Renting center city 1BD on 1100-1200 budget - suggestions? (Philadelphia: apartments, rentals)

[iveyana]

Hello,

my husband and I are planning on moving to Philadelphia some time in Feb-March and would like to rent a one bedroom apartment in center city.
Our budget is up to $1200, we have a car and we would prefer to stay within a walking distance to the PATCO line to NJ.
The bustling city activity is part of the reason we would like to move to Philadelphia, so night life, restaurants, culture and safety are important to us.
Any suggestions as to the specific areas that would work would be greatly appreciated!

We have considered the areas around 8th and market and washington west. I have heard that washington west is considered "affordable". It seems that it is in a great location, so I was wondering what the drawback to it was and why it is not as expenmsive as rittenhouse square.

[bryson662001]

www.4wallsinphilly.com is the best on line resorce I know of for rental buildings.

[thekish]

Originally Posted by iveyana

Hello,

my husband and I are planning on moving to Philadelphia some time in Feb-March and would like to rent a one bedroom apartment in center city.
Our budget is up to $1200, we have a car and we would prefer to stay within a walking distance to the PATCO line to NJ.
The bustling city activity is part of the reason we would like to move to Philadelphia, so night life, restaurants, culture and safety are important to us.
Any suggestions as to the specific areas that would work would be greatly appreciated!

We have considered the areas around 8th and market and washington west. I have heard that washington west is considered "affordable". It seems that it is in a great location, so I was wondering what the drawback to it was and why it is not as expenmsive as rittenhouse square.

For $1200 I think you will find a place. The problem is there is no parking. I think you will pay about $200/mo for a spot. That might bust your budget. If you expand your renting area by about 10 blocks in each direction then I think you could probably find a place in that range with a spot. You will still be within walking/biking distance to CC. I would also checkout East Falls, Fairmont, Spring Garden, UniversityCity but not west of PHiladelphia College of Science, Northern Liberties, Queen Village.

[kyle19125]

[QUOTE
We have considered the areas around 8th and market and washington west. I have heard that washington west is considered "affordable". It seems that it is in a great location, so I was wondering what the drawback to it was and why it is not as expenmsive as rittenhouse square.[/quote]

Washington Square West is an interesting neighborhood and on the surface looks quaint. The problem is at night when some quiet blocks get noisy and people who don't live there start hanging out after dark. It's not widespread, but rather block by block. If you're set on moving some place in particular there, come back after 9pm on a Friday or Saturday and see if it's still the same as what you experienced during the day.

On your budget to find a place with parking or where parking is at least somewhat available, as well as walking distance to the PATCO train, you'll have the best luck looking around the Bella Vista area. Look between 7th and 11th Streets at least a couple blocks south of South Street. The PATCO station at 9th Street/10th Street is an easy walk from the neighborhood. Bella Vista has gentrified tremendously over the past 10 years and is filled with young professionals as well as a number of Italian-American retirees. It's also by density and quality, one of the best (if not best) restaurant neighborhoods in the city. I checked quickly on Craigslist and turned up a good 15-20 listings in your price range there. Good luck!

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

[QUOTE
I have heard that washington west is considered "affordable". It seems that it is in a great location, so I was wondering what the drawback to it was and why it is not as expenmsive as rittenhouse square.

That is a good question. Wash West tends to have less luxury type housing and more downscale shopping choices, younger residents, and more students. Are they there because it's cheaper or is it cheaper because they are there? The chicken or the egg? For the most part it is still a good urban neighborhood.

[kyle19125]

For the record, wrong quote above. That was from the OP. I alluded to why the Wash West neighborhood has less expensive rentals in my previous post in the thread.

Another thought that just came to mind was concerning the property management companies that have a concentrated number of buildings in the neighborhood. For anyone that has made the mistake of seeing any of he Philadelphia Management properties or from what I've heard about Green Street Management properties, you'd see why they were "reasonable". Disrepair and dirty are just two of the words you can use. They don't even "turn" (paint and professionally clean) the apartments between tenants. Minimal maintenance translates to comparatively lower rent perhaps.