Neighborhoods for 30-something on a budget? (Philadelphia, Ambler: apartment complexes, renting, crime)
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I’m a single 30-year-old considering relocation to the Philadelphia area and I’d like some advice on neighborhoods—I’m seeing plenty of recommendations for 20-25-year-olds and for family friendly areas, and I’m looking for something in between. I work from home and have no kids, so commute and schools aren’t an issue. I filled out the survey below, but I’ll give an overview here:
I work from home (it’s a normal corporate job if that matters to landlords, just remote), and I’ll be keeping my current job when I move, so no commute to worry about. I’m looking for a neighborhood that is walkable to basic necessities (decent grocery store, drugstore, coffee shop for when I really need to get out of the house to work) and hopefully a few fun things as well (restaurants, bars, shops). My tastes run on the granola-y and culture-y side of the spectrum; I like gluten-free- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, wine bars, art galleries, museums of all kinds, performing arts, etc., not so much interested in sports bars or nightclubs. I’m pretty used to city living, albeit in smaller cities, and don’t expect a zero-crime area, but I do want to be able to enjoy city life and walk places or take public transit after 5pm without getting mugged. I have asthma so I need to be in a neighborhood with limited secondhand smoke exposure (not someone standing on every corner smoking like some areas of Milwaukee) and smoke-free buildings available. My budget is going to be the limiting factor here, I want to stay under $900 including utilities without getting a roommate, but I’m flexible on type and size of housing.
Here are some areas I have on my list to check out and my impressions (please correct them if they're wrong)
West Mount Airy, western East Mount Airy, and it sounds like the edge of Germantown that borders it might also be okay? This sounds most promising to me so far.
Manayunk, safe and lots to do, but possibly too young and rowdy for me?
Art Museum area, sounds nice but would probably have to scour for a very old and “cozy” studio in my budget
Fishtown, conflicting reports on safety and same situation with the budget
Northern Liberties—I assume this is entirely out of my budget?
When are you moving?
No set date, planning around January.
Where are you coming from? I live in Birmingham at the moment, but in terms of cultural adjustment, I’ve mostly lived in San Diego (downtown area) and Milwaukee (Shorewood area).
Why are you moving?
Just looking for a city that I like, can afford, and want to live in long-term. My industry is mainly remote work, so I can live pretty much anywhere. Considering Philadelphia for its size and affordability relative to other large cities, shorter winters than Milwaukee, and an easy plane ride to my family in the southeast. Where will you be working?
From home
Have you been here yet?
No, but I have tickets booked to visit in December.
Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
No preference on type of building. Want to stay within $900/month with utilities. I’m open to studios, mother-in-law apartments, basement apartments, old un-renovated buildings, etc, but avoiding roommates for the present. Anything is fine as long as it has an oven and the neighbors aren’t too loud or sketchy and don’t smoke indoors.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? Prefer within city limits but would consider a close-in PA suburb.
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single, no kids or pets
Do you want or need a yard? No
Are you keeping a car?
I own a car, but can give it up to live in a very walkable area if it’s not affordable to keep
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?
My ideal is a quieter (by urban standards) area with easy access to hustle and bustle, or bustling during the day but shuts down at 10pm.
What do you want to be closest to? Basic services (grocery store, coffee shop), transport stops, restaurants/bars/farmer’s market/shops, museums and art/cultural activities, in that order of importance (I understand it probably won’t be walkable to ALL of these). I’d like to be able to visit the central areas of the city to visit museums or go to dinner without worrying about parking, not necessarily walking distance, but a safe and manageable public transit ride.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
Either people my age (without children) or a diverse mix including people my age. I mostly want to avoid areas dominated by families with young children or undergrad students.
I’m a single 30-year-old considering relocation to the Philadelphia area and I’d like some advice on neighborhoods—I’m seeing plenty of recommendations for 20-25-year-olds and for family friendly areas, and I’m looking for something in between. I work from home and have no kids, so commute and schools aren’t an issue. I filled out the survey below, but I’ll give an overview here:
I work from home (it’s a normal corporate job if that matters to landlords, just remote), and I’ll be keeping my current job when I move, so no commute to worry about. I’m looking for a neighborhood that is walkable to basic necessities (decent grocery store, drugstore, coffee shop for when I really need to get out of the house to work) and hopefully a few fun things as well (restaurants, bars, shops). My tastes run on the granola-y and culture-y side of the spectrum; I like gluten-free- and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, wine bars, art galleries, museums of all kinds, performing arts, etc., not so much interested in sports bars or nightclubs. I’m pretty used to city living, albeit in smaller cities, and don’t expect a zero-crime area, but I do want to be able to enjoy city life and walk places or take public transit after 5pm without getting mugged. I have asthma so I need to be in a neighborhood with limited secondhand smoke exposure (not someone standing on every corner smoking like some areas of Milwaukee) and smoke-free buildings available. My budget is going to be the limiting factor here, I want to stay under $900 including utilities without getting a roommate, but I’m flexible on type and size of housing.
Here are some areas I have on my list to check out and my impressions (please correct them if they're wrong)
West Mount Airy, western East Mount Airy, and it sounds like the edge of Germantown that borders it might also be okay? This sounds most promising to me so far.
Manayunk, safe and lots to do, but possibly too young and rowdy for me?
Art Museum area, sounds nice but would probably have to scour for a very old and “cozy” studio in my budget
Fishtown, conflicting reports on safety and same situation with the budget
Northern Liberties—I assume this is entirely out of my budget?
When are you moving?
No set date, planning around January.
Where are you coming from? I live in Birmingham at the moment, but in terms of cultural adjustment, I’ve mostly lived in San Diego (downtown area) and Milwaukee (Shorewood area).
Why are you moving?
Just looking for a city that I like, can afford, and want to live in long-term. My industry is mainly remote work, so I can live pretty much anywhere. Considering Philadelphia for its size and affordability relative to other large cities, shorter winters than Milwaukee, and an easy plane ride to my family in the southeast. Where will you be working?
From home
Have you been here yet?
No, but I have tickets booked to visit in December.
Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
No preference on type of building. Want to stay within $900/month with utilities. I’m open to studios, mother-in-law apartments, basement apartments, old un-renovated buildings, etc, but avoiding roommates for the present. Anything is fine as long as it has an oven and the neighbors aren’t too loud or sketchy and don’t smoke indoors.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? Prefer within city limits but would consider a close-in PA suburb.
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single, no kids or pets[I
Do you want or need a yard? [/i]No
Are you keeping a car?
I own a car, but can give it up to live in a very walkable area if it’s not affordable to keep
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?
My ideal is a quieter (by urban standards) area with easy access to hustle and bustle, or bustling during the day but shuts down at 10pm.
What do you want to be closest to? Basic services (grocery store, coffee shop), transport stops, restaurants/bars/farmer’s market/shops, museums and art/cultural activities, in that order of importance (I understand it probably won’t be walkable to ALL of these). I’d like to be able to visit the central areas of the city to visit museums or go to dinner without worrying about parking, not necessarily walking distance, but a safe and manageable public transit ride.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
Either people my age (without children) or a diverse mix including people my age. I mostly want to avoid areas dominated by families with young children or undergrad students.
Thanks for any help!
Either Mt Airy are your best bets. You can also access Center City pretty easily from either by public transportation. I would have suggested neighborhoods in University City; the vibe would suit you. But the rents are mostly going up and beyond your budget.
As an aside I noticed that your are now in Birmingham. I have family there and visit pretty regularly.
Here are my suggestions in order of first choice to last. Obviously, this is a subjective list, but I'm basing it on your requests above:
- Northern Fishtown/Port Richmond (you're priced out of southern Fishtown which is closer to Northern Liberties and Center City)
- Dickins Narrows, South Philly (this actually might be your best bet as you're priced out of Passyunk Square area)
- Southern Point Breeze, South Philly (might be a little too edgy for you, but it's up-and-coming and happening quickly)
I don't know the University City area well, but several posters on this board do. There might be some fringe areas that are affordable to you, but West Philly is not where you want to be if the neighborhood is in transition...
I agree with either Mt Airy or University City (if you can find a place in your budget). There are some decent apartment complexes in Mt. Airy within your budget (Upsal Gardens comes to mind) but they are not the most walkable (though you can typically walk to the some basic amenities). If you live in East Mt. Airy I would recommend living above Gorgas Lane to avoid some sketchy patches. I am confident, with some research, you can find a place in your budget in Mt. Airy. The neighborhood does have a lot of families but also has single people or couples without kids. The demographics skew a bit older but that seems to be changing slightly (or maybe I'm just getting older). Good luck!
I agree with either Mt Airy or University City (if you can find a place in your budget). There are some decent apartment complexes in Mt. Airy within your budget (Upsal Gardens comes to mind) but they are not the most walkable (though you can typically walk to the some basic amenities). If you live in East Mt. Airy I would recommend living above Gorgas Lane to avoid some sketchy patches. I am confident, with some research, you can find a place in your budget in Mt. Airy. The neighborhood does have a lot of families but also has single people or couples without kids. The demographics skew a bit older but that seems to be changing slightly (or maybe I'm just getting older). Good luck!
Normally I'd recommend Mt Airy, but I think that the 'hood might feel a bit more isolated than some of the places closer to Center City. The only reason I'm saying this is because OP works at home, so the in-person people contact is going to be determined by non-work experiences. Opportunities for random, casual face-to-face contact are likely more plentiful in more densely populated places like Fishtown and Passyunk, where you're more likely walk to grocery store, lunch, etc. than in East or West Mt Airy. This is a generalization, of course, but one worth considering.
Normally I'd recommend Mt Airy, but I think that the 'hood might feel a bit more isolated than some of the places closer to Center City. The only reason I'm saying this is because OP works at home, so the in-person people contact is going to be determined by non-work experiences. Opportunities for random, casual face-to-face contact are likely more plentiful in more densely populated places like Fishtown and Passyunk, where you're more likely walk to grocery store, lunch, etc. than in East or West Mt Airy. This is a generalization, of course, but one worth considering.
This is fair. I moved to Mt. Airy from the East Passyunk area and, honestly, I felt very isolated at first. Now I love the area but it took a while for me to warm up to it. Budget may be an issue in Fishtown East Passyunk (although I lived in a nice 1 bedroom in east passyunk for $600/mo).
Without an increase in pay, you will experience a low quality of life moving from 'Bama to Philly.
Philly is cheaper than NY, but that's just about it. If you can't afford to buy a house, then Philly is un-affordable for you. If I had a choice to live anywhere in the country, I'd move to somewhere I can afford a home.
FYI, Philly has a city tax on wages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovessunshine
Where are you coming from?
[/i]I live in Birmingham at the moment, but in terms of cultural adjustment, I’ve mostly lived in San Diego (downtown area) and Milwaukee (Shorewood area).
Why are you moving?
Just looking for a city that I like, can afford, and want to live in long-term. My industry is mainly remote work, so I can live pretty much anywhere. Considering Philadelphia for its size and affordability relative to other large cities, shorter winters than Milwaukee, and an easy plane ride to my family in the southeast.
Without an increase in pay, you will experience a low quality of life moving from 'Bama to Philly.
Philly is cheaper than NY, but that's just about it. If you can't afford to buy a house, then Philly is un-affordable for you. If I had a choice to live anywhere in the country, I'd move to somewhere I can afford a home.
FYI, Philly has a city tax on wages.
Homeownership is not for everyone.
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