Last place you'd want to move to in Philly right now (Philadelphia: rent, credit)

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by T Bickle

Only some parts of the NE.

It seems to me that the "far" northeast is as solid as a rock. I don't live there but I do spend a lot of time there. Whenever you have a lot of people living crowded together there will be more problems then in a rural place but I don't see any decline up there. Some areas further south like Mayfair or Oxford Circle aren't as good as they were.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by T Bickle

Only some parts of the NE.

agreed.. But a large part of thats for sure..

[pman]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

It seems to me that the "far" northeast is as solid as a rock. I don't live there but I do spend a lot of time there. Whenever you have a lot of people living crowded together there will be more problems then in a rural place but I don't see any decline up there. Some areas further south like Mayfair or Oxford Circle aren't as good as they were.

mayfair seems to be holding pretty strong in quality of life, I wouldn't lump it in with oxford circle.

[GraysFerryB4]

The people I know from Mayfair are more and more speaking in past tense. The baby boomers will be the last to live in the place they grew up. After that, you start getting lower property values and more sale signs. Then you get Section 8; then you get the 20 something "couples" that just got pregnant, smoke pot and curse at each other all day. Also, like in my parents neighborhood, never, ever, never seem to put in time w-o-r-k-i-n-g!
Finally, it just becomes "nice" from block to block.
And then you go to N. Wildwood in the summer and talk about "what it used to be like before....".

[pman]

Originally Posted by GraysFerryB4

The people I know from Mayfair are more and more speaking in past tense. The baby boomers will be the last to live in the place they grew up. After that, you start getting lower property values and more sale signs. Then you get Section 8; then you get the 20 something "couples" that just got pregnant, smoke pot and curse at each other all day. Also, like in my parents neighborhood, never, ever, never seem to put in time w-o-r-k-i-n-g!
Finally, it just becomes "nice" from block to block.
And then you go to N. Wildwood in the summer and talk about "what it used to be like before....".

I know people who live there, most seem to be moving there for it's relative affordability and safety. they all bought in the last five years.

[GraysFerryB4]

PMAN...I sent you an inquiry on another post regrading your advice on city wage tax. Help me out here? I think you helped out Sassygirl on that one.
As far as Mayfair, I'm just talking of the "old guard" who have moved out or been unhappy with change. If the young blood that moves in is of good quality, you have no worries.

[bryson662001]

I don't really know Mayfair well but the opinions I here all seem to be saying it is in decline. Of course compared to some neighborhoods it must seem like heaven.

[otters21]

I would not exactly say that Mayfair itself is in decline but pretty much of the surrounding neighborhoods are. I blame alot of that on the boring and bland housing stock and the prevalence of section 8 . There may have been some white flight going on but much of the demographic change is due to attrition. The older people are dying off and the next generation are not interested in the 1950 styles brick Airlite rowhomes ( IMO they are better looking than the 2000s cookie cutter McMansions in very car centric exurbia- places like outer Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties etc.) on treeless blocks. Also the fact is that the area is somewhat auto oriented. Alot of the kids went off to college or in the Military or took jobs outside the city or married out of of the neighborhood and relocated else where. If the younger generation is interested in moving back to the city they are likely to choose trendy areas with interesting housing stock such as Fishtown , parts of South Philly, Manayunk and even in Port Richmond etc. However many if not most choose to locate outside the city because they have kids and the public schools in the city are pretty dismal and they can't afford the tuition of the Catholic schools.Meanwhile investers keep buying the houses that the kids are selling and that is where section 8 comes in. Mayfair is the last stable stronghold and if it was to go into decline that will be the final nail in the coffin for the Lower Northeast . The scourge may even spread up into the Far Northeast and perhaps into Lower Bucks Co. cause the housing stock is mainly 50s and 60s suburbia and more auto centric and post war housing does not age too gracefully. So I hope Mayfair can continue to hold it's own because if not the ENTIRE Northeast Philly could be facing a very dismal future.

[otters21]

My vote goes for the Letter streets west of the Market Frankford El between Lehigh Ave. ( A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K Streets etc.) and the train tracks just south of Erie Ave in Kensington and ditto the Frankford (both "west or proper "and East to I-95/ Aramingo Ave ),Juniata Park, Hunting Park and Feltonville neighborhoods . Another no-go area I would never move to is between Aramingo and Kensington Aves. north of Lehigh Ave to Erie/ Torresdale Ave. ( I don't know if that area is Harrowgate or Kensington). Up until 1980 they were nice solid blue color Joe areas but within the last 25 to 35 years they have simply annexed onto the infamous North Philly ghetto. Also Grays Ferry, Elmwood Park in Southwest Philly and and north of Snyder Ave in the West Passyunk area in South Philly have gotten so bad within the last 20 to 25 years that there is no way I would move there. They used to be nice stable neighborhoods but section 8 had ruined them within the last two to three decades. So sad.

[jennm59]

The "last" places I'd want to live in Philly? Nicetown, The intersection of Somerset and Kensington, Grays Ferry, Olney, etc..