Help to find safe neighborhood (with parking) for my daughter (Philadelphia: best neighborhood, apartment)

[sstaarzz]

My daughter will be relocating from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia in the next few months to start a new job. She is 23, just graduated from grad school and wants to live near/in the city.
I know nothing about Philadelphia and would love some feedback as to suggestions. She wants to be around the nightlife, bars, restaurants, etc. We heard about center city, old city, graduate hospital. Just want to know which streets/areas are good and which to avoid. She does have a car, so we need an area/building that has parking available (not street parking). She will be working in Media PA so if she drives, she hopes it is not a long commute or one where she is stuck in traffic. I believe that the SEPTA train station is right near her new job so maybe an apt in the city near public transit would be great as well.

She did look at one apartment in Manayunk but was not interested in the area.

One other question...does anyone have any idea how much she would pay to keep her car in a garage if she rents an apartment in one of the high rise buildings in center city or surrounding area.

Thanks for any info..

[egolise]

perhaps university city/west philly. follow the baltimore ave. corridor west from 38th st. to 50th-ish. might be a little closer to media than center city, relatively safe, plentiful parking the further you get from Penn, plenty of local nightlife with easy access to center city.

[RightonWalnut]

I agree. University City will probably be the best neighborhood for her.

Here are a bunch of pictures I took of University City
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=198848

It is a massive area and is Philadelphia's second largest business district. Similar to the Oakland area of Pittsburgh. University City has a massive downtown feel with quaint quiet safe walkable residential neighborhoods.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

I agree. University City will probably be the best neighborhood for her.

Here are a bunch of pictures I took of University City
PHILADELPHIA | University City Part 1 - SkyscraperPage Forum

It is a massive area and is Philadelphia's second largest business district. Similar to the Oakland area of Pittsburgh. University City has a massive downtown feel with quaint quiet safe walkable residential neighborhoods.

U City is nice, but if she's tired of being predominantly surrounded by students but still wants a young vibe, I'd recommend somewhere off Rittenhouse. Manayunk would be good too. I will say, however, that U City would be most convenient to work in Media.

I went to Pitt for undergrad myself, and I agree with summers that it's like a larger, more cosmopolitan/upscale version of Oakland. There are still a few iffy patches here and there, but if you stay along Baltimore Avenue, you'll be fine up to about 50th Street.

[likes_storms]

Hello,

Sorry to hijack this thread, but as it's kind of related to my situation so I'd like to ask for everyone's opinions. I'm looking at a place on the block of Cedar Ave and 50th-51st street and I'm trying to decide how safe it is to park my car there. I currently drive a 2007 Lexus in pretty good shape (one or two dents, but pretty minor): do you think it'd be safe to park my car in that area? I've been told I can normally find parking within 1-2 blocks of the house I'm thinking of renting.

If that area (Cedar Ave by 50th/51st street) isn't a good place for my car, where would be a good place I can live and still park my car?

I admit I'm from California so street side parking is NOT my thing (which is why I'm trying to avoid the areas of graduate hospital, fitler square, rittenhouse and maybe Art Museum as parking there every day would very likely be painful for me). Sometimes, there are times where I may not drive my car for 2-3 weeks at a time and some days, I will have to drive every day.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[frankgn87]

Private parking in a garage can be massively expensive. Possibly hundreds a month dependng on where you go..

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

Private parking in a garage can be massively expensive. Possibly hundreds a month dependng on where you go..

I kept a car in the U City Sheraton last year for just under $200 a month. Incidentally, I also drive a 2007 Lexus.

The area you speak of is currently at the western fringe of the ongoing wave of gentrification. You should be ok so long as you don't leave any valuables in your car. That said, I'd get a good car theft insurance policy if I were you-- just in case.

[egolise]

parking around 50th and cedar should not be an issue (although expect the normal bumper dings/scratches). as for anywhere in philly, don't leave stuff in your car because nowhere is immune to tag thefts or people smashing windows to get GPS, electronics, etc. i've parked at that intersection for years with no issues.