Hi,

Can anyone give us some good advice about areas of Germantown or easy mt. airy to check out/avoid in our house hunt? We are planning to start driving around soon, but would love some places to start. We have a baby and want a neighborhood that is safe to walk around and somewhat integrated. We're in the under 200K range.

thanks!

I like the area around Morris and Clapier Streets. I also like West School House Lane, but that might be a little more than your range. Look on the vein streets radiating from there, like Morris again or Pulaski. Beware, however, of the projects at Queen Lane and Pulaski Avenue. There is a 1-2 block buffer zone of banged-up blocks around there, but that is shrinking. That explains the 'raggedyness' on Morris Street around Penn Street. I also like West Haines Street (especially the 200 block, but that may be pushing it, too) and McCallum Street. I love Pulaski Avenue below Hansberry Street, but hate Wayne Ave, the next through street east, from Manheim Street down. Germantown is walkable and bikeable, so I encourage you to do both; driving can give you a rough sense, but to fine tune you need to walk or bike around. I don't spend as much time on the east side, but in my explorations I haven't found sections as walkable there as West Schoolhouse Lane, for instance. Also, Pulaski and Harvey is a great little pocket, if you can find something in your price range (I think you can). There are some nice blocks of Newhall Street in your price range, below Hansberry and above Apsley.

Also try the Penn Knox area, West Tulpehocken Street, Harvey, and East Penn St in the first couple of blocks off of Gtown

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As far as SouthWest Germantown goes, not including Penn-Knox (although I'm personally not a fan of that area), I'd suggest looking at these blocks:

4900-5000-5100 Pulaski Ave
300 Seymour St
300-400-500 Manheim St
300 W Logan St
300-400-500 Clapier St
5000 Erringer Pl
4900-5000 Schuyler St
5000 Copley Rd
300-400-500 Abbottsford Ave
5000 Newhall St
4900-5000 Mc Kean St
4900-5000-5100 Morris St
Maybe 5100 Newhall St

On a map, this area would basically be not east of Pulaski (with the exception of Newhall St), not north of Hansberry and not south of Logan/Abbottsford Ave. Wissahickon Ave is a major road in the area, so I wouldn't suggest it because of the traffic noise.

Don't forget the section around the Chelten Avenue train station; the Fresh Grocer is supposed to build a new store on Pulaski Ave, so that stretch will clean up, the crappy Pickett school is now a charter school, and that too is good. Check out West Woodlawn Street - I like it and it should be in your price range. I agree that Penn-Knox is storybook beautiful but isolated, mostly because of the Queen Lane tower. The point is moot, however, as the prices there exceed the specified range.

When did Pickett become a charter school? The charter school is across the street on the other side of Chelten Ave.
As for homes around there, the ones on the sidestreets off of 5700 Morris St are nice, along with the homes on 5900 Pulaski.


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I don't believe that Pickett was an asset to Germantown (I am being nice about this; my true feelings are much stronger), and it got caught up in the (correct) dismantling of middle schools in Philadelphia. I have heard from multiple educators about interviewing to work at a charter school at that location. I have noticed construction there, but I personally feel that it should be torn down, as it destroys Wayne Avenue from Rittenhouse Street down to past Chelten Ave. In the summer months walking past it is like crossing the Sahara, and in the winter months like crossing the Arctic. In the spring and fall it is just too much concrete and blank walls.

You need to get with the times; the 'sidestreets off of 5700 Morris' are 400k blocks.

rcunningham,
My husband & I bought our first home in East Mt. Airy almost 2 years ago and love it. We have a 6 month-old and have met lots of other young families in the area. We're both walking distance to everything on Germantown Ave, and a block from the R7 station, so 15-30 mins to Temple, Center City, and Univ City respectively. You can definitely find 3BR rowhomes under $200k here. I suggest walking or driving around Phil Ellena, Vernon, Slocum, Meehan, Gorgas, Durham & Sydney from Boyer to Blakemore, Sprague or Devon. On occasion you'll find something closer to Chestnut Hill, in W. Mt Airy, or a twin, but usually it's a fixer-upper. Enjoy your home search, and let us know if we can answer any more questions as your explore the neighborhood.

eta: you might get more replies re: E Mt Airy if you add it to the thread title

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I just moved to e mt airy and couldn't be happier!! Everyone I've met on my block has been sooo nice. There is a mix of old/young, black/white, newcomers/people who've lived here for generations. Although I hear the general vicinity around the Washington Lane train station can be unpleasant sometimes, the neighbors swear it's not bad. Anyways...a plug for my new 'hood. :-)

Yup, Great area! I grew up there (Between the R-7 and Stenton Avenue). I would include Sharpnack, Hortter, Gorsten and Milton Streets as well as good street to buy on. I would even look between Ardleigh/Washington Lane/Crittenden and Upsal as well.