Tell me areas to avoid in Philadelphia (apartment, renting)

[tracyvand]

Hi,
My daughter just moved to Fishtown. She has to take public transportation (2 subways - switching in City Center) that takes about an hour to get to her work at the Navy Yard.

She lived in San Francisco for 2 years and Philadelphia is much different. Are the subways safe? What areas are not safe? What is the most important things to know for safety in this town? Thank you.

[pman]

for the most part, they are safe. always be aware though. what really adds time, no doubt, is that she has to transfer to a bus to get to the navy yard. perhaps next time she will consider moving to south philly which would cut her commute dramatically or even spring garden (assuming she rents). nothing on her commute is particularly bad. frankford outside of the terminal is a bit rough but the terminal itself is pretty safe.

[tracyvand]

She is paying $500 plus utilities (about $80) for a room in an apartment in Fishtown. She shares the living area and kitchen. Two other girls and a guy in the cellar also share the apartment. Do you think this is a reasonable rate for the area?

[Marius Pontmercy]

Depends where exactly in Fishtown, but yeah, that's a pretty good price from my experience with friends renting in that neighborhood.

I second pman's suggestion though, South Philly or somewhere like Spring Garden near the BSL would cut down the commute time a lot.

[robkaos]

Fishtown is relatively safe. However, the surrounding areas North and West of her -- known as the Kensington area are not safe by any means. Tell her to avoid these areas. I second the notion on South Philly, which would cut her commute considerably as she'd only have to take the Broad Street Line.

[rainrock]

Id also recommend South Philly, Center City/University City. An hour commute on 2 subways is ridiculous and not to startle you but in all honesty there are some seriously dysfunctional neighborhoods not too far from Fishtown, as others have mentioned.

Given her living arrangements(shared housing) she may be able to find a similar deal in Center City/University City which is one of the safest areas in the city and much more fun and vibrant.

Good luck. I'm sure her coworkers at the Navy Yard can offer some sound advice concerning where to live. Also Maybe try Craigslist sublet/room sharing. There are usually alot of adds for college students/grad students/medical students looking to share expenses in and around Center City/University City.

[LibraGirl123]

One of our posters, Dorydorado, made up this Philadelphia Safety map. I think you'll find it helpful:

Philadelphia County Safety Map - Google Maps

[bkvillian718]

i've been to philly twice. All i can say is STAY OUT OF NORTH PHILLY.

[tracyvand]

Thanks for all the replies. Unfortunately, she really likes her roommates etc. and she promised them she would stay until May so I seriously doubt she will relocate.

I guess she will just have to deal with the commute. Is public transportation relatively safe between Fishtown and the Navy Yard? She hasn't had any problem so far. She travels halfway home with a friend from work.

Maybe we can lend her a car now and then cause it's just until May.

Thanks again.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by tracyvand

Is public transportation relatively safe between Fishtown and the Navy Yard?
Thanks again.

Assuming she's just taking the Broad Street Line to the Market-Frankford Line...it's sort of a weird question. There's a combined ridership of 300,000 people between the two lines. With any group of 300,000 people, you're pretty much going to have all sorts of people. I don't know any people who actually use public transportation are scared of it...

I have never owned a car, and have taken public transit regularly for...6 years? I only saw one crime on public transit anywhere, and it was on the light rail in Minneapolis,Minnesota...a woman had a purse snatched, at which point about 10 people tackled the purse snatcher and returned the woman's purse. If I was a criminal, the train would really be the last place I would go to commit a crime. Not that it never happens, like I pointed out above...but you have to be a pretty dumb criminal to commit a crime in front of hundreds of witnesses, plenty of whom don't have a problem sticking up for themselves or other human beings.