Advice on housing in Philly???

[MariaLaNasa]

So I JUST got accepted into Drexel and really want to find a one bedroom apt. Can anyone advice me on a close/nice place to live out there? I'm currently in Madison, WI and will be applying for this place completely blind! Help!

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[OpheliaButz]

I live in an awesome 1BR that's two blocks away from campus. (The Center City campus, where the post-bacc classes are.) It's super-cute, has 1.5 baths, and lets me have my cat (for an extra $50 a month, of course). But, the rent is $1210/month, and that's not including utilities! I could swing it this year b/c I worked while doing the PMED program, but I'm starting at Drexel Med in August. I'm keeping the apt. but I'm going to be in some major debt when I graduate! If you'd like details, PM me!

 

[premedman]

u can live with me babe

 

[premedman]

u can live with me babe

 

[MariaLaNasa]

thanks for the offer . . . might look a little bit harder though . .

 

[riceman04]

I live in an awesome 1BR that's two blocks away from campus. (The Center City campus, where the post-bacc classes are.) It's super-cute, has 1.5 baths, and lets me have my cat (for an extra $50 a month, of course). But, the rent is $1210/month, and that's not including utilities! I could swing it this year b/c I worked while doing the PMED program, but I'm starting at Drexel Med in August. I'm keeping the apt. but I'm going to be in some major debt when I graduate! If you'd like details, PM me!

I need help too! Right now I am signed up for grad housing at UPenn, but I am not sure if I am going to be full time (and if I am not full time I will not be able to stay in the grad housing. So I was wondering where I should look. My mother is worried b/c she has heard bad things about the neighborhood surrounding UPenn. So she does not want me to stay off campus. And if I end up staying off campus she would want me to stay in a nice area like the historic area (on the other dang side of downtown I think. Ive never been to Philly but I have looked at tons of maps) or the museum district. However, I cannot afford those prices (a studio is too expensive for me). I cannot take my car (hell of a drive from Los Angeles) b/c my mom needs it here. And that means I cant live outside of the city.

So I was wondering if you could tell me where I could possibly look for housing (has to be a safe neighborhood, not too expensive i.e. no more than $900 including all utilities).

Thanx much

 

[learss]

I need help too! Right now I am signed up for grad housing at UPenn, but I am not sure if I am going to be full time (and if I am not full time I will not be able to stay in the grad housing. So I was wondering where I should look. My mother is worried b/c she has heard bad things about the neighborhood surrounding UPenn. So she does not want me to stay off campus. And if I end up staying off campus she would want me to stay in a nice area like the historic area (on the other dang side of downtown I think. Ive never been to Philly but I have looked at tons of maps) or the museum district. However, I cannot afford those prices (a studio is too expensive for me). I cannot take my car (hell of a drive from Los Angeles) b/c my mom needs it here. And that means I cant live outside of the city.

So I was wondering if you could tell me where I could possibly look for housing (has to be a safe neighborhood, not too expensive i.e. no more than $900 including all utilities).

Thanx much

The neighborhood around UPenn is not as bad as people make it out to be. I know a number of people, who live there and they have had no problem with crime. You can definately find reasonable and safe housing two or three blocks from the campus. Check out http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/ or call Drexel or Upenn's Off Campus Housing Offices.

 

[Jack1919]

The neighborhood around UPenn isn't that bad at all. Ten years agao it was a different story, but its starting to look more and more like Cambridge in Boston.

And...you can definitely find a room cheaper than $1000.00. If you look hard enough you can find some great deals in CC for between $600 and $800. A friend of mine just gave up an apartment between 18th and 19th on Pine Street (1 bedroom for $575.00).

Anyway, try looking on craigslist, Philadelphia Weekly Online, or City Paper. Look in these areas: University City, Art Museum Area, Graduate Hospital, Rittenhouse Square, and Olde City. These are all relatively close to where you'll be taking classes. There's also a lot to do in these neighborhoods as they're right in Center city. As far as looks go, Rittenhouse and Olde City are probably the nicest areas to live in. People tend to think that everything there is really expensive, but look and you'll find there are cheap places too. Graduate Hospital is up and coming. Its on the cusp of Rittenhouse Square and South West Philly. SW Philly is a tough neighborhood, but I know plenty of single women who live in Graduate Hosp area with no problem. The same can be said of University City. UPenn has a lot of money and they've put a s*** load of it into the neighborhood. The last thing they want is for Susie Ivy League's parents to pass them up and send their kinds to Cambridge because of the neighborhood.

Other neighborhoods to consider but that are farther away: Manayunk - (nice, clean, trendy, and increasingly expensive), Northern Liberties - (hipster kids, up-and-coming, lots of bars and venues springing up here), Queens Village/South Street area - (diverse, cheap and expensive, lots do around here).... I could on and on. Philly has a ton of neighborhoods!!!

Send me a message if you have any specific questions. I love Philly and would be glad to help out.

 

[lotus228]

The neighborhood around UPenn isn't that bad at all. Ten years agao it was a different story, but its starting to look more and more like Cambridge in Boston.

And...you can definitely find a room cheaper than $1000.00. If you look hard enough you can find some great deals in CC for between $600 and $800. A friend of mine just gave up an apartment between 18th and 19th on Pine Street (1 bedroom for $575.00).

Anyway, try looking on craigslist, Philadelphia Weekly Online, or City Paper. Look in these areas: University City, Art Museum Area, Graduate Hospital, Rittenhouse Square, and Olde City. These are all relatively close to where you'll be taking classes. There's also a lot to do in these neighborhoods as they're right in Center city. As far as looks go, Rittenhouse and Olde City are probably the nicest areas to live in. People tend to think that everything there is really expensive, but look and you'll find there are cheap places too. Graduate Hospital is up and coming. Its on the cusp of Rittenhouse Square and South West Philly. SW Philly is a tough neighborhood, but I know plenty of single women who live in Graduate Hosp area with no problem. The same can be said of University City. UPenn has a lot of money and they've put a s*** load of it into the neighborhood. The last thing they want is for Susie Ivy League's parents to pass them up and send their kinds to Cambridge because of the neighborhood.

Other neighborhoods to consider but that are farther away: Manayunk - (nice, clean, trendy, and increasingly expensive), Northern Liberties - (hipster kids, up-and-coming, lots of bars and venues springing up here), Queens Village/South Street area - (diverse, cheap and expensive, lots do around here).... I could on and on. Philly has a ton of neighborhoods!!!

Send me a message if you have any specific questions. I love Philly and would be glad to help out.

hey joboo,
i pm-ed you.

 

[rpost3]

So I JUST got accepted into Drexel and really want to find a one bedroom apt. Can anyone advice me on a close/nice place to live out there? I'm currently in Madison, WI and will be applying for this place completely blind! Help!

Live in Center City (ie downtown) so you can walk to class and wherever else - its basically the social scene of the city. Philly's gorgeous and really clean. You can get a DECENT 1 bedroom in a highrise or a really pretty brownstone for really no lower than about $795. If you hunt, you can get a a big studio with hardwood floors and a big walk in closet for $775. Washinton Square (about a 40 minute walk to class) and Rittenhouse Square (about a 20 minute walk to class) are the ritzy but nicest areas. I'd go for one of those two. Its worth it. But anywhere in Center City is OK. Beware of signing a lease of a place you haven't seen though. They often lie pretty bad about the size and condition of the rooms. I'd come to the city for like a week and just spend it looking for places. Philly's awesome, so you'll like it.

 

[lightnk102]

Check philadelphia.craigslist.org for listings in University City . You're guaranteed to find something around UPenn. I went to Penn for undergrad and can vouch for the off-campus housing. I would not live past 42nd or 43rd street, and would not go further north than Chestnut or further south than Pine or Baltimore.

If you're into more upscale housing, check Chestnut Hall in University City (has a lobby and a concierge and such). It's at 39th, between walnut and chestnut, is more inexpensive than Center City, and is 2 blocks from Penn campus.

Living in Center City is going to be a pain in the ass trek, especially in the winter when it starts snowing.

Sorry, I'm not as familiar with Drexel campus.

 

[kdel953]

the Penn neighborhood is not as bad as it may seem. I just graduated from the undergrad there and I never had problems. You can definitely get housing, even as cheap as $500. University city housing and campus apartments are landlords with property all over Penn's campus. UCH is 215-222-2000. Good Luck!

 

[lotus228]

the Penn neighborhood is not as bad as it may seem. I just graduated from the undergrad there and I never had problems. You can definitely get housing, even as cheap as $500. University city housing and campus apartments are landlords with property all over Penn's campus. UCH is 215-222-2000. Good Luck!

hey guys,

has anyone found any decent housing within or close to penn's campus yet?! i've been looking and looking for at least 3 weeks now and have not found anything! can anyone let me know if you have been successful where you are living and stuff? thanks!

 

[Hajira786]

Are most people in this thread attending Drexel coming August?

 

[riceman04]

hey guys,

has anyone found any decent housing within or close to penn's campus yet?! i've been looking and looking for at least 3 weeks now and have not found anything! can anyone let me know if you have been successful where you are living and stuff? thanks!

I think left bank is pretty cool. It is right across the street. I signed up for housing in Sansom and now I did not get the one that I wanted..............Sucks. Now I have to buy a meal plan if I am going to live on campus, or lose $250 if I decided to live off campus.

It would be cool to live in one of those nice apartments that are close, but I cannot afford it by myself.
Are ya looking for an apartment-mate?

 

[albinomidget]

I really don't have as much time right now as I'd like to make this a great post. But, I would like to add one thing that I think might be getting overlooked by some people posting. The post-bac program is on 15th and Race, not on Drexel's main campus. It is on their Center City campus, otherwise known as the Hahnemann campus. If you decide to live in University City, which is where Penn and Drexel main campus is, just be sure that you are aware of how you are going to get to class. You can take the free shuttle b/t the two campuses, but then are bound by their schedule. I lived at the Ambassador building on 21st and Chestnut when I did IMS (and when I worked at Penn too), and that was a 20 minute walk to campus. I didn't mind the walk most of the time, b/c it is a nice way to relax and not study. I highly suggest using craigslist to anyone looking for housing. There are definetely some good deals out there, you just need to keep an eye out on for them. If you aren't going to be able to come to Philly before signing a lease, then you may need to rent from an established apartment building. Otherwise, set up a few times when landlords will show off their apts to you and take a quick vacation to Philly.

Congrats on getting into the post-bac program. Just remember to work as hard as a medical student, and you will be one before you know it!!

 

[barasch]

Hi Maria,

My family and I are moving to Philly in August (also from Madison, WI!) so I can start the postbac at Bryn Mawr - we looked at a lot of places. I don't know if Drexel is near the R5 Septa line (also known as the 'main line'), but if it is, I'd totally recommend that you look into the Wynnewood Park Apartments - they were our number one choice, but don't take dogs, so we ruled it out.

Wynnewood park apartments, like a lot of main line apartments, require you to have a lot of carpeting on the floor - so be aware of that when looking at apartments.

Good luck.

-Sam

 

[lotus228]

I think left bank is pretty cool. It is right across the street. I signed up for housing in Sansom and now I did not get the one that I wanted..............Sucks. Now I have to buy a meal plan if I am going to live on campus, or lose $250 if I decided to live off campus.

It would be cool to live in one of those nice apartments that are close, but I cannot afford it by myself.
Are ya looking for an apartment-mate?

hey riceman, i pm-ed you....

 

[albinomidget]

Hi Maria,

My family and I are moving to Philly in August (also from Madison, WI!) so I can start the postbac at Bryn Mawr - we looked at a lot of places. I don't know if Drexel is near the R5 Septa line (also known as the 'main line'), but if it is, I'd totally recommend that you look into the Wynnewood Park Apartments - they were our number one choice, but don't take dogs, so we ruled it out.

Wynnewood park apartments, like a lot of main line apartments, require you to have a lot of carpeting on the floor - so be aware of that when looking at apartments.

Good luck.

-Sam

While I'm sure that neighborhood is nice, I would exercise caution in not living in Center City. Unless, of course, you're not a city person. In that case, living in the Main Line is perfectly cool. Just remember, that the money you are saving by not living in Center City might be spent on public transportation. Also, you will probably need a car in Main Line, whereas in Center City you will absolutely not. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.