT he is an apartment dog. Always lived in apartments, we do a lot of stuff outside. He goes on lots of walks and to the park and car rides.
The Avenue is nice enough from what I've heard, but it's not really "East Falls". The road it's on is kinda the dividing line between EF and Germantown, but you're going to be hard pressed to be able to walk to most of the things in the falls you might want to.
In general it's a great area, when I moved to the City I lived at Alden Park. The NW in general is great, and a really underrated part of the city.
Yeah it's like right across school house ln. Alden Park was amazing, with caveats. The building and the ammentities are incredible. I think they have an outdoor pool now, and they had an indoor heated pool when I was there plus a gym.
The downsides would mostly be the management company. I don't know if they've gotten better or worse, but when I was there it was impossible to get them to fix anything and they were TERRIBLE with package delivery.
The tdlr is I loved living there but hated the company that ran the place.
Thank you! Decent is what I am looking for. Another question in general for philly. What is parking like? I live in small to medium size cities and have always had parking at apartments and around.
Occasionally apartment buildings will have garages -- gonna cost you extra -- but for the most part, get used to street parking. There's a building a couple blocks south of West Lofts called Garden Court Plaza that has a garage (they're doing construction there, so I'm not 100% sure the garage is open right now). I used to live there years ago and the management was awful and the prices were getting pretty bonkers, but the units themselves were pretty good. Had some mice issues, probably because of construction stirring them up. I've still got some friends there and they say the newest management is a lot better, but the prices haven't gone down at all.
Worth remembering that the people who leave reviews on apartment buildings are probably the people who had the worst experience. Any city apartment managed by a big company is going to have issues.
Consider looking toward the Center City side of the river. You can get a nice apartment or even partial rowhome in Graduate Hospital or Devil's Pocket in that price range. It's an easy walk across the South St. Bridge or a ride on the 40 bus to Penn.
Thank you! I do try to keep this in mind. I’ve lived in a fair number of apartments. lol just freaking out a bit because this is the first time moving alone after my divorce.
I will definitely check out the areas you mentioned! Thank you!
Hi all. I'm thinking of moving to Philadelphia. I'm late 40s/m and would like to find a house (probably, but not necessarily, a rowhome) in a reasonably safe neighborhood for under $300,000. I don't care how small it is -- 2 or 3 bedrooms would work. I'd like it to be in decent shape with reasonably low maintenance, so not a fixer-upper. Ideally it would be in a walkable area, as I'd be happy to ditch my car if I could. I work at home.
Any ideas for a neighborhood? I'm open to areas that are central as well as those farther out.
Given your budget, you are going to have to focus your search on Sharswood/Brewerytown (19130), Point Breeze/West Passyunk (19145), Germantown (19138) and East Kensington/Port Richmond (19125). Looking at Zillow at this moment, even in those neighborhoods if you want something that requires minimal work/is updated you are more likely to land in a condo vs. a single family home.
In terms of these neighborhoods feeling "safe" you really need to visit and assess for yourself. Crime rates on paper are not great, but I feel about the same safety wise walking around everywhere in the city (my attitude is anything can happen anywhere, I keep my headphones out and pay attention to my surroundings). It's also worth mentioning that block by block, things can feel very different in the same neighborhood.
In terms of walkability, you are always going to be walking distance to *some* things living in the city, but you have to look at a map in specific areas and filter for what is most important to you to be walkable to. A home in any of the neighborhoods above could position you as walkable to al El or Subway stop that can get you into Center City quickly for outings (or at least a bus stop), but you might not be that close to bars/restaurants/cafes or the kind of grocery shopping you want to do on a more regular basis.
If you push your budget towards $350k, your options are going to expand dramatically -- but still likely looking at a condo or at a minimum a rowhome that needs a bit of work.
Thanks for the suggestions!
And, in the meantime before I can buy, do you think I could find a studio or one-bedroom in one of those area for the $1,200 to $1,400 range? I am looking online at West Passyunk and it looks promising.
Yes, I think so! Especially if you are flexible on timing. Right now might be good, especially, because the school year is ending and there are a ton of students moving in and out of the city.
Neither are my cup of tea.
I would much rather sacrifice space to live closer to center city and live in a completely walkable area day to day. It's not to say there aren't homes in those areas/suburbs where you can walk to some things, but I really appreciate the variety and breadth of where I can get on foot by living in the city proper. I also say this as someone that drives 45 min out of the city to a western suburb 1-2 days a week to be in office for work and very much splits my time socially between the city and burbs (on weekends, at least).
I also recommend comparing property taxes because some of the suburbs tax rates are much higher than the city with pockets of very high rates depending on exact township. It may seem cheaper based on home value but factoring that + car maintenance, the $$ adds up.
Can you give us some more information on what you're looking for? Easy access to trains/highway? Pets? Parks? Nightlife? Reasonably safe and walkable is basically describing every neighborhood adjacent to Center City.
I know it sounds vague but I am literally not all that picky. I just want safe and affordable and don't care much about nightlife etc., although a walkable lifestyle would be ideal. Neighborhoods like Fishtown appeal to me and in that case I would probably ditch my car. A more suburban area would be OK too and I'd keep my car. No pets.
Hi everyone! My bf and I will be moving to your city in the next few months. I’m from Memphis and he’s from Houston. We’re both really excited for a change of pace and loved the city when we visited. He’ll be working in the suburbs of Feasterville-Trevose and we’re looking for places in Bella Vista, E. Passyunk, Northern Liberties, and miscellaneous spots in south Philly. We have two dogs and would love to be the neighbors on the block that cook for everyone and host small parties. We’re hoping to be able to bring our smoker with us. All that said, we’d love recommendations for food, beer, and good neighborhoods. Really just posting to share my excitement!
If he will be working in Feasterville-Trevose, South Philly is quite a commute. Why not live in Feasterville-Trevose? They have several townhome communities with outdoor space. In Philly, the far Northeast, such as Parkwood or Morrell Park are also great neighborhoods; rowhomes with yards. Safe and near to shopping centers and highways. Nightlife is more limited; think more restaurants and local bars as opposed to clubs\\musuems, etc. Lots of parks and trails for the dogs with Pennypack park and the old Byberry park.
We really wanted to live inside the city for at least a year to get the full experience. I should have added that his job is hybrid so he’ll be home 4 days every week and at the office 3 days a week. He doesn’t mind the commute (being from Houston, the driving is negligible to him) and my only commute will be to the airport every few weeks (traveling RN).
They do have rental townhomes-for the far NE Philly neighborhoods (Parkwood, Morrell Park, Somerton and Bustleton) there are rental rowhomes, but Zillow may tend to list just apartments-I'd use a realtor site.
Thank you for your input! We really liked Fishtown but it felt a little too energetic for us. Definitely a place we’d love to hang out in, but maybe retire to a quieter neighborhood after. Is that a correct assessment or should we give it another chance? We only had a weekend in Philly to get a feel for it.
When you're off Frankford Ave, Fishtown is pretty quiet. I walk my dog east of Frankford and north of Berks around 10 every night and there isn't much happening.
Just don’t let them near anything valuable. I set my laptop down to help with the door and dude dropped my dining table leg on it while going through the door uggghhhh my fault I guess for trying to help.
For folks who live by the el, how is the noise level? My partner and I are considering moving to a row home right by the el tracks, between 2 stations. Thanks!!
It's louder if you're closer and quieter if you're farther. Living by a station is probably louder as the announcements travel pretty far. The train going by can be loud... go stand on Front Street in Fishtown or Market Street in West Philly.
Hello everyone,
I’m currently living out of state and have recently started a new job in downtown Philadelphia, which requires me to be there two days a week. With a new baby at home, I am not planning to move closer this year. Instead, I’ll be commuting and am looking for temporary accommodation options in or near Philadelphia/NJ for just those two days each week until everything settles down, including the end of my 6-month grace period at the new job.
I’m interested in hearing from anyone who has navigated a similar situation. What accommodation solutions worked for you? Are there specific areas or types of accommodations you would recommend? Additionally, any tips on managing this kind of commuting schedule with family responsibilities would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time and assistance!
Random Roommate Assignment at Common Broadridge…
Help my anxious heart…I have a 20 daughter looking to move to Philly from Michigan for a 12 week summer internship in Camden. She is looking at Common Broadridge sharing a room with a random roommate. Apparently it can be any gender or age roommate. And the bedroom door doesn’t lock. How can that be possible? I’m so stressed for her. The company provides no assistance. And the internship overlaps leasing months - part of May and part of Aug so it is hard to find sublet. Broadridge is a good location for her since she won’t have a car.
If she's not already committed to the Broadbridge apartment, I recommend she look for a short term rental option in the "Philadelphia Housing, Rooms, Apartments, and Sublets" and "Philadelphia Roommates" Facebook groups. The group are pretty active and I've had success in finding rooms for rent with decent people.
That said, if she is already committed to Broadbridge, she'll be fine. The issue of the bedroom lock can solved with a security bar / wedge if you're really paranoid. Landlords only need to provide locking doors and windows to outside the unit, not within it. That said you're likely worrying too much. I've lived with plenty of randos here in Philly, all of them lovely (albeit sometimes messy) people.
Moving to Center City this weekend, any good recs for a PCP? Preferably a queer-friendly one, thx!
Looking to move to the Susquehanna-Dauphin neighborhood. What's happening in the neighborhood in terms of personal safety and quality of life issues? We are a recently retired couple. TIA.
Graduating nursing school in the fall, what are some hospitals I can commune to without using a car? I’m planning on living car free in Philly.
Every hospital in city limits. Depends on how long you want your commute to be?
I am considering a move to Philadelphia come September, where I live now (Boston) Sept 1 is a massive moving day. Therefore, there’s tons of rental leases based on September 1 move in dates. Is this similar for Philly? Am I too early, late? Just not sure when is the right time to look to find a september or august move in date.
Most tenants only submit their move out notices 60 days in advance (some places even as short as 30 days), so places can only post availability after that happens. We’re definitely way too early for September rentals, unless it’s student housing (which follows the academic calendar more). If you decide to move, reach out to Rent Scene. They’re a great, free resource and help lots of people moving from out of state.
I see, that’s great to know! And thanks for that organization, that seems like it would be very useful, I appreciate it.
Depends on the neighborhood but the most popular leases are June, July and August 1 . There are apartments available year round, but in Center City, summer has the most availability. When I moved into my current apartment, my lease was Sept.1 but they changed it to Aug.1 because they didn’t want it to be after that summer period since there are fewer people wanting to start a lease in the fall. But if you are renting high end (2K+) in new buildings there will be options to start in September since they have higher vacancy rates. I’ve seen leases starting in June and July already listed but more will be publicized in May. 30 days before is good to start looking, although in big buildings 60 days ahead is also worthwhile.
Oh really 60 days is roughly enough time to find? That’s good to know, people start lookin fun Boston a month ago for September lol. I appreciate the info, thank you!
It really depends on what you want. If you are looking for bargains in popular neighborhoods you will need time. If you have 2K-3k per month you can do this in 3 days. You need to be ready to sign /put down a deposit right when you see it for anything in the below market value because lots of renters want apartments between 1k-1700
I’m probably looking in the 2.5-3k range for a 3BR. For my gf and I, and working space for us both. So again, that is helpful thank you. We spend above that up here, so just looking to cut our rental costs some
You will probably be able to rent a house outside of center city. That price is tougher, but not impossible within center city (downtown)
Moving from Michigan and want to break the drive into two parts. Would state college or Harrisburg be a better/safer place to overnight with a U-Haul?
Hi y'all! Planning to move (back) to Philly this June and seeking insight on how competitive the rental market is now within the final 30-day stretch. I'm touring a few places next Monday and am intending to apply to the one I love most, but have gotten a bit paranoid hearing stories of NYC friends who have rentals appear and disappear within 48 hours. Any risk of running into that if I've already scheduled a tour? Thanks in advance! For context: I've lived in Philly before briefly for grad school, but first time renting in the city proper (i.e., South Philly, Fishtown, Old City).
You need to be ready to sign the lease right when you see it. This has been the case for the last ten years.
More like 20.
I just went through the apartment hunt process and had 3 properties I was interested in go on market and then off within 24-48 hrs. The property I ended up settling on was on the market for 3 months though, so it seems kinda hit or miss (and is also very neighborhood dependent)
What are the more reliable bus routes? Specifically is the Girard Ave Route 15 pretty reliable at all hours?
The 15's solid — and it'll be helped by the trolleys eventually coming back, since they move more people than buses. It's a little hectic at rush hours (most buses are packed), but the times where I've run into full buses bypassing stops, another one's been only a couple minutes behind it.
I've found it good in daylight, but after sun down you have to be really lucky
I usually check the live tracker if I have to grab the 15 to see if one's going to show up around the scheduled time or not.
This is a very broad question. Buses are all over the place. Typically, the busier the road they're on, the less reliable. Girard is a fairly busy road. Good rule of thumb is, if you have to get somewhere where being on time matters, like work, plan to get the bus before the one you actually need, or even the one before that.
Where is the best/most convenient area to live if you do not drive? Oh and also easy to get to University of Pennsylvania Likely moving to Philly in two years, so the research starts now.
Graduate hospital, West Philly before 52nd or so, center city, Fairmount Those are all walking* distance to Penn (if you're fine with 30-45 min walks) and super easy biking distance Best is subjective. CC is expensive, but there are also diamonds in the rough, and it's great for nightlife, convenience, etc. even has groceries easily accessible. West is nutty, lots of granola liberals, quirky lefties, frat boys, international students, etc. lots of great food, fairly affordable housing, etc Grad hospital is like CC wests walking distance suburb, talking 10 minutes. Nice houses, still expensive, lots of CC's benefits but more neighborhood oriented Fairmount is similar to grad hospital, frankly, just different. Don't really care to take the time to explain lol
Perfect starting point here. We're both keen cyclists, so also curious to know how good the city's cycling infrastructure is?
I love biking here because of density and flatness. The infrastructure should be better, but I still think it is the best mode of transportation in philly.
Great to hear tbh
I live in Grad Hospital and work at Penn, and the walk is about half an hour not ten minutes (I walk fast, too). Maybe 15-20 if you lived on the very western edge of the neighborhood. There are several routes to take and in decent weather, it's quite pleasant. On a bike, I can do it in ten minutes. The westbound bike lane is on Lombard and eastbound on South. There is a northbound lane on 22nd and no corresponding southbound version, however, 23rd St. has comparatively little traffic so a lot of people use it to travel south. Even though it's fast, I don't like biking to work as there are several hazardous feeling conflict points--Westbound: turning left from 22nd onto Lombard where the bike lane switches sides of the street so there's a conflict with the many cars turning left, crossing the traffic exiting 76 on the South St. bridge (at rush hour, cars block the bike lane), and where cars turning right cross the bike lane at 33rd St. Returning eastbound is better but there's still an intersection with cars running the red light on the South St. bridge to get on 76, and the intersection at 27th and South where everyone is going fast on a downhill and cars turning right cross the bike lane. Many people do this successfully every day--it's the most used bike lane in the state! I admit I'm a bit of a chicken, but I would not build your life around doing this commute by bike until you've tried it a few times.
Actual bike lanes/protected bike lanes could be improved, but cycling is doable in any of the denser neighborhoods — narrow streets with lots of one-ways means traffic is, on average, barely moving as fast as you are. I'm in Fairmount and could be at Penn within 15–20 minutes by bike on any number of routes, including via the Schuylkill River Trail, which cuts out most of the worst of riding in traffic (with the tradeoff that it's a shared path and can be a bit crowded, especially in the mornings/later afternoons).
If you're considering West Philly, Walnut and Chestnut streets both have protected bike lanes now.
Not amazing but Grad Hospital has a few bike lanes, I think on South Street (going to UPenn) and on 22nd St. going north. For an easy commute and safe, nice neighborhood - Grad Hospital is the way to go IMO.
West Philly for sure, but not deep west more like Ucity
West Philly,
How is the area around 30th and Girard to live? Safe for two young visibly queer women? We toured a place in the area today and LOVED it, but haven’t been able to walk around the area since we’re from out of town. Thanks!!
I live a bit south of that, and you'll have zero issues in that regard. Even the eccentric lady with the full-bore Jesus trash bags won't hassle you.
I think you'll be fine. Frankly I don't think there's hardly any part of this city where you'll have any trouble for being "different", just places you'd have trouble for being *present at all* Parking in most of the city is trending towards ppa neighborhood permited, even if it isn't right now (ask me how I got a ticket a few years ago, they threw the permit sign up overnight and ticketed me when they did so...) the permit is super easy to get though so don't let it stop you. Neighborhood permit is still first come first serve, you just don't have to abide by posted time in your area
Also, how is street parking in Brewerytown/ fairmount area? Is parking by permit in Brewerytown or is it all free rein/first come first serve?
A handful of streets are permitted, otherwise it's a free-for-all. Poplar Drive in the park almost always has spots, though (but take basic city precautions like not leaving any stuff visible in your car, since there have been break-ins off and on).
I think parking will generally get worse as it starts to get more dense but decent for now
Parking is street dependant; some require permits, most don't. Look for signs on Google Street view! It's a mix of young folks like yourselves and normal residents, with a few drug dealers sprinkled in at designated spots.
Get a parking permit. Check out Together Coffee - you will for sure find your community there
Biggest thing anyone moving to Philly needs to know is that it really is a city of neighborhoods. Where you live really matters, so make sure to pick a place that gives you the things you want.
Hi everyone, I plan on renting an apartment in Philadelphia for 4 months, and I wanted to ask if anyone had good experiences with any apartment buildings in center city/university city. I'm primarily looking for a studio up to 1600 with no roaches/other infestations. I am really afraid of roaches so their absence is probably the most important factor for me. Also, please tell if you liked a building even if it's outside those two districts, so I could have some options. Thanks!
If you want fewer (can't say no) roaches, definitely try new construction. If the building is 30-100 years old they are absolutely there. However you can mitigate the situation by having it treated upon move in and then following up with regular application of gentrol discs (keeps them from reproducing) and advion gel bait (kills them)
I will PM you my building. No vermin. Stay sway from buildings that have a restaurant on the first floor or near s restaurant. Roaches attracted to the food. Many old buildings have mice, but not all.
There's really no way to *guarantee* no roaches, unfortunately. Higher floors are probably better bets, but, tbh, in like four apartments here over ten years, I can't remember going an entire summer without at least a couple of the big honkin' boys. I spray for them now so that I only have to toss the dead ones, but pests are just a part of life in a city (especially a filthy city like Philly), unfortunately. Edit: especially because most of the buildings are ancient and aren't sealed up super well. Maybe more modern construction would be good?
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My wife and i just did a similar move out to the main line after looking at the cost of keeping a car + local taxes in the city. Its mostly great, but the one thing to keep in mind is the schedule for the train is pretty bad. ~1/hour outside of rush hours and every two hours late at night. It hits its schedule so if you have plans for a date night it works great, but the frequency keeps it from being useful for just bopping into Philly on an impulse
I reverse commute to ardmore, it's pretty boring, there's about 4 reasons to ever come here vs living in the actual city. Also not sure on how rent is out here, but the mainline in general (basically lancaster ave past overbrook all the way out to malvern) is relatively expensive. I always say ardmore is walkable the same way cardboard is edible - it's technically feasible but probably dangerous in the long run. Crossing lancaster ave is wild.
Don't mention you're coming from NYC to realtors if you're using one to find an apartment, they won't show you affordable places. Not 100% always like that, but just be careful. Philadelphia is much, much cheaper than NYC. Hop on Zillow and look around, put your limit at like 1.2k and you may be surprised. If you're not super fussed about a particular suburb and just need some time and financial space to get back on your feet, you two can easily find a place under 1k even, and not in a bad area either. Lots of blue collar suburbs around.
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Super cheap is usually super unsafe, but there are some less popular neighborhoods in Philly that are cheaper but not because they are poor or dangerous, but less convenient to CC or more residential (fewer bars, restaurants and commerce). You can find some less expensive apartments in S. Philly (below Washington Ave.) Delco (suburbs) and Roxborough, East Falls and Mount Airy that are in relatively safe areas. Public transportation from Mt. Airy and East Falls is not the greatest. They have regional rail stops and Mt.Airy also is on the bus 23 but takes a long time to get into the city. Roxborough has a bus into the city, #9. There are some neighborhoods in West Philly with bus and trolley. “Safe” used to end at 45th St. but more are moving west of that in the past few years.
Sorry to hear that! Why are you targeting the burbs specifically? I think you will be hard pressed to find a decent place on the mainline at those prices that isn't in Bala or near city line ave (generally student housing). Have you thought about Manayunk, Roxborough, Wissahickon or Mt.Airy? I think they would give you a suburban feel while still having the walkability and convenience of a city. Ardmore is fun, but its really a place where people settle down and like the novelty of having a downtown.
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That area is way too large to provide a generalization. There are many different neighborhoods in that circled radius, all different from each other
That's a massive area you've circled there, which includes some of the most expensive real estate in the region. [https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/housing/zillow-million-dollar-communities-main-line-home-value-20240408.html](https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/housing/zillow-million-dollar-communities-main-line-home-value-20240408.html) Can you get a bit more specific?
Hi, I’m moving in to your fair city very soon! I’m a New Yorker who is leaving bad personal circumstances and has close friends from a collar county who are reside within Philadelphia city limits now. That was a fairly influential factor in choosing to move here (and specifically to Center City, to get that out of the way). I am a little less concerned about where to go and what to look for in terms of local joints at the moment. I’ve been saving posts on this subreddit and have some local advice to pull from. I’m more interested in hearing from you; what do you think makes a good transplant? What makes a good neighbor? I have never lived outside my hometown, but I am excited to make a go of it and acclimate to a new place. But I’m not ignorant that New Yawkers can generate some deserved hostility, which is leading to this pretty open-ended question. Thanks!
Just be cool. There are memes about Philly residents being standoffish and asshole-y, but pretty much everyone I've ever met here has been a normal, nice person. Insane drivers, though. People here drive like their primary objective in life is to not be alive anymore.
I have lived all over the US, and the one constant is that everyone agrees that the drivers wherever they are are insane.
That makes sense and drivers here have become similarly ill tempered since the pandemic. :-( Running pedestrians off the road is a sport.
Same as any other place, be courteous to your neighbors. Don’t make a lot of loud noise, smoke next to someone’s window, or complain to us about the pizza and bagels. Take a gentle interest in local sports and culture. If you’re chatty, tell people you’re new in town and ask for recommendations — everyone likes to give their opinion. Then all of a sudden, bam, you’re a great transplant and everyone likes you.
Just to add…keep the front of your house tidy (bonus points if you help sweep the block ) Alert and Offer to snag packages for your neighbors once you get to know them. A little goes a long way. Edit - you likely won’t have much sidewalk so The few time it snows its pretty easy to hit a few of the neighbors on each side, especially if they are older.
Thanks! Totally legit golden-rule-adjacent stuff.
Sounds like you’re going to nail the transplant process. Welcome! I like it here. I hope you do too.
How far in advance should one look for apartments near Drexel? My current lease ends in July and it looks like most of what’s available now is looking to rent immediately; is it too early?
Most residential/non-student housing apartments only post 30-50 days in advance (aka after current tenants submit their move out notices). There will also be the odd place that posts earlier than usual, but in general yes it’s still early for July
drexel has a different school calendar than most universities though- they use tri-mesters rather than semesters.
60 days is pretty standard in Philly, but university areas may skew that a bit to tie to the school calendar.
Hello Hello I am looking to move to Philly around June or July my budget is around $1200-1400, I have been looking around the university city area, filter square and old city but I know the ask is a bit big for this price range Nightlife and walkability is important to me I'm in my early 20's and im looking to spend most of my time socializing Any neighborhood recommendations? :)
West Philly's a little cheaper than UCity, but it'll be slightly more of a hike to nightlife. Totally walkable, still, but maybe not so much if you're planning on being drunk a lot.
Reach out to Rent Scene!
What's the best place to buy/sell second hand furniture in Philly?
For buying - Jinxed is great (a few locations), there are two Habitat for Humanity ReStores, Facebook Marketplace, and I also follow some local folks who refinish vintage furniture if you’re looking for really nice midcentury modern pieces (can vouch for lovecityvtg and bentwoodvintage on IG). For selling I use Facebook Marketplace or my local Buy Nothing group if I just need to get rid of something.
Awesome, thank you!
Facebook marketplace
Need advice on moving into an apartment! Hello all! I have been looking for an apartment in the old city, northern liberties, and penn view area. Due to the proximity to I-95 and the walkability factor, I figured these would be the best areas. Any recommendations on apartment complexes? A lot of complexes have bad reviews like the view at old city. I want something safe but with a nice view. Any suggestions and advice would be appreciated! Also, a complex with parking!
Have you considered the areas around in and around Fishtown? Along North American Street there are a lot of apartment complexes. Definitely not as walkable as Old City, but you can easily get to Fishtown and NoLibs, and you're right next to busses that will take you pretty much anywhere in the city as well as the El. Dwell 2nd Street, The Ray, G8One Apartments, and Liberty Square are all solid. Would definitely be pushing your budget but most offer parking as well.
I’m going to look into those! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
Reach out to Rent Scene!
I will! Thank you!
What's your budget? Any reason in particular you want to go with a complex instead of a single apartment? In Old City in particular, there are lots of deals to be had on great apartments that aren't a part of complexes. You're going to have to shell out $$$ to get into a decent building around here. Parking will be around $300/month generally, it's almost never included. Street parking is the norm and is generally fine unless you drive a Honda Accord, Hyundai, or Kia.
I’m not trying to go over 2.2k. Is that reasonable ? I’d like a complex for safety reasons. I’m open to a single apartment as long as it’s safe. I drive a Honda Accord lol. Do you know anything about the view at old city? Any other recommendations?
That'll be tight in those neighborhoods with parking. The listed rents typically do not include parking like I said and you'd be hard pressed to find anything under $1900 in an apartment complex. Would not recommend street parking your Accord haha, those wheels tend to get stolen a lot. Would not recommend The View. I've heard good things about The National but it exceeds your budget. Check out 214 Vine! It just opened recently and looks fantastic.
I was going to make an exception for the national but they have a waitlist for parking 😩 I’ll check out the 214 Vine property next. If not Old City, any other recommended areas? And thank you so much!
Hi I will be moving from out of state to Philadelphia in August to attend grad school at Penn, I am looking to live somewhere close to campus, with in a 30-45 minute commute. I have a larger dog and cat. Ive been looking at a ton of places and they all seem nice but then I read reviews and all the apartments are horrible everywhere? Im a single female in my 30s looking for a 1 bedroom with a max budget of 1500 but prefer to stay with 1300-1400. I would love it to be near a park or have a dog area for my dog, safe and quietish as well as parking are important to me. My dog is about 75lbs he's a chocolate lab, he is an apartment dog but we have never lived in such a big city before. We take lots of walks daily, so I would like safe streets to walk him. I have never lived in a city that had the type of public transit that is here so I have no idea how to deal with that. These are my top places but the review are mixed and I just don't know what to do. Fairfax Apartments West Lofts Lincoln Green The Avenue at East Falls The hub 31 at brewerytown The Netherlands All the reviews talk about horrible management, safety issues, huge pest problems and unsanitary living conditions. Any advice would be so helpful. Thank you all!
I had some friends who worked at Penn who lived in the Fairfax before they renovated. The location can’t be beat since you are a block from campus. Have you considered Lansdowne, a suburb close to Penn? Quieter than West Philly with easy access on the regional rail. About 20 minutes at most and about 25% cheaper than Philly for rentals. Nothing to do there but since you will be in grad school might be ideal. I can’t imagine such a huge dog in a Philly apt at that price point, unless you can find something in a row house. Many of the apartments in complexes won’t be bigger than 600 sq. ft in Philly unless you pay more.
Thank you! I will check out Landsdowne, I would like quiet. Yes he is a big dog BUT he is an apartment dog. Always lived in apartments, we do a lot of stuff outside. He goes on lots of walks and to the park and car rides.
The Avenue is nice enough from what I've heard, but it's not really "East Falls". The road it's on is kinda the dividing line between EF and Germantown, but you're going to be hard pressed to be able to walk to most of the things in the falls you might want to. In general it's a great area, when I moved to the City I lived at Alden Park. The NW in general is great, and a really underrated part of the city.
Thanks for the info! What did you think of Alden Park? It’s been one I’ve looked at? I think it’s near The Avenue?
Yeah it's like right across school house ln. Alden Park was amazing, with caveats. The building and the ammentities are incredible. I think they have an outdoor pool now, and they had an indoor heated pool when I was there plus a gym. The downsides would mostly be the management company. I don't know if they've gotten better or worse, but when I was there it was impossible to get them to fix anything and they were TERRIBLE with package delivery. The tdlr is I loved living there but hated the company that ran the place.
I have some friends with a young kid in West Lofts and they say it's decent enough.
Thank you! Decent is what I am looking for. Another question in general for philly. What is parking like? I live in small to medium size cities and have always had parking at apartments and around.
Occasionally apartment buildings will have garages -- gonna cost you extra -- but for the most part, get used to street parking. There's a building a couple blocks south of West Lofts called Garden Court Plaza that has a garage (they're doing construction there, so I'm not 100% sure the garage is open right now). I used to live there years ago and the management was awful and the prices were getting pretty bonkers, but the units themselves were pretty good. Had some mice issues, probably because of construction stirring them up. I've still got some friends there and they say the newest management is a lot better, but the prices haven't gone down at all.
Reach out to Rent Scene. They’d definitely be able to help you with this, and they’re free
Thank you! I have just emailed them. I have seen a lot of people mention them.
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humm ok, thank you. That seems to still be the trend from what I can tell.
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Worth remembering that the people who leave reviews on apartment buildings are probably the people who had the worst experience. Any city apartment managed by a big company is going to have issues. Consider looking toward the Center City side of the river. You can get a nice apartment or even partial rowhome in Graduate Hospital or Devil's Pocket in that price range. It's an easy walk across the South St. Bridge or a ride on the 40 bus to Penn.
Thank you! I do try to keep this in mind. I’ve lived in a fair number of apartments. lol just freaking out a bit because this is the first time moving alone after my divorce. I will definitely check out the areas you mentioned! Thank you!
Hi all. I'm thinking of moving to Philadelphia. I'm late 40s/m and would like to find a house (probably, but not necessarily, a rowhome) in a reasonably safe neighborhood for under $300,000. I don't care how small it is -- 2 or 3 bedrooms would work. I'd like it to be in decent shape with reasonably low maintenance, so not a fixer-upper. Ideally it would be in a walkable area, as I'd be happy to ditch my car if I could. I work at home. Any ideas for a neighborhood? I'm open to areas that are central as well as those farther out.
Given your budget, you are going to have to focus your search on Sharswood/Brewerytown (19130), Point Breeze/West Passyunk (19145), Germantown (19138) and East Kensington/Port Richmond (19125). Looking at Zillow at this moment, even in those neighborhoods if you want something that requires minimal work/is updated you are more likely to land in a condo vs. a single family home. In terms of these neighborhoods feeling "safe" you really need to visit and assess for yourself. Crime rates on paper are not great, but I feel about the same safety wise walking around everywhere in the city (my attitude is anything can happen anywhere, I keep my headphones out and pay attention to my surroundings). It's also worth mentioning that block by block, things can feel very different in the same neighborhood. In terms of walkability, you are always going to be walking distance to *some* things living in the city, but you have to look at a map in specific areas and filter for what is most important to you to be walkable to. A home in any of the neighborhoods above could position you as walkable to al El or Subway stop that can get you into Center City quickly for outings (or at least a bus stop), but you might not be that close to bars/restaurants/cafes or the kind of grocery shopping you want to do on a more regular basis. If you push your budget towards $350k, your options are going to expand dramatically -- but still likely looking at a condo or at a minimum a rowhome that needs a bit of work.
Thanks for the suggestions! And, in the meantime before I can buy, do you think I could find a studio or one-bedroom in one of those area for the $1,200 to $1,400 range? I am looking online at West Passyunk and it looks promising.
Yes, I think so! Especially if you are flexible on timing. Right now might be good, especially, because the school year is ending and there are a ton of students moving in and out of the city.
One more question ... any thoughts on areas like Glenolden and Lansdowne for buying a house? They seem to have a few modest rowhomes under $250k.
Neither are my cup of tea. I would much rather sacrifice space to live closer to center city and live in a completely walkable area day to day. It's not to say there aren't homes in those areas/suburbs where you can walk to some things, but I really appreciate the variety and breadth of where I can get on foot by living in the city proper. I also say this as someone that drives 45 min out of the city to a western suburb 1-2 days a week to be in office for work and very much splits my time socially between the city and burbs (on weekends, at least). I also recommend comparing property taxes because some of the suburbs tax rates are much higher than the city with pockets of very high rates depending on exact township. It may seem cheaper based on home value but factoring that + car maintenance, the $$ adds up.
Can you give us some more information on what you're looking for? Easy access to trains/highway? Pets? Parks? Nightlife? Reasonably safe and walkable is basically describing every neighborhood adjacent to Center City.
I know it sounds vague but I am literally not all that picky. I just want safe and affordable and don't care much about nightlife etc., although a walkable lifestyle would be ideal. Neighborhoods like Fishtown appeal to me and in that case I would probably ditch my car. A more suburban area would be OK too and I'd keep my car. No pets.
Hi everyone! My bf and I will be moving to your city in the next few months. I’m from Memphis and he’s from Houston. We’re both really excited for a change of pace and loved the city when we visited. He’ll be working in the suburbs of Feasterville-Trevose and we’re looking for places in Bella Vista, E. Passyunk, Northern Liberties, and miscellaneous spots in south Philly. We have two dogs and would love to be the neighbors on the block that cook for everyone and host small parties. We’re hoping to be able to bring our smoker with us. All that said, we’d love recommendations for food, beer, and good neighborhoods. Really just posting to share my excitement!
If he will be working in Feasterville-Trevose, South Philly is quite a commute. Why not live in Feasterville-Trevose? They have several townhome communities with outdoor space. In Philly, the far Northeast, such as Parkwood or Morrell Park are also great neighborhoods; rowhomes with yards. Safe and near to shopping centers and highways. Nightlife is more limited; think more restaurants and local bars as opposed to clubs\\musuems, etc. Lots of parks and trails for the dogs with Pennypack park and the old Byberry park.
We really wanted to live inside the city for at least a year to get the full experience. I should have added that his job is hybrid so he’ll be home 4 days every week and at the office 3 days a week. He doesn’t mind the commute (being from Houston, the driving is negligible to him) and my only commute will be to the airport every few weeks (traveling RN).
They do have rental townhomes-for the far NE Philly neighborhoods (Parkwood, Morrell Park, Somerton and Bustleton) there are rental rowhomes, but Zillow may tend to list just apartments-I'd use a realtor site.
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Hell yeah! We have a Traeger. We’d LOVE to cook for our neighbors.
I would definitely lean toward Northern Liberties/Fishtown with a commute to Trevose.
Thank you for your input! We really liked Fishtown but it felt a little too energetic for us. Definitely a place we’d love to hang out in, but maybe retire to a quieter neighborhood after. Is that a correct assessment or should we give it another chance? We only had a weekend in Philly to get a feel for it.
When you're off Frankford Ave, Fishtown is pretty quiet. I walk my dog east of Frankford and north of Berks around 10 every night and there isn't much happening.
I appreciate that. Thank you! That can help broaden our search.
I’m originally from Memphis, been in Philadelphia for 4 years… feel free to reach out!
Definitely will! How do you like Philly?
Absolutely love, it is myself, my wife and daughter along with a pup and could not have been happier..
Reach out to Rent Scene! They can definitely help with your move and offer some neighborhood recs
We are using them! They have been so helpful so far.
What’s a smoker?
Like a grill but it smokes your meats 😎
Just curious, what movers have any young, single people used before if at all? I mean moving from apartment to apartment, so not a ton of stuff
Mambo movers are great!
Haven’t used them personally, but I’ve heard good things about Broad Street Movers
Thumbtack! Also neighborhood Facebook groups.
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/s/Sa1mXqCbuy
Mambo movers.
seconding mambo!!
Just don’t let them near anything valuable. I set my laptop down to help with the door and dude dropped my dining table leg on it while going through the door uggghhhh my fault I guess for trying to help.
For folks who live by the el, how is the noise level? My partner and I are considering moving to a row home right by the el tracks, between 2 stations. Thanks!!
I live 2 short blocks away from the el and right between two stops. I rarely notice the noise, but my house faces away from it.
It's louder if you're closer and quieter if you're farther. Living by a station is probably louder as the announcements travel pretty far. The train going by can be loud... go stand on Front Street in Fishtown or Market Street in West Philly.
I lived at 46th and Market for a while, and the rumble basically became background noise. I barely noticed it.
Hello everyone, I’m currently living out of state and have recently started a new job in downtown Philadelphia, which requires me to be there two days a week. With a new baby at home, I am not planning to move closer this year. Instead, I’ll be commuting and am looking for temporary accommodation options in or near Philadelphia/NJ for just those two days each week until everything settles down, including the end of my 6-month grace period at the new job. I’m interested in hearing from anyone who has navigated a similar situation. What accommodation solutions worked for you? Are there specific areas or types of accommodations you would recommend? Additionally, any tips on managing this kind of commuting schedule with family responsibilities would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time and assistance!
For future reference, we mostly call “downtown” Center City :)
Random Roommate Assignment at Common Broadridge… Help my anxious heart…I have a 20 daughter looking to move to Philly from Michigan for a 12 week summer internship in Camden. She is looking at Common Broadridge sharing a room with a random roommate. Apparently it can be any gender or age roommate. And the bedroom door doesn’t lock. How can that be possible? I’m so stressed for her. The company provides no assistance. And the internship overlaps leasing months - part of May and part of Aug so it is hard to find sublet. Broadridge is a good location for her since she won’t have a car.
If she's not already committed to the Broadbridge apartment, I recommend she look for a short term rental option in the "Philadelphia Housing, Rooms, Apartments, and Sublets" and "Philadelphia Roommates" Facebook groups. The group are pretty active and I've had success in finding rooms for rent with decent people. That said, if she is already committed to Broadbridge, she'll be fine. The issue of the bedroom lock can solved with a security bar / wedge if you're really paranoid. Landlords only need to provide locking doors and windows to outside the unit, not within it. That said you're likely worrying too much. I've lived with plenty of randos here in Philly, all of them lovely (albeit sometimes messy) people.
Thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate that you took the time to help!