Thank you so much for the ideas. Yes I will be visiting the area next week and see how it is first. My parents are quite concerned about the safety issue and prefer to have me living with other female students.
I will be attending Temple this Fall. Right now I'm considering a 2nd floor studio located on W. Diamond between N. Carlisle and 15th st, about 1 block away from Campus. I know it's a very tough area to live, but I really enjoy the proximity to school. I'm not planning to walk out in the evening/at night at all, all the PhD courses are held during daytime. Is this doable? Am I missing anything?