16th and Wallace (Fairmount area) safety? (Philadelphia, Girard: new house, safe area, school)

[Kleigh1]

I'm a 24 year old female moving to Philly from Seattle for nursing school. I'm looking at a place on 16th and Wallace and am wondering if this is a safe area. I won't have a car and will be commuting to Drexel's Center City campus on 15th and Race.

[RightonWalnut]

At 16th and Wallace I think you will be fine. However, this is right on the edge of where North Philadelphia starts to get rundown. These areas certainly are not the worst areas of the city, which you start to get into once you get up near Temple University.

It starts to get a little sketchy around Fairmount/Ridge Avenue just a few blocks North of this location. However, this area is quickly gentrifying (it is known as Francisville). Also, the other side of Broad Street can get sketchy, but is also gentrifying. This area is known as West Poplar or Spring Arts.

I think you'll be fine at 16th and Wallace however. Someone coming from Seattle, the nearby areas may worry you, but as long as you use extra caution at night and don't leave anything in your car, you will be fine.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by RightonWalnut

At 16th and Wallace I think you will be fine. However, this is right on the edge of where North Philadelphia starts to get rundown. These areas certainly are not the worst areas of the city, which you start to get into once you get up near Temple University.

It starts to get a little sketchy around Fairmount/Ridge Avenue just a few blocks North of this location. However, this area is quickly gentrifying (it is known as Francisville). Also, the other side of Broad Street can get sketchy, but is also gentrifying. This area is known as West Poplar or Spring Arts.

I think you'll be fine at 16th and Wallace however. Someone coming from Seattle, the nearby areas may worry you, but as long as you use extra caution at night and don't leave anything in your car, you will be fine.

I've lived very near there for almost 20 years which is going back to the time when it was decidedly more sketchy than it is now. She'll be fine if she follows your advice.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Kleigh1

I'm a 24 year old female moving to Philly from Seattle for nursing school. I'm looking at a place on 16th and Wallace and am wondering if this is a safe area. I won't have a car and will be commuting to Drexel's Center City campus on 15th and Race.

You can easily walk, if you are so inclined, between 15th and Race from 16th and Wallace, in about 15 minutes or less.

The number 2 Septa bus might work for you. It runs northbound on 16th St and southbound on 17th St.

Or you might find using the subway(Broad St Line)more efficient. Either the Fairmount or Spring Garden stops
are the ones closest to 16th and Wallace. Your destination stop would be Race-Vine. Small caveat, only local trains stop at Fairmount. All trains(local, express, special) stop at Spring Garden and Race-Vine.

[Kleigh1]

Thanks for all the info! Is it a pretty decent area to walk to either the Fairmount or Spring Garden stop or to walk all the way to 15th and Race? I stayed with a friend who lives on 15th and Girard when I visited not too long ago and didn't feel terribly comfortable walking to the subway alone, especially after dark, so I'm hoping it's a better area than that.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Kleigh1

Thanks for all the info! Is it a pretty decent area to walk to either the Fairmount or Spring Garden stop or to walk all the way to 15th and Race? I stayed with a friend who lives on 15th and Girard when I visited not too long ago and didn't feel terribly comfortable walking to the subway alone, especially after dark, so I'm hoping it's a better area than that.

Girard is the "border", kinda, that the other poster was talking about. I have lived in the city, as I said, for a long time and I don't feel any discomfort there. But, yes, I can see why someone unfamiliar with it, like you, would.

Yes, 16th and Wallace is better. As the other poster mentioned the immediate area is getting better through gentrification. If you use the subway, I would use the Spring Garden station. It's fairly new. Renovated not too long ago. I use it a lot. Again all the trains stop there. Just walk south on 16th, past Mt Vernon, Green, Brandywine, make a left on Spring Garden. The station is at Broad and Spring Garden Sts. It's about a 5 minute walk to the station for you.

If you walk, just walk south on 16th to Race, then turn left on Race to 15th. Do the reverse on a return trip. I've walked it to exactly where you are going , and back, dozens of times with no problems. The biggest danger might be some of our more nutball drivers. There's an entrance to an expressway on 16th so there's lots of traffic during afternoon/evening rush hour.

Also, as I think you know, your school is in Center City(what we call our downtown). Probably the safest part of the entire city.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Kleigh1

Thanks for all the info! Is it a pretty decent area to walk to either the Fairmount or Spring Garden stop or to walk all the way to 15th and Race? I stayed with a friend who lives on 15th and Girard when I visited not too long ago and didn't feel terribly comfortable walking to the subway alone, especially after dark, so I'm hoping it's a better area than that.

Also there are a LOT of people your age in Center City and the neighborhoods surrounding it. One of our neighborhoods, Northern Liberties, is on some Internet list for the best hipster places in the world. Dunno if you are interested in that kind of thing, though.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Kleigh1

Thanks for all the info! Is it a pretty decent area to walk to either the Fairmount or Spring Garden stop or to walk all the way to 15th and Race? I stayed with a friend who lives on 15th and Girard when I visited not too long ago and didn't feel terribly comfortable walking to the subway alone, especially after dark, so I'm hoping it's a better area than that.

I forgot something else!

Look at septa.org for the subway(broad street line)and number 2 bus for schedules and other pub trans info.

[Better Than You]

Originally Posted by Kleigh1

I'm a 24 year old female moving to Philly from Seattle for nursing school. I'm looking at a place on 16th and Wallace and am wondering if this is a safe area. I won't have a car and will be commuting to Drexel's Center City campus on 15th and Race.

It's not terrible, but be very careful walking to and from 16th and Wallace in the dark. Me and my g/f have spent many a night sitting in front of Kellianne's, people watching ... plenty of unsavory critters roaming north of Spring Garden.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Better Than You

It's not terrible, but be very careful walking to and from 16th and Wallace in the dark. Me and my g/f have spent many a night sitting in front of Kellianne's, people watching ... plenty of unsavory critters roaming north of Spring Garden.

It's fine. I live less than a block away from Kellianne's. Kellianne's, years ago, used to be a source of problems because of under age drinking and the live music they used to feature a couple of nights a week. That's been over with for about 10 years.

Someone, for example, built a massive new house at the SE corner of 16th and Green. It used to be a parking lot. I would imagine this home is worth over $1 million. So it's not a dicey as it used to be by any means.