Single black young professional (Chester, West Chester: to rent, house, neighborhood)

[huxtable101]

I'm sure this has been answered already but I am possibly moving to Philly in a few months. I have been doing research on decent areas to live in but since i have never been there i figured i would ask. I will be working in Spring House and I would like to live in a city where there is a decent nightlife, young professionals, as well as being diverse. I deally i would like to be able to walk to the happening spots. Looking to spend around $800-$1000 a month in rent. Thanks

[Tone509]

Well in terms of young professionals, the closest social scene to Spring House might be Conshohocken. Rents might be on the high side of your range unless you can find a private owner to rent from. I can't really speak on the diversity of the town; some office complexes have sprung up there so there may be a contingent of workers who choose a short commute.

I've also heard that Ambler, which is actually just south of Spring House, is up-and-coming as it's renovating its main drag but it's still relatively sedate.

Other than that, you really would need to come to the city which, while providing various and walkable nightlife options, would be a heckuva commute. Then again, if you're familiar with people commuting from Montclair, NJ up to Manhattan, it may be nothing new to you. Heading south by southeast, you would want to look into: Chestnut Hill (old money but Germantown Avenue is great), Manayunk (popular restaurants and bars inflate the over-valued rents), Center City (our downtown, it doesn't really get any better in Philly) and University City(actually west of Center City but slightly more affordable and laid-back).

IMO, Spring House is too far of a commute from the towns along the Main Line in the western burbs as well as West Chester towards the southwest. Both of those are popular areas for young professionals.

[I'mSoPhilly]

don't look to have too much fun in the nightlife dept... being a young black professional myself, philadelphia is definitely not the place to be for after hours fun... the venues/events that cater to the black crowd are crappy and not at all upscale... there's usually one or two new spots that are cool, but once it becomes a popular hang out you can forget about it... we (my friends and i) often flee to new york and dc when it's time to have real fun... i'm quick to hop to a plane to miami, vegas, etc b/c partying in philly is sooooo depressing lol

[solibs]

Conshohocken and Ambler are fine places.

Mt. Airy would be my suggestion. There aren't really any clubs per se, except for NxNW, but there are restaurants and bars mostly on Germantown Ave. but also scattered throughout the neighborhood. It's not a bad commute to Spring House. I've never done it at rush hour but it's a reverse commute on 309 and shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes.

You'll have to have a car to get there and living in Mt. Airy makes that easier.

I don't know what sort of night life you're after or what you're scene is. Philly is a lot more pub than club to begin with. Philly owns the gastropub movement in this country. There are a few places in Old City and around Rittenhouse that seem to be majority AA but overall Center City nightlife is not white per se but very . . . indo-european. It's not my scene but it could very well be yours. There are a few places that I still go to in Center City but mostly i'm out in South Philly or Northern Liberties/Fishtown.

If you're looking to hop from black club to black club here it'll probably get boring pretty quickly but, if it's your thing, you'll hardly be alone on a saturday night in Center City.

[2dc]

Originally Posted by I'mSoPhilly

don't look to have too much fun in the nightlife dept... being a young black professional myself, philadelphia is definitely not the place to be for after hours fun... the venues/events that cater to the black crowd are crappy and not at all upscale... there's usually one or two new spots that are cool, but once it becomes a popular hang out you can forget about it... we (my friends and i) often flee to new york and dc when it's time to have real fun... i'm quick to hop to a plane to miami, vegas, etc b/c partying in philly is sooooo depressing lol

Couldn't have said it better. Philly just doesn't have the upscale clubs that you find in many other major cities. Like you I often go to DC or NYC or even Atlanta to truly party with "professional" people. I love my hometown but too many of the clubs have the "hood" element to them. As far as where to live I'd recommend Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill, Northern Liberties, or Maybe NJ (Collingswood; Cherry Hill; Willingboro) if you don't mind commuting or paying $4.00 tolls everyday. Center City Philly particularly Queen Village or the Graduate Hospital area is nice and they also have a more neighborhood feel to them. Overall CC is quite busy and always flowing with people so if that's what your looking for than by all means check it out. Just know that rent in CC is kinda expensive, but not NYC or DC expensive....yet
Being that your working in Spring House Mt. Airy as someone else said is your best bet. Check out East Falls also.

[Tone509]

Just so you all know, this thread was started last December and was inadvertently reactivated by a spammer. While the new info may be helpful, the OP has hopefully found a place by now.