relocating from Pittsburgh to Philly- neighborhood advice (Philadelphia, York: apartment, rent)

[sknitty]

I'm 29 y.o. single female finishing up my Master's at Pitt and will most likely be moving to Philly the end of the summer. I'm trying to get an idea of neighborhoods that might be good fits for me so I can check them out when I go visit in the upcoming months. I've already sort of ruled out Center City just because it seems a bit pricier and I will be working in the school districts so it would be better for me to commute from one of the suburbs surrounding Philly. I'm looking for an area that is affordable, safe and has other young professionals. I like going out to restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, parks, etc. I hear that Manayunk has a lot of young professionals but I also get the impression there is a large post-college party scene there. I like going out to bars on the weekends but I don't want to live in a neighborhood where I feel like I'm still in college. I would ideally like to get a one bedroom apartment and not pay more than $700/mo. but if that isn't realistic for Philly I would consider getting a 2 bedroom with a roommate.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help!

[RightonWalnut]

I'm confused. Do you prefer a suburb? Manayunk is located within the city limits of Philadelphia. Manayunk is mostly grad students and young professionals living in the area but a lot of college students go to Manayunk for the numerous nightlife options.

[pensburgh8]

i just did the same basic search as you and wound up with a nice place in Conshohocken. I had it down to Manayunk and Conshy.

When I visisted, Manayunk seemed to have a little too much college going on (and im only 23). Parking would have been a nightmare (if your building doesn't give you a spot, and not many do). I cant imagine what that place is like in the winter. never an open spot, very few lots, the hills are huge pain. main street was great and all, but i couldnt justify living there for only that. oh yeah, and you have to pay city wage tax which is an extra 3 points or so. all in all a nice spot, id liken it to a mixture of south side/squirrel hill/shady side.

i settled on conshy for a few reasons. no wage tax. a nice "downtown" area with bars and restaurants. seems like a more young professional area than manayunk. easy commute for me. and i found an amazing place.

my personal opinion is that you should visit both and decide after. i was initially thinking manayunk but my visit swayed me. i prefer a little bit more of a suburban feel and conshy definitely has the best of both worlds.

as far as price, you might have to bump it up a little...or a considerable amount. having just finished my search, i can say conshy has a little bit to offer on the cheaper side, but it may put you further away from where everything is. manayunk might look cheaper on the surface, but once you add it all up who knows.

hope that helps. im happy to share more thoughts

[pensburgh8]

forgot to add these two threads...one is my own and another i found during my search. enjoy

//www.city-data.com/forum/phila...ld-i-live.html

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

[drive carephilly]

You didn't say what school district you'd be working for but if you're working in the city you have to pay the wage tax anyway . . . and the time/cost of the commute probably won't make up for the .04% difference in your take home pay if you lived in the city.

I think Manayunk and Conshy make sense for people working in Conshy/KOP but the traffic around there is such that if you're not working there I don't understand why you'd want to go there. There are much nicer, quieter parts of the region to live in.

[ThomasDarcy]

I lived in Pittsburgh for 17 years before moving to Philly. Main street in Manayunk feels like (a more lively version of) Forbes + Murray Avenues in Squirrel Hill. I personally like Center City -- its the kind of lively urban core that doesn't exist in Pittsburgh. Parts of West Philly (The University City district) just west of Penn feel like the residential parts of squirrel hill (Big old houses, tree lined blocks, populated by grad students and professors). Closer to Drexel, the feeling is more like Oakland (Frats, college students, parties). The commercial district in Chestnut Hill feels a bit like Shadyside (Walnut St -- the one in Pittsburgh, not Philly).

Unfortunately, you're not going to find anything that is as cheap as rent in Pittsburgh. But coming from Pittsburgh gives you a distorted view of housing costs: just be glad you aren't moving to Boston, New York, San Francisco, DC, or LA.

[sknitty]

Thanks for the info, everyone. I will definitely check out Conshy as another friend gave me that recommendation.

I will be working in Delaware, Montgomery or Bucks county. I realize that with commuting it would make more sense to live in the suburbs of whichever county I work for but being that I'm still young and single and like the art & cultural scenes that larger cities have to offer, I know I wouldn't be happy living in a town with mostly settled families just because there is a better commute.

The cost of living in Pittsburgh has definitely spoiled me, though! The funny thing is that I am from Boston originally but am not going back there for a reason.... too expensive!!!

[kidphilly]

Originally Posted by sknitty

Thanks for the info, everyone. I will definitely check out Conshy as another friend gave me that recommendation.

I will be working in Delaware, Montgomery or Bucks county. I realize that with commuting it would make more sense to live in the suburbs of whichever county I work for but being that I'm still young and single and like the art & cultural scenes that larger cities have to offer, I know I wouldn't be happy living in a town with mostly settled families just because there is a better commute.

The cost of living in Pittsburgh has definitely spoiled me, though! The funny thing is that I am from Boston originally but am not going back there for a reason.... too expensive!!!

Conshy isnt bad considering travel to Montco, Bucks and DE counties (sort of centrally located in this context in a way) plus no city wage. While not anywhere near as active as Center City (the Philly broader DT area) it may not be so bad to live while getting acquainted with the city
Best of luck on your search