Young Person Moving to Philadelphia: Which area should I live in? (Dupont: city hall, loan)

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by 2e1m5a

Agreed-and it does seem to be unfairly criticized sometimes. Manayunk and "bros" are as synonymous with some as Northern Liberties and "hipsters". Both are stereotyped when the neighborhoods are actually pretty nicely layered and diverse.

Manayunk has the benefits of most NW Philly neighborhoods with great regional rail access, easy access to nature and Fairmount Park and access to most major highways-US 1, I-76, City, Kelly/MLK but it also has the best nightlife/restaurant scene around this part of the city.

West Chester seems very nice and all, but I would think Manayunk is more "neighborhoodly" and obviously it is much closer to the center of the region, being a 10-15 drive from Center City. But West Chester and Conshohocken do seem comparable to Manayunk-even if Manayunk is more urban.

This. It's very clear what Manayunk is and is not, and not everyone is after a neighborhood as bustling as Center City. FWIW, Manayunk gets a lot more criticism on this board than in real life.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by cpomp

My goodness people, where did I say anything negative about West Chester....

Center City is the most vibrant and exciting section of Philadelphia, so when someone asks for excitement I suggest neighborhoods in and around Center City. Manayunk is not what comes to mind when I think of excitement.

Well I never saw the OP use the words "excitement." He did say he wanted an area with a "dense concentration of bars that young people tend to frequent" which is a pretty good description of Manayunk. He also said that he doesn't want to be in the center of the city surrounded by high rises. I agree that Old City is probably the second best option although it might be built up to much for him.

Regarding West Chester you said Manayunk is overrated and equated it with West Chester. I think the point is that West Chester is a good place for a neighborhood to be equated with. I don't see the equation as a negative.

Anyway I am not trying to jump down your throat and I understand your point, however, I think you are matching based on what you think the OP's preferences should be instead of his preferences as stated.

[Becca8377]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

This. It's very clear what Manayunk is and is not, and not everyone is after a neighborhood as bustling as Center City. FWIW, Manayunk gets a lot more criticism on this board than in real life.

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Well I never saw the OP use the words "excitement." He did say he wanted an area with a "dense concentration of bars that young people tend to frequent" which is a pretty good description of Manayunk. He also said that he doesn't want to be in the center of the city surrounded by high rises. I agree that Old City is probably the second best option although it might be built up to much for him.

Regarding West Chester you said Manayunk is overrated and equated it with West Chester. I think the point is that West Chester is a good place for a neighborhood to be equated with. I don't see the equation as a negative.

Anyway I am not trying to jump down your throat and I understand your point, however, I think you are matching based on what you think the OP's preferences should be instead of his preferences as stated.

Agree with both of these completely.

I didn't mention CC neighborhoods because he specifically said no to CC and high rises. In addition, throughout his several (now merged) threads, he was looking for the following:

- Young nightlife (mid 20's)
- Safe
- Preppy, specifically using terms "fratty" and "douchey" to describe areas he likes (helloooo - Kildare's and Mad River!)
- Walking distance to bars/restaurants
- Up to $2000 for rent

He mentioned parking, but if he can afford $2000 in rent then he can afford a parking space in Manayunk in addition to an apartment. Pretty much everything he listed describes Manayunk perfectly. I would maybe say Old City, but agree with PPs about that being built up. Maybe University City or West Philly? But really, Manayunk sounds like a complete slam dunk.

Still very interested to hear why OP doesn't like Manayunk given all of the information.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Well I never saw the OP use the words "excitement." He did say he wanted an area with a "dense concentration of bars that young people tend to frequent" which is a pretty good description of Manayunk. He also said that he doesn't want to be in the center of the city surrounded by high rises. I agree that Old City is probably the second best option although it might be built up to much for him.

Regarding West Chester you said Manayunk is overrated and equated it with West Chester. I think the point is that West Chester is a good place for a neighborhood to be equated with. I don't see the equation as a negative.

Anyway I am not trying to jump down your throat and I understand your point, however, I think you are matching based on what you think the OP's preferences should be instead of his preferences as stated.

I don't dislike Manayunk either.

The only difference is that I don't think West Chester is overrated...because it is in the suburbs.

Its a very nice rather exciting suburban town and waaaayyy nicer than Manayunk.

Since Manayunk is technically Philadelphia, I think it is an overrated neighborhood. (at least on City Data)


If Manayunk were located 20 miles further away and more established than I would not think it is overrated.

Get my point?

[kodachrome919]

So a lot of people are wondering why I didn't like manayunk. Honestly, when I googled pictures and did a little 'exploring' via realtor.com and other websites, the area overall, the 'main street' area, the housing stock, and the local scenery seemed extremely underwhelming and bland. The houses inside and out looked dated, not in a good way, and frankly, rather ugly. As for the main street area, it really didn't seem like an area that would be able to have a kind of energy and excitement that I'd like. I know I previously said I was oppose to being around highrises, but I really wouldn't mind terribly if that meant being in a more high energy area. Another thing that bothered me about manayunk was how removed it looked from the rest of the city. It seemed more like a suburb to me(no offense). I looked up old city and society hill and as far as look of the area and houses go, I am very impressed with those areas. If there is an abundance of young nightlife near those areas, I would likely be leaning more that way than manayunk, although manayunk is still definitely and option. Thanks again.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by kodachrome919

So a lot of people are wondering why I didn't like manayunk. Honestly, when I googled pictures and did a little 'exploring' via realtor.com and other websites, the area overall, the 'main street' area, the housing stock, and the local scenery seemed extremely underwhelming and bland. The houses inside and out looked dated, not in a good way, and frankly, rather ugly. As for the main street area, it really didn't seem like an area that would be able to have a kind of energy and excitement that I'd like. I know I previously said I was oppose to being around highrises, but I really wouldn't mind terribly if that meant being in a more high energy area. Another thing that bothered me about manayunk was how removed it looked from the rest of the city. It seemed more like a suburb to me(no offense). I looked up old city and society hill and as far as look of the area and houses go, I am very impressed with those areas. If there is an abundance of young nightlife near those areas, I would likely be leaning more that way than manayunk, although manayunk is still definitely and option. Thanks again.

Now that you've elaborated on your thoughts, it's clear that if you're willing to overlook your aversion to high rises, Center City is the place for you. Society Hill is a good option because it's a quieter/lower key enclave that's still close to nightlife. Just be prepared to pay for it.

[kodachrome919]

Thanks for the reply. As far as the society hill area goes, is it the case that because of it's relatively high rent, there are fewer younger people living in the area? I'm fine with some diversity in the age department, but I would like to have some people around in their twenties if possible.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by kodachrome919

Thanks for the reply. As far as the society hill area goes, is it the case that because of it's relatively high rent, there are fewer younger people living in the area? I'm fine with some diversity in the age department, but I would like to have some people around in their twenties if possible.

I'm sure there are some people your age living in Society Hill. Most would be priced out unless they have help. Nonetheless you would be a short walk to the bars in Old City and the Bars on South Street. Both of these will have tons of people your age.

[10xleverage]

I've lived in both Old City and Manayunk and they'd both suit your purposes pretty well - happy to answer any questions comparing/contrasting the two. If you're in consulting and spending 4days/wk at the client site you'll have better airport access in Old City.

For nightlife, Manayunk skews noticeably younger/"preppier" than Old City in aggregate. The latter definitely has a more eclectic crowd but there's a number of good bars for our age group.

Honestly, if I could do it all over again, I'd have lived in Rittenhouse Square. It's where the most action is, it's where many of your friends will live/work if they're in consulting/accounting/finance/law, where that crowd will have happy hour, etc. The only reason I don't live there now is because I'm getting an excellent deal in my current spot and I work too many hours to fully enjoy it anyway.

[kodachrome919]

@10xleverage

As far as nightlife is concerned, is there any significant difference between getting to the young bar areas from either Rittenhouse Square or Old City? I really like the housing/architecture style in Old City, but I also wouldn't want to trade that for having less access to areas where similar people to myself would be hanging out/going out. In other words, is it a hassle to get from Old City to the Rittenhouse Square area? Is it walkable? Thanks!