Need help deciding between city vs suburbs living

[phillyjawns]

Please also consider Chestnut Hill! It's safe, doesn't have the notoriously bad parking issues of Manayunk, and public transportation provides easy access to Center City and other parts of the city. It offers a nice balance between suburban and urban living (i.e. Center City vs. outer ring suburbs). The ongoing development in Manayunk (increases in residential density, rezoning) will likely make parking/traffic even worse. Chestnut Hill doesn't have the same demographics as Manayunk, which tends to attract a much younger crowd due to the bar scene, but lest us forget that it is basically right next door. I'm only a few years older than you, so I had similar concerns, but Chestnut Hill does seem to be attracting more young professionals these days (anecdotally speaking). Also, Germantown Ave. from Chestnut Hill to Mt. Airy has tons of great shops, and restaurants.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by phillyjawns

Please also consider Chestnut Hill! It's safe, doesn't have the notoriously bad parking issues of Manayunk, and public transportation provides easy access to Center City and other parts of the city. It offers a nice balance between suburban and urban living (i.e. Center City vs. outer ring suburbs). The ongoing development in Manayunk (increases in residential density, rezoning) will likely make parking/traffic even worse. Chestnut Hill doesn't have the same demographics as Manayunk, which tends to attract a much younger crowd due to the bar scene, but lest us forget that it is basically right next door. I'm only a few years older than you, so I had similar concerns, but Chestnut Hill does seem to be attracting more young professionals these days (anecdotally speaking). Also, Germantown Ave. from Chestnut Hill to Mt. Airy has tons of great shops, and restaurants.

OP, I agree with this too. Chestnut Hill is another great option for you. And, yes, young people live there. Like Manayunk you can easily train it to Center City from Chestnut Hill. No need to drive into downtown Philly unless you want to.

If you have time, I would recommend a visit before you decide.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by kyb01

OP, I agree with this too. Chestnut Hill is another great option for you. And, yes, young people live there. Like Manayunk you can easily train it to Center City from Chestnut Hill. No need to drive into downtown Philly unless you want to.

If you have time, I would recommend a visit before you decide.

Chestnut Hill Resident, here. There are some young people, but the neighborhood is mostly families, similar to Ardmore and Bryn Mawr. I'm in my late 20s and happen to enjoy it, but I'm also married and work long hours. Conversely, I would not like living in Manayunk at this stage of my life, though I do enjoy visits.

[phillytransplant13]

I agree, Chestnut Hill is a great option. While there are a lot of families there, it seems more appealing to me than the Main Line. Germantown Ave has lots of great restaurants and shops, and there's several festivals throughout the year. It's convenient to get to Center City with two regional rail lines and a bus route. However, it will add time to the OPs commute as there's only a couple ways to get out of Chestnut Hill heading to Bryn Mawr and both tend to get congested.

[eastwestcoast]

Another option is to live right across the river from Manayunk in one of the new apartment complexes in Bala Cynwyd. The best example of this would be the Royal Athena, which has a private bridge to Manayunk. The rent is probably higher than what you can find on the Philadelphia side, but depending on how much you make, wage tax savings could offset the difference.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by eastwestcoast

Another option is to live right across the river from Manayunk in one of the new apartment complexes in Bala Cynwyd. The best example of this would be the Royal Athena, which has a private bridge to Manayunk. The rent is probably higher than what you can find on the Philadelphia side, but depending on how much you make, wage tax savings could offset the difference.

OP: if you want to have your cake and eat it, too, this looks like your best bet. It looks like there are available apartments for under $1,600.

[phillytransplant13]

I've been inside the Royal Athena. Nice, brand new and there's definitely availability because the last time I checked they were still building. The private bridge allows access to-from Manayunk, via a resident pass. Anyone can bike or walk over. I still believe if you're going to experience Manayunk...just live there...but I have to admit this is the best way to avoid the wage tax while still being close to everything.

[Bostonian625]

Thank you everybody! I'm leaning towards living outside of but close to city borders. It seems that I can get more for my money there and avoid the wage tax. I checked out Royal Athena to you guys' suggestions; it was a beautiful building, but upon going into the unit it was a bit smaller than what I had imagined. For a $1750 unit the bedroom had room for just a bed and nothing more. So unfortunately, we are out on that one. Are there any other complexes you guys would recommend?

Also, does anybody have any thoughts on Conshohocken? Specifically the Londonbury apartments, they seem to be very nice units. It is close to work and the train is right there. Conshy itself seemed ok nothing extraordinary. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Bostonian625

Also, does anybody have any thoughts on Conshohocken? Specifically the Londonbury apartments, they seem to be very nice units. It is close to work and the train is right there. Conshy itself seemed ok nothing extraordinary. Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

I've heard good things about Riverwalk, which I believe is right next door to Londonbury (and a bit cheaper AFAIK), but beware of flooding on the Schuylkill, which isn't exactly rare. The apartments themselves are removed enough from the flood zone and all units in that vicinity I believe are somewhat above ground, but you'd definitely need to be mindful of where you park a car during severe rain events.

Otherwise, Conshohocken overall is definitely among the more vibrant suburban towns in the Philly area, particularly among the younger crowd. I don't know that anyone has ever referred to it as "extraordinary" in the sense that it's not exactly a world-class metropolis, but it is a continuously developing post-industrial inner-suburban town with a lot to offer in terms of amenities, such as the public transit you mention, in addition to a plethora of good restaurants/local businesses in a pleasant, walkable, and neighborhoody setting, so that certainly makes it nice and appealing to many in that sense.

Good luck to you!