Moving to Philly - What neighborhood? (Philadelphia, Allentown: rental car, apartment, rental)

[pa2phoenix]

Hello all,

So I am finally moving back to east coast! I am originally from Allentown, and I currently live in phoenix (and hate it). Looking to move to Philadelphia as Allentown is just a little too boring for me.

I am 24 years old and I own my own marketing company so my income does not depend on geographic. I would like to keep my car but may be willing to give it up. I would like to live somewhere with young people but not the "college" scene.Not really into the pretentious yuppy sh*t either though. It would be nice to be able to walk to places, bodegas etc...

I can afford up to 1000 dollars a month. It's important to me that there are things to do like bars, clubs and restaurants etc... would like to live somewhere that's a decent neighborhood as I don't want to have to have a gun just to sit on my front porch.

I have been looking at Manayunk mainly. Though I think this might a little too suburban for me.

What do you guys think?

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by pa2phoenix

Hello all,

So I am finally moving back to east coast! I am originally from Allentown, and I currently live in phoenix (and hate it). Looking to move to Philadelphia as Allentown is just a little too boring for me.

I am 24 years old and I own my own marketing company so my income does not depend on geographic. I would like to keep my car but may be willing to give it up. I would like to live somewhere with young people but not the "college" scene.Not really into the pretentious yuppy sh*t either though. It would be nice to be able to walk to places, bodegas etc...

I can afford up to 1000 dollars a month. It's important to me that there are things to do like bars, clubs and restaurants etc... would like to live somewhere that's a decent neighborhood as I don't want to have to have a gun just to sit on my front porch.

I have been looking at Manayunk mainly. Though I think this might a little too suburban for me.

What do you guys think?

Manayunk isn't necessarily "suburban" as it's a city neighborhood but it sounds like you want to be as close to the heart of the action as possible. That is, the neighborhoods of Center City.

You would probably be most interested in near-waterfront neighborhoods like Old City and Northern Liberties above it. These areas have the most concentration of bars, clubs and trendier restaurants. Your budget may not quite cut it here though, especially when including a parking garage or permit. Nearby alternatives would include Fishtown (north) as well as Queen Village and Bella Vista (south). You may find relatively good values in the Fairmount/Art Museum section (NW Center City) as well. There are up-and-coming neighborhoods in South Philly but I'm not really knowledgeable on those details as others here. Welcome to Philly!

[bryson662001]

Manayunk gets old pretty fast. It's just a "one street" town. You sound like you would be most satisfyed in Center City where $1,000 will get you a spacious studio in a decent doorman building, but the car will cost an extra 200-300 dollars to garage. Maybe you could get by with an occasional rental car. Otherwise the same setup in Northeast or north west Phiily (semi-suburban) will include the car plus an extra bedroom in a nice neighborhood.
www.4wallsinphilly.com
www.apartmentguide.com

[pa2phoenix]

Thanks for the reply's,

Guess I should just check some spots out once I am actually back in area and see what's going to fit my needs. I don't feel like living in a studio and paying 1000 dollars a month.

[pman]

1) center city
2) northern liberties
3) south philly
4) Art museum area (fairmount and spring garden) is okay, may be a bit old for you for the next few years)

[Sarah211]

I agree with you saying that Manayunk feels suburban. I live in Washington Square West also known as the "gayborhood". It's within walking distance to Rittenhouse Square, Old City, and South Street, all of which have shopping, bars, and restaurants. I love it here and feel like I'm in the middle of it all. I'm only 22 so I definitely feel like it has a younger feel. Also, I pay $800 for a decent sized one bedroom on a nice tree lined street.