Liberties West Condos (Penn: section 8, to rent, new home)

[hockeybum16]

Does anyone know anything about the Liberties West condos on North Terrace St in Northern Liberties

[Eyes]

Northern Liberties can be a great place to live.
They have been building and rehabbing like crazy and I don't know that particular building?
Parking may cost extra but public transportation and taxi's are plentiful.
Much of what you need can be on foot.

[WhipGloss]

What is the contact info for these condos?

[caterpillargirl]

Liberties West is not in Northern Liberties, but a couple of blocks outside the western border. That complex is former section 8 housing and borders what used to be the Richard Allen housing project. Having said that, you may decide it is just fine, I believe many students have been moving in there. Just know the facts.

[raecino]

Actually, that area is being absorbed into Northern Liberties the same way neighborhoods were absorbed in Manhattan ala Soho-West Soho, Chelsea-West Chelsea, etc etc. Many consider it Northern Liberties West.


Also, it wasn't a part of Richard Allen but is still attached to Penn Town Housing Projects. As with the whole of Northern Liberties it can be dangerous at night and a bit dodgy during the day time on certain blocks. Keep your wits about you and you should be fine.

[Wisertime]

How is Northern Liberties for people in their 40's who's partying days are behind them?

[Pennsport]

My buddy lives in the Liberties West complex.

Pros: affordable, clean, fully fenced in complex, old brick structures means pretty good soundproofing b/t walls, very close to NL proper and probably the absolute cheapest place you can rent/buy that is within safe walking distance to the NL hot spots, pretty open street parking unlike most of NL

Cons: Directly next to projects, train runs behind them on 8th St. (can get loud if you're in a unit near this), sketchy area in all directions until you get to 5th St., cannot individually adjust heat (3rd Fl. units get HOT), no central air, mainly populated by college kids, high turnover and number of open units, no frills basic units (you get what you pay for), big complex to maintenance isn't addressed ASAP.

Still a great bargin IMO.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by Wisertime

How is Northern Liberties for people in their 40's who's partying days are behind them?

Well, if by "partying days behind you" means your top priority is peace and quiet, NL is probably not your neighborhood. If you mean that you don't want to be out until 2am getting blasted, but you still value good restaurants, ecclectic shops and cafes, parks, an involved and friendly community and a vibrant scene, NL might be your place.

Another factor to consider is price. One big reason I didn't end up buying in NL is the boundries are well defined. Within NL proper things are great, but you're also paying a premium for that. From what I've seen the average NL rowhome (1400 sq. ft. or so), is going for bt 375k and 550k. If you want to drop into the 250k to 325k range, you're looking at a small condo, a big time fixer upper, or a rowhome outside the NL borders, which, being North Philly can be kind of rough.

[Wisertime]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well, if by "partying days behind you" means your top priority is peace and quiet, NL is probably not your neighborhood. If you mean that you don't want to be out until 2am getting blasted, but you still value good restaurants, ecclectic shops and cafes, parks, an involved and friendly community and a vibrant scene, NL might be your place.

Another factor to consider is price. One big reason I didn't end up buying in NL is the boundries are well defined. Within NL proper things are great, but you're also paying a premium for that. From what I've seen the average NL rowhome (1400 sq. ft. or so), is going for bt 375k and 550k. If you want to drop into the 250k to 325k range, you're looking at a small condo, a big time fixer upper, or a rowhome outside the NL borders, which, being North Philly can be kind of rough.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I kinda value peace and quiet to a degree. I am a bit of a night owl, but I don't go out and get blitzed and don't want to feel like the old cumudgeon surrounded by loud puking college kids. I thought I saw a demographic chart for the area that centered around the 30s mostly...with 20s, 40s in 2nd-3rd place. Those prices inside NL are too high for me. I am looking to rent in the coming months and I already have a car, which is paid off, so I really don't want to get rid of it to live in CC. I saw homes in the 200s and lower in the ludlow/poplar area on google (but it doesn't denote what is NL and what is not). Some of these appear to be relatively new homes with yards and rows on either side.

I'm not sure where I want to live yet and I haven't yet visited NL. Just getting some feelers.