Renting in Philly w/ 1 y.o. (Drexel Hill, Springfield: apartments, to rent, credit)

[agu2]

We are a 30-something couple who will be moving to Philly in July with our son who will be almost 1. We are looking to rent a 2 br apartment ideally downtown. Most important for us is finding a place within our budget (pref. $1200 or under, max $1300) with good public transportation to Temple (where my husband will be working) that is reasonably safe.

We are moving most immediately from upstate NY, but have both spent a lot of time in NYC and appreciate an urban feel. (In NYC, we would probably live in Brooklyn.) We like being in walking to distance to ethnic restaurants, coffeeshops, etc. We also would like to be near a park/playground, especially b/c of our son. We don't care about schools at the moment, although we would like to find a good daycare not too far from home.

We seem to be priced out of Center City and are looking for other suggestions. We could do suburbs that are accessible to public transportation if necessary, but ideally those with a walkable downtown where there are at least some places within walking distance from where we live. We have lived in Bryn Mawr for a year, so are already familiar with the Main Line; we liked that we could walk around a bit in Bryn Mawr, although the area in general was too pricy for our tastes and budget. Also, we have cars, so parking is an issue, but could probably strip down to one car if needed.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[orrmobl]

Did you look at Ardmore? People love that they can walk to do their shopping and catch the train down town as well.

Also check out Havertown, Drexel Hill (Drexelbrook apartments), Lansdowne, Springfield, Media. Media has all you want AND an accredited church preschool that costs $50/week for 4-5 half days!

I'm not sure how far you're rent money will take you in the city, but try places like Bella Vista and Queen Village. You could go Northeast Philly but then you might as well live in a Delco suburb and save some money. Look at Fishtown and Port Richmond if you get desperate.

[DailyJournalist]

Collingswood, NJ would be a great choice.