What's it like here? (Philadelphia, Chester: for rent, crime rate, job market)

[Missingatlanta]

My husband and I are thinking of moving here from DC. I already have a job lined up but he does not.

What is the job market like here? We looked at the unemployment rate but I know that can be misleading. His field is in social work.

How about the housing market and schools? We would want to live somewhere safe and to pay no more than $1500 a month for rent.

Also, what is this area like vs. living somewhere like DC? I've only been here once and all I hear about is the crime. I really want this job but not sure about moving here.

[RightonWalnut]

Philadelphia is a fantastic city, of course there are high crime areas to avoid like North Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, but you will never have a reason to go there. Where will you be working? What specific jobs will your husband be looking at? Will you want to live in the city limits, or in the suburbs?

[Missingatlanta]

It's on chestnut st. He is in social work but hoping to get out. I want to live where it's safe and near good schools. We have a 20 month old daughter also, so schools are also something I'm concerned with.

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

Philadelphia is a fantastic city, of course there are high crime areas to avoid like North Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey, but you will never have a reason to go there. Where will you be working? What specific jobs will your husband be looking at? Will you want to live in the city limits, or in the suburbs?

and Chester city.

Originally Posted by Missingatlanta

It's on chestnut st. He is in social work but hoping to get out. I want to live where it's safe and near good schools. We have a 20 month old daughter also, so schools are also something I'm concerned with.

There are plenty of places within your budget with good to great schools that are safe depending on how far you're willing to commute and also depending on where on Chestnut you'll be working.

Here's the truth about the area. The majority of problems are things that affect people who are lifers, not people who move here. The unemployment/underemployment rate is high due to a number of things, one of which is the amount of people who used to work in industrial jobs that are gone or who got laid off/downsized. The crime rate and murder rate are high but the majority of the people who get killed in the city and out of it are people who grew up there or who are more involved in their neighborhoods than you will be. Everybody knows who they are and where they live so they have a much higher chance of getting killed than you do in even the worst neighborhoods. Pretty much every bad thing you ever hear about Philly is something that affects lifers much moreso than newcomers. Everything other than that is just city stuff.

It isn't like DC over here. There is no PG county or NoVa. We have places that compare to NoVA definitely but most of those places are hundreds of years old. Personally, I'd rather live in Philly and surrounding than the DC metro any day of the week.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by UDResident

It isn't like DC over here. There is no PG county or NoVa. We have places that compare to NoVA definitely but most of those places are hundreds of years old. Personally, I'd rather live in Philly and surrounding than the DC metro any day of the week.

I think South Jersey has some NOVA elements to it--largely undeveloped until the 1950s, and currently consisting of mostly newer, sprawling suburbs (although there really aren't any equivalents to Arlington or Alexandria).

Montgomery County, PA has a lot in common with its Maryland cousin.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by Missingatlanta

It's on chestnut st. He is in social work but hoping to get out. I want to live where it's safe and near good schools. We have a 20 month old daughter also, so schools are also something I'm concerned with.

If schools are a high priority stay away from Philly. It has one of the worst public school systems around.. That's coming from people who make their living dealing with Philly public schools on a daily basis.. You have to do private or one of the better charters in the city for good schooling.. As for safety, look at the crime chart on this link (scroll down)and you decide how safe Philly is..

//www.city-data.com/city/Philad...nsylvania.html

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by UDResident

and Chester city.
The crime rate and murder rate are high but the majority of the people who get killed in the city and out of it are people who grew up there or who are more involved in their neighborhoods than you will be. Everybody knows who they are and where they live so they have a much higher chance of getting killed than you do in even the worst neighborhoods. Pretty much every bad thing you ever hear about Philly is something that affects lifers much moreso than newcomers. Everything other than that is just city stuff.

So people who now move to Philly are going to be automatically devoid of any crime? huh?? The people who rob and murder others only do it to long time Philly residents???

[mancat100]

And they're off........

[maf763]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

So people who now move to Philly are going to be automatically devoid of any crime? huh?? The people who rob and murder others only do it to long time Philly residents???

The post didn't say that.

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

I think South Jersey has some NOVA elements to it--largely undeveloped until the 1950s, and currently consisting of mostly newer, sprawling suburbs (although there really aren't any equivalents to Arlington or Alexandria).

Montgomery County, PA has a lot in common with its Maryland cousin.

True, I forgot South Jersey.

Originally Posted by frankgn87

If schools are a high priority stay away from Philly. It has one of the worst public school systems around.. That's coming from people who make their living dealing with Philly public schools on a daily basis.. You have to do private or one of the better charters in the city for good schooling.. As for safety, look at the crime chart on this link (scroll down)and you decide how safe Philly is..

//www.city-data.com/city/Philad...nsylvania.html

Of course, these supposed "connections" you have that make you the authority on crime and schools!

Give me a break already!

Originally Posted by frankgn87

So people who now move to Philly are going to be automatically devoid of any crime? huh?? The people who rob and murder others only do it to long time Philly residents???

What do you know about it, frank? You're from the Northeast. You live in South Jersey. You grew up partially in Bucks County (thought I didn't notice that post of yours huh).

You think anybody respects the Northeast? People from pretty much every other part of the city experienced more crime and problems for decades than the Northeast currently does. Even Upper Darby had problems long before the Northeast did.

Thank you for clarifying that for him, maf763. I hate when people twist my words.