Please Help!

My girlfriend and I are young black professionals who are looking to rent a 2-3 bedroom house within walking distance of Center City(Public Transportation, Shopping etc) for no more than $875-$925(would REALLY like a Lease Purchase Option). We are looking to move by May 1st at the latest.

Also, we have read several postings extolling the virtues of various neighborhoods in the Center City area. I grew up in East Oak Lane and live in an apt in Drexel Hill, never really getting the chance to experience the CC surrounding areas very well. We hear a lot about the South/Southwest Center City area and Fairmount. Would these be possibilities?

Thanks in Advance

Sean

Welcome! Glad you're here...tell us what would be ideal in your neighborhood, prioritize them so we can help.

What are your highest priorities?
Hi Rise / low rise / row house
Proximity to Transportation
Diversity
Proximity to arts / restaurants
Yard / no yard
Proximity to outdoorsy things to do
Are you willing to get a fixer upper?
Safety
Parking
Are you maybe going to have kids in this house?

Answers to these kinds of questions will help us help you.

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I started writing, the lost the post, so here's a quick review.

I dont' think you're going to find any 3Br places at that price in Center City. The average 2Br places I can find in Center City available now are around $2,000. I don't see anything in 2Brs for that price in Center City, although I do see a two bedroom place at $1,650 and another at $1,800 but the rest are over $2,000-

Caveat, I'm a Realtor and that's based on my doing what's easiest-
taking a minute or two and looking through a database of active rentals. There may be a place that's perfect for you, but it may be in the classifieds, or on Craigslist.com or any of the myriad rental websites that are mentioned elsewhere on this Blog that you can read through.

Sometimes rentals just have a hand drawn "for rent" sign sitting in the window which you only see if your walking down the block. So, I'd suggest getting a bicycle, riding around the neighborhoods with a pencil and a pad, and look for rentals.

Well, I looked at the 5 neighborhoods around Center City, Girard to Tasker, out to 45th street, and the only 2 Br place in your price range is
in University City, a 2Br apartment for $800, although there were some 2Br places at $1,100.

I checked out to all of Philly, that adds 9 more places, but none are near Center City- although some are on the trains - like Overbrook, or Roxborough/Manayunk.

Hal

Priorities:

"Hi Rise / low rise / row house"
Would prefer a rowhouse, with a basement if possible

"Proximity to Transportation"
Very important.

"Diversity"
Important

"Proximity to arts / restaurants"
would prefer walking distance to each. Walking/short trip to grocery shopping very important.

"Yard / no yard"
Not very Important

"Proximity to outdoorsy things to do"
Not very important

"Are you willing to get a fixer upper?"
Yes

"Safety"
VERY Important

"Parking"
Not very important. We don't own a car at the moment.

"Are you maybe going to have kids in this house?"
No

I've been looking in the Graduate Hospital, Bella Vista, QV, Fairmount/Art Museum, Pennsport, University City areas. I've seen some houses/big apts in our general price range, but they were before we were ready to move and we were browsing. Thanks for your prompt responses, hopefully this info could help you help us.

Transportation:
what kind? Specifically, do you need to be near regional rail or is the subway fine?
if the subway is fine, i'd say southwest cc is your best bet somewhere closer to broad st.
the biggest prob with that area, grocery store. there are some options of course, 18th and pine/spruce is the rittenhouse market and 10th and south is super fresh/whole foods. of course there is the ninth street Italian market which, depending on your tastes, can be better and certainly cheaper than a supermarket.
finally, you can take the BSL to city hall and transfer to the MFL to shop at the terminal or transfer to the green lines and get off at 22nd and market for Trader Joe's.