Moving to Philadelphia - do you know it?

[Anonymous]

We might be relocating to Philly. I don't know the city. We currently live in Old Town Alexandria. Is living in Philly a good idea? What are the good neighborhoods? What about the 'burbs? We don't want to be too far from Univ. PA where employment will be... Suggestions on what towns/neighborhoods are good are much appreciated! If we don't have a yard, we'd like to be in a safe-ish place where we can feel comfortable walking around, proximity to a park is a good thing, and a nice community/property values a must. Thanks in advance!!

[Anonymous]

The Manayunk area of Philly is their version of Georgetown/Old Town. Artsy with shops and stuff. My friends have lived near West Chester and in Montgomery County/Bucks County and those are both really nice, but more suburban than it seems you are interested in. I'd compare West Chester to....Vienna or Leesburg maybe, with a cute walkable town area, and the mall is nearby. Bucks County is much more rural and seems very nice and apparently the schools are great.

[Anonymous]

I have friends who live in Ardmore and it is a really cute area. There is a nice town area that they can walk to with shops and restaurants, and they are right near the train that goes into Philly. I don't know about the schools, though, since their kids are not in school yet.

[Anonymous]

I went to Penn undergrad and stayed for law school. My family is from the suburbs and I lived there as a kid. I love Philadelphia and would happily live in the city under the right circumstances. If you live in Old Town Alexandria, you would probably like Old City, Society Hill, Rittenhouse Square, etc... Since I have left, sections called Bella Vista and Queen Village have improved and are less expensive alternatives to Old City and Society Hill (with fewer amenities). Problem with most of these neighborhoods is that you may not get a yard (I think you would in Society Hill and maybe Bella Vista or Queen Village). Northern Liberties was an up and coming area for a while, but I think the economy has out the kibosh on that. I can say nothing specific about public schools in these areas, but there are great private schools in the city and suburbs. All these neighborhoods would be subway or bus accessible to Penn. I also think some Penn employees live in West Philly. They were trailblazers when I was there 8 years ago, but I think there are more now. I also think there is a charter school affiliated with the university. Generally, public middle and high schools are under-performing. The bright spots are the magnet schools: Masterman and Central.

I also really like the Philly suburbs on the Main Line, like Narbeth, Ardmore, Haverford, Villanova, Rosemont, Wayne (I am leaving out a few). Expensive, but good schools and quality of life. They are all safe and leafy with good public spaces. Transportation into the city is pretty good on SEPTA, though you'd probably have to walk from 30th St. Station.

I know a fair amount of people who grew up in the Chestnut Hill/Mount Airy sections of the city. These are beautiful areas, with large houses and well-maintained yards. I suspect transportation to Penn would be an issue and that you'd have to drive (not sure though).

Good luck to you. Philly is a livable city and a nice place to live.

[Anonymous]

Pretty much anywhere in Lower Merion or the Main Line (Lower Merion is part of the Main Line, Ardmore is part of Lower Merion) is wonderful with great public schools. There are lots of parks, close to downtown, and Penn. There are also some great private schools if you choose to go that route. Lots of great restaurants in Philly and the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Manayunk is the 'burbs of Philly to me, but kind of reminds me of Old Town if you like that style. It will be a bit of a commute to UPenn. Bucks County will be a serious commute to UPenn, probably an hour each way.

I just moved back to DC after two years in Philly with my preschool-aged daughter and DH who was at UPenn. I lived in Rittenhouse Square area (called Center City) and LOVED it. Very hip, lots of kids in strollers/early school age, lots of playgrounds/library, tons of kid-friendly BYOB restaurants in walking distance. We lived in a loft on Walnut Street. It took my husband 5 mins to get to UPenn on his bike (you could also walk, take a bus, or a cab).

Also, you could consider living in the Art Museum area (a little further removed from UPenn, but still close, rents may be cheaper) or University City. Both of these areas are slightly more dicey in terms of safety/number of people around, but can be perfectly fine (on a block by block basis).

Northern Liberties is a cool area but definitely transitional.

HTH.

[Anonymous]

Prior posters have good info, especially 14:07. I agree with them. I have friends in Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill area too, and that seems like a great spot. The local train lines run up that way and will take you to 30th Street Station, or you can drive on East/West River Drive along the Schuylkill River. If you go due north from City Hall, you find Elkins Park and other areas that are nice, but maybe not as easy a drive to Penn. All the little towns on the Main Line are going to be good (Ardmore, Haverford, etc). I'm not too sure about schools in most of these places. I'd guess that public schools out the Main Line will be best. There are lots of great privates all over the place.

I love downtown, but it might not be the best if you have kids because not as many good parks as in DC, less safe than DC, and public transportation is not as strong. Queens Village and Art Museum areas are nice. Fitler's Square is just over the river from Penn and also has many great rowhouses tucked away on side streets (Delancey, Panama, St James, etc). A lot depends on how heavily you weight yard-space, short commute, and cost.

Good luck. I am jealous.

[Anonymous]

Lived there, loved it, would go back in a heartbeat (and not 'cause I dislike DC-- I just loved Philly that much more)!

I assume schools are a consideration, so I would say Wynnewood is the town to shoot for. It's the the Upper Merion township, which has some of the top-ranked public schools in the country. Parts of Ardmore are also in this school district, but parts of it are not. Wynnewood has the advantage of being near the R5 train line straight into 30th street station. From there, you can do a 15-minute walk to Penn's campus, or a 5-minute trolley ride.

If you're going to do private schools, check out West Philly, the area surrounding Penn's campus. The schools aren't as bad as DC schools, but they're not stellar. The housing stock there is incredible, and it's just a fun, active neighborhood.

Manayunk is way the hell down I-76. It would take you 45 minutes to get into West Philly in any kind of traffic, and besides, it's kind of junky if you step half a block off the main drag. It must have been cool in the 70s or something, because I know a lot of people who insist it's a nice town. I never saw the charm, myself.

I would also avoid the Art Museum area. It's nice for a 20-something lifestyle, but it has its shady elements, and the only public transportation is buses. I had a lot of friends who lived there, and I found it inconvenient (only grocery is whole foods, parking is a bitch, etc.). Northern Liberties and Italian Market are edgy and hip. Not right for families with kids. Friends have been mugged more in these two neighborhoods more than anywhere else in the city.

Main Line (that string of towns along Route 1/ Lancaster Ave to the west of the city) and West Philly are where it's at. Lucky you!

[Anonymous]

I just read through some of these posts quickly and no one has suggested Haddonfield , NJ. It is a very nice small, historic town just about 15 min from center city. the public schools are fantastic.....rate among the best in NJ. It is a wonderful place to raise a family. There is a cute downtown and the Speed Line train will take you right into Philly. Happy to tell you more about it if you are interested...

[Anonymous]

I grew up in Narberth and have lived in Rittenhouse Square and the Art Museum area. I agree that the Art Museum/Fairmount area is great for 20-somethings, but not for kids older than toddlers. Very urban and not many green spaces, except for the Schuylkill trail -- an 8-mile paved loop around the river -- fantastic, but filled with crazy bikers/rollerbladers/runners.

The Main Line (Bala Cynwyd, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr - if you go any farther you will be more than a 30-min train ride from Center City) is a great bet. Fantastic public schools, and top private schools too if that's your thing. Very safe, tons of parks, green spaces, accessible by the Septa commuter train. Septa is not like the metro - more like MARC. But it is snobby - think Bethesda. It can be very expensive, though compared to the DC area it isn't. And if you are willing to settle for something small, you can easily get a nice 3-bedroom twin for less than $300,000.

If you want to stay in the city, Chestnut Hill or West Mount Airy are good bets. I don't know about the schools, but they are beautiful and have lots of parks and walking options. The housing is mid-range to expensive. Friends of mine just bought a gorgeous 6-bedroom old tudor in West Mt. Airy for about $350,000, but you can easily spend a lot more. Septa runs from both of these to 30th Street Station - about 30 mins.

West Philly, near Penn, could also be a good bet, but you want to check out the neighborhood before you buy. The area's reputation as dangerous is fading, but there are doubtless still pockets where you might not feel safe. In general, the closer you are to University City, the nicer it is. Of course then you also get all the college students.

I don't know why anyone would suggest Manayunk. It has hip stores but is not child-friendly at all. Except for a great river trail, but I would never let a child down there by himself.