philadelphia question (safe areas) (Washington, Newtown: how much, safest area, universities)

[ecan5939]

Hi-
I will be moving to the bucks county area....i grew up in Newtown. I will most likely be working as a pharmacist in a retail setting. I haven't been down in the city for quite a few years. What would be the safest areas....if any....for a female pharmacist to be working? I don't want to agree to take a job where I won't feel safe to walk to my car.
Thanks

[phillies2011]

Originally Posted by ecan5939

Hi-
I will be moving to the bucks county area....i grew up in Newtown. I will most likely be working as a pharmacist in a retail setting. I haven't been down in the city for quite a few years. What would be the safest areas....if any....for a female pharmacist to be working? I don't want to agree to take a job where I won't feel safe to walk to my car.
Thanks

Haha did you think there was perhaps no area in the city in which a woman could work and feel safe?

basically all of center city and the surrounding nabes. Basically river to river from Washington to Spring Garden should feel safe for anyone. Heading south below Washington you can do down a lot further east of Broad, whereas it starts to get dicey a lot quicker on the western side of broad. Heading north, if you're close to the art museum it's pretty decent for quite a while past spring garden, same on the other side of town in Northern liberties, but closer to broad street I would understand if some would feel uncomfortable walking to their car alone at night.

The area around the sports stadiums is also nice, the immediate areas surrounding the major universities is safe, as is a very large percentage of the northeast.

There are exceptions to the rule though as well as other nice neighborhoods, chestnut hill, etc though so it's probably best to just post where you believe you might be working and people familiar with the area can easily tell you whether it's safe, sort of safe, or flat out somewhere you don't want to work.

asking for all the safe areas in the city based around your standards (someone none of us know and you don't give much to help us judge your street sense and comfort levels) can be extreamly difficult, although I will assure you that plenty of such areas do exist.

When you seriously consider a job, just ask, although the information I gave you above as a general rule of thumb is mostly accurate.

[ecan5939]

I am moving back from rural maine...anything is more urban than where I am now To hear my parents talk and to read the news....you wouldn't be able to step one foot outside your car. Up in rural maine there are plenty of pharmacy robberies so I guess you never know. I haven't been down in the city for a long time....like 15 years. I am waiting to hear the area. The last place in Philadelphia I was was around Temple...so I was hoping it all wasn't like that

[ecan5939]

Ok...Just found out store would be on West Lehigh Ave....after looking at map I m thinking it isn't to promising

[phillies2011]

Originally Posted by ecan5939

Ok...Just found out store would be on West Lehigh Ave....after looking at map I m thinking it isn't to promising

Yea I mean the boundaries I laid out were very conservative so just because a location is beyond what I described as safe doesn't mean you should automatically avoid it. That being said, if you're looking for safe, west lehigh avenue is def not that. I'd keep on looking.

Also keep in mind, although your parents live nearby without any first hand experience that proximity is pretty useless. There are many places in the city where it is safe and beautiful. Those murders your parents see on the news every night often tell the story of a few terrible neighborhoods not the whole city. At the same time those murders are happening somewhere and the last thing you want is work where they are. Don't take a job on west lehigh.

Speaking of temple, if the last time you saw the area was 15 years ago you should see if now, the area has definitely changed for the better in that time.

[frankgn87]

The only section I would feel safe for my wife walking to her car late after work would be way up North.. Somerton section..

[phillies2011]

Moderator Cut

Listen if someone comes on and and says "I'm considering living (or working) in Philadelphia or one of it's suburbs, what are the pros and cons of both?" feel free to come on and push the suburbs and their safety over the culture and amenities of the city. It's a reasonable debate between suburbs and the city, each with their own pros and cons. But if someone comes on and asks where in the city they should live or work and does not mention the suburbs as option, just walk away, because your limited advice helps no one in that situation.

[FindingZen]

Let's return to helping the Original Poster and not engaging in a familiar, circular debate.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by ecan5939

The last place in Philadelphia I was was around Temple...so I was hoping it all wasn't like that

You will be surprised to see how much Temple has changed in 15 years.