Ardmore for a young family? (Philadelphia, Bryn Mawr: apartment, homes, neighborhoods)

[brirush]

My wife and I posted earlier about moving to Philadelphia for a job with Temple. We were looking for an apartment downtown.

New faculty at Temple

We had a lot of great responses (thanks everyone!), but we've done a budget, and there's no way we can go over $1500 a month. We've started looking along the main line; a 30-40 minute regional rail commute would be just fine. But now we don't know which area, and what to look for.

What is a reasonable price to pay for a 2-bedroom in Ardmore? What about Bryn Mawr? It' s hard to know from Craigslist what's good and bad. Also, how's the commute? Are there any shady areas the train passes through? Are there any questions we should be asking but forgot? Thanks!

Thanks!

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by brirush

My wife and I posted earlier about moving to Philadelphia for a job with Temple. We were looking for an apartment downtown.

New faculty at Temple

We had a lot of great responses (thanks everyone!), but we've done a budget, and there's no way we can go over $1500 a month. We've started looking along the main line; a 30-40 minute regional rail commute would be just fine. But now we don't know which area, and what to look for.

What is a reasonable price to pay for a 2-bedroom in Ardmore? What about Bryn Mawr? It' s hard to know from Craigslist what's good and bad. Also, how's the commute? Are there any shady areas the train passes through? Are there any questions we should be asking but forgot? Thanks!

Thanks!

There are no truly shady areas of Ardmore or Bryn Mawr, although some pockets are on the less aesthetically pleasing side. $1500 is probably pushing it for a two bedroom, although there are deals to be had, particularly in older buildings and converted single family homes. Commute by car would be about 20-30 minutes by car into U City (depending on which part). How long it takes by train I can't answer, although I'm sure others can. Note also that you're more likely to find good deals in Haverford than Lower Merion or Radnor. I would also consider Havertown.

What have you found so far and where have you found it?

[refried sushi]

Welcome to Philly. I live right in the area where you are looking and think I can help.

Originally Posted by brirush

What is a reasonable price to pay for a 2-bedroom in Ardmore? What about Bryn Mawr? It' s hard to know from Craigslist what's good and bad. Also, how's the commute? Are there any shady areas the train passes through? Are there any questions we should be asking but forgot? Thanks!

I think your budget is reasonable. A quick check of padmapper tells me there are plenty of 2 bdrms to be had in the $1100-$1400 range, some in decent complexes. (I assume your budget was not including utilities.)Beware of anything too much cheaper, you get what you pay for.

The mainline by-and-large is an excellent place to live, albeit expensive and at times pretentious. That said, there are pockets that are questionable, as HeavenWood alluded to previously. In Ardmore, I would suggest County Line Road and Spring Street SE of Ardmore Ave may not be for everyone. Really though, there are no "bad" neighborhoods on the mainline relative to some of what Philly proper has to offer. You will be fine. You can DM me about specific complexes or streets when you are ready and I'll tell you what I know.

You should expand your search to include Narberth- it is a small boro (separate political entity in the middle of Lower Merion Township) with a cute and very walkable downtown, and right on the train line. Its a bit pricier, but you may get lucky. Worth checking out.

Your commute will be kind of nice. 35 to 40 min on a train, and you will not have to change lines- this is important. Have you factored the price of a two-zone monthly trailpass into your budget? $127/mo.

Good Luck!