Hi there, I posted last week regarding the building plans at 26th and Poplar.

I am seriously looking at a house on Stillman, between Parrish and Poplar. I am a young woman in my late 20's who needs to drive to work in Delco every day. I really like the area, and there seems to be a couple of people just like me in some of the houses on that block. I guess I am just a little hesitant because at the end of the block, on Poplar is the Sunoco station...and some other undeveloped buildings. Yet I noticed the homes facing the sunoco station on Poplar are very well kept. I guess I'm a little concerned about saftey. This will be my first house, so it will also be my first time having first floor windows, no double doors or security guards (I've lived in a few big apartment buildings) I would love to live just one more block south, but I don't think I can afford those anymore!!!

Anyway, the house is really cute -needs very little work, but these are my main concerns:
Safety -as mentioned above
Parking (and safety walking to and from my car)
Potential appreciation of the house -is it too close to the border of N. Philly?

Thoughts and experiences would be helpful!

Moving out of the yunk? Boooo!!!

No seriously I do not like that area for my GF, she is looking to buy and I really don't like it for her...for myself, I didn't mind, but whne I was looking there (as well as many of the parts opf grad hospital I could afford) I thought...wow I don't want to have to walk out of my house and meet her at her car every time she comes over.

With that said there are some GREAT houses in that area, I mean GREAT, but many are 1 or two block from some pretty crappy blocks. Tough call, but good luck.

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anyone else? thoughts?

The Parrish-to-Poplar block is fine. There are security issues there as elsewhere in the neighborhood, but Fairmount is really quite safe overall. We live in the same block of 24th, and it's very quiet. I have a lot of friends/neighbors from Fairmount who are buying north of Poplar & even of Girard, and as I've said many times before recently, I see that whole West Girard/Poplar corridor as changing radically (for the better) in the next 5-7 years.

Parking can be tricky, and if you come back after about 8 pm you may have to walk a few blocks, but if all else fails you can park by the back of Eastern State Penitentiary (2100 block of Brown) and it's maybe a 10-minute walk to Stillman from there - also through the heart of Fairmount proper, which is safer than parking on Girard or Poplar, I would say.

As long as you exercise the usual cautions, you should be fine. Get to know your neighbors!! You should also try to attend, when possible, meetings of the Fairmount Civic Association (next meeting Thursday, Dec. 1, 7:30, at the Philadelphia Mennonite High School, 24th between Poplar and Parrish). And consider joining Fairmount Townwatch (fairmounttownwatch@hotmail.com)...Apologies if I've already told you all this. I get forgetful sometimes.

I live on Bucknell between Parrish and Poplar and have had no significant problems with safety. That's a few blocks east of Stillman, but that area is generally quite safe. When we first bought the house, my partner (single, female, 32) had some concerns about safety - especially related to having to park a few blocks away at night and walk home. But after a few weeks of "parking safe" (Niel's guidelines above are right on), those fears quickly went away. Exercising the usual cautions is the key - and that's true in any neighborhood.

We love Fairmount and look foward to spending many many years here.

Patrick

Hey, we should form a group. The "Northern Tier Gang," maybe.

Heh... we're on 25th between Parish and Poplar... :lol:

I think it's a great neighborhood. I can't imagine a single woman would have any more problems here than anywhere else.

__Jason