Philadelphia, PA

[teaganc]

Thanks to all of you for the info. You've made Philly sound less scary and more interesting

Honestly, Philly is definitely scary when it comes to parking and school districts and crime, but I would give ANYTHING to be moving back there right now. I love, love LOVE Philadelphia more than any other city in the world, and I have lived in a lot of cities. It's an amazing place with tons of different people, great food (including some awesome vegan places, and I'm not even vegan), and of course, it's the best sports town in America.

[yousername]

Okay, so, if I live in the suburbs and take a train in to Temple... can I ask how often they run? I need to know that I can get back to my kid in case of an emergency (school calling that she needs picked up for some reason, etc.) Which is why I thought driving in might be better. But if the trains run often that might not be such a huge dilemma.

Also, as for parking on Temple's campus -- the paid parking -- I understand about not leaving anything in your car (only makes sense), but is the parking outdoors? Garages? And is there security? And how far is the parking from the campus? I looked at the campus maps, but they don't really indicate student vs staff parking (I'm sure I'm looking at the wrong map).

And how competitive is campus parking? At my campus now, there are times of day where you simply cannot park ANYWHERE. So, you learn to come earlier or later accordingly. And our lots are quite a distance from the buidlings of our main campus.

Thanks to all of you for the info. You've made Philly sound less scary and more interesting

hmmmm. If you are planning on living in the suburbs, you'd be taking either the regional rail or some combination of the regional rail and the subway. Check out the SEPTA website:

http://septa.org/

It has timetables, maps, a trip-planner and should answer a lot of your questions. The Jenkintown-Wyncote and Glenside stops would bring you into nice areas. The regional rail stop at Temple is between 9th and 10th on Berks Street, which is Not the same location as the Subway, which is on Broad (14th street.) Regional rail generally runs less frequently than the subway, and the subway is usually a bit faster. The method I favor when traveling back into the suburbs is to take the Orange (Broad Street) line all the way north, to Fern Rock. Fern Rock is a combination station that runs subway, bus and regional rail lines. From Fern Rock, you can transfer to the regional rail and take the train however many stops to your eventual location. Of course, you could just take the regional rail directly to Temple's stop at 9th and Berks.

If you think you'd like to have more flexibility in terms of being able to get home to your daughter quickly, driving in might be worth it. It would be a good idea for you to explore the trains yourself before making a decision about paying for a parking permit or a transpass.

Not sure about the particulars of parking, myself.

[TulipOHare]

What is parking like for people that live in the city? I am going to Temple and am hoping to take my car and live in the city. What's street parking (or parking in general) like in town? Do apartments generally come with a guaranteed spot or does parking require an added fee? Are there certain neighborhoods with better parking / car safety? I've heard people mention "renting" parking spots here. I'm from the West where I've never had to worry about where I am going to park my car at night. The fact that so many people there don't have cars to begin with is really foreign to me but I'm worried it will be cost-prohibitive to take my car.

There is free parking, but there is no pattern to where it's located, and it's very crowded. I have friends who rely on free street parking, and it's like you might expect... some days there's a spot right in front of your building, some days the closest spot is 10 blocks away. If you're willing to change your residency to PA (that is, get a PA drivers' license with your Philly address on it), you can get a yearly street parking permit that allows you unlimited free parking (that is, without having to pay meters or mind time limits) in the numbered zone closest to your apartment. The signs with the parking rules for each block have numbers at the bottom showing which number permits can park there. This is still no guarantee that you'll get a parking spot in that area, since there's no cap on the number of permits they hand out, but if you're willing to get a PA license then there's no reason not to get one.

Most apartments have no parking at all, but some come with a spot and some have an optional lot or garage that you can pay for -- parking is considered a major perk so the apartment listing will definitely state if parking is available. Alternately, if you want a guaranteed spot you can rent one in a lot or a garage, but this is going to run you $100-$200 a month or more depending on where it is in the city. I would not say that any area of town is particularly better or worse -- you run a risk of a break-in anywhere, and the areas with more free parking tend to be more crowded. Definitely call your car insurance company and ask how much your rate will go up for moving to Philly -- it's one of the most expensive car insurance markets.

This probably sounds pretty scary if you're used to all the free, safe parking you want, but it's really not impossible -- I had my car in Philly for a few years, and it can be stressful sometimes, but it's totally doable.

[TulipOHare]

Okay, so, if I live in the suburbs and take a train in to Temple... can I ask how often they run? I need to know that I can get back to my kid in case of an emergency (school calling that she needs picked up for some reason, etc.) Which is why I thought driving in might be better. But if the trains run often that might not be such a huge dilemma.

Also, as for parking on Temple's campus ...

Trains usually run every half hour during rush hours and hourly other times. So if you're worried about needing to get home quickly, I would definitely drive. Most of Temple's parking is outdoor and there are security guard booths but not much in the way of cameras. I'm not sure about student vs. staff parking, or how competitive the parking is (I usually take the subway to campus) -- sorry!

[gimlet]

Thanks for all the answers to my questions Philly people! You guys are awesome. I am so stoked to be coming to town-- the diversity is a big selling point after two years in homogeneous east Salt Lake.

[GoBears80]

For the future Temple and Penn students out there, my room in the Fairmount/Art Museum/Brewerytown area will be available in August! It's super-convenient to Temple (~10' bike ride), and it only takes me about 20' to get to Penn. The room is a spacious 10 x 13, with an unusual amount of storage space for a Philly house, and a lot of natural light. The apartment is a 3 bedroom; you'll be sharing a bathroom and kitchen with one Temple grad student and one art school student, both exceedingly awesome. $400, heat included. PM me if you're interested... bonus points if you have a 2 bedroom apartment in NYC to swap! (Totally kidding... kind of.)

[disjecta]

Just an FYI for anyone else still waiting to hear back from Temple regarding funding: A little birdy told me that funding is being solidified this week and that funding letters will go out in the mail next week. Gosh, I sure do *hope* I get one!

[ChrisNY]

One of my future classmates and I have decided to share a place next year, and we're looking for a third roommate. We are both starting the PhD program in Sociology at Penn. She is currently in NYC, and I am in Columbus, OH, but we are both planning trips to Philly in the near future to look at places. If you are a Drexel or Penn grad student, need roommates for next year, and harbor hopes of a social life despite being in grad school, reply to this ad and we'll talk details.

[Jordan+AirForce1]

In Philly, it's a very bad idea to buy a brand-new or an expensive car, especially if you'll be parking in the city often. You'll experience a handful of window-breaking thefts, disappeared side mirror, and lots of scratches and bumps in the front and back from parallel parking. Just get a car that runs.

If you are close to South Philly, you have to experience the cheesesteaks in this region! Pat's and Geno's are of course the famous ones, but you'll find that any cheesesteak place neighborhood will be good, too!

[willmpioneer]

Does anyone currently attending Temple know what size their incoming grad cohorts tend to be and how many people apply?

Discussions on this forum last year by those accepted indicated that they received 120 applicants and admitted 40, very few of which were MAs. I'm sure not all those people went or that they were able to offer funding to many of them, but if those numbers are correct it would, statistically, make Temple a comparatively "easy" place to get into but perhaps not the best place to be if you are looking for a good student to faculty ratio, small classes, etc.

[datamineguy]

Hello, I was wondering if there are nice luxury apartment good for buying or renting near wharton.

It would be good if it is 1BR or studio It really doesn't matter but i am looking for a home to stay for 4 years so,

i want it to be good.

coming from a city where index of living is probably the highest, I don't really mind the high cost since i am sort of paying high cost for bad room anyway now.

I dont drive so i dont need a parking lot but this limits to places very close to the campus

Any comments would be helpful!

Thank you!

Edited March 3, 2010 by datamineguy

[so47]

I go to undergrad in Philly, and I can give you the names and sites of some luxury apartment buildings around UPenn, but I have not lived in them myself.

Domus

3411 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.domuspa.com/index.htm

Stratum

20 South 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.the-stratum.com/

The Radian

3925 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.radianapartments.com/index.asp

The Left Bank

3131 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.leftbankapts.com/

Those are all I can think of right now...The first 3 are the closest to UPenn, all within a block or 2 of campus, though in different directions. The last one is a little further, but still only 3-4 blocks from UPenn's campus.

I would suggest browsing around their sites and seeing if you can find reviews on the buildings to get info about the actual management and apartments.

[eiren8]

Hey, I know that there is already a pretty helpful Philadelphia thread here (about neighborhoods, etc), but it's a few years old.

Does anyone have any up to date recommendations for housing near U Penn? (not necessarily luxury apts). I'm looking for something somewhat large-ish as my SO needs space for his painting (we can't afford renting an apt + a studio, so we're looking for an all-in-one!). West Philly has been recommended to me, as being both affordable and near campus, but my question is are there websites on which these places are listed other than craigslist? I'd like to see what prices look like so we can start thinking about our budget!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[so47]

Hey, I know that there is already a pretty helpful Philadelphia thread here (about neighborhoods, etc), but it's a few years old.

Does anyone have any up to date recommendations for housing near U Penn? (not necessarily luxury apts). I'm looking for something somewhat large-ish as my SO needs space for his painting (we can't afford renting an apt + a studio, so we're looking for an all-in-one!). West Philly has been recommended to me, as being both affordable and near campus, but my question is are there websites on which these places are listed other than craigslist? I'd like to see what prices look like so we can start thinking about our budget!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

That is actually a very hard question to answer. I will do my best to answer it, since I have lived in the UPenn/Drexel area of Philly for the past 5 years.

I understand your reservations with craigslist, I actually had someone try to scam me through a housing thing on Philadelphia craigslist. But unfortunately, a lot of the decently-priced apartments are privately owned by people who just own a few properties that they rent out. These type of landlords don't often use many other sites, and often do list on craigslist. If you are looking for a decent size space, these are the types of people you would rent from, they often have huge row houses broken up into decent size apartments for a reasonable price compared to the big apt complexes.

Other than that, most people find their apartments through word of mouth when you live here. I have always found housing through people I know. But you can try some of these bigger websites that some of the larger property owners use:

http://www.4wallsinphilly.com/

http://www.campusapts.com/findanapartment.htm

http://www.phillyapartmentco.com/

http://philadelphia.apartments.com/

http://philadelphia.apartmentguide.com/

http://www.rent.com/rentals/pennsylvania/philadelphia-and-vicinity/philadelphia/

But, the most important thing is to look at the address. And don't generalize "West Philly" because if you look for housing with that label, you could get anything from 30th St to 69th St, which includes some VERY bad areas. University City is the mroe specific neighborhood you probably want, it includes the area on and directly outside of the main college campuses which are all lumped in there. UPenn, Drexel, and USP are all right next to each other, and the nicer housing is close to campus (though it is a lot pricier than West Philly, but you are paying for the convenience of being close to campus and the increased safety) The technical boundaries of University City are:

University City boundaries are, on the east, 29th Street and the Schuylkill River; on the west, 50th Street; on the north, Spring Garden Street (to 40th Street), Powelton Avenue (to 44th Street), and Market Street; and on the south, Civic Center Boulevard, University Avenue and Woodland Avenue.

but this is a bit vague and I would not recommend all of these areas. The best way is to look at a map of the areas like these: http://www.universitycity.org/about_ucity/boundaries

and look at the edges. These areas are where it is hit or miss. I would avoid anything west of 40th St on Market, Chestnut, and Walnut St. It stays nicer though the streets south of these though. I would also steer clear of anywhere north of Spring Garden St, in addition to anything between the river (~27-28) and 32nd. Keep in mind these recommendations are only for this neighborhood, there are other areas of the city where these streets are completely different.

So, when you find a place you are interested in anywhere on the web, pop the address into google maps and see where it lines up. Don't automatically throw out craigslist, just be cautious and do research. I would also recommend not signing a lease until you visit the apartment. A lot of these apartments are in rough shape from having college kids live in them for years, and you don't want a nasty surprise when you move in.

Sorry, that is a lot of info, but I hope this helps!

[rogue]

I would also suggest looking at South Philly. It's not right next to campus, but if you stay relatively close to Broad Street, you can take the Broad Street line (subway) up to City Hall, then hop on the Market-Frankford line; Penn is just two stops from City Hall.

I live in South Philly now, and assuming I accept my offer from Penn, I'll probably stay in the area. It's convenient, generally safe (though as with all of Philly, this changes in some areas block by block), affordable and has lots of character. You can get a three bedroom house with a yard for under $900 (sometimes much cheaper) if you keep an eye on the rental listings. Just be careful not to go too far west and end up in Point Breeze or Grays Ferry, which is not very nice or safe (though I hear it's starting to gentrify).

I also have a bunch of friends who've been snapping up places in Fishtown for dirt cheap. It's further away, but you wouldn't have to change subway lines--it's a straight shot on the Market-Frankford. Fishtown isn't really my scene (perhaps because I haven't really explored it yet), but if your SO is an artist, you might want to check it out. There are lots of artists in the neighborhood.

As for craigslist, I've rented multiple apartments in Philly using that site and have never had any problems.

Also--and this goes for anyone in any city--I recommend using Google street view to check out potential properties/neighborhoods before looking in person. It'll give you a good idea of whether it's the kind of area you'd want to live in.

Feel free to PM me with specific questions on Philly stuff. I've been here nine years and love the city, so I'm always good for a scoop.

[datamineguy]

Thank you very much ! So47

So I assume these are hard to get ? because they are nice and right next to the unviersity?

are these university owned? also how many months early do you think one has to apply for a place like these?

i checked them all out and they are all very nice

Thanks again

I go to undergrad in Philly, and I can give you the names and sites of some luxury apartment buildings around UPenn, but I have not lived in them myself.

Domus

3411 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.domuspa.com/index.htm

Stratum

20 South 36th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.the-stratum.com/

The Radian

3925 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.radianapa...s.com/index.asp

The Left Bank

3131 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.leftbankapts.com/

Those are all I can think of right now...The first 3 are the closest to UPenn, all within a block or 2 of campus, though in different directions. The last one is a little further, but still only 3-4 blocks from UPenn's campus.

I would suggest browsing around their sites and seeing if you can find reviews on the buildings to get info about the actual management and apartments.

[so47]

Thank you very much ! So47

So I assume these are hard to get ? because they are nice and right next to the unviersity?

are these university owned? also how many months early do you think one has to apply for a place like these?

i checked them all out and they are all very nice

Thanks again

These are all privately owned to my knowledge. I'm not sure how hard they are to get, since I have never applied myself. But I am pretty sure the Left Bank one is for grad students and professionals only, which would probably cut down on demand. Now that I think of it, there is another nice but smaller luxury complex that is grad students and professionals only at 35th and Lancaster, called the Old Quaker Building http://www.reinholdresidential.com/oldquaker/ so that might also have a slightly smaller demand.

I am not sure exactly how many months early, but in general, housing (not just luxury) fills up much faster for the University areas than other areas of the city, because there are 2 huge universities right here with students fighting to get housed, and a couple smaller schools too. Early as in, I know a lot of people who get their leases signed in November/December for the following school year.

So, my recommendation would be as soon as you are sure you are going to UPenn, start applying to these places. These buildings MAY not go quite as fast since they are upper-end and a lot of students are on a strict budget, but I am not sure about that. Like you said, they are very nice and have good locations, so they might still be in high demand. So overall, just be safe and apply early.

[eiren8]

Hey so47,

Thanks so much for the above tips on searching for housing. It's hard to do these things blind. I live outside the US and won't be moving back until July. Worse, I won't be able to look for a place to live until August, which is a little stressful, if finding housing is as competitive as you say it is. Perhaps when I go to visit this spring I will attempt to befriend current grad students and they can hook me up, haha. I shall keep all of your advice in mind while trolling craigslist! Thanks again!

[diehtc0ke]

Resurrecting this thread.

Does anyone have any idea how feasible it would be to live in Philly (preferably somewhere around UPenn--I have to admit that I don't know my Philadelphia geography at all) on a stipend of a little more than $22k? I'm seriously interested in going to UPenn for English lit but I've been given better financial offers at other places.

[BrandNewName]

I grew up outside of the city, but have spent a lot of time there and have friends who live there now. In fact one of my closest friends just went through the apartment hunting process not that long ago. Honestly, I think on 22K a year, your best bet is going to be a room in a shared apartment if you can find one, especially around the UPenn campus. It's pricey around there.

My friend, however, found a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom (w/ a little backyard) place near the Art Museum (N. 29th Street) for, I believe, around 1100 a month (she splits it with another friend). It takes some doing to get over to UPenn, but the costs in that area seem to be lower on the whole. It's not the area she wanted to end up in or, I think, ever really saw herself living, but she loves it! And I, on first visiting her was hesitant about the area, but every time I'm back in the States I end up loving it more and more as well.

So, maybe take a look for places near the Art Museum/Fairmount area if you want a place to yourself. Admittedly, the reason that the rents are cheap between the Art Museum and Girard is because you don't really want to cross over Girard, or if you do, you don't want to walk too far. It sounds bad, but it's kind of the reality of life in certain parts of Philly -- the limits of the neighborhoods are known and they remain, regrettably, quite segregated racially and economically speaking. But, with a bike (riding bikes in American cities scares me though!) or a car it's totally doable and I think you'd save a lot of money.

On the whole though, while you need to be aware of your surroundings in some parts of Philly, I think the people and the atmosphere are just amazing and make living there well worth it. You already know of my bias for UPenn and for Philly, but let me just reiterate: do it! You'll find something at the right price or figure out a way to pick up some extra cash once you're there.

[pewtered]

I'm not from Philly, but I'm also considering UPenn. Though my field is different and the stipend slightly higher, Philly seems totally do able on a Penn stipend. Just a cursory look at craigslist seems to indicate that you can get 2BR for a really low price - which becomes even lower when you share with another person. I stayed with a girl who pays less rent than I do, and I live in a smaller city. Out of all my offers, it definitely has the best stipend to cost of living ratio.

[hollanding]

Resurrecting this thread.

Does anyone have any idea how feasible it would be to live in Philly (preferably somewhere around UPenn--I have to admit that I don't know my Philadelphia geography at all) on a stipend of a little more than $22k? I'm seriously interested in going to UPenn for English lit but I've been given better financial offers at other places.

$22k would be completely possible. I lived in Philadelphia on an AmeriCorps stipend of $11k gross and manged not to accumulate any debt. Apartments can be found within walking distance form Penn for 400 (if you're willing to do a house share) - 600. My friend has a studio apt. for about $640 but that includes utilities and everything. I could recommend other areas as well (Northern Liberties/Fishtown close to the El, South Philly a little bit east of Broad, Graduate Hospital) that should fit your price range.

[Rachel C]

As a former Penn undegrad of 08, I thought I'd add something to this forum.

The metro DOES go all the way onto campus from downtown. You would need to change from the blue line to the green, and there is a stop right across the street from Wharton. Plus a couple of more green line stops around campus.

As for housing, I would suggest either living near downtown, where you can get a studio or one bedroom for 1000/m or more, OR live in west philadelphia if you want lower rent. I would definitely avoid the undergrad areas, aka anything really between walnut and spruce and 41st to about 45th. But there are some really nice areas of west philadelphia, and many professors live in west philly. The worst areas are the ones directly around campus and around the blue metro line (aka marketish). So while 44th and market may be horrible (complete conjecture here!), 45 and spruce may be really nice.

Penn, Drexel, Temple, etc, are all very close to downtown while still maintaining a strong campus feel, but there is no doubt that there are dangers. I personally know two people who were shot in the leg the four years I was there, and there were more that I didn't personally know but were affiliated with the school. But I lived there for 4 years, and was never scared to be on campus. The incidents on campus, like shootings, happen in every area of the city, including Old City. So don't think of one area as 'dangerous' compared to another. Like any city it has it's problems.

Also, a car is a HUGE expense in Philly. It's easily 20$ to park anywhere longer than an hour, if you even find parking, and if you're at Penn or Drexel it's just not worth it unless you live outside of the city. I know one person as an undergrad with a car, and he only had it bc he'd graduated and worked outside the city.

As for the city itself, it's awesome. The food is some of the best I've ever encountered. Due to strict PA liquor laws (like no wine at the grocery store!) most places are BYOB, and every neighborhood has 5 tiny restaurants with 10 tables that serves 5 star food at 3 star prices. There area parts of the city that have markets or parks or museums or whatever. Plus the city is close to DC and NYC if you need to get away!

Edited March 15, 2010 by Rachel C

[mollie]

Hey Gang,

I'm thinking of attending Penn in the fall.

Need some advice on Housing, though. It has been suggested I should apply for a GA position on campus, has anyone done/heard of this?

In Ucity and West Philly what are some average rents and size of apartments? I have a lot of stuff and I would probably be living alone. Are there grocery stores nearby? I am usually a daily shopper.

Thanks!

BA/MA at Penn, now employed here as an economist. Love the city, the subway & trolleys have stops all over campus (30th, 33rd, 34th, 36, 37th, 40th, 46th, etc). You don't need a car; borrow one from the Philly car share for the occasional trip to the Ikea or whatever. I've always lived in West Philly (it's cheaper) and feel safe; Penn police is everywhere and patrols 24 hrs a day...30th- 46th st, Market - Baltimore, I think. Center City, of course, is also chic. If anyone has questions about the city or school, feel free to message me. Been here for a while and highly recommend both. Congratulations, all!

[chimerical]

Any insight regarding UPenn's on-campus graduate apartments (Samson Place)? Wasn't even aware of that option before seeing it on the housing website. Are they decent?

Edited March 23, 2010 by chimerical