Hi! I am moving to Philly from Austin TX and want to move to the Art Museum/Fairmount area. I looked at two properties yesterday - one at 20th and Wallace and the other at 28th and Pennsylvania. I read some of the threads regarding 17th and Wallace but couldn't find anything related 28th and PA. Anyone live near there and/or know anything about it? I love the proximity to Kelly Drive and Park and it has a much more "open" feel but could use any insider advice on either areas. Thank you!

20th & Wallace is a great area. You should know Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods (which can mean a couple of blocks square!) and 20th & Wallace is worlds away, believe it or not, from 17th St!

28th & PA is great too, though they've had a lot of cars broken into recent;y. Lovely area near the park as you say.

Welcome to Philly!

I can't speak for the 17th & Wallace area, but I live at 26th & Brown which is close to 28th & Pennsylvania. I love the area and I could go on and on about how great it is. The only thing you need to be concerned about in the 28th & Pennsylvania area is the occasional car break in (because that area has quick access to the park for a quick escape). Never leave anything in your car...not even suction cup marks on your windshield!

Also, I think there are train tracks over there so there is the occasion train (freight?) that passes by.

Don't consider this post as a negative one, I just wanted to provide you my perceived insight into the area. I love the neighborhood and I think that moving to 28th & Pennsylvania is a great choice.

Sorry I don't have any info about the 17th & Wallace area.

We live at 27th and Brown. We love the neighborhood and the fact that Fairmount Park is right there. I don't find that the trains are disturbing at all, actually it's so quiet sometimes up that way that you forget you are in the city.
Parking can be difficult but I find most horror stories to be highly exaggerated.

__________________
Tell me your dreams, snowflake.

Agreed 100%. 20th and Wallace is very nice.

If you liked the place you saw there, I'd say go for it.

Check out the properties at night, not just in the daytime. I would find the railroad noises along Pennsylvania Avenue to be a problem, and some residents find the SEPTA busses to cause vibrations in their homes, too. My home is not on a bus route, and far from the railroad. There are far fewer trains on the railroad than there were when the Philadelphia Inquirer published on Broad Street, requiring lots of newsprint.

Check out the playground at 18th to 19th and Wallace as one factor for the 20th and Wallace property.

I used to rent in one of the condo at 28th and Pennsylvania -- if that's what you are looking at, as you know, they have individual garages so the parking issue becomes moot. You will certainly notice the trains, but I never found them to be too much of a nuisance. As others have said, it's a nice block and a nice area. The bridge over the tracks to Kelly Drive can feel a little unsafe at times since it's pretty secluded, but during daylight hours, it's fine to use. No other real negatives that I cank think of. Welcome to the neighborhood.

I live at 19th & North (one block south of Fairmount) and I have a friend who lives at 28th & Pennsylvania. We both feel slightly more comfortable walking around in the few blocks surrounding my area than hers simply because there are more restaurants, bars, stores... therefore, more people. (I realize that argument could go either way, but I feel safer with more people, and 28th & PA seems sort of isolated at night)

And, the 18th & Wallace location is just a little bit closer to Center City, Whole Foods, the library, etc. My thinking at the time I moved into the area was that if I'm walking home from the grocery store, it's important to have a 10 minute shorter walk, but if I'm walking to Kelley Drive or Fairmount Park for exercise, the extra 10 minutes just adds to the exercise...

I find 28th and Parrish quite nice.
Occasionaly on a quiet night I'll can barely hear the trains. But if I'm inside not at all.

Being near the park is great, especially if you have a dog.
I'm not sure, but I believe there is a place for sale on the corner;
http://www.2729parrish.com/

__________________
Peace Out, Philly!

I live out in the Western part of the neighborhood, and it is very pleasant.

First, regarding parking, the parking out here seems generally to be far easier than in any other part of the neighborhood. If I get home before 7, I can have a spot either in front of my house, or within half-a-block. If I get home before 10:30, I can get a spot within a block to a block-and-a-half.

Second, regarding car safety, I have experienced one broken window in the four-and-a-half years of living in the neighborhood. Yes, there are sometimes some broken windows on PA Ave (and probably more frequently than in other parts of the neighborhood), but I think there is a tendency to exaggerate its occurrence. There was a slew of broken windows a month or two ago, but I recall that the police caught the responsible individual, and the number of broken windows has dropped significantly.

Third, regarding the train, I would guess that I notice it, maybe, once per week. Even then, I don't find it to be disturbing. From inside, it typically sounds like a bus -- only quieter.

__________________
"Everything that guy just said is bull$h!t! Thank you."

-- Vincent LaGuardia Gambini