Philadelphia, PA

[runner09]

I am going to Penn in the Fall and am looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom place that has a tiny yard for our (I'm married) two dogs. It looks like it VERY expensive to live close to campus, but from what I've heard, that's your best bet. Feel free to PM me with any tips on neighborhoods to live in, realtors to look up who are dog friendly. Oh and my dogs are just little guys- a dachshund and a terrier.

Thanks!

[CookiesForDinner]

I am going to Penn in the Fall and am looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom place that has a tiny yard for our (I'm married) two dogs. It looks like it VERY expensive to live close to campus, but from what I've heard, that's your best bet. Feel free to PM me with any tips on neighborhoods to live in, realtors to look up who are dog friendly. Oh and my dogs are just little guys- a dachshund and a terrier.

Thanks!

I grew up in the Philadelphia area, live there now, and am starting at Penn in the summer! There are definitely some options for places with at least a small yard for the little guys. I currently live in Northern Liberties. It's a pretty inexpensive neighborhood to live in, has a GREAT dog park (I go with my Boston about everyday!), and lots of restaurants/bars/things to do. Some parts of the neighborhood are close to the El (subway), and it's an 11 minute ride to the Penn stop plus a ~5 minute walk (I timed this a few weeks ago). Most of the people in No. Libs are what they call "young professionals". It's mostly houses/row houses. I have a 3 story house (3 bedrooms) and have a small backyard with a doggie door. Rent is considerably lower than center city, plus lots more bang for your buck.

Another reasonable neighborhood to live is South Philly or Graduate Hospital. South Philly can be spotty, so it's definitely a street by street thing. But there are some GREAT deals down there, and most of the houses have some sort of backyard. Graduate hospital is the same, maybe a little more expensive. Again down there, you'll want to make sure you're close to the Broad St. Line subway (if you're planning on using that).

Craigslist is really an awesome way to find places. Most of the realtors list their properties on there. But there is also Philadelphia Management Company (though they might only do apartments), and Penn has their own site, http://www.business-services.upenn.edu/offcampusservices/ which is...moderately helpful.

Okay, that was kind of a novel, but let me know if you have any other questions!

[runner09]

That was great info! I'll check it out. We were originally going to start looking for housing and hopefully sign a lease when I visit in March, but I think since then, we have decided that most places that are available are for people who want to relocate right now. Since we can't move until June/July, we're thinking it might be smart to wait and just make another trip out there (we're in Indiana right now with full-time jobs..) to check it out in May/June. Do you think there will still be available places for us out there at that time?

[Yoshite]

Hi everyone! Most likely I will be attending Penn this Fall. Could anybody give me a rough idea on which area suits to my preferences. I need a place which is

1. Safe at night (since I might attend some evening classes which will finish at night)

2. I'm a big city guy so I can't live in a super quiet place, and since I'll be living alone I need to make sure loneliness won't get me down

3. I don't plan to buy a car, and I don't mind walking a rather long distance (I can bike, if needed)

4. Convenient in terms of restaurants, supermarkets & etc

5. Beautiful neighborhoods is definitely a plus

Thank you!

[ahembree]

I will most likely be attending Villanova this August. I've seen a few posts on the area in this thread. I know it is a bit early to be worried about the specifics of housing, but I would really appreciate any advice on a few things.

Are there any apartment complexes/rental companies in the campus area to be wary of? I remember at my ug school certain companies were notorious.

Likewise, has anyone had fantastic experiences with certain places (first hand or otherwise)?

Villanova students: have any of you used the roommate finder service the website offers? I haven't accepted my offer officially yet, so I haven't checked it out. I'm a pretty social person, plus it would save money.

I currently have a car, and I'm told that the campus area really lends itself to owning one. I've also been told that some students live in the city and take the train in. I would love to hear both perspectives. I love my car, but selling it would provide a nice cushion and get rid of a major monthly expense.

My last question is this: how much of a biker's city is Philly? I'm definitely bringing mine regardless of where I live in the area, but I'm just curious.

[michigan girl]

I would appreciate any feedback about Sansom Place at Penn. My program is 10 months long so I don't want a year-long lease.

[psych2012]

Hi everyone, I'm moving to Philly in August for Upenn PhD. I really want to live in a suburban area but I'm thinking about if it's worth the commute every day to campus. I'm not sure if this is feasible or what the experience would be like, since people have mentioned it's probably not a good idea to buy a car. And I'd also appreciate any recommendations on beautiful suburban neighborhoods close by. Thanks in advance

[diehtc0ke]

I will most likely be attending Villanova this August. I've seen a few posts on the area in this thread. I know it is a bit early to be worried about the specifics of housing, but I would really appreciate any advice on a few things.

Are there any apartment complexes/rental companies in the campus area to be wary of? I remember at my ug school certain companies were notorious.

Likewise, has anyone had fantastic experiences with certain places (first hand or otherwise)?

Villanova students: have any of you used the roommate finder service the website offers? I haven't accepted my offer officially yet, so I haven't checked it out. I'm a pretty social person, plus it would save money.

I currently have a car, and I'm told that the campus area really lends itself to owning one. I've also been told that some students live in the city and take the train in. I would love to hear both perspectives. I love my car, but selling it would provide a nice cushion and get rid of a major monthly expense.

My last question is this: how much of a biker's city is Philly? I'm definitely bringing mine regardless of where I live in the area, but I'm just curious.

I actually go to Penn but I live and have lived with people who go to Villanova. The train ride isn't terrible. We live in West Philly and the train ride is about an hour and pleasant enough though it does involve a transfer. It seems like most of the grad students I know live in either Center City or West Philly and do the commute thing. That means they haven't needed cars, which is a good thing because I find Philly to be quite a hassle when you have a car (ie, there are too many blocks which require a parking permit to park for more than two hours, there's absolutely no parking outside of a parking garage in center city at any reasonable hour of day, etc). That said I do know someone who goes there and lives in West Philly with a car and it can be useful. I myself have a Zipcar account and that's worked out really well, imo.

And Philly is totally a bike city--you'd have no problems there. Hope that helps.

[ahembree]

Thanks for your help, diehtc0ke! I'll be visiting campus this weekend and I'm looking forward to exploring. I'll get to check out the rails on the way in from the airport.

I'm leaning more toward living in Bryn Mawr/Ardmore or somewhere close to campus these days, but I'm glad to know the West Philly commute isn't too bad.

[Weirdlight]

Hey I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about housing in the Temple area/ How bad is it really?

I am starting the PhD program at Temple Medical School in the fall and I've only been to the city once (when I interviewed). I am moving from across the country and have never looked for a place on the east coast before. I know the system is a bit different over there. My brother lives in New York and keeps talking about broker fees etc. Will I need to go through a broker or will craigslist and other listings work? If I go through craigslist should I still expect to pay a broker fee?

I loved the city overall, walking around downtown, by the art museum, south street, the colonial area, I would love to live in the historical district if I could afford it. However, I am definitely sure I do not want to live near the Temple Medical School campus... However, I keep seeing a lot of options for housing near the main campus and I was wondering if that area is just as sketchy. Is it safe? Walkable?

I am basically looking for a place that allows cats, possibly a studio or 1 bedroom that will be accessible by public transit (I like to bike, bus, walk or subway it) to the Med school campus. Does anyone have suggestions of other neighborhoods I should consider? I get the idea that at least the eastern half of University City is pretty accessible to the Temple campus, but I'm not sure.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Weirdlight

[Galahad]

What are some good but cheap (by which I mean grad-student-budget-cheap) restaurants near UPenn?

Your best bet are the food trucks. I lived off those and quit the meal plan becuase it was too expensive in my undergraduate years. Some of the best ones are:

* Hemo's @ 38th + Locust

* Yu Kee's Chinese (their lunch specials are a fabulous value!) @ 38th + Locust

* Kim's Korean @ 37th + Walnut...close to the Pottruck Fitness Center

There are also places like Greek Lady on 40th + Locust that my roommate and I were obsessed with as the portions were so big they could last for dinner 2 days in a row, especially their salads!

And Smokey's (a bar on 40th + Locust) had days where hotdogs were $1 (I forgot which day of the week, sorry!!!) so that was a good place to "hang out" when broke.

There is a Chinese take-out place on 42nd + Walnut I'd order from at times on campusfood.com (learn to love that site!!!) and had the bestest General Tso's chicken.

Copa Bananas on 38th + Spruce isn't the cheapest... but on Wednesday's at lunch all their burgers were half price so I usually did that. And their burgers are AMAZING, plus you gotta try their spanish fries.

Finally, Allegro's pizza on 37th (or 38th... can't remember) and Spruce had WONDERFUL slices of pizza that were huge and cost $3. They also have loads of drinks.

I LOVED going to City Tap House too although that one's pricier. What I did was go to www.restaurant.com and get a coupon for the place for cheaper (and I used www.mrrebates.com to find the coupon). Basically would pay $8 for a nice restaurant meal every so often just because I could wing it.

The most expensive places were the ones located around the Inn at Penn, notably the Italian Restaurant Penne and the Pod sushi bar. I only went to Penne for my graduation dinner as my parents treated me and to the Pod when I was lucky enough for my program to treat us to a free dinner there.

And finally... Chinatown. Mong Kok's Bakery (I think it was called that) had fabulous Bubble tea and pastries while the regular restaurant a block before the bakery (can't remember street name... arrgggh!!!) was fabulous too. Fresh produce in Chinatown was cheaper than elsewhere so I'd went there every once in a while when I wanted an outing, to save money, and a change of scenery.

Okay, so that's where I mostly ate in my undergrad yrs at UPenn.

[Yoshite]

^

very useful info Galahad. Thanks!

[Galahad]

Most welcome Yoshite!

Also check out the New Deck Tavern on 34-35th St and Sansom. It's a LOVELY pub and take careful note of their 1/2 price appetizer night (don't know which night it is... whoops!). They have a minimum requirement for number of appetizers you need to order but those things are huge. Myself and two friends would usually grab a different appetizer each, split it up and still take leftovers home.

Oh and their warm apple cider is addictive, haven't found a decent substitute since I finished up UPenn. They have it non-alcoholic too.

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

I'm pleased to announce that I found a great little house in Fishtown. I'm renting one bedroom and the other, which is actually two rooms, is also for rent. The house faces the back of an elementary school and it's right in the heart of the 19125, which I fell in love with years ago whilst visiting my friends on Firth St. I've been searching for months and this was my third trip into the city for real estate. It's a huge load off of my mind - Padmapper has been my homepage for weeks. I wish everyone else success in their search for safe, affordable housing in north Philly - and if you're looking for a room in Fishtown, let me know!

[aulait]

I was looking at some buildings in Philly to try and gauge apartment costs, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the properties that are part of the Neighborhood Preservation and Development Fund? Or about University City Housing properties? If I move to Philly, I'd be looking for a one-bedroom starting in August (I know, I know, I'm getting worried pretty early on) and I've found a number of very reasonably-priced options that I'd like to learn a little more about. Any info would be great!

[reed155]

Hey, everyone! I was admitted to two PhD programs: one in Philadelphia, another one in Chicago. The fellowship package from a choose in Philadelphia is slightly bigger than the one that was offered by a school in Chicago. Could anyone advice me on the cost of living in Philadelphia? I am thinking that perhaps, given the living standards in Philadelphia, the bigger fellowship from the school in Philadelphia is equal to the one from Chicago school.

[Chai_latte]

Hey, everyone! I was admitted to two PhD programs: one in Philadelphia, another one in Chicago. The fellowship package from a choose in Philadelphia is slightly bigger than the one that was offered by a school in Chicago. Could anyone advice me on the cost of living in Philadelphia? I am thinking that perhaps, given the living standards in Philadelphia, the bigger fellowship from the school in Philadelphia is equal to the one from Chicago school.

To a New Yorker, Philly's cost of living is quite low.  It's slightly more than chicago's according to http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/.  HTH!

[Chai_latte]

I was looking at some buildings in Philly to try and gauge apartment costs, and I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the properties that are part of the Neighborhood Preservation and Development Fund? Or about University City Housing properties? If I move to Philly, I'd be looking for a one-bedroom starting in August (I know, I know, I'm getting worried pretty early on) and I've found a number of very reasonably-priced options that I'd like to learn a little more about. Any info would be great!

I don't live in university city, so I'm not totally helpful (but I felt bad not commenting on your post, since I'm here).  But, I googled UCH apartments and they didn't get good reviews on yelp or on apartmentratings.  Here's my take on UC, in general.  A LOT of ppl love it.  They cite great restaurants and just a good overall verve.  I, personally, am a center city girl. From my understanding, UC has made great strides in the past 10-15 years, but it is still grittier than CC.  If you're from out of town and don't really know anyone yet, I'd recommend checking out CC (the other side of the Schuykill river) or UPenn's grad housing for your first year.  Get settled here first and then (take your time to) find a good spot in UC.  My cousin chose to live in campus housing.  It was pricier, but worked well for her (she was at Penn ~4yrs ago).  P.S. a good number of penn grad students live in CC

 

**I love Philly and plan to settle here, BUT it does have some real crime issues.  It's fine once you get here and exercise common sense (I'm not trying to scare you away, by any means).  But, when you're new and Philly is a sight unseen, you'd do well to start with neighborhoods that aren't a few nice blocks sprinkled with shadier ones (UC), IMO.  Ease into your new school in a more consistently decent area (or in campus housing) until you know UC well- the good blocks, the hot spots, the location of the great cultural things that well-worn UC residents rave about**

Edited February 22, 2013 by Chai_latte

[reed155]

To a New Yorker, Philly's cost of living is quite low.  It's slightly more than chicago's according to http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/.  HTH!

Thanks for the link! Very helpful!!!

Edited February 22, 2013 by reed155

[aulait]

I don't live in university city, so I'm not totally helpful (but I felt bad not commenting on your post, since I'm here).  But, I googled UCH apartments and they didn't get good reviews on yelp or on apartmentratings.  Here's my take on UC, in general.  A LOT of ppl love it.  They cite great restaurants and just a good overall verve.  I, personally, am a center city girl. From my understanding, UC has made great strides in the past 10-15 years, but it is still grittier than CC.  If you're from out of town and don't really know anyone yet, I'd recommend checking out CC (the other side of the Schuykill river) or UPenn's grad housing for your first year.  Get settled here first and then (take your time to) find a good spot in UC.  My cousin chose to live in campus housing.  It was pricier, but worked well for her (she was at Penn ~4yrs ago).  P.S. a good number of penn grad students live in CC

 

**I love Philly and plan to settle here, BUT it does have some real crime issues.  It's fine once you get here and exercise common sense (I'm not trying to scare you away, by any means).  But, when you're new and Philly is a sight unseen, you'd do well to start with neighborhoods that aren't a few nice blocks sprinkled with shadier ones (UC), IMO.  Ease into your new school in a more consistently decent area (or in campus housing) until you know UC well- the good blocks, the hot spots, the location of the great cultural things that well-worn UC residents rave about**

 

 

Hey, seriously appreciate this, I find this to be really helpful! I've been looking into places in CC lately and there seem to be a lot of great buildings that would probably be worth paying a slightly higher price for. So, if you happen to see this post, would you mind letting me know if there are any areas in CC that you would definitely NOT recommend? I'm finding the reviews on apartmentratings.com to be all over the place--some places seem less than great but get really high reviews while other places that look classy get zinged for pest control problems and bad neighborhoods. Anywhere I should particularly avoid? Again, thanks for the help!

[Chai_latte]

Hey, seriously appreciate this, I find this to be really helpful! I've been looking into places in CC lately and there seem to be a lot of great buildings that would probably be worth paying a slightly higher price for. So, if you happen to see this post, would you mind letting me know if there are any areas in CC that you would definitely NOT recommend? I'm finding the reviews on apartmentratings.com to be all over the place--some places seem less than great but get really high reviews while other places that look classy get zinged for pest control problems and bad neighborhoods. Anywhere I should particularly avoid? Again, thanks for the help!

See, here's the thing.  In NY, I'm used to hardcore high rises.  We have that in Philly, but for the most part ppl (students & recent grads, at least) live in walk-ups (maybe 5 stories) or normal looking houses that have been broken up into apartments inside.  As a result, I'm not sure the way you're searching will be of the most help.  Yes, there is the Rittenhouse Claridge or the Chatham ("hardcore" highrises) that you can read reviews about, but you find a lot of spots by walking the streets and looking for signs/word-of-mouth.  I'm not sure how you can find those places unless you're actually here. 

Think of Penn as being ~34th/Spruce.  You want convenience.  So, you generally want to be in/around Rittenhouse.  Philadelphians like Washington Square West b/c it's more affordable than Ritt., but as a Penn student, it's also a mile of extra distance (~8th).  When you stick to Ritt (or Filter Square), you're at ~16-25th.  Look at housing between Pine and Walnut/Chestnut initially.  But, these are streets (Chestnut/Walnut being the exception) that MOSTLY have normal looking houses that rent out individual apts.

So, the Philly residential scene, IMO, is difficult to navigate when you're new.  It's not like NY, for instance.  If you're willing to shell out some hefty bucks there's this building *gosh, where is it???  THINK*, that seems to get flawless reviews.  The Riverloft...it's on Walnut right before the bridge.  22nd/23rd???  But, unless you're independently wealthy, or have super-generous parents, I think it's a bit expensive.  Assuming the reviews are real, I think they make it super nice b/c it's semi-remote (but also super-convenient if you're at Penn).  The problem with Philly, I think, is that a lot of the rentals that SHOULD BE nice (in established apartment buildings) are crummy.  Many of the nice apt. buildings in the city are actually condos.  This forces a lot of new or temporary residents into the apartments-in-houses.  I'd probably try to swing a roommate and go for Riverloft or grad student housing for the 1st year.  You have to pound the pavement (and do your HW by talking to folks-on-the-street) too much here.  And if you're all the way in Colorado, that's hard to do.  Please don't forget to consult PennHousing.  A nice person on the phone might drop some pearls of wisdom. 

[Jeremyrgs]

I'm relatively certain that I'll be attending Penn in the fall. I think UC would be the best area for my needs, as I want to be as close to campus as possible. Surveying the options in the area has been overwhelming; anyone have helpful advice about where to start the process?

[DNguyen]

It depends on what you are looking for in UC. A lot of UC apartments are run by leasing agencies, like University City Apartments/Campus Apartments or University City Housing. There are the easiest way to go -- you call them, tell them what kind of apartment you are looking for, and when you need to move in, and they will tell you the options they have available. The leasing agencies hold a variety of properties in UC, but a majority of the properties will be in multi-unit apartment buildings (e.g. I live in a 40-unit apartment building run by UCH). Although very convenient to go through one of the major leasing agencies, this might not be the way to get the best deal. Scouring Craigslist will be the best way to find better deals, but you also will be spending a lot more of your time and energy. I have lived in two different areas of UC (Drexel and Penn areas) and South Philly, so let me know if you have any further questions about living in Philly!

[kphd]

Hi all!! I am super excited about going to UPenn

Need some advice on housing...

 

I want to live as close to the campus as possible: 10-15 min walking distance if possible. I dont want to spend any more time commuting.

I would be a regular user of a library and a gymnasium. 

The Benjamin Franklin Fellowship would be my only source of funds.

 

I have a feeling that most of my life would revolve around the campus. 

I do hope to have a social life and chill a bit, but since the only people I will know in Philly are likely to be from UPenn, I think my academic and social life will be closely connected to campus.

 

The first major decision for me is to decide between on campus housing at $820 p/m (sansom place) and living off campus.

I like the fact that on capmus will mean easy access to library, fitness facilities and dining options.I dont mind paying about 20-30% extra on housing, for the convenience. However, I want to make the most of my stipend!

 

btw Is it possible to live at sansom place for just one semester? while I figure out other options.

 

Can somebody tell me what is the rate of taxation on the stipend amount? 

 

Any information, advice, comments or heads up will be highly appreciated.

 

Thank you!!

[Jeremyrgs]

I already asked DNguyen this, but what do people think about living close to UPenn's campus? Is the entire area within a few minutes' walk inundated with undergrads? What's the general feel of the immediate area? Should I walk 20+ min to campus everyday to avoid it?

 

Also, I would like to try and find a roommate. I have friends in Philly, but none of them in the UC area, and I find that it is alot easier to stay in every night to plug away at excessive reading assignments when I have someone else to commiserate with. Does anyone have any enlightening experiences with finding roommates either from your department or getting matched with someone?