Moving to Philadelphia 6/1 - Need Advice! (Washington, Langhorne: apartment, rental, townhouse)

[tangfj]

Many thanks in advance for the suggestions...

When are you moving? 6/1/2010

Where are you coming from? Chicago, IL

Why are you moving? Fiance starting residency at Aria Health (mostly in Langhorne, PA but we want to live in the city)

Where will you be working? I will work from home when I'm not traveling
Have you been here yet? Yes but a long time ago

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, would prefer something with a small yard but ultimately want to be somewhere I could step outside my place and have restaurants/shopping right there... I'd be willing to spend at most $2200 including 2 parking spots (don't know if that's possible)

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? either, have done hi-rise in Chicago for a few years so I'd prefer walk-up but can do either

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Engaged

Do you have pets? Yes, small 11lb dog

Do you want or need a yard? Would like one but as long as there is a dog park or park nearby to walk my dog it would be ok

Are you keeping a car? Yes, 2 cars

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Somewhere in between

What do you want to be closest to? Shopping, Basic services, Nightlife, Train (in that order)

So I've been primarily been using CL and online postings to find place. I've also used the phillyapartmentco services to schedule places. At this point I think I've narrowed my choices down to Old City, Washington Square, Rittenhouse, and Northern Liberties (Piazza). What do you guys think? Is it possible to find a 2BR or 3BR in these areas for $2200 or less with parking included???

Thanks!

[Tangled Threads]

You may find a rental that includes one parking spot but rarely two. Monthly garage spots in Center City are going to cost $250 a month or so. If one of the cars is only going to be used occasionally you might want to look into Zip Car or Philly Car Share.

If you're set on keeping 2 cars - your best bet would probably be the Piazza especially since it has easy access to Rte. 95 for Langhorne and I'm guessing better parking rates based on the location.

[thekish]

Those are all good choices. I think they are in your budget.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thekish

Those are all good choices. I think they are in your budget.

agreed. one note, parking spots west of broad cost more than east of broad. also, east of broad will be easier to get to/from 95 than west of broad.

[kidphilly]

You may also want to look at Society Hill, Queen Village and Bella Vista - very similar to the neighborhoods you choose. Close to 95 too for the commute to langhorne

[tangfj]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially on the parking (east of broad vs west of broad)... I would have never known!

One more question... is it easy to get parking spots in garages in center city in Old City or Washington Square? I've seen some posts about how there are sometimes long waiting lists. Is this true?

[solibs]

NoLibs is probably your best bet. Parking will be tough in Queen Village as there aren't any garages and no surface lots that come to mind. There is on-street parking but finding a space is mostly luck.

Pennsport has cheaper rents and easier parking but there are fewer things to do "right outside your door".

I don't think you can pull off Old City with two cars and still be able to stay within your budget - still worth looking into.

I would see what you can do about leaving a car behind and keeping one for the commute to Langhorne.

[JasmineFlower]

I just wanted to mention that a commute from Langhorne to Center City isn't necessarily the best one for a resident. I'm assuming you've considered this and dismissed it, but just thought I'd point out. If your fiance is working long shifts in their residency and returning home tired at 11pm after a 36 hour shift, this might not be the ideal commute. So many residents live closer to their hospitals for this exact reason. Not trying to dissuade you, just wanted to mention it.

If you have questions comparing Philadelphia to Chicago, feel free to ask, I lived in Chicago for several years.

[RW 41]

You may want to consider the Far Northeast section of Philadelphia.