Parking in Philadelphia (Reading, Washington: car rental, apartments, rentals)

[CardsfanfromBoston]

Good afternoon!

I'm 24 and am relocating to Philadelphia from the DC area. I'll be working in the Wanamaker building. People have said Old City, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, Art Museum, Queens Village, Washington Square and Manayunk would be ideal neighborhoods for a young guy. And I'm planning on taking the bus, train or walk to work.

My problem is I want to have my car with me so I can visit friends in Maryland. So I've been trolling Craigslist and most of the Manayunk places seem to offer it and some in Old City say there is street parking. I'd prefer to live in the city rather than Manayunk, but what is the availability of parking, rules, permits and other guidelines for this sort of situation. Thanks so much!

[newmarlig]

You should live in city (and btw - it's Queen Village (no "s"). Don't bring your car. Insurance is expensive and parking is difficult. For visits to friends check into:

PhillyCarShare or
Car Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar

[CardsfanfromBoston]

Thanks for the links. However, if I do decide to bring it, what are all the regulations? I have a feeling I would be required to re-register in PA just to park on the street. IS there anywhere in the city a non-PA registered plate can park? And I'm sure insurance would be expensive. I may just pony up the 100 or so bucks a month and park in a garage.

Or I may decide to get rid of the car after living there for a few months. Thanks for the reply and appreciate the advice.

[pman]

parking on old city is expensive (off street) and street parking is generally not viable (day to day). you might try northern liberties which does have street parking and is much closer to center city than manayunk. nonetheless, if you can fit it on your budget, you could get a garage space and live in center city and decide later whether, ultimately, to keep your car.

[Bookmen]

You are correct that you will have to have a PA registration to get a city permit for street parking, which is issued for the area in which you live, by the way. Garage parking costs about $200 a month now.

[Gracie2001]

Think long and hard about that car. You can easily take the train to Maryland. My brother lives in Center City and pays $200/month for a parking spot and $5500 per year for insurance. (Yes, you're reading that right!) Granted he used his car for business and had an accident within the last three years but the point is that it is EXPENSIVE! Center City is a great place for someone your age to live but it is not cheap. Better that you put that money toward rent rather than "car care." There are lots of lofts, classic apartments off Rittenhouse Square, row houses...the list goes on and on. Near the Wannamaker building, check out the Art Museum area (it is one of my favorites!) and you'll be close to Chinatown and Reading Terminal Market. There is a building called The Phoenix (above Suburban Station) that has gone condo but probably has some rentals. Or check with Moore College of Art (in the same neighborhood) and see if anyone can be helpful.

[LiveUrban]

Is there a train link to northern Maryland?

[phlydude]

depends on where you want to go

Septa runs a train to Newark, DE a few times a day (Newark borders with Elkton, MD)

If Elkton isn't close enough, you can take Amtrak local service down

But as far as parking in the city, if you fail to change your tags and insurance over within a specific amount of time, you will be committing insurance fraud.

Also, beware parking in the city, the PPA is brutal and will tow you any chance they can get - watch Parking Wars on cable to see what I am talking about

[slpynn]

I had an out of state car and lived in South Philly, but worked in Center City. There is a lot of parking in south philly which is only 1-2 miles from Old City. You could always park and then take the subway home. Also, I have frequently parked my car just south of center city but north of Washington and walked into center city. Parking is getting tougher by the day and streets that never have meters are now filled with them! I think it's possible to have a car, but not super easy.

As others have stated, you can always rent a garage or a spot in a lot. I have seen lots that rent spots for as low as $60/month.

[toobusytoday]

I think Manayunk looks like a great place for young singles. I know a couple of people that live there and commute into the city every day. They have cars but don't normally take them into the city. IMHO, Manayunk has a pretty cool vibe.