Where to live between South Philly and Bala Cynwyd (Drexel Hill: apartments, rentals)

[deeni]

I need some help! My husband recently accepted a position in South Philly (Broad and Mifflin) and I am working in Bala Cynwyd. We currently live in Blue Bell but feel that we should move a bit closer to our work. Specifically I think that the commute from Blue Bell to S. Philly would be horrible.

I can't find any decent areas that are right in the middle. Anyone have any ideas?

I thought maybe East Falls, Manayunk, or even South Philly but we have three cars and need to have some kind of parking. This is impossible to find in these areas! So then I thought about Delco? Which Main Line area would be the easiest commute to South Philly.

We are early 30s, no kids, but have really gotten used to a suburban way of life. One of our cars is an old 67 Galaxie and is a project that we like to work on in our spare time. We really don't want to give this up if we don't have to. Any help would be appreciated!

[JerzBoy]

I would also look into South Jersey. Specifically the towns right over the Walt Whitman Bridge such as Audubon, Haddon Heights, Oaklyn, Haddon Twp, etc. All are solid suburban towns with easy access to Philly.

The commute to South Philly would be 10-15min and Bala Cynwyd would probably be about 30min most days

[deeni]

Thanks, JerzBoy. Definitely worth a look.

[hiwhatisup]

Have you consider the area around Bala Cynwyd itself? It's about 20 to 40 minutes to South Philly depending on traffic.

Another option is Lansdowne, Drexel Hill, Springfield area in Delco. It's about 20 to 30 minutes for each of you.

[JasmineFlower]

What price range and size of house are you looking for?

East Falls is definitely a better option than Manayunk when talking about parking.

Without knowing price range, I'd also suggest looking in Bala or nearby like Narbeth or Ardmore. Really depends on what you have to spend, but these towns or their more expensive neighbors are good options. All these areas will give you a very short commute and cut your husband's commute drastically from what it will be from Blue Bell.

I personally don't see a NJ commute as being an ideal one to Bala Cynwyd.

[deeni]

Thanks for the replies. We are looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom with rent of no more than $1600/month. I like the idea of Bala but not seeing too many rentals out there. NJ is out because I forgot that we need to maintain PA residency. Jasmine, I forgot about Narberth. Thanks for mentioning!

[Jfoldno7]

If you're still interested in Bala look at the apartments on Hardie Way. Its a nice 3 story walk-up and the rent was $1200/month for a 2 bed, 1 bath 2 years ago. That rent included heat/gas and water. They may not have any units available atm, they tend to get picked up fast.

[PennKid]

So I understand that Bala has a certain cachet to it that South Philly, with its stereotypes of beefy Italian guys in wifebeaters can't match. However, a beautiful neighborhood that has a high amount of greenery (not just for South Philly, but for anywhere) is Girard Estates, which is south of Passyunk, west of about 17th street, and north of Oregon. The houses are not cookie-cutters but were built as to match the ornate feel of the Girard Mansion, as the neighborhood was built in the early 1900s on the former Girard Estate (that belonged to Stephen Girard). The styles include grand Colonial Revival homes that rival anything in the suburbs.

The neighborhood is rather affluent, any has the feel of an old-world Italian neighborhood with its abundant fig trees and religious statues in front yards. To see the neighborhood with your own eyes, take a google street view of some of these corners:
21st and Shunk
19th and Shunk
21st and Ritner

I hope you guys like it.