Philly bound and need rental advice (Philadelphia: apartments, how much, townhouse)

[cheown]

Greetings everyone and a special thanks to those of you who respond to to my thread. We are heading north from the suburbs near Atlanta to a new dwelling in or around Philadelphia. My wife starts her residency in late June at Temple and we want to find a nice place to live for the next two years. We are both in our early 30s with no kids at the moment. We do have a lab who sure would love a fenced in backyard to play in. I'll be working from home so the main focus is my wife and her commute. Anything over 30 minutes one way might be too much. Any suggestions?

When are you moving? School starts this June so sometime around then.

Where are you coming from? The suburbs near Atlanta.

Why are you moving? Residency program. We will be in Philly for two years.

Where will you be working? I'll be working from home and my wife will be working primarily at the hospital on Lehigh.

Have you been here yet? Yes. We came up the weekend she interviewed. She enjoyed the museums while I enjoyed the food.

Will you buy or rent? Rent

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? We are looking for a house if possible with a little private property in the back for the dog.

How much can you spend? $1500 ~ $2500. Somewhere in the middle would be nice.

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Walk up

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married with no children at the moment. That may change in a year or so.

Do you have pets? We have a lab

Do you want or need a yard? We want a yard for the dog. A nearby park that is close and dog friendly would also be nice.

Are you keeping a car? Yes we currently have two cars.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? We are laid back and quiet. We love going out for nice dinners or long walks but we are generally home bodies.

What do you want to be closest to? The commute to work is very important for my wife. Access to a wide selection of restaurants would be fantastic.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? A diverse neighborhood is fine. We want a safe and happy neighborhood where we can enjoy long walks and peace and quiet when it gets late.

Thanks again for your input.

[The Burger]

Originally Posted by cheown

Greetings everyone and a special thanks to those of you who respond to to my thread. We are heading north from the suburbs near Atlanta to a new dwelling in or around Philadelphia. My wife starts her residency in late June at Temple and we want to find a nice place to live for the next two years. We are both in our early 30s with no kids at the moment. We do have a lab who sure would love a fenced in backyard to play in. I'll be working from home so the main focus is my wife and her commute. Anything over 30 minutes one way might be too much. Any suggestions?

When are you moving? School starts this June so sometime around then.

Where are you coming from? The suburbs near Atlanta.

Why are you moving? Residency program. We will be in Philly for two years.

Where will you be working? I'll be working from home and my wife will be working primarily at the hospital on Lehigh.

Have you been here yet? Yes. We came up the weekend she interviewed. She enjoyed the museums while I enjoyed the food.

Will you buy or rent? Rent

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? We are looking for a house if possible with a little private property in the back for the dog.

How much can you spend? $1500 ~ $2500. Somewhere in the middle would be nice.

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Walk up

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married with no children at the moment. That may change in a year or so.

Do you have pets? We have a lab

Do you want or need a yard? We want a yard for the dog. A nearby park that is close and dog friendly would also be nice.

Are you keeping a car? Yes we currently have two cars.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? We are laid back and quiet. We love going out for nice dinners or long walks but we are generally home bodies.

What do you want to be closest to? The commute to work is very important for my wife. Access to a wide selection of restaurants would be fantastic.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? A diverse neighborhood is fine. We want a safe and happy neighborhood where we can enjoy long walks and peace and quiet when it gets late.

Thanks again for your input.

You won't find a "diverse" neighborhood in Philadelphia that is safe, happy, peaceful and quiet. Good luck, anyway.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by The Burger

You won't find a "diverse" neighborhood in Philadelphia that is safe, happy, peaceful and quiet. Good luck, anyway.

Actually, Mt. Airy in NW Philly might come to the closest to satisfying all of those adjectives. According to this recent thread below, it's even dog-friendly!

//www.city-data.com/forum/phila...ghborhood.html

Perhaps a second choice would be the University City area in West Philly. It's definitely diverse and has its share of happy moments and quiet blocks. It's perhaps a notch down on the safety quotient although there are University City District safety ambassadors patrolling the area.

You may have a fair chance at renting an entire house at the upper end of your budget. Not sure how dog-friendly any apartments might be.