Philly is on my list..advice please! (Philadelphia, York: apartments, rental)

[holycowpickle]

I have lived in austin, texas my entire life. I am itching to get out and want to move.

Philly is on my short list of possibilities, although I don't know too much about it.

I need public transportation as I do not drive.
I need a dog friendly city because I have two great danes and my boyfriend has a cocker spaniel. (reasonable priced rental houses that have fenced yards, dog parks etc)
I need reasonbly priced school (community college, possible university)
I need an affordable cost of living (Right now I pay 1050 for a 900 sq ft house in central austin. I pay so much because I can't live in cheaper areas due to me not driving and out bus system is CRAP unless you live central)

Ideally, I'd like to be able to catch a train, subway, what have you and be able to easily get to work/school with out having to sit on a bus for an hour and a half each way. I also would like to keep my housing under 700$ a month. I'd be open to paying more if its a 2 or 3 bedroom. The house has to have a yard and be atleast 1000 sq ft. I DON'T want to be in the ghetto or any shady parts of town.

What is the cost of living in philly compared to austin (city, not suburb) texas? How well can a student who makes 25,000 - 30,000 a year live in philly?

[FindingZen]

You can probably find everything you're looking for... except the rental rate.

While long-time locals may gripe about the cost of SEPTA, it's one of the best mass transit systems in the country IMO in terms of coverage and options.

I believe Philly is a pet-friendly city but I'm not knowledgeable about dog parks. Finding an rental home in the city with a fenced yard may be a challenge. The areas that I can think of offhand are either inconvenient (Northeast Philly) or not necessarily welcoming (parts of North and West Philly). You'll find that Philly and many Northeastern cities are rather dense. You'll have to head to the edges of NW or NE Philly or out to the 'burbs for more space.

The Community College of Philadelphia is pretty good. Philly is a mecca for colleges and universities: Temple, Penn, Drexel, St. Joe's and many more in and near the city.

I believe there is a cost of living calculator on this site where you can compare the two cities. At the very least there is a cost of living index. I do know that it will be more expensive for you here, perhaps 20% or more.

On your potential income, I'd suggest living just west of the city in Delaware County. Areas like Upper Darby, Drexel Hill and Lansdowne might fit the bill. They're older working-to-middle class areas that are relatively diverse and convenient to light rail or commuter trains.

You may also have to adjust to a more assertive, often blunt "atty-tood" here. We don't corner the market on that (see New York and Boston) but it will be different from what I imagine is a more laid-back lifestyle in Austin.

Originally Posted by holycowpickle

I have lived in austin, texas my entire life. I am itching to get out and want to move.

Philly is on my short list of possibilities, although I don't know too much about it.

I need public transportation as I do not drive.
I need a dog friendly city because I have two great danes and my boyfriend has a cocker spaniel. (reasonable priced rental houses that have fenced yards, dog parks etc)
I need reasonbly priced school (community college, possible university)
I need an affordable cost of living (Right now I pay 1050 for a 900 sq ft house in central austin. I pay so much because I can't live in cheaper areas due to me not driving and out bus system is CRAP unless you live central)

Ideally, I'd like to be able to catch a train, subway, what have you and be able to easily get to work/school with out having to sit on a bus for an hour and a half each way. I also would like to keep my housing under 700$ a month. I'd be open to paying more if its a 2 or 3 bedroom. The house has to have a yard and be atleast 1000 sq ft. I DON'T want to be in the ghetto or any shady parts of town.

What is the cost of living in philly compared to austin (city, not suburb) texas? How well can a student who makes 25,000 - 30,000 a year live in philly?

[PhilsFan]

I love Philadelphia and am very sad to be moving in a few months. The rent is high, but not outrageous. I would suggest moving to the Art Museum area if you have dogs (especially big dogs). You'll be right by the park and this area of center city is very dog friendly. You should have no problem finding a rental with a yard in your price range.

Temple is a great school at a low cost to in-state students. Even out of state it's not too bad.

I live close to the 22nd street trolley stop so public transportation hasn't been a problem, but when you head further away from Market you are relying on the bus. I have zero experience with the buses in Philadelphia, but I have heard minimal complaints.

Philadelphia has great nightlife and the Art Museum has a lot of fun local bars. I'd recommend Philly to anyone! I will really miss it!

[Soju]

How about Phila. Community college, its cheap. Just north of Center City on Spring Garden Street. My friend went there for two years than transferred to Univ. of Penn.
I think Northeast is too far from all the action,its safe though.
You want to be near Center City,where you'll experience big city life. Areas like Bella Vista, Queen Village ( a lot of young professionals) or West philly near Univ. of Penn.
Public trans if pretty good, you really don't need a car.
Just stay away from North, Southwest,even some parts of South Philly. I wouldn't recommand Northern Liberties either, in recent years a lot of new developments but still there some undesirables near by.

[FindingZen]

Now that I think about it... there are several city parks where you could walk your dogs but they may not specifically be dog parks. So that may open up some options for you. Still, to live on $25-30K, I think you may find it challenging to find a house for rent in a reasonably convenient and comfortable part of the city.

[orrmobl]

I think Lansdowne fits the bill quite nicely...you have train, trolley and bus options, close to University City and the rent/cost of living is reasonable.

[Inside Man]

Originally Posted by holycowpickle

I have lived in austin, texas my entire life. I am itching to get out and want to move.

Philly is on my short list of possibilities, although I don't know too much about it.

I also would like to keep my housing under 700$ a month. I'd be open to paying more if its a 2 or 3 bedroom. The house has to have a yard and be atleast 1000 sq ft. I DON'T want to be in the ghetto or any shady parts of town.

Ha ha ha

[hollygolightly]

Well, I paid $950 for a modern 2 bedroom in Washington Square West., though this was about 4 or so years back. Then, I found a small 1 bedroom in Bella Vista (essentially the Italian Market area) for $625 a month, and this wasn't too long ago. It can be done. And, the Seger Dog Park was only a couple of blocks away from either location! Definitely look into this, it's a great dog park. Not too mention that all amenities (groceries, etc.) are also only minutes away, walking!

Good luck!

[hollygolightly]

Oops, double posted! Anyway, hope you find what you're looking for.

[treeluvr]

Originally Posted by hollygolightly

Well, I paid $950 for a modern 2 bedroom in Washington Square West., though this was about 4 or so years back. Then, I found a small 1 bedroom in Bella Vista (essentially the Italian Market area) for $625 a month, and this wasn't too long ago. It can be done. And, the Seger Dog Park was only a couple of blocks away from either location! Definitely look into this, it's a great dog park. Not too mention that all amenities (groceries, etc.) are also only minutes away, walking!

Good luck!

Rents in Center City go up every year and it seems that this year they are really going up. I've lived for the last 5 years in a tiny! but safe apartment in an old building with all the discomforts that entails (but saved a lot of money!). (Between 19th and 20th street, Lombard and Pine streets, a couple of blocks from Rittenhaus Sq). I'm moving out and the place is being advertised at an 18% increase over what I have been paying. Personally, I'm tired of seeing homeless everywhere, but I guess the landlords would like to see more.

Maybe South Philly or Bella Vista apartments are your best bet. And you could could probably get something real cheap west of 50th.