Recent Grad Location Advice Needed (Philadelphia: apartment, renting, how much)

[Sarah211]

I am looking for Philadelphia area suggestions. I am graduating from Drexel in June and looking to stay in the area and hopefully work in the city. Unfortunately, I've spent most of my time in the University City/Center City area and do not necessarily want to live there. I've heard great things about Manayunk and East Falls. Will most likely have one or two female roommates, so it needs to be relatively safe. Help! Found the following survey on this sight - hopefully it will help...


When are you moving? June 2009
Where are you coming from? University City
Why are you moving? Graduating College
Where will you be working? Hopefully somewhere in Center City
Have you been here yet? Most areas

Will you buy or rent? rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Probably looking for 500-800 per person, 2 or 3 people, each own bedroom
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? doesn't matter

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Single, no
Do you prefer public or private schools? n/a
Do you have pets? no
Do you want or need a yard? don't need one
Are you keeping a car? I would prefer to take the train into the city for work, however one roommate might want to have car for shopping purposes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? walking distance to bars, restaurants, shops, we are all 21-22 yr old females

What do you want to be closest to? Close to night life and transportationTHANKS!

[FindingZen]

If you're willing to spend as much as $1600-2400 for 2 or 3 people to share a place, you shouldn't have much of a problem finding a place. You'll probably like Manayunk a lot; its Main Street area is a nice alternative for those who want bustling nightlife but don't necessarily want or need to be in Center City. East Falls is fine but you may find it to be a little slow in comparison.

Is it safe to presume that you've already spent time in the Northern Liberties section of Center City? A slightly out-of-the-box suggestion might be the Passyunk Ave. section of South Philly; I'll let more knowledgeable folks expound on that idea.

[Sarah211]

Thanks for the suggestions! Of course we would like to spend as little as possible - I'm spending close to $700 on a studio in U City right now...rip off.