Desperately seeking an apartment in center city that's reasonably priced (Philadelphia: real estate, apartments)

[Peacelilies]

Hello

For more than a year now, I have been studying city data, looking for cities to transfer to that will best fit my needs. I came to Indy for school and ended up staying for work and unfortunately have not been happy for the majority of my time here. The major issue is that even though Indy is fantastic for a married, family oriented person, it is not exactly jumping for a single, African girl like me (I hope no Indy person is offended by this, but this is my experience). Basically, I am a city girl at heart and I love diversity and living in a dense environment. I was considering New York and Chicago for a while, but ended up seriously considering Philadelphia because of it's cost. I started researching it further and found that center city seemed to be an area that would fit me perfectly.

Since I cannot move anywhere without a job offer in hand, I have been spending time interviewing. I am now at the final stages of waiting to hear back from a company I interviewed for and wanted to start the apartment search early.

When are you moving?
Potentially late June or sometime in July

Where are you coming from?
Indianapolis

Why are you moving?
I am leaving Indy because it is not working for me socially. It is a fantastic place to raise a family but not for a person who is single and a city girl at heart. I am also looking for a place that is chock full of young professionals, that is diverse and where I can feel at home.
I must also add that I am not new to the east coast. I lived in MD years ago.

Where will you be working?
Like I said earlier, this is not final yet. I am awaiting feedback from a job I interviewed for and seems very likely. I do have a job now and won't quit until I have something solid.

Have you been here yet?
Yes actually. Was there today. Center city specifically.

Will you buy or rent?
I am looking for a 1 bedroom apartment. I looked at 2 apartments today, the Metropolitan and Packard but they were about $1600 to $1700 and that price did not include electric or parking. Both of those could easily run me $300 extra.

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?
I don't care

Are you married or single?
Single with no kids. In my 20s

Do you have pets?
No pets

Are you keeping a car?
I have a car. Would only keep it if it's worth it financially. I must confess, the parking fees really concern me.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?
Ideally, BUSTLING with a quiet apartment to sleep in. But if this seems too contradictory, I'd take bustling. I guess I could learn to sleep through noise

What do you want to be closest to?
Nightlife, libraries, entertainment, young professionals, shopping, grocery store and subway stations.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
I am an African female. I like diversity. I don't mind living with people of other races. I just like people that are open-minded and won't stare at me strangely or isolate me. Like I said, I did see 2 apartments earlier today and also got some sandwiches and everyone I encountered from the cashiers to the leasing consultants were all very nice to me.

My major issue is with the rent of the 2 apartments I saw in Centercity. $1600 to $1700 is really high. I'd prefer to not exceed $1500 for everything (rent, utilities, parking). Is that reasonable for apartments in Center city?
Also, not sure if this is allowable by the moderators, but are people allowed to send you recommendations for apartments that actually fall within your price range.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

It's definitely possible to find what you're looking for in Center City. I live in Rittenhouse and pay well below your price range. I think apartments in rowhomes or mid-sized apartment buildings around Center City are generally more likely to be reasonably priced than places like the Packard or the Metropolitan. My apartment is pretty decent - but for 1500 you should theoretically be able to find something really nice.

Also, if you say you're not attached to the car, and if you aren't going to be leaving the city too often, you could probably just ditch it, and focus on the most walkable areas of Center City (for example: the Packard is a little bit outside of the most bustling part of Center City, IMO. Altough it's a very nice looking building and that area will likely become pretty bustling in the not so distance future. You certainly don't need a car to live there, but it can be done much easier a couple blocks south at the same price). My wife and I have lived here for a year now. We both work in Center City, and I honestly have never been in a situation where having a car would have made my life easier (with the exception of visiting my family about an hour outside the city). If your workplace is outside of Center City, it can be just as easy - just set yourself up on a nearby bus or train line. Check out SEPTA | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for help with that.

Best advice is to just keep on eye on craigslist's apartments listings. Feel free to PM me if you want a couple of companies to check out (or to stay away from).

[katyk23]

I would definitely echo FamousBlueRaincoat's thoughts on rowhomes/midsize buildings. You will likely find an apartment that is much less expensive than the new high rises and as a bonus, it will probably have some of the beautiful character that comes with the historic details of many Philadelphia buildings.

Be careful with craigslist! I just met a really nice, smart girl who still ended up getting scammed. There are some good postings on the site though, and I would also recommend lookings at hotpads, trulia, and other real estate focused sites that some of the savvy landlords are posting on.

Lastly, in terms of the bustling v. quiet question, I would just say to look at the surroundings of the apartment, e.g. restaurants, bars. Bars in Philly must close by 2am, but the noise will last a little longer than that with people spilling out onto the street at the end of the night.

[skydivers-in-reverse]

The hustle bustle might start to wear on you after a few months once the novelty wears off, so definitely take that into consideration =]. A car is probably going to turn into a hassle unless you've got free parking and are only using it to get in and out of the city on a fairly regular basis.

[rdugirl]

Not having a car sounds great, but realistically, I would need it to make trips to see parents in central pa, the beach, etc. It is a love/hate relationship '-) So, unless I have free parking, which seems unlikely, what should I expect to pay to keep car in the city?

[jennm59]

I would think about Northern Liberties. You have a place to park, a hip vibe, a lot of young professionals your age, and things to do. You could easily take the bus into the city (if needed), ride your bike about anywhere, yet could take the car out of the city to visit others...and it's within your range.

[Pine to Vine]

I note you mentioned you might not keep a car. Since you know CC, you realize it's very possible to live here without one. That not only saves you money on parking, but also insurance, which is quite high in Philly. Elimination of those costs then opens up places like the Metropolitan you saw (electricity costs are minimal when you are buffered from the elements on three sides in a high-rise).

You can use any realtor website to search for rental properties.
I note someone suggested Northern Liberties. We looked there, but it felt like we weren't in Philly. It may work for you, but CC was the reason we moved here.

Good luck. I hope you like it here as much as we have.

[pman]

for the "carless" there is zipcar.com and phillycarshare.com
if you want to live in center city, you should weigh using such services and renting a car on occasion for those trips against monthly parking. you can check out parking prices here
http://philapark.net/

highrises are definitely more expensive than walkups try philadelphiaweekly.com listings and padmapper

for peace and quiet, look for an apartment where the bedroom is in the rear of the apartment or double paned windows. makes a big difference

[Peacelilies]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

It's definitely possible to find what you're looking for in Center City. I live in Rittenhouse and pay well below your price range. I think apartments in rowhomes or mid-sized apartment buildings around Center City are generally more likely to be reasonably priced than places like the Packard or the Metropolitan. My apartment is pretty decent - but for 1500 you should theoretically be able to find something really nice.

Also, if you say you're not attached to the car, and if you aren't going to be leaving the city too often, you could probably just ditch it, and focus on the most walkable areas of Center City (for example: the Packard is a little bit outside of the most bustling part of Center City, IMO. Altough it's a very nice looking building and that area will likely become pretty bustling in the not so distance future. You certainly don't need a car to live there, but it can be done much easier a couple blocks south at the same price). My wife and I have lived here for a year now. We both work in Center City, and I honestly have never been in a situation where having a car would have made my life easier (with the exception of visiting my family about an hour outside the city). If your workplace is outside of Center City, it can be just as easy - just set yourself up on a nearby bus or train line. Check out SEPTA | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for help with that.

Best advice is to just keep on eye on craigslist's apartments listings. Feel free to PM me if you want a couple of companies to check out (or to stay away from).

Thank you for this, I'd definitely PM as I need info on companies to check out

[Peacelilies]

Thanks to all of you who responded. I have compiled a good listing of sites to check out thanks to you.
I hadn't heard about Northern Liberties before, I'd need to do more research on it. Center City was the place that seemed to fit me exactly and that was why I focused my research on it. I'd keep you all posted.
Thank you