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Old 04-22-2012, 08:05 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
38 posts, read 79,942 times
Reputation: 31

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My name is Tym (a.k.a. Philadelphia Hopeful) and I figured I should explain the name and Why Philadelphia.

I am from Milwaukee and have lived in Chicago, Cleveland, and other cities throughout the Midwest. I have never been to Philadelphia. Hold on... Did he just... Yeah. Never been there. So what is this all about? Well I am 33 years old and I have lived all of my life (with the exception of a VERY short time in LV) in the Midwest. I need change!!! I need to get away from my wife too, but that's a whole other thread. LOL. I have the greatest job of my life and I actually enjoy what I do, however I know I will never be truly happy here. So why have I decided to move to Philly? I need a vibrant and busy city but with a reasonable cost of living. From what I've read, Philly pretty much flips the bill. I hate to use this line (so no offense), but it is pretty much like a mini New York/Chicago isn't is? I mean it has the same feel to it, but a lot more affordable? Also, I will be within 1 hour of Atlantic City, and just 2 hours from NYC, DC, and Baltimore. So the location is absolutely ideal for me!!! And looking at the map Philadelphia is actually connected to New York City via suburbs. So "technically" speaking wouldn't that just make Philadelphia an overly large suburb of New York City? Sorry, I know Philly holds it own I just had to add that. So I have a few concerns before I make the move (late 2012 or early 2013) and I'm hoping some of you can answer them.

1. I don't have a car at all, not that I couldn't get one, but I find my $ would be better put towards the move. Do I actually need a car in order to get around Philadelphia?
2. I don't have a college degree or any trade really, so I am looking for Factory work or anything that will give me 40 hours a week (or close to it) and pay my rent. I will be moving with 3-4 months of living expenses but with no job. How hard do you think it should be to land employment within a short time? Remember, I am open to any and all opportunities.
3. I won't be able to get an apartment due to not having a job right away, so I am looking for a simple room for rent of sorts. Any ideas of where I should look? I would like something safe and affordable. My monthly budget is up to $500 max. But I would prefer around $400 for the room. I know I was renting a room in Milwaukee for $325, so I feel it should be a reasonable request.
4. I will need an apartment after I get a job and unlike most everyone on here (whether they really do or not) I don't have a $2,000 budget and I'm not going to lie about it either (like I can only assume some people perhaps do). So in short, I will need a studio/1 bedroom apartment in a reasonably safe neighborhood for $500 per month. I am willing to go to $600 just because I may be moving a good friend in with me. But let's focus on a $500 budget for now.
5. How far is it to the nearest beach or outdoor space that is good for people watching in the summer?

Now, I'm pretty comfortable in my decision with Philadelphia but Miami has been in my mind as well. Any overall thoughts on the Miami Area? But putting all my questions into consideration, I personally still think Philly would win by a landslide. Am I wrong on this assumption?

Last edited by Philadelphia Hopeful; 04-22-2012 at 08:17 AM..
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Old 04-22-2012, 08:28 AM
 
6 posts, read 9,791 times
Reputation: 11
Hi Tym
I don't know if I can dissuade you from moving to a new place without a job lined up, but it seems a bit foolish to me. Do you have some nice savings to cushion you while you search? That being said, the job market is somewhat poor here, like the rest of the US right now.

-Philadelphia does not have many factory jobs anymore, it's more focused on higher eds and medicine, but you might be able to work for a city agency like Streets or something.

-You will not need a car in the city because you can get many places by rail or bus on the local transit agency, SEPTA. For those few times you'll need a car there is Philly Car Share and ZipCar and other rental services.

-Philly is like NYC and Chicago in that it's a giant, dense, pre-automobile city with lots of history and culture. However it is not yet on the same level as those two "top dog" cities either in scale or prominence.

-As far as neighborhoods, $500 for a studio is possible but very difficult. Maybe try South Philly or certain parts of the river wards like the part of Kensington north of Fishtown and east of Frankford ave, and Port Richmond. You might also find something in West Philly near Drexel in Mantua, but that's a bit more seedy.

-A good place to people watch is Rittenhouse Square, which is a city park in the downtown area.

-I've never been to Miami but you'd need a car there.
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Old 04-22-2012, 08:34 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
38 posts, read 79,942 times
Reputation: 31
Worse case scenario I will have only $5,000 to move with. However, I will probably end up having between $7,500-$10,000 in total. It may be "foolish" to just may the jump, but we only live once and I don't know how I would go about finding anything from Wisconsin. I do however plan on a visit when I get my weeks vacation in early October though. I hope to at least see some rooms for rent at that point and maybe fill out some applications at some Temp Agencies or whatever. And do I REALLY need a car in Philly? I make it pretty well fine without in Milwaukee and I've heard Philly is a fairly walkable city. :/
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Old 04-22-2012, 08:41 AM
 
Location: South Jersey
7,780 posts, read 21,776,627 times
Reputation: 2353
you have $400-500 to live? You will only get a room in the worse, crime ridden locations at that outlay, sorry to say
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Old 04-22-2012, 09:27 AM
 
Location: Midwest
1,283 posts, read 2,211,754 times
Reputation: 983
1) You definitely do not need a car. That's one of the main reasons I moved to Philadelphia. However - Philadelphia encompasses a large geographic area, and there are some sections of Philadelphia that are less urban than others. Notably, large parts of Northwest Philadelphia are "railroad suburbs" and although still walkable and with good transit access to Center City are built at a different scale, and most of Far Northeast Philadelphia is essentially an automobile suburb, although still a little more pedestrian and transit friendly than just on the other side of the city/county border. It will be easier than Milwaukee though - and probably pretty comparable to Chicago, except we have less heavy rail rapid transit.

2) You should be open to working in a more degrading line of work - like food service, hospitality, or retail, at least temporarily, as these are the jobs that there are right now. Me and my wife both have college degrees, moved here 2 years ago, and work in hospitality. It could be better - but it could be worse.

3/4) You're going to have to compromise with your budget. You can avoid the worst of the worst - but still want to probably focus on neighborhoods less recommended here. There are relatively nice, relatively diverse, relatively affordable sections of Kensington, Germantown, South Philly, West Philly, and Lower North Philly that are likely to be gentrified soon, but not there yet, where a person can find affordable (if not decent) lodging. Or there are areas in decline like parts of Southwest and Lower Northeast Philly that have not hit rock bottom yet and might be worth a short term affordable rental. Look to Port Richmond or places like Mayfair in the NE for the best combination of safety, stability, and value.

5) There are lots of neighborhood "squares" as well as the huge Wissahickon Park in the Northwest, and Fairmount Park stretching long the Schuylkill River. You can take a relatively quick train ride to Atlantic City, or a pretty long bus ride to other points in NJ, like Cape May. Lots of trips on public transit you can take too - I took a day trip to Wilmington a couple months back and killed a day - they have a pretty nice downtown and some nice parks. If you're new to the area, there are lots of small towns and city to visit using public transit, it's a great way to see a completely different place, enjoy their parks, people, and businesses, and come back at the end of the day.

Philly is not a suburb of NYC or even all that similar to NY. Or Chicago. I was born in NYC. Been to Chicago a couple times. NYC and Philly have an odd relationship - some people in NY seem to be obsessed with Philadelphia and come here all the time for reasons I don't fully understand, and a lot of transplants and college kids take advantage of the close proximity to NY and go there all the time. Most people here don't really care about New York at all though. Philly remains a city of row houses and is really built on the human scale, with a relatively small high rise/midrise and skyscraper district - and Manhattan tends to be the opposite, as there are relatively few rowhome neighborhoods left in Manhattan proper. They are similar in the fact that there aren't many large, healthy, truly urban cities in this country - their peers like Detroit, St. Louis etc. really hit hard times and aren't even on most peoples radar screen. They definitely have their differences though, and I prefer Philly in some respects, and NYC in others. Couldn't be easier to get there though - megabus is the cheapest way to go, Amtrak is the most comfortable, and the combination of SEPTA/NJ Trains with a transfer at Trenton is in between.

Last edited by FamousBlueRaincoat; 04-22-2012 at 09:36 AM..
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Old 04-23-2012, 12:59 PM
 
58 posts, read 146,186 times
Reputation: 53
Don't be discouraged. Look into a shared house. I know people who pay $350 to $400 for large private rooms in beautiful old houses just south of downtown. The Ellsworth-Federal subway stop.
Too many blocks west of Broad St. there will be crime problems but if you check it out first you'll see that there are nice streets with a variety of people.
Philadelphia is a wonderful place to live and the more new arrivals there are, the better it gets.
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Old 04-24-2012, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
38 posts, read 79,942 times
Reputation: 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolberg View Post
Don't be discouraged. Look into a shared house. I know people who pay $350 to $400 for large private rooms in beautiful old houses just south of downtown. The Ellsworth-Federal subway stop.
Too many blocks west of Broad St. there will be crime problems but if you check it out first you'll see that there are nice streets with a variety of people.
Philadelphia is a wonderful place to live and the more new arrivals there are, the better it gets.
You wouldn't happen to know of any addresses or more of an exact area to look at would you? Like I said, I am fine with a Room For Rent to start. Do you think I should have any problems finding a job somewhere within the city within my first month or so of getting there? I am willing to take anything! Also, when I moved to Chicago and got my 1st job, they couldn't hire me until I got a Illinois State ID/License due to some kind of city law passed after 9/11. Does Philadelphia have the same requirements do you know, or should I be able to get hired on an out of state (WI) Driver's License?
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Old 04-24-2012, 05:19 PM
 
Location: Center City
7,528 posts, read 10,183,013 times
Reputation: 11018
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelphia Hopeful View Post
You wouldn't happen to know of any addresses or more of an exact area to look at would you? Like I said, I am fine with a Room For Rent to start. Do you think I should have any problems finding a job somewhere within the city within my first month or so of getting there? I am willing to take anything! Also, when I moved to Chicago and got my 1st job, they couldn't hire me until I got a Illinois State ID/License due to some kind of city law passed after 9/11. Does Philadelphia have the same requirements do you know, or should I be able to get hired on an out of state (WI) Driver's License?
1. The city alone is over 135 square miles. Rather than us suggest neighborhoods which may or may not have rooms that meet your budget, I suggest you look at Craigslist for whatever source you plan to use and then ask us if these are good areas. Can't imagine you'd get much more than a dive on your budget in Center City so you are likely looking at some of the other neighborhoods already suggested to you.

2. 1 month to find a job? What kind of job? Cleaning houses or university professor? People have been looking for jobs for years without success. It will depend on what you are seeking together with a bit of luck.

3. Never heard of needing an in-state drivers license/state ID to get a job in private industry in any city.
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Old 04-25-2012, 08:21 AM
 
Location: Milwaukee, WI
38 posts, read 79,942 times
Reputation: 31
Quote:
Originally Posted by jm02 View Post
1. The city alone is over 135 square miles. Rather than us suggest neighborhoods which may or may not have rooms that meet your budget, I suggest you look at Craigslist for whatever source you plan to use and then ask us if these are good areas. Can't imagine you'd get much more than a dive on your budget in Center City so you are likely looking at some of the other neighborhoods already suggested to you.
Fair enough. I am looking at a roommate.com type thingy and I'm finding a lot of people renting rooms in the University City area. Is that part of Philadelphia proper (I don't do suburbs)? How good/safe is University City overall? Also, (I know the move is a bit off but just checking out things) there is a place on 75th & Malvern in the Overbook neighborhood. And one place in West Philly on 54th & Race. It says it's a "safe neighborhood". Any thoughts?

As far as work is concerned, I am willing to take anything as I said before. That could be Taco Bell for all I care! I just need an income to make it by on and use that as a stepping stone to get something better. I just need a place to start as I lay my roots. I am leaving on a dream in hopes of becoming a true Philadelphian. I simply need a place to start. I would like a Factory job of sorts. I know people have said there are not many factories left in Philly anymore... What about Trenton, NJ though? That should be a pretty simple commute right?
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Old 04-25-2012, 10:06 AM
 
Location: East Mt Airy, Philadelphia
1,119 posts, read 1,451,963 times
Reputation: 2200
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelphia Hopeful View Post
Fair enough. I am looking at a roommate.com type thingy and I'm finding a lot of people renting rooms in the University City area. Is that part of Philadelphia proper (I don't do suburbs)? How good/safe is University City overall? Also, (I know the move is a bit off but just checking out things) there is a place on 75th & Malvern in the Overbook neighborhood. And one place in West Philly on 54th & Race. It says it's a "safe neighborhood". Any thoughts?

As far as work is concerned, I am willing to take anything as I said before. That could be Taco Bell for all I care! I just need an income to make it by on and use that as a stepping stone to get something better. I just need a place to start as I lay my roots. I am leaving on a dream in hopes of becoming a true Philadelphian. I simply need a place to start. I would like a Factory job of sorts. I know people have said there are not many factories left in Philly anymore... What about Trenton, NJ though? That should be a pretty simple commute right?
Here are some links to safety-related sites:
Philadelphia neighborhoods | EveryBlock Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA Crime Map - Showing Crimes in Philadelphia - Crime Statistics, Alerts and Reports - Crime Stops Here

As for Trenton: there's a huge, illuminated sign on one of the bridges between Trenton and PA saying "Trenton Makes, the World Takes." Probably true, back in the day, but probably not any more. You mentioned living in areas of West Philly (U. City, Overbrook) - the commute to Trenton would be feasible (subway or walk to 30th St Station, then SEPTA/regional rail to Trenton), but long (I'd guess at least an hour each way) and expensive.
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