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so i've accepted a job in philly and am absolutely ecstatic to be moving. i've always lived in small cities (about 15,000 people) but am looking forward to being somewhere that doesn't shut down at 8 p.m. HOWEVER, my otherwise awesome boyfriend is spooked by the idea as everyone he seems to talk to has had negative experiences. He has grudgingly agreed to tag along - for which i am very thankful - but i don't want him to be miserable. we're going to drive out in two weeks to check out neighborhoods - i only want to show him friendly places so he won't back out.
he would love to carry out his existence in a small town atmosphere (like where we live now) or the suburbs - a place easy to drive around for errands and golfing, easy and free to park his car, close to a walmart/target/big box store and somewhere he can have a little dog to keep him company. i just need a place close to public transit to get me to work. he prefers cookie cutter apartment complexes but would bow to my will if we found something to my taste - older, unusual, more interesting with charm and character. of course, we're both concerned about the safety of our vehicles and our persons.
by looking through other posts, it seems like cherry hill nj or mt. airy might be a good place to check out - what do you all think?
When are you moving? february 2010 Where are you coming from? small town outside of pittsburgh Why are you moving? work Where will you be working? spring garden street - close to spring garden transit station Have you been here yet? once, but as a tourist Will you buy or rent? rent for at least a year to learn the city If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? any of the above, would like to keep it under $1000/month Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? prefer to be close to the ground, but either is fine Are you married or single? Do you have children? no kids - school district unimportant. unmarried but not single - boyfriend is joining me Do you have pets? would like to rescue a small dog to keep us company Do you want or need a yard? matters not, although we're used to nature surrounding us Are you keeping a car? yes - we each have and need one Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? calm and quiet - not a college area but not a retirement community What do you want to be closest to? Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) Train or subway stations that will transport me to work Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? prefer to meet many types of people, but it really matters not Coke or Pepsi? captain and diet coke, please
i've been looking through this site for a few weeks and already feel less intimidated by the city - and i thank everyone so much for their information. it's very difficult moving to an unfamiliar city where you don't know someone to give you advice. happy new year!
If you really want to experience Philadelphia, you need to live in, or close to center city. Areas to consider are Washington Square West, Queen Village and Bella Vista. You say you both have and need a car. You will be able to get to work easily via public transportation. You don't say where your boyfriend will be working, so I don't know if he will need a car. In any event, if you could get rid of one or both, that would be helpful. You can always use phillycarshare.org |. However, if you are set on not living in center city (and on keeping two cars), I would look in Collingswood, NJ. You could take the High Speed Line into center city and then either the Broad Street Subway or the Frankford El to Spring Garden Street.
One of the great things about Philly is the number of small towns/cities in the area that have their own history, their own vibe, and yet make up the larger city/region. I recommend looking at this map/website: Explore Classic Towns | Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia
It's a partial list of the "Classic Towns" in the region that all have diverse/historic architecture, their own Main Streets, etc. There are many, many more in the area. Some are in Philadelphia proper, some are not. The yellow lines on the map are the train lines, so make sure it's one of the towns on the yellow lines. For instance, Phoenixville (where I live right now) and West Chester are not on train lines. I personally find Phoenixville a nightmare for public transportation, although I'm sure there are people who would disagree with me. I'm just used to having buses, trains, and trolleys that take me anywhere I want to go in a reasonable amount of time. It's a lovely place to live, though.
My personal favorites of these are Media, Ambler, and Manayunk (the last one is in Philadelphia proper). There's enough nightlife in the towns themselves for most people, and if you want more, Center City is a short train ride away. And the museums and colleges and stuff are all easily accessible (the colleges in the area, especially Penn and Temple, have great lectures and stuff that are usually open to the public). But you can have a car, and there's big box stores and stuff nearby. Most of them have dog parks and stuff nearby. Mt. Airy, which you mentioned, is also great. This a good way to get used to the area, and if you decide you love Center City, you can go live there. Although in my opinion, there is no neighborhood in Philadelphia that is more "Philadelphian" or important than any other. This is a city of neighborhoods, and it's the uniqueness and vibrancy of each neighborhood that makes Philly, like a lovely patchwork quilt. One patch is not more important than any other patch.
I'd also take a look at the Upper Darby and Norristown areas, which are like mini-cities of their own. They both have amazing public transportation and old architecture and history. There are some crime issues, but not nearly as bad as the people who have never lived there and have probably never even been there make it out to be. I was born and raised in Upper Darby, and have plenty of friends/family who still live there. No one I know has ever had an issue. I've lived in Norristown and have spent more time at the transportation center than I care to mention, and again, never had a problem. Much like Philly itself, there are a few bad spots but the vast majority is made of some really nice neighborhoods that are fairly cheap because of the "Oh no! It's the ghetto!" shouts of people who have never been there. Upper Darby and Norristown have their own "nice" neighborhoods, too -- Drexel Hill and East/West Norriton (I think it's both, I'm not as familiar with Norristown), respectively.
But any suburb/outer city neighborhood on a train/trolley line should be good. They all have their own charm and character.
To please the boyfriend i would recomend exploring zip code area 19114 in far northeast Philadelphia between Academy Rd and Woodhaven Rd near I-95. Other landmarks are Franklin Mills Mall and Northeast Philadelphia airport. It is a safe, middle class, family orriented neighborhood that is a combination of city and suburb, well served by all kinds of retail choices and public transportation. Buses along frankford Av will take you to the frankford elevated train to downtown (stops at 2nd and Spring Garden). The comutter train R7 stops at Torresdale train station or it is an easy drive to Spring Garden St on I-95. Another transit line crosses Spring garden at Broad St, do you have a cross street for your employer?
From someone from a small town outside of Pittsburgh who moved to the Philly area, moved back to that same small town and is now about to put my house on the market and move back to the Philly area because it's so awesome, I'd suggest looking at towns like Hatboro, North Wales/Montgomeryville/Lansdale/Hatfield, Doylestown/Chalfont/Warrington (all north of the city). These places have a great chance of giving you and your boyfriend a chance to transition from small town living to suburban/metro-area living. I think if I would have gone straight to the city itself from small town living, I would have been petrified. Now I'm really looking foward to spending more time in the city when my hubby and I move back!
You will find a TON of Western PA transplants in the Philly area. There are no shortage of Steelers jerseys, that's for sure (though I still have yet to find a place that sells Primanti sandwiches)!
Good luck and let us know what you decide and if you have more questions!
In the nothern burbs I would recommend Jenkintown, and Ambler. If you were in Jenkintown you could park your care at Fern Rock and take the BSL right to work. Both towns have a regional rail line but the subway is cheaper.
In the western burbs there is Conshohocken, Narberth, Ardmore or any of the towns along Lancaster Ave.
In the city I would recommend Chestnut Hill, East Falls, Manayunk and Roxborough. Manayunk might be a little too busy but you should check it out. Chestnut Hill, East Falls and Roxborough are all in the city but they are quiet and have parking.
I know you were looking for something in the burbs but the area from Spring Garden to Fairmount and from Broad to the Art Museum is a nice neighborhood that is close to your job.
No one can convince the BF to like Philly.
The best you can do it to ask him to do is promise to try it for 18 months before he makes a final choice to stay or not.
It takes at least a year to get accustomed to a town/city.
He can go back home to visit
Watch his favorite teams
Call his family and friends on Skype
If he does not give at least a promise to that .. your relationship will fail.
You have a career opportunity that is rare in these economical climate.
If you stay where you are for him .. you may come to regret it.
There is no shame in failure ... only in not trying.
so i've accepted a job in philly and am absolutely ecstatic to be moving. i've always lived in small cities (about 15,000 people) but am looking forward to being somewhere that doesn't shut down at 8 p.m. HOWEVER, my otherwise awesome boyfriend is spooked by the idea as everyone he seems to talk to has had negative experiences. He has grudgingly agreed to tag along - for which i am very thankful - but i don't want him to be miserable. we're going to drive out in two weeks to check out neighborhoods - i only want to show him friendly places so he won't back out.
he would love to carry out his existence in a small town atmosphere (like where we live now) or the suburbs - a place easy to drive around for errands and golfing, easy and free to park his car, close to a walmart/target/big box store and somewhere he can have a little dog to keep him company. i just need a place close to public transit to get me to work. he prefers cookie cutter apartment complexes but would bow to my will if we found something to my taste - older, unusual, more interesting with charm and character. of course, we're both concerned about the safety of our vehicles and our persons.
by looking through other posts, it seems like cherry hill nj or mt. airy might be a good place to check out - what do you all think?
When are you moving? february 2010 Where are you coming from? small town outside of pittsburgh Why are you moving? work Where will you be working? spring garden street - close to spring garden transit station Have you been here yet? once, but as a tourist Will you buy or rent? rent for at least a year to learn the city If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? any of the above, would like to keep it under $1000/month Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? prefer to be close to the ground, but either is fine Are you married or single? Do you have children? no kids - school district unimportant. unmarried but not single - boyfriend is joining me Do you have pets? would like to rescue a small dog to keep us company Do you want or need a yard? matters not, although we're used to nature surrounding us Are you keeping a car? yes - we each have and need one Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? calm and quiet - not a college area but not a retirement community What do you want to be closest to? Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) Train or subway stations that will transport me to work Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? prefer to meet many types of people, but it really matters not Coke or Pepsi? captain and diet coke, please
i've been looking through this site for a few weeks and already feel less intimidated by the city - and i thank everyone so much for their information. it's very difficult moving to an unfamiliar city where you don't know someone to give you advice. happy new year!
I recommend that u stop trying to manipulate your BF.
I recommend that u stop trying to manipulate your BF.
How is wanting one's partner to join and support them in advancing their career in Philly called "manipulation"?
Most everyone has given great ideas on where to look. My personal "bias" is towards my hometown area of Abington/Glenside/Hatboro/Horsham. Lots of big box stores, low on the cookie-cutter apts, high on older complexes with "charm". Several commuter trains nearby, especially in or close to Abington.
I recommend that u stop trying to manipulate your BF.
thank you everyone, for the advice - lots of places were not on my radar, so i'm excited to check them out!
i'm slightly distracted by the above completely inaccurate comment, though, to digest them properly right now. i assume this is sarcasm? perhaps my natural lighthearted (and admittedly wordy) tone could be mistaken for trickery or malicious intent towards the one i love; i assure you that this is not the case and was not my intent. BF is ready and willing, just a little scared as we'll both be out of our element. we're responsible adults in a long-term, very committed relationship and it's a huge change. neither one of us take the move lightly - despite my teasing or easygoing demeanor. i don't blame him a bit for his apprehension, nor does he blame me for my enthusiasm. opposites attract, in my experience
i'm going to come back tomorrow when i'm not so distracted to do some more research on the places you recommend - thanks again for your help and your time! i'll also check out the forums for the towns i'm familiar with to see if i can pay the favor forward by assisting someone else.
lovely site - thanks again!
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- boyfriend is joining me
wow
