Hi I'm new here and I'm glad I found it. So on to my question. I'm moving out of the suburbs and buying a house. Being as where I've lived forever is not a place I can afford...I'm looking at the Northest.

I think I found something I really like but wanted to get some opinions on the neighborhood. The house is by Blakiston and Torresdale Ave on the northern side of Blakiston. I believe this is Holmesburg but don't really know that particular neighborhood very well. My sister lives in Mayfair - or Sandyford Park as her neighbors insist-the BF lives in Pennypack so I spend a great deal of time in the NE.

I just don't want to buy a house and then be afraid to leave it It looks nice there every time I've stalked the neighborhood but I figured this would be the place I would get honesty - even if I don't like the answers.
Thanks!

Yeah that's Holmesburg. Something new I've heard lately is calling the blocks northeast of Pennypack Upper Holmesburg. I think it's a good area but I don't live there. I did, but that was a while back.

Sorry I can't really answer your question. I don't know Holemesburg that well. I had a boyfriend who lived at Jackson and Blakiston.

I think there was a Daycare Center right there, and then later I heard some sort or residential home for people with special needs.

I can not swear to it about the Daycare and the residential home thing, but he loved it there. I stayed there often and was safe.

You'll get better opinions and knowledge soon I am sure.

Take it from me. I bought on the edge of Holmesburg on Cottman and staked out the place a lot. I was convinced it was quiet and normal before I put down the money. When I moved in, I found out the next door neighbors were drunks and nuts. They had ongoing wars with the people next to them. These were rows.
This is a big investment. I can't stress enough for you to knock on doors and talk to the neighbors to see what they are like.
Then go with your feelings. You might just do a 180.

While I have never lived in Holmesburg. If I saw a house that I liked in Holmesburg I would have no qualms about the neighborhood from what I know.
I don't think it is bad advise to talk to your neighbors before buying though, just to get a feel for who your neighbors will be and what they think of the neighborhood.

You may want to give Mayfair a look also, there is plenty to choose from right now on some very nice blocks. Either way I don't think you would have to worry about being afraid to leave your house in just about any section of the Northeast.

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Thanks for the help so far. I'm pretty much driving everyone I know who lives or has lived int he city crazy.

My plan was to knock on the neighbors doors and say Hi I'm thinking of buying this house and wanted to meet the neighbors but didn't want them to think I'm a complete nutjob - they have plenty of time to figure that out, lol.

I rent with a horrible human being right now and never want to deal with this bs again. Parties next door aren't as big of an issue as ones starting in your house at midnight when you're asleep in bed!

The area you're looking at seems stable. A little close to the Liddonfield housing projects for my taste, but there are plans to rebuild, so maybe that's a good thing.

If you move there, get involved with the Upper Holmesburg Civic.
It's your investment. Make the most of it..and good luck.

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United we stand. Divided we fall.

When PHA rebuilds their developments (Tasker, Mill Creek, Schuylkill Falls, MLK) the property values for the surrounding neighborhoods increased at least 2x more than the citywide average.
Sounds like Holmesburg could be a good investment.

Does that increase take into account the 40% decrease the community had endured for the last 25 years, when PHA mismanaged and did not properly maintain those said Projects, of course they would go up there was no other way to go.

I would say the property values have been slightly lower around the edges of Liddonfield for at least 35-40 years.