Philly vs. Jersey.. help a Pittsburgh girl out! (Collingswood, Oakland: apartment complexes, rentals)

[allysonisdope]

Hello!

I posted this on the Philly board, but I'm considering Jersey as an option, too. I come seeking advice. I am looking to move to Philly next year. I don't know anyone there, nor have I visited long enough to explore.

I'm looking for the usual things - a safe, fun, friendly neighborhood. I love shopping and concerts, and I would like to go back to school to further my education. Just by browsing through this board, I'm thinking Manayunk, Germantown, and Queen Village sound the most appealing. I've been checking craigslist for rentals in these areas, but I welcome any advice or tips you may have.

Just from browsing around, it seems like a smarter choice to try Jersey first, since I really know nothing about the areas in Philly and a couple people have told me that areas can get sketchy from street to street, and like I said, I'm a single girl and I don't know a soul. On the other hand, I've never been to Jersey, either, other than passing through. Halp!

Thanks in advance! =]


When are you moving?

I'm moving sometime during the summer in 2011.

Where are you coming from?

Pittsburgh.

Why are you moving?

I need a change. I have lived right outside of Pittsburgh my whole life, and I am bored with it. Nobody ever leaves! I feel like I am suffocating here, and I don't want to wake up at 60 wondering why I never took a chance on anything.

Where will you be working?

Not sure yet. I am just doing as much research as possible right now.

Have you been here yet?

I have, but only for quick trips. I am moving mostly sight unseen.

Will you buy or rent?

Rent.

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?

No preference, really. I'm look at a range of $500 - $800.

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

No preference.

Are you married or single? Do you have children?

I am single, no kids.

Do you have pets?

I have a cat.

Do you want or need a yard?

Not necessary.

Are you keeping a car?

Yes.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?

I like both.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations

Hmm.. I currently commute an hour to work each way, so it would be nice to be a bit closer. It would also be nice to be close to some kind of action, but I don't mind the 'burbs, either!

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?

Same age would be nice. I'm in my 20s.

Coke or Pepsi?

Coke, of course. =]

[NJGOAT]

Being very familiar with the Philly neighborhoods and having grown up and lived in South Jersey most of my life, I would tell you right off the bat to look at Jersey first and after some time in the area decide if a move to the city is right for you.

My first reason for this is the tax situation. If you live or work in Philly you pay a city wage tax. The current rate for residents is 3.928% and the rate for non-residents is 3.4985%. So, if you live in the city you pay 3.9% of your income to the city regardless of where you work as well as state and federal taxes. If you work in the city you pay 3.5% of your income to the city as well as your state and federal taxes. The fun part here is that the State of NJ allows you to deduct every penny you pay in city wage tax against your NJ state income taxes. This means people working in Philly, but living in NJ pay less in taxes than people in other scenarios involving Philly. Obviously some of this is balanced out by commute costs.

The second factor is rent. Your budget doesn't allow for much in a safer more premier neighborhood in Philly. You might squeeze into Manayunk, but that really isn't in Philly, in fact the Jersey Burbs have easier access to Center City than people in Manayunk do. Germantown can vary block by block from decent to ghetto, you really need to know the area. Again, this is almost the same as Manayunk when it comes to access to Center City. Queen Village is the only neighborhood you listed that is actually in the city proper. However, it is also a relatively expensive area. There are some affordable places along the fringes of Queen Village, but some of those are sketchy. There are some neighborhoods you could swing, but those fall firmly in the urban pioneer category.

On the other hand, you can easily find a small place to rent on the Jersey side that will be both safe and within your budget and still afford easy access to the city as well as a place to park your car (which is a lot harder than most people think in Philly).

I think you would be really well served looking at some of the neighborhoods that lie along the PATCO line in South Jersey. This is a high speed light rail that runs right into Center City and connects to all the major transit hubs. Along that corridor there are a couple places I would suggest.

Collingswood would be at the top of the list. It has varied rentals from actual apartment complexes to multi-family housing to single homes. It has a nice downtown and affords easy access to Philly by either train or car and is a quick drive to local shopping.

Westmont/Haddon Twp. would be next. There are fewer rental opportunities there, but it affords the same amenities as Collingswood.

Last on the list would be the Ashland/Echelon section of Voorhees. It's a little more out there, but there are quite a few apartment complexes and a nearby PATCO station. There is also easy access to area shopping.

If it were me, I would probably base in Collingswood as it seems to offer everything people in your position would want.

[allysonisdope]

Wow, thank you so much for the reply! This is very helpful. I'm scanning craigslist at the moment and, forgive me for sounding dumb, but is Collingswood the name of a borough/city/town? Are there towns or areas I can punch in within Collingswood? I only had 2 listings pop up with I entered that into the search box. I'm looking on google maps, too. I'm the research queen. =P

Again, thanks a million for the help. It is much appreciated.

[frankgn87]

I second what NJgoat said. Hes a wise man.. We came from Philly and never looked back. Philly used to be nice. Now its full of crime, ghettos and people that will walk over your body if you fell in the street.. Bottom line. If you like what good Philly has to offer like we do, you can drive there in a few minutes but come back to less crime and peace and quiet of NJ when you leave. Its the best of both worlds.

[NJGOAT]

Originally Posted by allysonisdope

Wow, thank you so much for the reply! This is very helpful. I'm scanning craigslist at the moment and, forgive me for sounding dumb, but is Collingswood the name of a borough/city/town? Are there towns or areas I can punch in within Collingswood? I only had 2 listings pop up with I entered that into the search box. I'm looking on google maps, too. I'm the research queen. =P

Again, thanks a million for the help. It is much appreciated.

Collingswood is a borough and it's own town. There are technically two sections of Collingswood, but they are the same town. Haddon Twp. is the next town over from Collingswood going east down Haddon Ave. and contains a few seperate sections, but all are generally listed as Haddon Twp. (Just a note here that do to the way Haddon Twp. is laid out some areas are referred to in listings as Haddonfield, though they are actually Haddon Twp. It has to do with the way the post offices work.) The primary zipcode for that area (both Collingswood and half of Haddon Twp.) is 08108. There is another town that borders Collingswood if you go east down Route 30 and that is called Oaklyn. Oaklyn is similar to Collingswood, but lacks the downtown, but does have bars. Oaklyn and the other half of Haddon Twp. are in the 08107 zip code.

There are three other towns I would mention along the Route 30 corridor. The first is Audubon, it is similar to Oaklyn and also contains a few apartment complexes and some shopping. Audubon's zip code is 08106. The next is Haddon Heights. There aren't many rentals here, but it is a nice town. Haddon Heights zip is 08035. The last one is Barrington which is again similar to Audubon or Oaklyn and has some apartment complexes and other rentals. Barrington's zip code is 08007.

In Collingswood there are three main apartment complexes: Heights of Collingswood, Riverview at Collingswood and Marina Park Apartments (this is the cheap one). In Oaklyn the one main complex is Oakland Gardens. Haddon Twp. has the Haddon View Apartments and Haddon Hills Apartments. That should hopefully get you started.

I also know that there are a TON of houses and non-complex apartments that are being rented out in those towns. However, listings are hard to come by. You may want to contact a realtor in the area to help you get listings. Most will have no problem doing this and there is generally no fee as they get compensated by the landlord who has the listing. Also, if you have time to drive out stop in any convenience store (Wawa) and they usually have stacks of apartment guides that will list all the complexes. Main Street Realty in Collingswood as well as Hoey Indiveri Realty in Collingswood have been in the area forever and might be good places to start.

[allysonisdope]

You are a wealth of information! Seriously, you rule! I'm taking notes from these posts, lol.

[templeu]

Where do you plan to go to school? I suppose one thing to keep in mind is in-state vs out-of-state tuition rates. There are more schools in Phila compared to the NJ suburbs of Phila. I assume if you lived in NJ but attended school in PA, you could retain your PA status.

This part of NJ is great and I love living here. But, I also moved here because I was looking for quiet. Sure, there are some great restaurants, but both Collingswood and Haddonfield are dry towns (no bars, clubs, etc). Many of the folks who recommend moving to these areas are folks with families...and this is without a doubt a great place to raise a family. But, I wouldn't recommend this as an especially cool area to live for a young person, who is looking to meet other young people, and still wants to go out at night, hit the bar scene, etc. At the very least, I would say come visit, stay a night or two and really check this place out. If I were in my 20's and unattached, I would not have wanted to live here...but that's just me. I don't find it to be a particularly cool or happening place. It's a very quaint area. Now that I'm married, in my 30's, and want quiet in my day to day life this area (Collingswood, Haddon Township, Haddonfield) fits much better.

As NJGOAT has suggested your budget may be your biggest impediment, unless perhaps you can find a roommate. Manayunk is popular with college-aged kids, and there is a train that takes your directly into the city. West Mount Airy is also nice, and has a main street with bars. There are a lot of families there...but it's pretty easy to meet people. Then of course, Center City (Bella Vista, Queen Village, Graduate Hospital, Washington West, Society Hill (super expensive), and perhaps Northern Liberties..a bit removed from the downtown core) are all cool places with access to a lot of amenities.

Another area that seems to be more popular with younger 20 somethings is Conshohocken (in Montogomery County, PA). This area is also accessible to center city by train. There are bars, restaurants, etc in this area, and you'd escape that Phila city wage tax that NJ Goat alluded to.

Wherever you choose, good luck. There are certainly a lot of options in Phila - whether it be on the PA or NJ side.

[discndav]

Find something in Jersey near the PATCO train line, you'll be able park your car easily unlike in Philly and have
easy access to the city if needed via PATCO. Voorhees, NJ is a nice area that hasn't been mentioned yet.

[killakoolaide]

It would be a mistake to believe that Jersey is much safer or better.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by killakoolaide

It would be a mistake to believe that Jersey is much safer or better.

wrong. We could have moved anywhere we wanted.. Researched the whole Delaware valley. NJ won out.. If you do your homework its a no brainer