Moving to Philadelphia from NYC (York, Greenville: crime, homes, neighborhood)

[lititzman2003]

Maybe consider Mayfair or the Pennypack areas. I think you can still get a nice rowhouse in those areas for your price range. Easy to use public transportation to downtown Philly.

[lawmanphilly]

CynRose

I completely disagree with everyone who has told you about Fishtown. I live there. I completely own my house. They are now rehabbing homes 1 yr after I bought mine and they are selling for double the price. And they are still moving even in this early slump.

Nearby in East Kensington the Coral Arts House houses 80 or so artists and yes, the one thing I agree with is we are loaded with artists. OUr housing is affordable. I feel completely safe. Yes, it still has many blue collar folks who have owned these houses for many years. Many are happy to now sell to lawyers like me or musicians and we have a cool energy and feeling of a evolving community just like what happened in Jersey City years ago.

I moved here from Manhattan and love it.

Old City and Society Hill are so overpriced, poor parking, traffic and I would hate to live there. No offense to those who live there.

How did it feel to hear no offense when it is your neighborhood that is disliked?

Visit yourself. Hope that balances things a little. Also visit our own website: Fishtown.us and talk to others like me who love our affordable, convenient, artistic community. I cant believe the way these people dis us.

[fishtownbrooke]

Hey there, as a former New Yorker of both Upstate (I grew up in Rochester) and New York City (lived in Union Square for 2 years), I'm a current resident of Fishtown and totally love it. Don't know where the negative posters are coming from. I've been here for 3 years--moved here after my secretary when I was practicing law, told me that "people like you are moving there" and told me to check it out. We didn't really get along, so I took that with a grain of salt (!) but checked it out and totally loved it.

Now I haven't been to Jersey City in probably 5 years and I hear it's changed so all I can compare is JC to 5 years ago with Fishtown now. I wouldn't have lived in JC then. And I walk my dog as a single woman around the neighborhood when I get home around 11pm, midnight some nights. My house value has doubled in the 3 years since I bought it. A ton of people my age (29) to 40 are moving in that are mostly single and childless and it's created quite a cool set of insta-friends, so to speak. People from not only Philly but those who grew up in the Northeast, New York and parts of Jersey...you name it. Fishtown has changed radically in the last 3 years...there are virtually no bordered up houses and people come from out of the area to go to our bars (Johnny Brenda's is Philly's hipster bar of the moment) and for co-op shares at our hydroponic garden (Check out Greensgrow.org), Amish farm market on Palmer Park on Thursdays, music at The M Room, art exhibits at Bambi Gallery, thrift store shopping at Circle Thrift, great breakfast on the cheap at Sulimay's and just over into the also (but to a much less extent) gentrifying Kensington, Yards Brewery, which gives tours, samplings and helps so much in neighborhood events by sponsoring, lending their courtyard for events, etc.

For $150K, there's two neighborhoods (I turned a real estate agent I loved living in my neighborhood so much...and work almost exclusively in the neighborhood) that people consider--parts of S. Philly and Fishtown. Fishtown has an amazing energy that S. Philly just doesn't have. We have trees, no parking problem (imagine no parking permits needed AND you're 3 stops on the El--about 5 minutes to Center City!), a real tight knit community and proximity to N. Liberties which is walking distance and exploding with cool restaurants and shops. (Google Bar Ferdinand, Azure, Full Plate, Zen, Deuce, Standard Tap, Rustica, Koi...)

Anyone that tells you Old City is up and coming hasn't been in Philly in 5 years or they're living under a rock. It up and came about 4 years ago. Anyone who tells you Mayfair is the place to be would have you living in the super cool Yonkers in New York. (Although in case that's gotten hip since I've lived there, consider anyplace your grandmother would be living).

Most often I hear that Fishtown reminds New Yorkers of Williamsburg, Brooklyn right now. And even though I live so close to NYC, I haven't been there since I moved here because there's no reason to go. There's everything I need at a much cheaper, friendlier level. (I don't think NYC is unfriendly, mind you, I just think Philadelphians are downright helpful and smilely by nature, it seems.)

If you're up for checking it out, feel free to private message me. I'll happily give you a tour. And check out Phillyblog.com in the Fishtown forum or fishtown.us. This thread got posted on fishtown.us after lawman about couldn't believe what he was reading!

[fishtownbrooke]

Oh and you're just on the edge of pricing in Fishtown. No. Libs is well out of your price range.

[Mrs.Bewitched]

I thought I just posted a response about 15 minutes ago, but I do not see it....maybe I forgot to hit submit. Anyhow, what I had said was for you to drive through neighborhoods at all hours-so you really see what the neighborhood looks like. Drive during the day, at night, and especially weekend nights. Keep your windows open to hear all...except in some areas. Try to take notice of who is "hanging out", what the actual neighborhood looks like (homes, litter, streets). See exactly what is thisclose to the neighborhood. Having "hung" in the NE, in Fishtown, in Port Richmond, in Kensington....and working/going to school all over (North Philly, NE, South Philly)...Fishtown/Port Richmond/Kensington are not areas that I would like to live in. I saw too much going on in that area, and rightnextdoor to that area.

[Stephanie6819]

I can't believe the previous suggestions being made here.

Old City is up and coming?? Old City is very established and very very pricey.You wouldn't be able to find a 500sq ft condo for 150k there. And a suggestion of Mayfair as a better place than Fishtown? Mayfair is on the downswing and crime and Section 8 are everywhere. Chestnut Hill is the upper east side of Philly? Are you kidding? Chestnut Hill is almost the suburbs! I don't even consider it part of the city proper.

Fishtown is NOT kensington nor Port Richmond. I agree with Brooke that Fishtown reminds me of Williamsburg. I don't think you will be able to find a place for 150k but you might if you work hard. I think you may be priced out already.

LOL obviously these people have not lived in Philadelphia recently. mod cut
Listen to Lawman and Brooke.They know what they are talking about and they LIVE there. So do I.

[lititzman2003]

Stephanie6819, I did NOT say Mayfair was better then any other location in Philadelphia. I did say that you can still buy a large rowhouse there for a reasonable price and be able to commute to downtown Philly in a short period of time. Every neighbor has it's issues, and Mayfair is no exception. Granted, I've been out of Philly for awhile but we have family and friends that still live there so we do have a sense of what is going on in the city. You might try reading the entire post before insulting the writer

[Mrs.Bewitched]

Well, I have not been out of Philly for a while, and I grew up there, 30+ years. Of course every man is going to root for his own neighborhood, usually no matter how shoddy (I betcha I could find someone to root for the biggest ghettos in North Philly too, if I wanted to). I have nothing to win or lose to tell her about any part of the city that I either lived in, lived around, ventured through daily for many years either for work or for school, or visited close friends frequently for years. I don't live in any spot in Philly anymore, so it really doesn't matter to me who lives where-I just try to give my opinion and my advice. Which is why I told her to drive around, at all different times. I have been in Fishtown, many parts of it, throughout different eras. I still would not want to live in it. Not only for what I have been witness to what is in it, but the neighborhood rightnextdoor to it. But it is her opinion. She will have to take a look see and see if it looks right for her.

[Cj31299]

I would try Port Richmond and Bridesburg we bought a house in Port Richmond 2 years ago and it is way nicer than Fishtown it is also a up an coming place for artists who are moving there galleries here and people here still take care of there houses and care alot about there neighborhoods

[melyluna]

Hmmm, I have to totally disagree with the advice to stay away from West Philadelphia. There are AMAZING houses (with yards!) for reasonable prices in a diverse (west african immigrants, young professionals, college students, families) community. I loved living there. I was near Clark Park.