Naval officer moving to Philly (Philadelphia, Washington: apartment, city hall, to rent)

[HKPCIB]

Hello, I'm a Naval Officer that's just received orders to NAVICP Philadelphia. I won't be moving to Philly till next May, but I like to plan ahead and was wondering what a good neighborhood would be to look for an apartment. I've always lived in the suburbs so downtown living does have it's appeal, but if the commute from downtown to work is longer than 30 minutes then I'd consider living in the suburbs instead.

When are you moving? May 2011
Where are you coming from? Washington state
Why are you moving? Received orders to Philadelphia
Where will you be working? Naval Support Activity Philadelphia
Have you been here yet? No

Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Apartment, price range $1,200 - 1,400 (if utilities are included)

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single, no children
Do you have pets? No
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Prefer city life, but suburban living isn't bad.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work - Distance doesn't matter, but I'd like to keep my commute time to below 30 minutes.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Being single 26 your old I'd prefer to live with people with similar age.

I would like to balance commute time, safety and nightlife. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[solibs]

I'm guessing this job is located in the area that Philadelphians refer to as "the Navy Yard".

In that case it sounds like what you're looking for is in South Philly between 10th & Broad from Washington down to Snyder.

If you're looking for suburban then Collingswood, NJ would be a 10-15 minute drive (off-peak). Comparable places in PA would be 10-15 minutes further away.

[G Goo]

Originally Posted by solibs

I'm guessing this job is located in the area that Philadelphians refer to as "the Navy Yard".

In that case it sounds like what you're looking for is in South Philly between 10th & Broad from Washington down to Snyder.

If you're looking for suburban then Collingswood, NJ would be a 10-15 minute drive (off-peak). Comparable places in PA would be 10-15 minutes further away.

NAVICP is in Northeast Philly, Oxford/Robbins Ave.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by G Goo

NAVICP is in Northeast Philly, Oxford/Robbins Ave.

Ouch. That's not much fun.

Then scratch the South Philly and Collingswood suggestions. Go with Jenkintown, PA in the suburbs or East Falls/Manayunk (in the city).

What's the preferred commute time?

[HKPCIB]

Originally Posted by solibs

Ouch. That's not much fun.

Then scratch the South Philly and Collingswood suggestions. Go with Jenkintown, PA in the suburbs or East Falls/Manayunk (in the city).

What's the preferred commute time?

I'd prefer to keep my commute to less than 30 minutes.

If I was to live in Center City, what would the commute be? This maybe a simplistic view of things, but since I'm headed in the opposite direction of traffic during rush hour (leaving the city for work vice going to into the city and coming home to the city vice leaving at the end of the work day.)

Out of curiousity what is did you mean by "Ouch, That's not much fun."?

Is NAVICP located in a bad part of town?

Thanks again for everyones help.

[newmarlig]

I would suggest Queen Village - it's a few blocks south of Society Hill in center city. It's also very close to I-95 for the drive to work and should take under 30 minutes.

And NAVICP isn't in a bad part of the city, just not a place I would want to live.

[G Goo]

Yeah, not a bad part of town, but there really isn't much around. You'll want to bring your lunch....

There really isn't any neighborhoods w/in 30 minutes I'd recommend for a young single guy. Most of the nearby hoods that are really nice (Jenkintown, Abington, Mt Airy, Chestnut Hill, Fox Chase) are more family oriented, so there's really not much to speak of on the social front. Strech out your commute a little bit and you could do Center City or Manayunk. Personally I'd recommend Center City (or Queen Village/Bella Vista in South Philly). So much to offer and probably worth the extra 30 minutes a day in a car (I kinda doubt you could do it in <30min, but if longer it wouldn't be by much).

[GraysFerryB4]

If you like a suburban lifestyle, you won't find it much in the city unless you rent by Packer Park. Especially if you also want to be close to nightlife. I'd second Collingswood. The PATCO train runs 24 hours and will get you to 8th n Market in 12 minutes with no car (you can drink!). You can have parks, trails and a suburb that is closest to the city. Your other city option is Manayunk but it gets old when you do (pass 30) but if youre renting, might be a start.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by HKPCIB

I'd prefer to keep my commute to less than 30 minutes.

If I was to live in Center City, what would the commute be? This maybe a simplistic view of things, but since I'm headed in the opposite direction of traffic during rush hour (leaving the city for work vice going to into the city and coming home to the city vice leaving at the end of the work day.)

it would be about 30-40 minutes driving from City Hall. The only problem with living in Center City is that you'd most likely have to rent a parking space as well. If you're O-3 or up, maybe the money's not that big of a deal to you.

East Falls would probably be 20-30 minutes, rents are cheaper, no real parking issues, a few bars/restaurants and short drive from Center City.

If you want to be closer to Center City i'd say go with Northern Liberties. It's a little bit closer to work, on the edge of center city but still has a lot of 20-somethings and a lot of bars and restaurants, nightclubs and a really nice bowling alley.

Out of curiousity what is did you mean by "Ouch, That's not much fun."?

Just meant that it would be a boring part of the city to live in and that given its location your options for having a short commute and living in a fun neighborhood are narrow.

[HKPCIB]

Thanks for everyone's input.

I'm currently leaning towards living in Center City. I've pretty much lived in the suburbs my entire life and wouldn't mind living somewhere a little more livelier.

If I was to get an apartment close to the highway how long would the commute be from Center City to NAVICP Philly during peak hours?