From Midwest to Philly (Washington, Newtown: rent, insurance, how much)

[nebraskatransplant]

Hey all.

Potential opportunity to move to Philly for a job and looking to see if you guys could give me some insight.

Young professional in high-travel position so I need to be somewhere with reasonable (30 minutes or less) access to the airport

Office is in Newtown Square but I would not be required to go to it very often

Rent can be up to $1500 ... Prefer less.
Space isn't an issue... in the 600 square feet area studio is fine.

Any thoughts on areas?

I looked downtown/city center area, manayunk, and conshohocken. Trying to figure out if I missed anything.

I visited this past week and I really enjoyed the area around Washington park downtown... aka... Quite and peaceful but with options nearby for a more crazy night.


Thanks!

[pman]

area around washington sq is nice. given your price range and size requirements, go for center city

[nebraskatransplant]

Originally Posted by pman

area around washington sq is nice. given your price range and size requirements, go for center city

thanks for the suggestion. The only major thing I have is that I *require* covered/secure parking and that seems to be something hard to find in the downtown areas.

[pman]

Originally Posted by nebraskatransplant

thanks for the suggestion. The only major thing I have is that I *require* covered/secure parking and that seems to be something hard to find in the downtown areas.

Its not hard to find..you just pay extra. You should be able to fit a place for you and your car in cc...albeit a small one.

[tom_567]

Center City will give you access to the airport on the R1 from Market East and Suburban Station. It's a 30 minute ride. Also, you can catch a cab to the airport for a flat $28.50 from anywhere in Center City. You may want to seriously consider selling your car. Rent a car or use Zipcar when you need to go to the office. You will experience sticker shock to keep your car -- about $300/month in parking and potentially $3000 a year to insure. If you're travelling a lot and not going to be at your home office, I'd rather pocket or put the extra money towards a better location. Just my two cents. But maybe you're getting an awesome promotion and can swing it. Best of luck!

[pman]

$3k?! I paid $1500 (which is still a lot) just a few short years ago...usually they cut you a break when you aren't using your car to get to work (when you're most likely to get in an accident)

[nebraskatransplant]

Originally Posted by tom_567

Center City will give you access to the airport on the R1 from Market East and Suburban Station. It's a 30 minute ride. Also, you can catch a cab to the airport for a flat $28.50 from anywhere in Center City. You may want to seriously consider selling your car. Rent a car or use Zipcar when you need to go to the office. You will experience sticker shock to keep your car -- about $300/month in parking and potentially $3000 a year to insure. If you're travelling a lot and not going to be at your home office, I'd rather pocket or put the extra money towards a better location. Just my two cents. But maybe you're getting an awesome promotion and can swing it. Best of luck!

Seriously? I knew that it would be more expensive for insurance and garage... I pay less than $1,100 a year for insurance and $50 a month for garage right now...

That's crazy.

[nebraskatransplant]

Originally Posted by pman

$3k?! I paid $1500 (which is still a lot) just a few short years ago...usually they cut you a break when you aren't using your car to get to work (when you're most likely to get in an accident)

Okay, I'm glad that I'm not the only one that thinks that is grossly exaggerated.

I'm a no accident/no claim/no tickets driver with 6 years at the same insurance provider.

[tom_567]

It's the zip codes, coverage level, and radius that will drive the prices. Tarp may be closer to average, but I have no idea what car he drives, how far he drives it, what zip code he lived in, etc. I'd get a quote with your provider for coverage you're comfortable with and go from there.

Bottom line you will most likely pay more for both insurance and parking. If you want covered parking, I assume you want collision coverage on your insurance, etc.

If you live downtown, you will not be driving much. Downtown Philly is one of the few places in the nation where you can live completely car-free. You will be shocked at how much is accessible without ever getting into your car.

I don't think I overexaggerated parking. You will pay at least a few hundred per month for parking; maybe more if you park right in Center City. My dad paid $287 a month for parking at 12th and Filbert a few years back.

If I was travelling all the time, I wouldn't want the extra expense, but you may have different value judgments than I do. Just make sure that you do your homework and consult with actual insurance providers, actual garages, etc. and not just over-exaggeraters like me on city-data. :-)

[nebraskatransplant]

Sorry Tom, didn't want to make it sound like I didn't appreciate the advice.

I would be incredibly alarmed if my insurance went up 250% though...

Getting rid of the car is an option... The only issue I see with that is the first month or two I will actually need regular access to the office so renting a car (whether through traditional outlets or ZipCar) would get really expensive quickly.