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I just started a new job, and they have requested me to move to the Philly area to work on-site with a client. My wife and I absolutely love Philly, so the decision was a no-brainer . I know things are still shut down at the moment, so the timing isn't exactly the best. Is apartment-hunting also heavily restricted right now? I couldn't find much info on that particular question.
The other downside is that the client is in Clayton, NJ, which looks to be a 30-35 minute drive from Philly in "shutdown traffic" (so probably 45+ when things reopen?). I am not too familiar with the NJ side except I have heard some not-so-nice things. I'm willing to deal with a longer commute if that means living in a fun, walkable place with decent nightlife, restaurants, breweries, etc. and transit access to other neighborhoods. From our visits, it seems like multiple spots in Philly could fit the bill. In our desired neighborhoods (listed further below), I've already started gathering a list of potential apartments that fit our budget. I guess I'm just starting this thread as a sanity check and to hear any other suggestions. Answers to the stickied thread's questions below, which should give more detail.
When are you moving? End of this month; starting on-site work on 6/1
Where are you coming from? Greensboro, NC
Why are you moving? Work, spending approximately one year
Where will you be working? Clayton, NJ
Have you been here yet? Yep, twice...love your city!
Will you buy or rent? rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Not super picky on the type of unit except for wanting something well-maintained OR more recently renovated. Studio or 1-bedroom is fine with us. Top-end budget is $1500/month, flexible based on benefits/amenities of the rental.
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Either is fine, but preferably something not on the first floor.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? No suburbs. From our visits, we really like the just about all of Center City, Passyunk, Fishtown, and (maybe) Northern Liberties. Any other similar neighborhood suggestions are welcome
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married; no kids and no plans to have them
Do you have pets? One cat and One snake
Do you want or need a yard? Big fat NO lol
Are you keeping a car? Yep, just one. Prefer to have it parked in a parking garage structure
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Bustling! Quiet is okay as long as it's a short walk to the action.
What do you want to be closest to? Entertainment/nightlife, restaurants, breweries, etc. An easy-ish way to access an interstate to cross over into NJ would be nice as well, especially when the COVID shutdowns end.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Being around people of similar-ish age and lifestyle (early 30s, no kids) will help but the rest of that doesn't matter
Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water? craft beer for me, wine for the wife
Let me know if you guys have any additional recommendations.
Thank you!
Sounds like you'd enjoy Fishtown. It's got the type of atmosphere you're looking for. The only thing I'm not sure of is the rent. You might be slightly more likely to rent an apartment from a private/small owner than one of the new-ish buildings there. Others may have more of an idea on specifics. Google claims it's a 35-45 minute drive to Clayton depending which direction on I-95 you choose.
I glossed by the areas you had been considering before I wrote my first suggestion.
You'd enjoy Northern Liberties as much as or more than Fishtown although you may be priced out of the neighborhood. The neighborhoods of Center City (downtown) are quintessential walkability although, again, they may be out of your $ range.
Queen Village/Bella Vista would put you close to Passyunk Ave while giving you a "head start" on your daily commute. You may possibly find something in your range albeit with similar caveats to Fishtown.
A parking garage in general may be a tough to find; it will almost certainly be an additional cost. On-street parking, for better or worse, is often the reality of living in or near the heart of the city.
As FindingZen mentions above, your biggest issue is going to be price. 1500/month is pretty tight if you want upgrades and parking in one of the city's better areas near entertainment and nightlife. Your best bet is probably to go to zillow.com and put in your parameters and see what's out there. If you find a few properties you really like, put the links on here and we'll all weigh-in on the exact neighborhood, pros and cons etc...
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,670,113 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianGC
Hello guys,
I just started a new job, and they have requested me to move to the Philly area to work on-site with a client. My wife and I absolutely love Philly, so the decision was a no-brainer . I know things are still shut down at the moment, so the timing isn't exactly the best. Is apartment-hunting also heavily restricted right now? I couldn't find much info on that particular question.
The other downside is that the client is in Clayton, NJ, which looks to be a 30-35 minute drive from Philly in "shutdown traffic" (so probably 45+ when things reopen?). I am not too familiar with the NJ side except I have heard some not-so-nice things. I'm willing to deal with a longer commute if that means living in a fun, walkable place with decent nightlife, restaurants, breweries, etc. and transit access to other neighborhoods. From our visits, it seems like multiple spots in Philly could fit the bill. In our desired neighborhoods (listed further below), I've already started gathering a list of potential apartments that fit our budget. I guess I'm just starting this thread as a sanity check and to hear any other suggestions. Answers to the stickied thread's questions below, which should give more detail.
When are you moving? End of this month; starting on-site work on 6/1
Where are you coming from? Greensboro, NC
Why are you moving? Work, spending approximately one year
Where will you be working? Clayton, NJ
Have you been here yet? Yep, twice...love your city!
Will you buy or rent? rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Not super picky on the type of unit except for wanting something well-maintained OR more recently renovated. Studio or 1-bedroom is fine with us. Top-end budget is $1500/month, flexible based on benefits/amenities of the rental.
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Either is fine, but preferably something not on the first floor.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? No suburbs. From our visits, we really like the just about all of Center City, Passyunk, Fishtown, and (maybe) Northern Liberties. Any other similar neighborhood suggestions are welcome
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married; no kids and no plans to have them
Do you have pets? One cat and One snake
Do you want or need a yard? Big fat NO lol
Are you keeping a car? Yep, just one. Prefer to have it parked in a parking garage structure
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Bustling! Quiet is okay as long as it's a short walk to the action.
What do you want to be closest to? Entertainment/nightlife, restaurants, breweries, etc. An easy-ish way to access an interstate to cross over into NJ would be nice as well, especially when the COVID shutdowns end.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Being around people of similar-ish age and lifestyle (early 30s, no kids) will help but the rest of that doesn't matter
Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water? craft beer for me, wine for the wife
Let me know if you guys have any additional recommendations.
Thank you!
Yep, already prepared to take the lumps on that one lol.
I mistakenly didn't specify that our $1500/month preferred budget was only for rent itself - as in I know a parking garage spot will be quite a bit extra (around $250-300/month from what I've seen so far) that we're prepared to pay on top. Some contenders I found so far below. The first three are ones I've spoken to on the phone:
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,670,113 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianGC
Thank you guys for your responses!
Yep, already prepared to take the lumps on that one lol.
I mistakenly didn't specify that our $1500/month preferred budget was only for rent itself - as in I know a parking garage spot will be quite a bit extra (around $250-300/month from what I've seen so far) that we're prepared to pay on top. Some contenders I found so far below. The first three are ones I've spoken to on the phone:
Yep, already prepared to take the lumps on that one lol.
I mistakenly didn't specify that our $1500/month preferred budget was only for rent itself - as in I know a parking garage spot will be quite a bit extra (around $250-300/month from what I've seen so far) that we're prepared to pay on top. Some contenders I found so far below. The first three are ones I've spoken to on the phone:
There's nothing wrong with any of the places you list here - good areas and the apartments look nice. It probably comes down to visiting each one to see which layout and neighborhood you like the best. I will suggest at least looking at and considering a less updated option with at least one bedroom. I've lived in studios before when I was in my 20s, and 500 sq. feet or less is extremely tight for one person, let alone a couple. If I were you, I would check out a few trinity houses. You can find one of these around your budget in some South Philly areas. Note, you'll almost certainly have to street park, but parking will be better than if Center City or Northern Liberties.
Anything north of Snyder Ave and east of Broad Street, will put you in walking, or very quick uber, distance to Passyunk Sq, Pennsport, Bella Vista or Queen Village, which, while not happening quite like Northern Liberties or Center City, have plenty of entertainment options. Also, Philly is a grid city, so cutting across town is extremely quick and easy. I have a couple places in Pennsport, one of which is just off 3rd street. My buddy lives on 4th St. in Northern Liberties. I used to walk out my door, catch the 57 bus at the corner (50 feet from my front door) and cut straight across town. Door to door took me like 12 - 15 minutes and cost $2.50. If he and I wanted to meet up in Old City (arguably the best nightlife in the city), it would take me 6 minutes on the bus to get to 3rd and Market. I could easily walk it on a nice day as it's just a under one mile away.
Anyway, for reference, Trinity houses are usually two bedrooms/1 bath and around 750 - 850 sq. feet. The big advantages they offer is you don't have neighbors on all fours sides of you (offering some privacy and sanity) and they always include some sort of private outdoor area (usually a small fenced in backyard). Worth taking a look IMO... You'll probably find after a few months that space, private outdoor access, and some privacy from strangers is worth more than brand new granite counters.
Fishtown/NoLibs are nice, but South Philly might also be a good fit, too (esp'ly east of Broad, like Passyunk 'hood). Lots of character, restaurants, etc. Parking would be an issue - you could probably rent a space - but that's likely true in the neighborhoods north of Center City as well. The big advantage of a South Philly location is proximity to the Walt Whitman Bridge. Your commute to Clayton would be shorter, maybe by 10-15 minutes each way? than a north-of-Center-City location.
It seems like you want to provide some advice to the OP regarding New Jersey; why don't you just let him know what you're thinking?
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. I know things are still shut down at the moment, so the timing isn't exactly the best. Is apartment-hunting also heavily restricted right now? I couldn't find much info on that particular question.
