Job Offer in Philly-Need help selecting a neighborhood! (Philadelphia, Penn: to rent, insurance)

[vanvan25]

Hey All! I'm hoping to get some advice for philly bloggers I've been offered a great job in center city east and am looking to move up there by next month. I have no clue as to which is a safe neighborhood for a 25yo moving from Atlanta, Ga. My budget is about 1000-1200/month for a 1 bed/1 bath apt. In order to stay within my budget (maybe a little under budget) I've looked at The Victor Lofts in Camden but given what I have read in these blogs I'm a bit freaked out by the crime in the area. I guess here is what I need to know:

1. Is the surrounding area of The Victor Lofts safe?
2. How safe is the walk from The Victor Lofts to the nearest PATCO station?
3. What is a safe Philly neighborhood, if I decide to move to Philly instead?
4. Is it worth having a car in Philadelphia?

Last but not least and completely off topic... I'm am negotiating salary... what is a good salary range to have in order to live comfortably in Philadelphia?

Thanks!!

Vanvan

[kidphilly]

Salary range is all perspective, i suggest looking at comparables for experience and your job.

In terms of the Victor Lofts - I suggest finding someplace in Center City walk to and forgo Patco - the cost savings in patco may cover the difference in rent. Plus you can basically walk to everything, there isnt much in Camden in terms of nightlife so you would find yourslef trekiing back to city for entertainment. Plus in CC you can mostly walk to everything.

Mostly any of the center city neighborhoods will do, but depending on your job you can dictate the best area.

This link may help

Center City District / Central Philadelphia Development Corporation Of Philadelphia

[jm02]

Concur with above. As a young guy, I don't think you'd be happy in Camden knowing all the action is across the river. Not only would you be boarding PATCO to commute - you'd be paying again to return for your entertainment. Center City feels fairly "safe" to me. There are typically people out and about - crime tends to occur in more isolated areas. We own a place, but I suspect you can afford to rent a 1/1 your price range in CC. The neighborhoods just south (Bella Vista and Queen Village) might also be worth looking into.

As for a car - we walk everywhere. we kept one only to sue for occasional weekend get-ways. Car sharing services are available for occasions when you feel you might need one. Unless you plan to use a car a lot, this would be much cheaper than gasoline, maintenance, insurance, parking, etc.

Best of luck.

[Fulham]

I agree with the previous posts, you would be much happier and safer living in Philly as opposed to commuting from Jersey. Your age and price range seem perfectly compatible with a lot of safe and fun Philadelphia neighborhoods, I would look into the Northern Liberties/Fishtown area, rent here is still fairly reasonable and the area is full of bars and restaurants as well as a brand new supermarket (a big deal for the residents because the area had been lacking one for so long) and two subway stops from which you can get to center city in ten minutes. The area is also just north of Old City (the Eastern portion of Center City). As someone mentioned before Queen Village is also a great area to the South of Old City, and University City/West Philly also has some really nice spots, but the area is also full of students during the school year because it's home to Penn, Drexel, University of the Sciences, and The Restaurant School, so if that's not your scene you probably won't be interested. As far as having a car is concerned, I would say don't bother if you're living in Center City because everything is walkable but it might come in handy if you choose to live in the aforementioned neighborhoods, but it is by no means a necessity, I should mention that parking can be a nightmare in South Philadelphia and Center City, but it's manageable in most other places. Hope this helps you out a bit.