Philly living areas?

[ontothenextone]

Which area is better/convenient? I will be attending either Temple or Drexel..thanks for the help guys!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Geekchick921]

For Drexel - Manayunk is closest to the medical school campus on Queen lane. Manayunk/Roxborough is pretty nice, too.

There's also a regional rail station right near the Queen Lane campus, so that opens up your options if you want to live a little farther away, like Mt. Airy or Chestnut Hill (which is a very nice area) if you don't mind taking the train.

For Temple - Manayunk/Roxborough and CC are actually pretty much the same distance from the medical school, which is farther up Broad Street than the main campus. CC would probably be the easier commute if you're going to use public transit, though.

 

[willen101383]

If you are going to drexel you will be up at queen lane. Not in U city or at hahnemann. The housing situation right by queen lane BLOWS. I lived there for a year while getting my masters. I lived in a neighborhood called germantown. Let me just put it this way: when i moved out an individual snuck in through the open door (during me going up and down the stairs with boxes), hid in the basement, stole my specialized S works mountain bike, a laptop and over a grand in jewelry from another girl in my house. In broad daylight...very bold. If you live right by queen lane in east falls its a better area...but still doesnt really do it for me. I lived in manayunk for a year also...technically in roxborough. Its a pretty cool area if you are into the bar scene. Depending on what you like...it may piss you off. Lots of drunk college age kids will be milling around at all hours of the night causing trouble, etc. But pretty much all of the bars there are decent ( I like the brewery myself). Great restaurants in Manayunk too. Now I live in conshohoken which is an up and coming Manayunk type area about a half hour west of center city. If you are in temple I guess CC would be for you...but like any city housing is expensive down there, you will have to deal with a $hitty parking situation if you have a car. You will prob rack up hundreds in parking tickets down there as well if you dont follow the parking signs to a T. But CC is a cool scene as well if you are into downtown living. I dont really like living downtown, but love going out down there. I just bought a house about 20 mins north of center city in Abington...so that will be a bit of a commute to PCOM for me! Theres my $.02! Good luck!

 

[xanthomondo]

If you are going to drexel you will be up at queen lane. Not in U city or at hahnemann. The housing situation right by queen lane BLOWS. I lived there for a year while getting my masters. I lived in a neighborhood called germantown. Let me just put it this way: when i moved out an individual snuck in through the open door (during me going up and down the stairs with boxes), hid in the basement, stole my specialized S works mountain bike, a laptop and over a grand in jewelry from another girl in my house. In broad daylight...very bold. If you live right by queen lane in east falls its a better area...but still doesnt really do it for me. I lived in manayunk for a year also...technically in roxborough. Its a pretty cool area if you are into the bar scene. Depending on what you like...it may piss you off. Lots of drunk college age kids will be milling around at all hours of the night causing trouble, etc. But pretty much all of the bars there are decent ( I like the brewery myself). Great restaurants in Manayunk too. Now I live in conshohoken which is an up and coming Manayunk type area about a half hour west of center city. If you are in temple I guess CC would be for you...but like any city housing is expensive down there, you will have to deal with a $hitty parking situation if you have a car. You will prob rack up hundreds in parking tickets down there as well if you dont follow the parking signs to a T. But CC is a cool scene as well if you are into downtown living. I dont really like living downtown, but love going out down there. I just bought a house about 20 mins north of center city in Abington...so that will be a bit of a commute to PCOM for me! Theres my $.02! Good luck!

Of course Germantown is a complete ****hole. East falls really isn't bad (except we did have that shooting at 4am on Queen Lane that left a few bullet holes in people's windshields )

OP, it's really hard to give you advice without knowing what's important to you. Do you have a car or would you prefer to walk everywhere? What's your budget? Do you want 10 bars within 3 blocks any direction?

If you go into the Allo-class thread for Drexel there are some summaries of the different parts of the city.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=700835 (post 8)

 

[Ilovewater]

So, what would be a good area to live in around Center City/Jefferson? I have a car and would like to keep it, but I understand you don't really need it in Philly, and it's really expensive to keep one. I'm looking to pay at most 850/month for a 1 bed/1 bath. Any suggestions? Is 850 reasonable? Most of the monthly rents I've seen are around 1000, and that makes me crap my pants.

 

[Geekchick921]

So, what would be a good area to live in around Center City/Jefferson? I have a car and would like to keep it, but I understand you don't really need it in Philly, and it's really expensive to keep one. I'm looking to pay at most 850/month for a 1 bed/1 bath. Any suggestions? Is 850 reasonable? Most of the monthly rents I've seen are around 1000, and that makes me crap my pants.

That might be hard to find, but not impossible. I would start looking with Craigslist.

 

[Bacchus]

That might be hard to find, but not impossible. I would start looking with Craigslist.

Not impossible, but definitely hard to find.

 

[jboz]

Not impossible, but definitely hard to find.

Find not to impossible, but hard definitely

 

[brooklynblunder]

850 is tough without a roommate

padmapper.com

 

[Ilovewater]

That might be hard to find, but not impossible. I would start looking with Craigslist.

Not impossible, but definitely hard to find.

Find not to impossible, but hard definitely

Thanks guys for the emphasis! Haha

I knew that'd be too much to ask. The only cheap apartments I found are the ones near Temple, and I know that area is pretty shady.

 

[Ilovewater]

I have a question regarding the University City area.... Google map says it's only 3 miles away from Jefferson, but for some reason, I feel like it'd be a long commute. Any comments?

 

[ontothenextone]

This thread is supposed to be all about me, me, me and me..hahaaaa jk. But, ya I would like to keep my car if it's possible. I live in the burbs and have never taken a train or a bus Ever!. So it would be hard to adjust. The first most important thing for me is the proximity of my apt to the school. The next wld be the night life. I have narrowed down my choices to either Manayunk or center city. But it seems like most people live/like center city better. I don't know if I would find an apt that is close by with my 700 dollar budget. I am planning to live with a roommate. Yep..keep the suggestions coming. Thanks y'all.

 

[willen101383]

This thread is supposed to be all about me, me, me and me..hahaaaa jk. But, ya I would like to keep my car if it's possible. I live in the burbs and have never taken a train or a bus Ever!. So it would be hard to adjust. The first most important thing for me is the proximity of my apt to the school. The next wld be the night life. I have narrowed down my choices to either Manayunk or center city. But it seems like most people live/like center city better. I don't know if I would find an apt that is close by with my 700 dollar budget. I am planning to live with a roommate. Yep..keep the suggestions coming. Thanks y'all.

If you are going to temple CC would be the way to go. Drexel...manayunk would be the way to go. Everywhere in the Yunk is walking distance to the r6 and thats about 30 mins or so from Manayunk station to CC. You should be able to find a place in CC for less than 700 with a roomate....w/o a roomate tho that would be impossible. Manayunk you could prob. find a 1 bedroom w/o a roomate for around 700. My 2 bedroom 1.5 bath apt in manayunk was 1300 a month....brand new construction though...but I remember seeing a lot for around 700 on craigs. Manayunk is pretty nice but cheaper because its a college'y area IMO.

 

[willen101383]

I have a question regarding the University City area.... Google map says it's only 3 miles away from Jefferson, but for some reason, I feel like it'd be a long commute. Any comments?

Jeff is at around 10th and walnut. University city is 30th+ So thats like a 20 block walk every day. The market frankford line goes east west...but the subway is fing sketchy as hell...unless ur packin ur thunderwear or with a friend...or 4. I walked from 30th street station to HUP one time for a job interview and it took me like a half hour.... And for future reference 3 miles in philly could very well take you an hour. I live prob 5 miles west of CC and if you are on stuck on 76 in traffic that will take at least an hour.

 

[brooklynblunder]

i wouldnt live in university area for either Temple or Drexel Med. 3 miles in a densely packed city like Philly or NYC is a long commute by public tranpo and tough parking by car

 

[Geekchick921]

I have a question regarding the University City area.... Google map says it's only 3 miles away from Jefferson, but for some reason, I feel like it'd be a long commute. Any comments?

Depends on how you commute! I walked from University City to the Gallery (11th & Market, pretty close to Jeff) almost every day for an entire summer in late high school, and it took a little less than an hour, but it was a nice walk (except for the pr0n theatres for a block or two). If you had a bike, you might be able to do it. I would NOT drive it, though.

Of course, the smartest thing to do would be to hop on the subway. It'll only take you a few minutes.

 

[brooklynblunder]

Jeff is at around 10th and walnut. University city is 30th+ So thats like a 20 block walk every day. The market frankford line goes east west...but the subway is fing sketchy as hell...unless ur packin ur thunderwear or with a friend...or 4. I walked from 30th street station to HUP one time for a job interview and it took me like a half hour.... And for future reference 3 miles in philly could very well take you an hour. I live prob 5 miles west of CC and if you are on stuck on 76 in traffic that will take at least an hour.

son, aint no real place to live on 30th unless you are looking at the really expensive domus type apartments where flyers players and wharton mba's live


University City is really like 40-47

you could live on other side of the bridge (on center city 22nd ish) but its gonna be 1000+ for a 1BR

 

[willen101383]

Of course, the smartest thing to do would be to hop on the subway. It'll only take you a few minutes.

wow ur a brave girl. I recall back when I was @ Drexel I went down into suburban station from the 15th/JFK entrance and a group of black guys cornered me and told me I could never use that entrance again bc "I wasnt black." (in different words of course)

 

[Geekchick921]

Oh, and FWIW, I'm only applying to the schools in Philly because of my husband's job. We're hoping to buy a house early next year before I would matriculate. I'm hoping we can get a place within walking distance of a regional rail station and I can just hop on the R-whatever line down to school. This depends on the school, though. I may just drive it. I'll figure it out when/if I get in.

 

[willen101383]

son, aint no real place to live on 30th unless you are looking at the really expensive domus type apartments where flyers players and wharton mba's live


University City is really like 40-47

you could live on other side of the bridge (on center city 22nd ish) but its gonna be 1000+ for a 1BR

I wasnt suggesting 30th just that I walked from 30th to HUP and it took me a half hour.....what condos u talkin about???

 

[willen101383]

Oh, and FWIW, I'm only applying to the schools in Philly because of my husband's job. We're hoping to buy a house early next year before I would matriculate. I'm hoping we can get a place within walking distance of a regional rail station and I can just hop on the R-whatever line down to school. This depends on the school, though. I may just drive it. I'll figure it out when/if I get in.

Thats what I did....bought a house...way out from PCOM. The regional rails kinda suck...but they are fine for commuting to/from work/school.

The real estate market in philly is pretty good for first timers. I am actually paying 150 less on a mortgage than I did on my 1 bedroom...for a 3 bedroom home.

 

[Geekchick921]

wow ur a brave girl. I recall back when I was @ Drexel I went down into suburban station from the 15th/JFK entrance and a group of black guys cornered me and told me I could never use that entrance again bc "I wasnt black." (in different words of course)

Whoa, really? I've always been fine riding the El. Though someone DID try to jump my husband about 9 years ago at Bridge & Pratt late at night. Two skinny little Latino teenage boys. They were bad at it, too. And my husband is a big dude, built like a linebacker. He wound up throwing them off of him/into a wall while he yelled for help.

 

[brooklynblunder]

but the 15th train station is pretty lively though. trains aren't bad. I would say its still a 30 minute commute. I work at Penn and would go to Hahnemman last semester and I guess with the walking its like 20 minutes (you would allot 30).

but most of the residencial areas on UC are past 40th (although you could live on like 38th in . even then, it gets pretty high up in rent because its in a Penn student area

if you are going to Temple, I would go Center City

 

[brooklynblunder]

Whoa, really? I've always been fine riding the El. Though someone DID try to jump my husband about 9 years ago at Bridge & Pratt late at night. Two skinny little Latino teenage boys. They were bad at it, too. And my husband is a big dude, built like a linebacker. He wound up throwing them off of him/into a wall while he yelled for help.

flash mob

 

[Geekchick921]

flash mob

They were SO bad at it, man.

He was on his way home from a show or something he had to see for school when he was going to Temple. They got on the train, which was EMPTY, and sat practically right next to him. Then he was waiting for the bus at Bridge & Pratt and the one came up to him and was like, "Do you have any money?"

Hubs said, "No."

Skinny thug 1 says, "Can I check ya?"

Hubs again, "... no."

Skinny thug 1 (Skinny thug 2 is out of sight right now), "Well, can I talk to you over there." He points to a shadowy corner.

Husb, once more with feeling, "Yeah... no."

Skinny thug 1, "Dude, it's not like we're going to mug you or anything!"

OMG, WHAT?!?

All this time, skinny thug 2 is "creeping" up behind my husband, but the idiot neglected to notice that the light was cast in such a way that his shadow was in front of him, and my husband saw him coming. Thug 2 jumped on his back, and thug 1 started to hit him. These guys, together, weighed less than my husband, I'm sure. So he starts, literally, throwing Thug 2 off his back, grabbed Thug 1 and shoved him into a wall, all the while yelling, "Help! I'm being mugged!"

They ran away! Hubs went across the street to the drug store and they let him call his dad to come pick him up. Husband: 1 (minus a broken CD player wire). Thugs: 0.

 

[willen101383]

They were SO bad at it, man.

He was on his way home from a show or something he had to see for school when he was going to Temple. They got on the train, which was EMPTY, and sat practically right next to him. Then he was waiting for the bus at Bridge & Pratt and the one came up to him and was like, "Do you have any money?"

Hubs said, "No."

Skinny thug 1 says, "Can I check ya?"

Hubs again, "... no."

Skinny thug 1 (Skinny thug 2 is out of sight right now), "Well, can I talk to you over there." He points to a shadowy corner.

Husb, once more with feeling, "Yeah... no."

Skinny thug 1, "Dude, it's not like we're going to mug you or anything!"

OMG, WHAT?!?

All this time, skinny thug 2 is "creeping" up behind my husband, but the idiot neglected to notice that the light was cast in such a way that his shadow was in front of him, and my husband saw him coming. Thug 2 jumped on his back, and thug 1 started to hit him. These guys, together, weighed less than my husband, I'm sure. So he starts, literally, throwing Thug 2 off his back, grabbed Thug 1 and shoved him into a wall, all the while yelling, "Help! I'm being mugged!"

They ran away! Hubs went across the street to the drug store and they let him call his dad to come pick him up. Husband: 1 (minus a broken CD player wire). Thugs: 0.

haha wow thats a strange story...hes lucky they didnt stab him!! That 30th st station story I mentioned was the only "run in" ive had minus the robbery at my apt. I carry a pistol almost every single day so hopefully I never have a run in eek!

 

[brooklynblunder]

haha wow thats a strange story...hes lucky they didnt stab him!! That 30th st station story I mentioned was the only "run in" ive had minus the robbery at my apt. I carry a pistol almost every single day so hopefully I never have a run in eek!

wait, for real?