1400 Block of Montrose or 1500 Block of South 4th Street? (Penn: apartments, houses)

[kcl5000]

Hey I am looking to buy new construction or a recently built home in the city. The inventory is low and I am not as fond of being north of Vine street in the northern liberties or fairmount sections. Looking in Graduate Hospital, Bella Vista, Queen Village and Pennsport. I recently have looked at 2 houses but dont know much about the neighborhoods. The first house is the 1400 block of montrose which goes to a dead end and is right by a Mcdondalds which isnt ideal. There are also a decent amount of rundown houses on the block and it seems kind of shady to go through this alley way to get to broad through the mcdonalds lot. The other house i looked at was right by the corner of the dickinson square park. I have been told to try and stay on the moyamensing or east if i was going that south in pennsport. This is one block over on 4th and tasker. I appreciate any insight or thoughts. I wish there was more inventory but houses are flying off the market.
Thanks

[2e1m5a]

I would go with 1400 Montrose as it's much closer to Center City and the Broad Street subway. There may be some blight still but the neighborhood is further along imo. 4th and Tasker is OK and everything East is a great neighborhood but 5th and Tasker and the 5th Street corridor is a different story. I generally think that the area looks worse than it is but still there is higher crime.

[sj08054]

The area around 4th and Tasker does look worse than it really is but the main problem is the inconsistencies within the neighborhood. You have some that really take cares of the house and some just don't care. Littering is probably the biggest problem. If you are buying new construction there, do you want to pay $400K for a house on a street full of litter?

Dickinson square has clean up quite a bit.. just haven't gotten to the streets in the surrounding area. Maybe in a few years.

[kcl5000]

Thanks for the input. I walked around both areas tonight and definetly felt more safe at montrose. Does anyone know if anyone is doing anything on that empty lot next to the mcdonalds on christian and broad? its kind of run down and looks like nothing has been there in years. Also I know a few months back in the paper i read the city had plans for The huge blocks of empty space on both sides of broad at washington. Does anyone see this happening anytime soon and what do they expect to put there. If its apartments with retail i could see the housing value increasing even more. Just wish this block didnt go down to an ugly dead end. Maybe in a few years when the rest of the older neighbors move out we can clean it up if i decide to move here.