Where is a yuppie to live?

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

I know that the reviews on Yelp sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt, but overall, The Sterling has horrible reviews with only a few good ones. It sounds like a nightmare to live there, but I don't have any personal experience. Do you know someone who lives there?

I know several people there and they don't have any major complaints. The pool is becoming a hot spot. And eek I just looked at the reviews. Well maybe he can look elsewhere lol.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

This isn't incorrect. Kensington for decades had been more or less an open air heroin market and one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. Fortunately, the revitalization that has transformed NoLibs and Fishtown into two of the hottest neighborhoods in the city is spreading into the adjacent areas of Kensington as well, so there are clearly parts of Kensington that are much better now than they were just a couple years ago. but considering the audience, if I'm making recommendations to someone moving to the city for the first time with enough disposable income to live in other neighborhoods, I'm going to recommend they look outside Kensington altogether rather than try to explain the nuances of which areas are getting safer and which are still populated by junkies and run by drug gangs. But if you really want to research Kensington as well, be my guest, there are definitely parts that are more like Fishtown than North Philly. Just be careful.

That passage that I bolded is a good point. You can say "there's Kensington and then there's Kensington," but you're never going to have to say "there's Fitler and then there's Fitler." Unless OP wants to own and get in on the lower end of the price trajectory of a 'hood, it's just easier to pick an affordable, un-nuanced location.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Sterling is a great building, and a new City Fitness is opening on the ground level I believe.


$1400 is a steal. I'm being robbed in New York An equal building in my neighborhood would be 4k easily for 1 bedroom.

It was a great building before the redo. It's been a hidden gem for a long time.

Living in NY( well, Manhattan or Brooklyn) is so prohibitive I don't know how anyone but millionaires can survive there without a half dozens roommates.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

I know that the reviews on Yelp sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt, but overall, The Sterling has horrible reviews with only a few good ones. It sounds like a nightmare to live there, but I don't have any personal experience. Do you know someone who lives there?

I know someone living there right now. She's been there a couple years. She's originally from Colorado. She loves it there. Every multi- unit building will have some uphappy people. It's typical.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

I think these are the three areas most young people move to:

Manayunk - in NW Philly, not really convenient for your work, but lots of bars/clubs and yuppies. This has long been the hotspot for young professionals in Philly.
Northern Liberties/Fishtown - near North Philly, rapidly gentrifying, more artsy/hipster scene than Manayunk (think craft microbreweries vs sports bars and clubs).
University City - the area around Penn & Drexel so basically an urban college campus, although Penn & Drexel have large graduate studies, so it's not all 18 year old coeds.

Here are some other areas to think about:
Graduate Hospital - this is the area west of Broad between South and Washington. This is another rapidly gentrifying area with a lot of younger people moving in. Within easy walking distance of University City and South St bars/clubs as well as your work area.
Center City - for rentals in Old City/Society Hill or even up closer to Rittenhouse or Logan Square itself, you're probably going to find mostly highrise condo type places in your price range, but there are nice ones with lots of amenities. Center City night life is only OK, but living in center city gives you easy access to South St, University City, Chinatown, Northern Liberties, and the museum area.
Museum Area - Spring Garden or Fairmount neighborhoods in the museum area are nice and walking distance to Logan Square and handy to University City or NoLibs. Also, museum area has tons of walking/jogging/biking trails around Kelly Dr & Fairmount Park.
South Philly - there are tons of great neighborhoods in South Philly around Passyunk Square, Dickinson Narrows, and Pennsport. Closer to the river (Pennsport, Dickinson Narrows) is convenient to nightlife on South St & Columbus Blvd as well as bars in the areas (esp. Pennsport), and other amenities like Penns Landing, Italian Market, and Sports Complex. Unfortunately, these areas aren't too convenient to your work. Closer to Broad St (i.e. Passyunk Square) is more convenient to work via Broad St subway, but further from Columbus Blvd & Penns Landing.

Here's what to avoid:
Northeast Philly - there are nice neighborhoods in the Great Northeast, but it's more family oriented, not singles, and it's too far away from center city.
North Philly (excl. NoLibs/Fishtown) - most of North Philly north of NoLibs is a ghetto.
West Philly (excl. U-City) - most of West Philly west of U-City is a ghetto.
Southwest Philly/Kingsessing - not a great area of town and definitely not singles/nightlife oriented.
Northwest Philly/Chestnut Hill - this is the wealthiest part of the city full of million dollar mansions, so it's very nice and safe, but it's like the suburbs inside the city limits - far away from center city, very costly, and not singles-oriented.

Funny thing about Chestnut Hill: it's actually significantly cheaper per square foot than most of those trendier, more singles-oriented neighborhoods. I'm renting a rowhouse for what would get a crappy one-bedroom in Center City (believe, I was surprised as you probably are).

It's not a singles-oriented place, but there are far worse places for singles to live.

[phillytransplant13]

I can speak for Fishtown, Graduate Hospital and Manayunk as a young professional who's lived in all three neighborhoods. I enjoyed my time in all three. Depends on what your interests are and what you want out of the neighborhood.

Fishtown: yuppie/hipster central, lots of brew/drink options, close to a few music venues, the El takes you to CC in 10 minutes

Graduate Hospital: can walk to work in CC, close to Rittenhouse and surrounding restaurant scene, diverse, walking distance to Suburban or 30th St stations and has a very "get to know your neighbor" feel.

Manayunk: has it's own Main Street with lots of shops, bars and restaurants, young professionals everywhere, lots of rental options, calmer than neighborhoods closer to downtown, 15 minute regional rail train to CC

On your budget you can afford to live comfortably in any of these hoods.