So where are people living? Where are the best places to live?

[Barbie22]

Im not a philly native, so im looking to see if anyone who knows the area would know what the best places to live would be.  It looks like the best places to live will be in the Center City area.  However, most all studios are at least 800 not including uttilities!!!!! 

Ideally id like to live by myself, but due to the cost, this seems impossible.  I wouldnt mind living with maybe 2 others max.  So whats the best area for law students that is affordable, is close to the tube, and might even have parking? 

Also, post up other living suggestions if you have them.

[Temple Gator]

Another really suburban, pleasant locale is Ambler, PA, just to the north of Philly. There's even a very nice Temple campus up there. I think you could use their facilities if you wanted, for weekend recreation, for example.

Rents are pretty low in Ambler, and it really is a quaint, small town.

[Temple Gator]

My wife and I found some surprisingly affordable, nice, two-bedroom apartments in East Falls, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill. All those neighborhoods have convenient SEPTA rail stations. There are other good neighborhoods in this area (Northwest) also.

We chose an apartment in Chestnut Hill, one block from the train station. It's one of the nicest communities in greater Philadelphia. But, if you're renting, and don't mind a 20 or 30 minute train ride to campus, it can be affordable.

[cmickey]

Another really suburban, pleasant locale is Ambler, PA, just to the north of Philly. There's even a very nice Temple campus up there. I think you could use their facilities if you wanted, for weekend recreation, for example.

Rents are pretty low in Ambler, and it really is a quaint, small town.

i grew up (ie. went to high school) in Ambler, very nice small town, good restaraunts and bars... however. there is not much in the way of housing.

[wooshi23]

well I guess I am alone in being totally unwilling to live in the suburbs, lol....

if you are willing to have roomates you should have a hard time finding something for $600ish a month per person somewhere in center city either.

i just did a quick searchy for three+ bedrooms on craigslist and found a a fair amount of stuff (quite a bit of it in manayunk though.)

the one I posted a link to below is super cheap, no idea what shape its in inside though, but I do know a lot of people who rented from that company while I was at drexel and their apartments, while not great, were totally liveable:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/apa/330797408.html

[savage_fred]

I am unwilling to live outside of the Center City area and so far it looks like I'll be settling on a $900ish studio.

[Barbie22]

How about the East falls area?  Seems close to Manayunk and CC and cheap...

[wooshi23]

as long as you have a car, parts of east falls aren't bad, not great, but def. livable.


if you are seriously considering the area make sure to do quite a bit of driving around your potential neighborhood to decide if it works for you b/c If I remember correctly east falls varies alot with some small pockets being niceish and some being pretty crappy (though that can be said for lots of philly neighborhoods.)

[Barbie22]

I wont get a chance to really go and check out these neighborhoods until like late June, early July.  Will this be too late to lock down quality places if i plan on moving in in say late to early Aug?

[wooshi23]

with 1.5 months of when you want to move in is good.  Most apartments are 1st come 1st serve, and they wont hold them open for you. Also check Templ Housing listings you may find something good in an area you didn't consider.  I know Temple gets people to inspect the places that they allow on thier list.

I have dealt with Temple before.  they are Nazis about protecting thier students. I'm moving to Carlisle PA.  Plan to sign a lease in July for Aug 1.  That gives me most of the month to fumagate/clean, move, and settle in.  Hopefully I'll find a place that's a keeper for 3 years.  Of course the market there is a little different.

I've personally shown the temple rep. who inspects the properties before they get added to the list and its a joke- they are basically just making sure the property isn't a crack den, seriously- he pretty much said that to me while he was there, so I wouldn't take the temple stamp of approval to mean all that much.

 I'm relatively certain that they have jmh management on their list and every person I have met who has lived in one of that companies properties has had an awful experience filled with maintence problems. Which is really a shame because they have a lot of cheap properties in decent neighborhoods, but hey, I guess thats why they are so cheap.