another 'where should i live?' thread ... (Philadelphia, King of Prussia: middle-class, apartment)

[notfriedkasei]

... though hopefully I have more up-front info about myself than a lot of those other threads

When are you moving? in about a year - I'm a planner!
Where are you coming from? Vermont
Why are you moving? We are looking for something a bit more 'happening' than Vermont, and Philadelphia seems like a good fit for a lot of reasons.
Where will you be working? Not sure yet.
Have you been here yet? Yes!

Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Doesn't matter, as long as it is affordable - hopefully, $1000/month or less. Cities are so much more expensive than what we're used to!
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Doesn't matter, though if we had the option between renting in a building and renting an apartment in a house, we'd go for house.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Domestically un-married, zero kids.
Do you have pets? One dog.
Do you want or need a yard? It'd be nice, but not necessary.
Are you keeping a car? Yes.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Quiet, but not too far from fun stuff.

What do you want to be closest to?
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Train or subway stations

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
We'd like to be in a more diverse area, especially that is GLBT-friendly without being Center City. Downtown areas are too tall/busy for us - we're too used to Vermont, I guess. A few friends have told us we'd like the Northeast part of the city, because it has a more 'neighborhood' feel - but that's a big area!Does anyone have any advice?thanks in advance!!

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by notfriedkasei

... though hopefully I have more up-front info about myself than a lot of those other threads

When are you moving? in about a year - I'm a planner!
Where are you coming from? Vermont
Why are you moving? We are looking for something a bit more 'happening' than Vermont, and Philadelphia seems like a good fit for a lot of reasons.
Where will you be working? Not sure yet.
Have you been here yet? Yes!

Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Doesn't matter, as long as it is affordable - hopefully, $1000/month or less. Cities are so much more expensive than what we're used to!
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Doesn't matter, though if we had the option between renting in a building and renting an apartment in a house, we'd go for house.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Domestically un-married, zero kids.
Do you have pets? One dog.
Do you want or need a yard? It'd be nice, but not necessary.
Are you keeping a car? Yes.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Quiet, but not too far from fun stuff.

What do you want to be closest to?
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Train or subway stations

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
We'd like to be in a more diverse area, especially that is GLBT-friendly without being Center City. Downtown areas are too tall/busy for us - we're too used to Vermont, I guess. A few friends have told us we'd like the Northeast part of the city, because it has a more 'neighborhood' feel - but that's a big area!Does anyone have any advice?thanks in advance!!

West Mt. Airy, towards the Northwest end of the city is known as a place where lesbian couples tend to settle among their generally diverse middle-class neighbors. I'd be pleasantly surprised to hear a similar area in the NE section of town. You'll also find that West Mt. Airy has a lot of trees compared to the NE in general which is nicknamed "the concrete suburb".

You should definitely be able to rent a 1 or 2BR apt for less than $1000. I'm not so sure about a house. If you do want or need to go Center City (downtown), you won't be more than 20-30 minutes away by train or (depending on traffic) by car. And you won't be terribly far from some suburban job centers such as Plymouth Meeting and King of Prussia. For laid-back, somewhat upscale diversions, the Chestnut Hill neighborhood would be next door.

[juniperbleu]

I second West Mt Airy. It's pretty diverse (with regards to both race and sexual orientation), mostly small buildings/houses with lots of trees. My aunt lives there and knows several GLBT couples on her block. You're near Chestnut Hill and it's easy to get to Center City (via Lincoln Drive--very pretty, or you can go to a train station).

[eggtimer]

yeah, stay away from the northeast. doesn't sound at all like a good fit from the little info provided.