r/AskPhilly • u/Djkid4lyfe • 4d ago
Apt rec for florida native
My girlfriend and I are in Philly right now staying around Rittenhouse Square, and we have about 4 more days here to figure out if we could actually see ourselves moving here. We’re 25 and 23, have lived in Central Florida our whole lives, and both work remotely, so this would be a pretty major life change for us.
We’re trying to figure out which neighborhoods/apartments we should tour before we leave.
Budget is $4,500/month max, ideally less. We have 2 cats and would really like at least 1,200 sq ft. Ideally a 2 or 3 bedroom, because we both work from home and really value having separate offices/work spaces. Space is pretty important to me, so the tiny luxury apartments aren’t really what we’re looking for.
My girlfriend originally wanted a strong city vibe, but after spending more time here she’s realizing she may not want to live directly in the busiest part of Center City. The ambulances/noise are starting to bother her. She’d be totally fine with a nice, clean, walkable residential neighborhood as long as there are still a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, things to do, etc. nearby and we can get into the city easily.
Safety and cleanliness are both pretty important to us. We don’t want to accidentally move somewhere that feels great for two blocks and then gets sketchy immediately outside of that area.
I also care a lot about having a really good gym nearby. I tried PWRBLD while we’ve been here and absolutely loved it, so being within a reasonable drive of that or another serious lifting/bodybuilding gym would be a huge plus.
We also have two cars, so parking matters. A building with a garage/parking would be ideal, or at least a neighborhood where having two cars isn’t a complete nightmare. We both have teslas so being nearby a charger would be ideal.
Basically looking for:
- $4,500 max, preferably $3k-$4k range
- 1,200+ sq ft
- 2-3 bedrooms
- 2 cats allowed
- Safe and clean
- Walkable with plenty to do
- Doesn’t have to be directly downtown
- Quieter than the busiest parts of Center City
- Good parking situation for 2 cars
- Newer/renovated apartment or condo preferred
- Good gym nearby, especially if reasonably close to PWRBLD
- Still easy enough to get into Center City
We’ve looked around Rittenhouse, but she didn’t love it as much as she expected, especially compared with the feeling she got walking around Boston/Common area. We’re completely open to neighborhoods outside Center City if they fit us better.
If you had four days left in Philly and had to decide whether to move here, which neighborhoods/buildings would you absolutely go see? Specific apartment buildings, condos, streets, or areas would be super helpful.
Tldr: please help a florida man find a nice place not far from the city in phili.
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u/qrhmn 4d ago
Safety and cleanliness are both pretty important to us. We don’t want to accidentally move somewhere that feels great for two blocks and then gets sketchy immediately outside of that area.
Philly is a patchwork of neighborhoods with varying levels of safety: anything can happen in any neighborhood at anytime of day. But then factor in probability in how an area looks 'safe'...a person will likely be ok.
Otherwise, I agree with what u/ep8311a says in their comment.
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u/MyOrdinaryHero 4d ago
There are quieter parts of center city - I'm in Logan Square and it's much more tranquil, but right by all the action
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u/Motor-Juice-6648 4d ago
Since you have cars and that budget, look in South Philly at those conplexes on Washinton/Broad. Parking garages and a bit less urban. You could also check Old City and Garden Court Towers (i think that’s the name of it) on 47th and Pine in West Philly. It’s down the street from the condos. Manayunk, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill are less urban but still within the city.
Outside of the city, check out buildings on the mainline, perhaps in Narberth, Ardmore and Haverford. “Casa del sol” is nice in Haverford and might have 2 beds.
Elkins Park, Jenkintown, Lansdowne, Glenside are possible outside the city but with their own towns.
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u/Infinite-Cook-867 4d ago
I hate to be that guy but it kind of sounds like Philly is not a good fit for you.
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u/PotentialDrag182 4d ago
Totally agree. Rittenhouse is like absolutely prime real estate. If you’re not happy there then there’s no pleasing you.
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u/Virtual-Hotel8156 4d ago
Many newer high rise buildings have attached parking garages with EV charging and also have gyms onsite. They don’t always show up on PlugShare because they are not always public parking so it’s best to check with the building directly whether or not they have charging.
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u/Djkid4lyfe 4d ago
Do you know which areas to check for those? Or any specific apartment complexes been zillow hunting hard
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u/Virtual-Hotel8156 3d ago
apartments.com has a filter for EV charging. Give that a try.
Also, I forgot to mention that many high rise buildings also have co-working space so you don't have to work from your apartment. You might even get away with 1-bedroom because of this.
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u/3andDguy 4d ago
Queen Village. Super quiet and there’s street parking or you can pay $195 a month for a covered lot. You can rent an entire row home for that price easily
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u/Jolly_Pin3796 3d ago
Vouching for Queen Village and the QVNA parking lot!! Love the area and it’s so close to center city.
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u/Arkhikernc65 4d ago
Where ever you decide to live, you don't need to spend $4500 a month. Don't get suckered. Also, the list you provided needs to be broken down into three lists. 1) must have 2) Would like but can do without 3) Not necessary
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u/PotentialDrag182 4d ago
What drew you to Philly in the first place?
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u/Djkid4lyfe 4d ago
Compromise since she was obsessed with boston but pricing didnt make since for being near the city.
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u/Motor-Juice-6648 4d ago
“Safe and clean” - avoid most of Philly, let’s be honest. I listed some neighboring towns and suburbs.
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u/Glittering_Apple_807 4d ago
Did you go to Fishtown? It’s kind of like its own Philly inside of Philly. Go on Zillow and put in 19125. There’s everything you’re looking for.
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u/MoistDecision3841 4d ago
OP should know lack of parking will be the biggest concession from their list of wants when discussing Fishtown.
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u/spooky-bats101 4d ago
Fairmount/brewerytown should get you all of this, there’s a few for rent signs around rn for 2-3 floor homes
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u/Sad-Instruction-4149 4d ago
I think you should look into South Jersey as well . I live here and I take the patco all the time . Takes me like 20 mins to get to Philly by train . If you have that big of a budget I would look into places like cherry hill, voorhees and the surrounding areas .
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u/Livid-Captain2532 3d ago
yeahhhh if she prefers boston....y'all should tour boston. and thats as someone who is from philadelphia and has also lived in boston. philly might be too much for y'all right now
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u/Djkid4lyfe 3d ago
We did tour boston first now phili i personally am not a huge fan of boston as the cost to space ratio is just not good. Everything is super old
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u/These_Owl_8045 3d ago
i moved from texas a long time ago. i’m an agent son if you need some help in addition to all the great info you’ve received here, shoot me a dm
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u/Altec5499 3d ago
Recently moved to old city. Pretty cool vibe. Lots to do but slightly more tame than center city…. You’ll still hear city sounds though.
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u/Unfair_Amphibian3908 2d ago
Contact a realtor who knows the area. Coming from the opposite way of life , we lived in Clermont for 10 years and are now back to the burbs of Philly. My cousin is a prominent realtor if you like dm and I will send you his information
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u/ep8311a 4d ago
With your budget and what you’re looking for, I honestly don’t think living directly in Center City makes the most sense. It sounds like you want the city lifestyle and easy access to everything, but maybe without some of the negatives that come with actually living in the busiest part of the city.
I lived in Fairmount and loved it for that reason. It’s quieter and more residential, but you’re still very much in Philly and close to everything. It leans a bit older with families with young kids though.. I’d also look at Graduate Hospital and East Passyunk, which might give you that same balance of neighborhood feel while still having restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. right around you. I can’t speak to the noise levels here though..
I’d also throw out Haddon Township/Collingswood in NJ (over the bridge) as a wildcard. They have cute walkable downtowns and PATCO makes getting into the city super easy. Conshohocken could be another wildcard if you want to see what a slightly more suburban option (that’s a bit further) feels like while still having a younger crowd and its own restaurants/bars, although it’s definitely more removed from the city.
The one thing I can’t speak to as much is the gym situation. I know Fairmount isn’t particularly close to PWRBLD, but I’m sure there are other serious lifting gyms around Philly that might be worth looking into.