Anyone here live in Philadelphia??? I'm looking into it

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

just out of curiosity.

I've been fairly impressed by what I've learned so far. But I need to know the neighborhoods before I can search real esate websites. What neighborhood would you recommend? We want diversity, proximity to public transportation, a lively progressive area.

Any DUers?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

1. Kick?

Any people from Philly in the house???

[JimmyJazz]

2. Janesez lives in Philadelphia and I'm in the 'burbs of

Philadelphia - do you want the city or the suburbs

city: main line, society hill, old city, university city, south phila - Italian market area, washington square, rittenhouse square

Burbs: bala cynwyd, ardmore, wynwyd, malvern, king of prussia area, gulph mills,

aw, shit I can't think right now

[Phillycat]

3. I live here.

West Philadelphia (the University City area) sounds like it would meet most of your needs. It's extremely reasonable to live here financially, and has a iconoclastic, weirdly cool population, mostly because of the high population of college kids (Penn, Drexel.)

If you're looking for something a little more earthy and blue collar, South Philadelphia might be your best bet.

Center City is extremely liberal, but pricey. North Philadelphia is mostly not safe.

Do you have children?

You can PM me addresses you've found that look promising and I can tell you if they're in a good neighborhood or not. I will give you any information I can.

My city was gorgeous and wonderful yesterday and for the past weeks. We stood up and said WE THE PEOPLE SAY NO TO THE BUSH AGENDA. We delivered this state to Kerry. I just wish it would have been enough.

[whatelseisnew]

4. I like west philly, but alot of my friends there have been

pushed out by the cost of housing

[Phillycat]

5. I pay $475 a month for a BIG studio apartment.

My brother and his wife just bought a 4-bedroom house for 100K in West Phila.

I don't know what your friends are doing wrong, but clearly they're not looking in the right place.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

7. WOW

no frigging way!!! Maybe we can afford to live there, after all.

We have a four bedroom, 2000 sf, 12 year old home in a suburb of Dallas we bought for $130K three years ago.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

6. Yes one child

so schools would be a factor, too.

Thanks, I am looking at some places now, but it's hard to know what to search for if you don't know area names and you and 101er have helped me a lot!!!

I will get back here in a sec after searching some more, but meanwhile, what do you really love about living there? Besides the steak and cheese sandwiches, LOL.

[Phillycat]

8. Heh.

Okay, if you want to live in the city, you are going to have to factor in the cost of private or Catholic school for your child. Unfortunately, you simply can't send your kid to public school in Philadelphia. They are really, really bad.

Most people (MANY non-Catholics) choose Catholic school because it's a good education at a much more reasonable price than a secular private school. Yes they have to take religion classes, but it's much more tolerant and non-fundie atmosphere than you would expect. Catholic school has been the schooling choice for non-Catholics with a lower income who want their kids to have a good education for many, many years here, so they know how to do it without alienating people.

Now, if you live in the suburbs, some of the places 101er mentioned, you can send you kid to public school. However, the cost of living is significantly higher in the suburbs, especially if you want to live close enough to commute into the city to work.

If you plan on moving here, you simply MUST stop saying "steak and cheese sandwiches". :) They are CHEESE STEAKS, plain and simple. You order them "with" (with onions) or "without" (without onions, of course). And you pick your cheese. American, provolone, or Whiz (cheese whiz). So you say, I'll have a cheese steak, without, provolone. If you want tomato sauce, that is not a cheese steak. That is a PIZZA steak.

What do I love about living here? Well, I am a Northeast girl for my whole life and I love the pace and the attitude here. It's kind of the attitude, "Basically I may not be all nicey-nicey with you, neighbor, but if somebody fucks with you, I HAVE YOUR BACK." In certain neighborhoods, like University City, you really can walk down the residential streets and people say hi to one another. I like that. :) I like my particular neighborhood because it's leafy and there's brick sidewalks and it looks almost suburban. Beautiful old house out here in West Phila.

This city is liberal, like, LIBERAL. During this election, it was like Bush didn't exist here. You'd be hard-pressed to think of 2 people you know who voted for Bush.

Great restaurants. The best French restaurant in the country according to the critics--Le Bec Fin. Great ethnic and multicultural food.

The beauty of the Northeast and the change of season is matchless in the rest of the country, as far as I'm concerned. It's simply gorgeous.

Fairmount Park is the largest municipal park in the WORLD.

Rittenhouse Square is simply the most beautiful public square of any city in the country outside of Boston.

I don't know, there's a lot. Ask me questions and I'll answer them. I enjoy bragging about my city and it takes my mind off how badly I feel today.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

9. WOW

Makes me want to move there like right now.

Fuck the suburbs, they suck. We live in the burbs and they suckity-suck-suck. They are supposed to be the best of both worlds, but they are NEITHER. You get neither the lively feel of being in a city or the convenience of a city, but you also don't get the peace and beauty of the country. BURBS SUCK.

We know for a fact if we were to move tomorrow, it would ONLY be to a CITY (a REAL city with a real city life) or out on some beautiful land. None of this in-between shit for us anymore.

Anywho. Sorry about the faux pas. I am a born and raised Dallas girl and my only venture to the northeast was to Brick New Jersey 13 years ago to meet my new grandmother in law and we drove up the east coast to do it so I've never even been in your part of the COUNTRY.

Tell me more! We have an Episcopalian private school here, through grade 8, that a lot of non-religious families send their kids to because they are awesome, have very small class sizes and the price is very reasonable.

[BlueStateGirl]

10. The Art Musuem/ Fairmount area is a great neighborhood.

It's diverse economically and racially. Walkable to Center City, close to the Museums and Fairmount Park. And not too terribly expensive.

[Phillycat]

11. Agree, art museum area is good.

But you have to be careful, it's block-to-block in some areas. Meaning some is really nice and safe, and some is ghetto. You have to know that area to choose addresses wisely.