Relocating to Philly in May 2015 (Clark: apartment, renting, insurance)

[charleym88]

I'm graduating college in the spring and I'm relocating to Philly for the next phase of life. Any advice or help is greatly appreciated. I've lived my whole life in the south so this will be a very new experience for me. Ive answered the questions that were posted in this forum for people moving to the area.

When are you moving? May 2015

Where are you coming from? TX but grew up in NC. Only lived in TX for the past four years.

Why are you moving? Tired of the heat and flat land. I have visited the Philly area and loved the culture there. Definitely a very unique city with great architecture and history. I loved the murals and parks. Seems like a very active and fit city, too.

Where will you be working? Starbucks and will be getting a second job as a chemistry tutor until I can find a job in a lab.

Have you been here yet? Yes, last spring

Will you buy or rent? Rent

If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? n/a

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Anything. I'm looking to spend around $800-$900/month

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? either

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? If I lived in a suburb I would prefer to stay in PA.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single, no children

Do you prefer public or private schools? n/a

Do you have pets? Not at the moment

Do you want or need a yard? no

Are you keeping a car? No

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Both, I am pretty go with the flow. I love being close to activity but I also like quiet.

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

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? I like diversity and love to be in a place with a strong neighborhood feel.

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

[MikeNigh]

Seems like a 1 bedroom in university city or a studio in center city is possible.

[charleym88]

Nice I would like to be as close to downtown as possible and be in a relatively safe area.

[Clark Park]

South Philly / Passyunk Square
Marian Anderson Village
Fishtown
Northern Liberties
Fairmount / Art Museum
University City

Obviously, for under $1,000 a month you're not going to find a place in much of Center City especially in Rittenhouse Square or Society Hill ... but keep looking: there are good deals out there.

[RightonWalnut]

Most of South Philly could work. University City or other areas of West Philly like Powelton Village, Spruce Hill, Clark Park, Cedar Park, etc. Northern Liberties, Fishtown, Fairmount, Francisville. Could do Templetown as well. Primarily college students there but its a nice up and coming neighborhood with good public transit access and good amenities close to Center City for cheap.

Also, a little further out, Manayunk, East Falls, Germantown, Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill.

You'll have a very hard time finding anything in Center City for $850-900 a month.

[charleym88]

Thanks for the help. Is it hard to live in Philly without a car?

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by charleym88

Thanks for the help. Is it hard to live in Philly without a car?

Not at all. I have a car, but only use it 1 or 2 days a week to drive to Home Depot or to South Jersey. Many, if not most, of my friends do not have cars. If you need a car once every 2 weeks for example you can use Zip Cars or Enterprise Car Share ... no need to worry about insurance, parking or any complications.

[zhaep]

Originally Posted by charleym88

Thanks for the help. Is it hard to live in Philly without a car?

define 'live'

im a '20 something' & ~75% of my friends dont have cars but 100% of those friends dont have a commuting job & will avail themselves of my car at some point or another

that said the above advice is sound , get a bike and a helmet and trust no automobile containing a human