(another) relo question Balt-to-Philly (price, places, trip)

[Becca8377]

I live in Manayunk - any questions, feel free to send them my way You can def find a house within your range here. I had looked at a place that was completely gutted top to bottom, brand new everything, 3 bed rowhome, and it was listed at $220 I believe. I'd say parking in Manayunk is way worse than NoLibs. I do have a car but only drive it a few times per month, so I don't mind parking it blocks away and walking to my house. Not sure if you saw, but there is a dog park at Pretzel Park. It's not huge, but it works. Plus the trail along the river is great too. Manayunk is very VERY dog friendly, one of the many reasons I chose to live here (I have 3 dogs). It's a real mix of people - college kids, grad students, young professionals, families, etc. I love it and don't plan on leaving Yunk for the foreseeable future

[Jim_dawg]

Becca,

Thanks so much for your reply! My wife and I really liked your city village.

We saw the town on Sunday and parking didn't look that bad, I can say it looked better vs. Baltimore on sundays no one drives in our hood and we parked on main st, near the church, and in front of 2 or 3 houses.

The trail looked awesome, any safety concerns if we're walking w/ dogs? I doubt it but just checking.

How bad are hills with ice / snow? They looked a little scary.

We enjoy wine, a cocktail, and dining out but don't want to be stuck with the fraternity-age crowd. Are there a decent amount of 30's and 40's folks around?

- I think so based on short visit but some people online say it is a after college crowd only

Overall how is crime in the town? ( considering we live in Balt which has a very big drug problem and a higher murder rate vs. philly)

Should we avoid homes w/ baseboard heat and/or registers?

My wife works from home (her client is in Valley Forge), so this may be helpful for her travel! However, I travel a lot and she likes to get involved in local stuff (dog therapy group, local community assoc, group yoga, etc.). Would you say there are amble things for her there?

Since I fly do you know best way to get to philly airport and times? Train would be awesome if possible.

Some say local are a little standoffish. Do you agree?
We move a lot and have no problem making efforts to meet folks.

Do we have to pay city tax? Any idea on %?

Sorry this is a little long... Thanks for your help

Jim

[Becca8377]

Originally Posted by Jim_dawg

We saw the town on Sunday and parking didn't look that bad, I can say it looked better vs. Baltimore on sundays no one drives in our hood and we parked on main st, near the church, and in front of 2 or 3 houses.

Parking is definitely better in the summer due to college kids not being around. I have a friend that drives his car every day and he can find parking here, although sometimes it takes a while. You get used to it and normally get into a routine. I have a few streets I check and if there's nothing there, I have my go-to street that's about 5 blocks away.

The trail looked awesome, any safety concerns if we're walking w/ dogs? I doubt it but just checking.

Nah, just don't go falling in the river The trail actually goes all the way up to Norristown and follows the river down to the city. I haven't done the whole thing yet, but enjoy going for strolls when I have the time.

How bad are hills with ice / snow? They looked a little scary.

Yeah... about that Philly does NOT know how to handle snow. I moved here from Syracuse. Snow cripples this city and it's super frustrating. The hill SUCKS! Solution = don't live up the hill. I live at the bottom of the hill and was so thankful this winter because the snow/ice was awful.

We enjoy wine, a cocktail, and dining out but don't want to be stuck with the fraternity-age crowd. Are there a decent amount of 30's and 40's folks around?
- I think so based on short visit but some people online say it is a after college crowd only

I will be 30 in a few months and I have several friends here that are low to mid 30's, so it really is a mixed bag. My one friend gave me the best advice when I moved here - stay away from Kildare's and Mad River and you'll be fine. Those are the college "bro" bars, lol. My favorite place is Lucky's and there is such a variety of bars/restaurants here... even upscale ones like Derek's and the Wine Bar.

Overall how is crime in the town? ( considering we live in Balt which has a very big drug problem and a higher murder rate vs. philly)

Crime is virtually non-existent. Again, one of the reasons I chose the Yunk. I looked at other neighborhoods like NoLibs and Fishtown... and like you said, there are definitely good and bad areas. I can walk around Yunk by myself in the middle of the night and I wouldn't be worried one bit.

Should we avoid homes w/ baseboard heat and/or registers?

Manayunk was originally an 1800s mill town, so most of the homes are older although there is new construction as well. My rowhome is circa 1800's with radiator hear. I've never had radiators before but didn't have a problem this winter. You can sign up for the budget plan for electric/gas which makes your bill the same year round.

My wife works from home (her client is in Valley Forge), so this may be helpful for her travel! However, I travel a lot and she likes to get involved in local stuff (dog therapy group, local community assoc, group yoga, etc.). Would you say there are amble things for her there?

Absolutely! There's several gyms that would have group classes. Manayunk is a huge bicycle town as well, so groups for that. There's an adult sports association that is run by the owner of Cactus bar. Oh and they do free yoga on the pier every week. We have festivals throughout the year - Food Truck fest, Bike Race, Art Fest, etc. Check Manayunk - MNYK - Manayunk.com to see all the happenings

Since I fly do you know best way to get to philly airport and times? Train would be awesome if possible.

You can take the Manayunk/Norristown line to center city and then transfer to the Airport Line from there. Trains don't run 24 hours so if you need to be to the airport super early, your best bet is to get a friend to drive you or a cab. Public transit info is here - SEPTA | Regional Rail Schedules

Some say local are a little standoffish. Do you agree?

Absolutely not. I have found Yunkers (that's what we're called, lol) to be some of the friendliest people around. People are always striking up convos with strangers. I'll play pool with people I've never met before. One time, I was unloading bonfire wood from my truck to my house and I had 2 girls come over and help me. My next door neighbors and I will hang out in our back yards together frequently. It's definitely very neighborhood oriented.

Do we have to pay city tax? Any idea on %?

Yes, Manayunk is a city of Philadelphia neighborhood, so you do pay the full city wage tax. I don't remember what it is off the top of my head, though I'm sure others on the board do. I think it may be different though if you don't work in the city? I never quite understood how it worked, lol

Sorry this is a little long... Thanks for your help

Jim

Not a problem, glad to help!!

[Snwmn5]

Originally Posted by Jim_dawg

Do we have to pay city tax? Any idea on %?

As a city resident you would pay 3.92% city wage tax.

I agree with Becca that people are generally nice in Philly. I grew up here and lived in DC for five years before moving back and find people in Philly to be much more down-to-Earth and kind. Manayunk also has a lot of transplants from the suburbs and other places so you get quite a variety.

[Becca8377]

Whoops, it wasn't free yoga I was thinking about, was free zumba. Here's more stuff going on in Manayunk on Uwishunu - Manayunk | Uwishunu - Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More

[Pine to Vine]

OP - A bit of advice: though I was the one who initially suggested it, before you put all of your marbles in Manayunk, take a look at Passyunk Square area in S Philly. I say this because it will give you a point of contrast to Manayunk: flat, more "adult," quieter, closer to airport and further from Valley Forge. As you can see, some pros, some cons and some "dunno's" depending upon what you like. The real advantage of Passyunk over Manayunk IMO is its proximity to Center City - the nexus of Philly's cultural, dining, shopping and entertainment scene. After checking out Passyunk, if Manayunk's village feel still seems more appealing, you won't have any regrets after you settle there because you turned over a few different stones first.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pine to Vine

OP - A bit of advice: though I was the one who initially suggested it, before you put all of your marbles in Manayunk, take a look at Passyunk Square area in S Philly. I say this because it will give you a point of contrast to Manayunk: flat, more "adult," quieter, closer to airport and further from Valley Forge. As you can see, some pros, some cons and some "dunno's" depending upon what you like. The real advantage of Passyunk over Manayunk IMO is its proximity to Center City - the nexus of Philly's cultural, dining, shopping and entertainment scene. After checking out Passyunk, if Manayunk's village feel still seems more appealing, you won't have any regrets after you settle there because you turned over a few different stones first.

There's another reason why the OP might consider somewhere else to live as charming as Manayunk can be. That reason is flooding via the Schuylkill. People who actually live there, and have experienced it, should be forthright with the OP about their personal experiences with flooding along Main Street and how it has impacted their quality of life. It's only fair to the OP that they should be made aware of it.

[Becca8377]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There's another reason why the OP might consider somewhere else to live as charming as Manayunk can be. That reason is flooding via the Schuylkill. People who actually live there, and have experienced it, should be forthright with the OP about their personal experiences with flooding along Main Street and how it has impacted their quality of life. It's only fair to the OP that they should be made aware of it.

My personal experience - I lived in Manayunk during the latest flood a few months ago. Did it impact my quality of life? Absolutely not. I worked from home that day so I didn't have to worry about getting to/from work. Yes businesses were affected, the worst was the Manayunk Brewing Company which has since rebuilt and reopened last month. If not being able to go on Main St for a day or having one restaurant closed for a month really impacts your quality of life, then you probably shouldn't live in Manayunk No residences were damaged. Any residences along Main St are above storefronts and therefore high enough that flooding wouldn't be a risk.

[Becca8377]

Thought you may like this article - AROUND TOWN: 20 Reasons We Love Living In Manayunk - Manayunk.com

[Jim_dawg]

Thanks all, heading to Philly soon for trip 2, finding some really nice places, better price than i thought.

JS