Advice on prospective move to Philly (Penn: apartment, to rent, condo)

[tonyman121]

I am currently deciding between relocating to NYC or Philly (see details about income comparisons in NYC thread I made: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...yc-philly.html )

Assuming I take the job in Philly, where should I look to move to? About me:

Where are you coming from?
Why are you moving?
Where will you be working?
Have you been here yet?

I am coming from the midwest, moving for work. I will be working in University City. I have spent about a month in Philly before, where I rented a subletted apartment in West Philly. It was a frat house, and roaches were my roommates.

Will you buy or rent?
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

I will rent for at least a year, and then maybe buy. I can spend maybe 3-3.5K/month. If I get a hi-rise, I'd want one with lots of amenities to make it worth it (like a nice gym).

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb?
Are you married or single? Do you have children?
Do you prefer public or private schools?
Do you have pets?
Do you want or need a yard?
Are you keeping a car?
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?

I am married with 2 young kids. One is 2.5 years, the other 4 months. Day care will be essential for a couple of years. As much as I'd love to send my kids to public schools, that's not going to happen in U city or Center City. I have 2 cats and a dog... but probably only the dog makes the move. The house is too full as it is.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations

Commuting times are essential to me. I refuse to commute more than 30 Min. to work. In order of preference, I would rather walk, then take the subway, then take a train, then drive. I prefer to live in the city which will allow us to walk about and see what the city has to offer. I am not opposed to the suburbs, but I would not prefer them, although from what I can see you can get a mansion on the main line for relatively little (compared to NYC, anyway).

My thoughts would be to rent in Center City for at least a year while the kids are in day care, and then when ready to attend school consider moving to the suburbs, likely Marion Station area where commute times are short to work.

Any thoughts? I appreciate any feedback.

[MikeNigh]

I think this is the tough call that a lot of philadelphian's and new yorker's make. Commuting is one of the reasons I like philly, it seems that in new york you are easily pushed into a 30 minute + commute. When I was asking the same question before I moved to philly I came to the conclusion that center city is a better deal than the outer boroughs of new york. I know if I was living in new york I wouldn't have the time or money to do as much as I do here. I've also been visiting new york every other month. It's certainly a lot cheaper to live here and travel there infrequently then it is to just live there.

I also like that philly is the alternative urban choice. In new york so many people there confuse the unique features with it being urban. That's one thing I am skeptical about with new york... Does a majority think it is the only good urban in america? Are they jacking up the price because of this and therefor I'd have to pay for it too?

[FindingZen]

With your budget and openness for a high-rise apartment, Center City is essentially your oyster. Rittenhouse Square in particular is arguably the epitome of urban living. You could also rent in the high-rises over in University City although you may be sharing space with some wealthier Penn and Drexel students.

Depending on where in CC you live, you could take any combination of bus, "El" subway or light rail trolley to UC and be there well within a half hour, door-to-door. On a good day, you could even walk from Rittenhouse Square or Fitler Square. Notwithstanding inclement weather, you can likely walk to work from the "high-rise" side of University City. You may even be able to rent a house - others can verify this - in areas west of Penn. That may allow you to re-consider your family size as well.