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Please let me know if any additional info is needed for better advice! Thanks for taking the time in advance.
When are you moving? Towards the end of the year, beginning of next year. Where are you coming from? Bronx, NY
Why are you moving? Lower cost of living and looking to buy a starter home.
Where will you be working? TBD.
Have you been here yet? I have but in passing. I didn't get a chance to get a feel for the city.
Will you buy or rent? Rent initially then buy.
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? No preference but looking to spend around $1200 for a 1bd.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? No but I'm open.
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single w/o kids.
Do you have pets? No.
Do you want or need a yard? No but it would be a bonus.
Are you keeping a car? I have one but depending on parking etc I am open to getting rid of it.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm would be better but I would deal with noise for convenience in proximity to stores and clubs like costco, sams club or walmart.
What do you want to be closest to (in order)? Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.), Work, Train or subway stations, Shopping
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? No preference.
I can’t answer all your items, but do want to assure you that the car is optional in a lot of neighborhoods. If you are open to having a roommate, $1,200 per month will allow you to live in some good locations within the city.
Fairmount, Old City, Francisville, Brewery Town, and Northern Liberties would all be great neighborhoods to look at. Personal recommendation for smoothies and green juices: Juiced By B and Made With Love Juicery. They are both located in good areas with other stores, shops, cafes, transportation, etc close by. Area is calmer than Center City, but will feel more connected and accessible than the Bronx to Manhattan.
Hope you have a smooth move and welcome to Philadelphia!
Do you have a job lined up? Or perhaps you're working remotely? Accessibility to work (if you need to commute) should be a big factor in your decision.
There are small studios / 1 bedrooms throughout the city around your budget if you are okay with compromising on size and quality (not having a 'fancy' kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
There are lots of neighborhoods that are accessible to basic services, train/subway, and shopping. You may find better luck with your budget near Fairmount in Francisville/Brewerytown. Brewerytown is a bit far from the subway, though. Chinatown/Callowhill is another area where you can find deals on rentals, and it is super convenient to transit. You'd be right in the thick of Center City with all its amenities. And a final thought is Point Breeze, which has been kind of "up and coming" for some time now. It is pretty easy to get to Center City from Point Breeze, and there are more deals there than other neighborhoods close to Center City in South Philadelphia.
You may like neighborhoods like Manayunk and East Falls which are a bit farther from the core. They have good access to regional rail (which takes you into Temple, Center City, and University City, but not much else), but not the subway. There is access to the conveniences you mentioned earlier in the thread, just on a smaller scale. Most people who live up this way keep a car, though it is certainly doable to go car-free if you are determined. Although more removed from Center City amenities, the nice thing about the Northwest is all of the greenery, trails, and access to the Wissahickon. And it feels super calm and safe throughout most of this quadrant.
Make sure to visit any rental *in person* before signing a lease. Most of the neighborhoods I mention really vary by block. You'll want to make sure you feel comfortable on the block your rental is located, and of course ideally on the blocks surrounding it. Don't assume because you visited one rental in Point Breeze, the block of another rental in PB will feel the same, etc.
I think we need to know if you are specifically interested in the city proper or the suburbs. I note that you said having a yard would be nice and that you want calm. That seems more suburban to me, but it would helpful to understand your preference.
Calm with a yard can be found in the city limits proper, but I would say, mostly in the neighborhoods that are just inside the city proper right along the city limits line just inside the line.
If that’s where you’re going to look, you might as well look on the suburban side of that line so you don’t have the city wage tax and a higher car insurance as just two examples that will cost you more if you live inside the city.
If you’re going to end up looking two to three blocks inside the city… You might as well look two to three blocks outside the city.
Do you have a job lined up? Or perhaps you're working remotely? Accessibility to work (if you need to commute) should be a big factor in your decision.
There are small studios / 1 bedrooms throughout the city around your budget if you are okay with compromising on size and quality (not having a 'fancy' kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
There are lots of neighborhoods that are accessible to basic services, train/subway, and shopping. You may find better luck with your budget near Fairmount in Francisville/Brewerytown. Brewerytown is a bit far from the subway, though. Chinatown/Callowhill is another area where you can find deals on rentals, and it is super convenient to transit. You'd be right in the thick of Center City with all its amenities. And a final thought is Point Breeze, which has been kind of "up and coming" for some time now. It is pretty easy to get to Center City from Point Breeze, and there are more deals there than other neighborhoods close to Center City in South Philadelphia.
You may like neighborhoods like Manayunk and East Falls which are a bit farther from the core. They have good access to regional rail (which takes you into Temple, Center City, and University City, but not much else), but not the subway. There is access to the conveniences you mentioned earlier in the thread, just on a smaller scale. Most people who live up this way keep a car, though it is certainly doable to go car-free if you are determined. Although more removed from Center City amenities, the nice thing about the Northwest is all of the greenery, trails, and access to the Wissahickon. And it feels super calm and safe throughout most of this quadrant.
Make sure to visit any rental *in person* before signing a lease. Most of the neighborhoods I mention really vary by block. You'll want to make sure you feel comfortable on the block your rental is located, and of course ideally on the blocks surrounding it. Don't assume because you visited one rental in Point Breeze, the block of another rental in PB will feel the same, etc.
Don't forget the three neighborhoods on the other side of the Wissahickon, which share most of the attributes of Manayunk (minus Main Street), Roxborough and East Falls.
Germantown has the most affordable housing of the three, but you do need to pay attention to where it's located. This neighborhood (my home) is one of the most variegated in the city: Big Victorian houses on one block, Airlite twins on the next, faded workingman's rowhouses two blocks over. The neighborhood is not as violent as people who live outside it and don't visit it believe it is, but there are parts you should stay clear of (generally, east of Germantown Avenue, especially south of Chelten — and yet one of the neighborhood's most affluent pockets is located in this same quadrant).
Mt. Airy, the next neighborhood north (and up the hill), is overall more affluent and quieter than Germantown, but again, there are variations. Its southeast quadrant is all two-story rowhouses, and the least expensive properties are generally found in it. But most of the rentals are on its west side, which is the more affluent part.
Given your budget, you can probably cross Chestnut Hill off your list, but you will want to visit it if you move to this part of the city.
Two Regional Rail lines serve all three neighborhoods. One runs up their east sides, the other up their west sides. Service is better on the line that runs up the east side. A bus that runs up Germantown Avenue connects to the subway at Erie and runs more frequently than any other transit service in the area.
I can’t answer all your items, but do want to assure you that the car is optional in a lot of neighborhoods. If you are open to having a roommate, $1,200 per month will allow you to live in some good locations within the city.
Fairmount, Old City, Francisville, Brewery Town, and Northern Liberties would all be great neighborhoods to look at. Personal recommendation for smoothies and green juices: Juiced By B and Made With Love Juicery. They are both located in good areas with other stores, shops, cafes, transportation, etc close by. Area is calmer than Center City, but will feel more connected and accessible than the Bronx to Manhattan.
Hope you have a smooth move and welcome to Philadelphia!
Thanks for the green juice spots. When I go visit the city I'll make sure to stop by and hit them up and look in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Do you have a job lined up? Or perhaps you're working remotely? Accessibility to work (if you need to commute) should be a big factor in your decision.
Not currently. I was going to start applying to some office gigs closer to November but I might start communicating with prospective employees sooner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muinteoir
There are small studios / 1 bedrooms throughout the city around your budget if you are okay with compromising on size and quality (not having a 'fancy' kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
Does counter space and bathtub count as fancy? Other than that I don't care too much for the frills.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muinteoir
There are lots of neighborhoods that are accessible to basic services, train/subway, and shopping. You may find better luck with your budget near Fairmount in Francisville/Brewerytown. Brewerytown is a bit far from the subway, though. Chinatown/Callowhill is another area where you can find deals on rentals, and it is super convenient to transit. You'd be right in the thick of Center City with all its amenities. And a final thought is Point Breeze, which has been kind of "up and coming" for some time now. It is pretty easy to get to Center City from Point Breeze, and there are more deals there than other neighborhoods close to Center City in South Philadelphia.
I will center my search around Fairmount and Chinatown. Within those areas you mentioned is parking impossible?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Muinteoir
You may like neighborhoods like Manayunk and East Falls which are a bit farther from the core. They have good access to regional rail (which takes you into Temple, Center City, and University City, but not much else), but not the subway. There is access to the conveniences you mentioned earlier in the thread, just on a smaller scale. Most people who live up this way keep a car, though it is certainly doable to go car-free if you are determined. Although more removed from Center City amenities, the nice thing about the Northwest is all of the greenery, trails, and access to the Wissahickon. And it feels super calm and safe throughout most of this quadrant."
This would be great if I could swing a remote job otherwise I can see it adding to my commute if I were to need to get to the heart of the city.
I think we need to know if you are specifically interested in the city proper or the suburbs. I note that you said having a yard would be nice and that you want calm. That seems more suburban to me, but it would helpful to understand your preference.
Its more like a spectrum, the more factors I can align the more ideal the situation. Ex - It would be great to live in the suburbs but not so great enduring crazy traffic to anything of import (job, amenities, etc.). Realistically I'm going to live in the city so that everything is more convenient and deal with any discrepancies.
Last edited by p8prpl8; 08-19-2023 at 12:15 AM..
Reason: Added final line
Calm with a yard can be found in the city limits proper, but I would say, mostly in the neighborhoods that are just inside the city proper right along the city limits line just inside the line.
If that’s where you’re going to look, you might as well look on the suburban side of that line so you don’t have the city wage tax and a higher car insurance as just two examples that will cost you more if you live inside the city.
If you’re going to end up looking two to three blocks inside the city… You might as well look two to three blocks outside the city.
Is there terrible traffic coming from the outskirts of the suburbs? Can you recommend any neighborhoods by name within my budget? Also, isn''t the tax wage a wash?
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