back again - I got a lot of great feedback a week or two ago re: neighborhoods. I have done an EXTENSIVE search & narrowed my apartment hunt down to 2 places. #1 - chestnut hill towers, which is cheaper & seemed nice, but I have read some not-great comments on philly apartment ratings website (though most of the seem to be from last year & before - is it perhaps getting better?) & #2 - sedgwick gardens, which seems very nice as well but is quite a bit more expensive. any thoughts from current residents or those who have some familiarity with those properties. I appreciate it!!!! have a great weekend!

I lived in Chestnut Hill Tower and it was awful. This was over 3 years ago, but I have heard that it has gotten worse.

We moved in during the summer and it was great. Then fall came around and all of the college kids moved in. Normally this wouldn't bother me, I had just gotten out of college myself and have a pretty high tolerance for college-kid behavior. But all of our neighbors in our hallway were loud (drunken fights in the hall in the middle of the night, screaming, breaking things, etc.) It eventually went from annoying to me feeling unsafe walking down the hallway to my own apartment.

The balcony that we really enjoyed during the summer we stopped using completely because our next door neighbors would stick their heads around the divider and bother us. We also noticed them doing this in order to look into our apartment if we had the blinds open. So then not only did we hardly use the balcony we loved but we would have the blinds shut most of the time too.

The elevators and hallways were defaced with graffiti and just really awful things written in them. It'd eventually get cleaned up (I suspect when they were showing an apartment to someone) only to happen again. They eventually put fake cameras in the elevator but they were torn apart and destroyed within days. The parking lots (both front and back) would get so full on the weekends I'd have to park across the street. The front desk staff doesn't inquire anyone who walks in the front door. The maintenance was a joke, the office staff was rude. We moved out as soon as our lease was up.

To put this in context, I have lived in many apartments in various parts of Philly for the past ten years. So I know what is and is not acceptable or tolerable as far as apartments go. And that really, truly was the worst building I have ever lived in.

Now I've heard things haven't changed, but I can't say for certain. Perhaps someone else knows...

Wow

Have you looked at Wood Norton residences? Wayne Ave between Washington Lane and Johnson St. I visited a friend last week and was blown away by the size of the unit and top notch very recent renovations. Near R8 ( Tulpehocken or Upsal ) . All units have at least one fireplace. I think prices are comparable to the two places you mentioned. Good luck. Oh, if I had to recommend - go with Sedgwick but do yourself a favor and check out Wood Norton.