<p>Can anybody familiar with Philadelphia and vicinity give suggestions for a nice place to live for a young lady which is inexpensive, a short commute into the city and might have lower auto insurance rates?</p>
<p>Thanks a million!</p>
<p>oxymoron “Nice place to live in Philly which is inexpensive”… </p>
<p>Seriously, is her job in center city? I know there are apartments around Penn that are not too bad, and also in “old Philadelphia”. My son would tell you that to have a social life, you do NOT want to live in the 'burbs, but maybe that’s just him. If you want to send me a PM, I can put you in touch with a young lady who has a nice apt in Old Philadelphia and is a 3rd year law student.</p>
<p>I’d be interested in similar information.</p>
<p>3rd and South, 3rd and Lombard up to about 8th and Lombard are good and you can walk to Center City</p>
<p>Second the suggestion of Old Philadelphia–or Northern Liberties, perhaps? Lots of young professionals in that area.
She may also be interested in some of the nicer areas of University City (around Penn, as one poster mentioned). Young, hip area with an easy trolley commute into the city, and more reasonably priced than Center City.</p>
<p>Actually, rents can be high in Old City and Northern Liberties. These areas have seen a tremendous upsurge in property values and/or development and tend to appeal to med students, medical residents and young professionals and the rent reflects it, particularly in Old City. In Northern Liberties, you can still find some cheaper places but these will be on the fringe of the developed areas and you will need to decide if you are comfortable with the neighborhood. Prices in nearby suburbs like Abington, Jenkintown and Cheltenham are not much cheaper, if at all, and there is a 45 minute commute by car during rush hour traffic although the regional trains are a convenient option to driving.</p>
<p>There is a ton of rental housing from 11th to Broad St and Locust to South, in Brownstones, and if you can settle for a studio or 1 bedroom, the prices are not that bad for 1 person. This is an area that caters to a lot of college students so many of the units are not as upscale as the tonier, trendier areas but there is still nice housing to be found. My daughter is a college student who lives in center city Philadelphia and over the last couple of years, I have helped her and her friends find housing (my office is located in Center City). Send me a pm with what your needs are and how much you want to spend including utilities and I will be glad to share the info I came up with.</p>
<p>Anywhere along the regional rail is a short commute if she wants low auto insurance. Really if she’s under 25 the difference in insurance may be negligible.</p>
<p>Check Craigslist and call my real estate office Gerhard Associates, Inc. 215-885-1000
My name is Graeme Woods but I don’t keep regular hours. You can ask any agent that is available to help you. </p>
<p>We have apartments in Cheltenham and Abington Townships, Mt. Airy, Cedarbrook, East and West Oak Lane. All in the NW part of the city. </p>
<p>Check Septa Train Routes. They have maps online.</p>
<p>Be very, very careful of Craigslist. There are many rental scams on it in the Philadelphia area (as I am sure there are in other geographic areas). I had to get involved professionally with one involving identity theft where the students looking for an apartment actually visited the house being listed, took a tour, spoke to the tenants who were moving out but it turned out that the listing was placed by a fraud who was simply going to collect the the advance rent deposit and security escrow money. If you are interested in Abington, Cheltenham or Jenkintown, feel free to pm me about those areas too (I’ve lived in Abington for 45 years, since i was a young kid, and have a lot of experience in renting for my son.)</p>
<p>The auto insurance rates go down quickly out of the city. I’m not certain about NJ.</p>
<p>The problem is, unlike many other cities there is not really a culture of young adults living in the burbs, and there is tons of cheap, decent housing in the city. So . . . live in the city, walk or take public transportation to work, ditch the car and the insurance, and join ZipCar for occasional car needs.</p>
<p>sonssectv-congrats on your D’s job offer, especially in this economy. </p>
<p>My D graduated from Muhlenberg last May, was hired to work in Center City Philly, in June. With my help she found a furnished summer sublet via Craigslist which gave her great opportunity to get to know the city better.
If you can wait for summer sublet, the law, med and business grad students offer many options. (Just make sure their lovely high rise buildings, especially around Rittenhouse Sq, actually permit subletting)</p>
<p>D, and another Muhlenberg grad, decided to room together, which was key to finding her current apt, a high rise in the Museum area. PM me, and I would be happy to share more specifics about her situation. </p>
<p>PS Manayunk, short 15 train ride from Philly is vibrant, scene with cheaper rents, where many post grads find their first apts.
But, living in the city seems to be the goal, if budget allows. </p>
<p>Craigslist, (with warnings mentioned in previous posts) is helpful, Apartment ratings and review websites, a good guide for the larger apt buildings, and I found Yelp particularly helpful. (Be alert to fake posters on yelp)</p>
<p>Is your Daughter familiar with Philly, or know anyone there? Very important to find reliable guide. </p>
<p>FYI- 20 year olds love the city. Many of D’s high school and college graduates are finding their way there. Yesterday, just found out that D’s friend who is a new teacher and now the victim of deep school budget cuts, is moving to Philly. Two of D’s college friends are moving for grad programs next year. I am sure your D will find it a great place to live.</p>
<p>RE: PS above noting Manayunk…that is a neighborhood name for a part of Philadelphia itself. You are still residing in the city of Philadelphia even if you say, “I live in Manayunk”. Philly is a city of neighborhoods!
South Philly also has some areas with lots more young people and is close enough to Center City to make it worth considering.
Good luck!</p>
<p>^^^ thanks for that clarification about Manayunk. I didn’t know that.
Just know that the restaurant scene, nightlife and more affordable rents make it a desirable place. My D meets friends there often.</p>
<p>my sons’ gf’s brother lives in Manayunk with a few other guys. Likes it. Says there’s lots of young folks around.</p>
<p>My daughter and her friends lived in Manayunk for three years after graduating from college. They rented a row house and had a fantastic experience. They moved last year feeling they had moved beyond the post college scene but felt it was the perfect place to live right after college. They are now renting a house nearer to Center City and love that.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody for your help. I’ll pass along all of the info to DD.</p>