Abington, PA (Philadelphia, Willow Grove, Glenside: real estate market, apartment complexes, rentals)

[stlouislux]

I may have a potential job offer in Abington, PA, right near Penn State Abington.........I am wondering where I could live where I could be somewhat reasonably close to work, but still take advantage of the great city of Philly.....I hear that Center City has a lot going on....and is not that far away....

I would need to rent a place that would have a garage, or some type of covered parking.

Ideas/suggestions are welcome. I've lived in cities before that have places like "The Apartment People," etc. that help you find a new place to live. I don't see anything like that for the Philly area......

Please post here, or e-mail me at Moderator cut: Posting e-mail addresses is not recommended. Please refer to the Terms of Service.

[maf763]

There are a couple of apartment buildings in Jenkintown that might have covered parking and would be 5-10 minutes from work and a 20 minute train ride to Center City. As far as renting a private place with a garage, that would be hit or miss.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by stlouislux

I may have a potential job offer in Abington, PA, right near Penn State Abington.........I am wondering where I could live where I could be somewhat reasonably close to work, but still take advantage of the great city of Philly.....I hear that Center City has a lot going on....and is not that far away....

I would need to rent a place that would have a garage, or some type of covered parking.

Ideas/suggestions are welcome. I've lived in cities before that have places like "The Apartment People," etc. that help you find a new place to live. I don't see anything like that for the Philly area......

Please post here, or e-mail me at Moderator cut: Posting e-mail addresses is not recommended. Please refer to the Terms of Service.

There are lots of apartment complexes in the greater Abington area. However, very few of them may have covered parking. If safety is the primary concern, then you should know that you will among a contingent of older bedroom communities. You may be more likely to find companies like "The Apartment People" within the city limits, and more specifically for Center City, than out in the 'burbs.

[ajb842]

you might want to check out a site allaroundphillyhomes.com. You can look under private rental properties and get a nice 2 bedroom with your own parking(may have a garage, may not) for about $800 in the Abignton area. Some might be higher, some lower. You can look in Jenkintown, Abington, Glenside, Willow Grove,Elkins Park etc and be within a reasonabl distance from Penn State Abington. Also, there are complexes that offer covered parking for an extra fee in the area. Check out the towers at wyncote and regency towers in willow grove(i think that's the name). I don't know how much it costs, but I know they offer it. The site I mentioned with the private rentals will also have home rentals if they are available.

[twinmma]

I like Willow Grove. And with the real estate market the way it is you could probably rent a nice townhome with garage.
good luck. Abington is BEAUTIFUL. I went to school at PS Abington for a year and loved it-but didn't love the traffic! And great hospital!

[stlouislux]

Would I be crazy to live in/close to Center City and work in Abington??

[maf763]

Not crazy, but not without complications. You mentioned the job being near Penn State Abington - if it is close enough to walk from the train station, it would actually be a pleasant reverse commute. There is a station at Meadowbrook that is close to PSU, but it's not in an area conducive to walking (lot of streets around there have no sidewalks.

If you have to drive, it would be a pain because there is no quick and direct way from CC to Abington during rush hour, reverse commute or not.

You can map Mill Rd. & Lindsay Ln. in Meadowbrook to see where the train station is. The R3 train stops there.

[Tone509]

While greater Abington has six, count 'em, six train stations within a few miles, none of them are within a reasonable walking distance of Penn State-Abington. The closest is probably Noble or even Roslyn... but unless you plan to make that your daily exercise regimen, you probably won't enjoy the hilly 30-minute+ power walk.

I'd personally opt for the shorter commute in or near Abington and get your urban stimulation in Philly on the weekends. Just be careful that you don't end up like Cinderella when the commuter trains turn into pumpkins around midnight-12:30am out of Center City.

[littlefamily]

Also, if you live in the city and work in Abington, you will have to pay the city of Philadelphia wage tax - which I think is just slightly under 4% of your income.... (plus the state has a 3% tax as well)

We are in the process of moving back and my husband works outside the city. Last time we were there, we lived in the city and I loved it... But with the wage tax and the higher car insurance, it just didn't make financial sense for us to live in the city again.

I'm not sure if Abington has an earned income tax, but if they do, I'm guessing it is only about 1% of income. Someone else I'm sure can give you better info...

Good luck!