Moving from NC to Philly Amidst a Pandemic (Philadelphia, York: renting, how much)

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Edit to add: the fifth st Ballaz and seventh street boys took a huge hit recently. The shootings about 7 months ago were the last gasp of a dying institution. They're all but done. Dickens Narrows has arrived and pushed the gangs out of business. The kingpins headed west into Grays Ferry.

That's great to hear. I see there has only been one homicide in DN this year. I knew territory was shrinking, but wasn't sure what was going to happen.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

I moved two years ago. And if you park your car here frequently, you will have a smashed out window at some point:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9307...7i13312!8i6656

I was down there a month ago and walked that block and there was broken glass on the sidewalk.

Hmm... well I've parked by the post office and CVS since 2005 from time to time, and frequently around 2000-2002 when I lived at where Wilder intersected with Dickinson, and have never had any issues. I guess car break-ins are always possible, but I think it's more about chance than parking on 10th and Dickinson. You could just as easily have a car break in on 13th and Dickinson. Just saying, in general, I would take my chances as opposed to driving in circles for almost an hour. That's just city living. Or, h*ll, if it's that concerning to you, rent a garage or spot somewhere for 200 bucks a month (relatively common in S. Philly). That's WAY better than driving in circles for 30-45 minutes.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

That's fine, but I'm certainly not alone. A lot of people in Passyunk Square will say the same. And I'm talking around 6pm on a week night. There are spots further away, but I'm not a fan of parking anywhere east of 9th or 10th street that far south personally; Pennsport is safer, but further away. My priorities may seem strange, but I guess I just don't like my car broken into and other issues.

Btw, if everyone know's where the go-to spots are, why is there such a challenge with parking? Wouldn't everyone just drive and get a spot easily?

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

I moved two years ago. And if you park your car here frequently, you will have a smashed out window at some point:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9307...7i13312!8i6656

I was down there a month ago and walked that block and there was broken glass on the sidewalk.

Maybe interesting and somewhat relevant anecdote:

This guy's since moved on, but two summers ago the fellow who rehabbed and moved into the empty house next door to me struck up a conversation with me as I was starting up my BBQ smoker one Saturday morning.

He told me that he had moved from a safer neighborhood closer to Center City and had been living in the house for about six months while he got it back into habitable shape.

In that neighborhood, he said, his car kept getting broken into all the time.

He hadn't had a single break-in in the six months since moving to East Germantown.

I filed this anecdote in my "the criminals aren't dumb" file. My reasoning? Up here, where everyone's poor or nearly that, the smash-and-grabbers know that they will get slim pickings for their efforts. The returns will be much greater in the safer, more affluent neighborhoods.

Street parking spaces are generally easy to come by as well in my corner of East Germantown, except on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, when the Haitian Baptist church next door to me holds services.

Maybe you should consider parking here? Only a 45-minute trip via one of two bus routes and the Broad Street Line to Center City.

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Hmm... well I've parked by the post office and CVS since 2005 from time to time, and frequently around 2000-2002 when I lived at where Wilder intersected with Dickinson, and have never had any issues. I guess car break-ins are always possible, but I think it's more about chance than parking on 10th and Dickinson. You could just as easily have a car break in on 13th and Dickinson. Just saying, in general, I would take my chances as opposed to driving in circles for almost an hour. That's just city living. Or, h*ll, if it's that concerning to you, rent a garage or spot somewhere for 200 bucks a month (relatively common in S. Philly). That's WAY better than driving in circles for 30-45 minutes.

The reason most locals will say that block is an issue is because no one lives right there, so eye's on the street are limited. Lights at the church are muted by the trees.

On the other end, I'm not saying I would drive around for 30 - 45 mins daily. I didn't own a car at all for years. However, many would complain they circled for that period of time, and I had it happen a couple of times where I had to come home at a less desirable time. Most long-term residents seem to be smart enough to avoid parking at 6pm on a Monday. But I'm with you. If it was just me and I had to do it a lot, I'd have a crappier car and I'd park further away.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

That's great to hear. I see there has only been one homicide in DN this year. I knew territory was shrinking, but wasn't sure what was going to happen.

Yeah, that was what the last batch of shootings was about - shrinking territories. As you probably know, that area was a mess between 5th (really most of 4th) and 10th. Plenty of room for both gangs. As of now, it's pretty much 5th - 7th that's "iffy" and it's really not iffy anymore. Everything east of Broad and north of Snyder is now pretty much gentrified. It took a long time, but it's almost there

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

The reason most locals will say that block is an issue is because no one lives right there, so eye's on the street are limited. Lights at the church are muted by the trees.

On the other end, I'm not saying I would drive around for 30 - 45 mins daily. I didn't own a car at all for years. However, many would complain they circled for that period of time, and I had it happen a couple of times where I had to come home at a less desirable time. Most long-term residents seem to be smart enough to avoid parking at 6pm on a Monday. But I'm with you. If it was just me and I had to do it a lot, I'd have a crappier car and I'd park further away.

Yeah, listen, I totally get it. I guess since I moved down to Pennsport, there are a lot more options. Front street down here is mainly open and there are entire lots under 95.

[TownDweller]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well of course it's not an ideal lifestyle. It's a trade-off for living in an awesome city and not paying a monthly fee for a parking spot. I will say though that walking a few block IMO is WAY more appetizing than driving in circles for 30-45 minutes as you stated previously. That's nuts Bro.

Both are nuts. How expensive is a garage or a lot space outside CC?

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

Clearly the OP should be in the city. But what if he/she could park their car and take Patco out to a station that maybe has cheaper storage? Has anyone ever done this? Insurance would be cheaper and the commute may be more palatable. I don't know the logistics, which may prove it to be more hassle than it's worth.

I always thought that there should be monthly parking down by the stadiums in South Philly. You could easily hop on the subway, get your car and then catch the Walt Whitman over to S. Jersey. It would really make parking better for those that have to commute to a job over the bridge. I mean, it's not uncommon to circle for 30 - 45 mins in South Philly looking for a lousy street spot.

Are you suggesting keeping the car at a PATCO lot and hopping the train into and out of town? If so, it's begging to have the car towed. Local PDs patrol the lots. They'd figure out if the same car was there overnight and all weekend eventually.

PATCO provides a wonderful service, 24/7. Avoiding paying for parking in the city is not part of that service.

My suggestion to the OP is to live in Philadelphia if the length of the gig stays at one year. If the length is changed to a longer term, then he should look at the places that I suggested. It's not a good commute, but would be tolerable for a year. Better for him to leave wanting more than for him to leave burnt out from a miserable commute.

He's from Greensboro, the 3rd largest city in North Carolina. The NC cities have seen great growth and with it has come vast amounts of new construction.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Are you suggesting keeping the car at a PATCO lot and hopping the train into and out of town? If so, it's begging to have the car towed. Local PDs patrol the lots. They'd figure out if the same car was there overnight and all weekend eventually.

PATCO provides a wonderful service, 24/7. Avoiding paying for parking in the city is not part of that service.

My suggestion to the OP is to live in Philadelphia if the length of the gig stays at one year. If the length is changed to a longer term, then he should look at the places that I suggested. It's not a good commute, but would be tolerable for a year. Better for him to leave wanting more than for him to leave burnt out from a miserable commute.

He's from Greensboro, the 3rd largest city in North Carolina. The NC cities have seen great growth and with it has come vast amounts of new construction.

The hitch with this suggestion:

In post #1, the OP puts in boldface, "No suburbs."

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The hitch with this suggestion:

In post #1, the OP puts in boldface, "No suburbs."

Well, that's up to him. He has admitted to not having been to Clayton. I'm aware of Clayton and where it is. I told him the truth rather than what I think he wants to hear. I'm certainly not promoting the PATCO parking lots as a way to scam paying for parking in Philadelphia. I remember someone calling PATCO about leaving their car in an unnamed lot rather than parking at the airport. The response was that if the local PDs figured it out, it would be towed.