Originally Posted by amythatch

It IS very nice in Lawndale. You know, after getting some pants for my son at the Roosevelt Mall, I drove down Castor Ave back to Frankford and happened to look up the first two or three streets off Castor and saw the loveliest blocks! Mature sycamore trees lining every home, nicely kept twins..

There's lots of good stuff here in the lower NE. And I have to say that shopping in Sears was so cool with the West Indians, Irish Catholics and East Asians.

Originally Posted by amythatch

It IS very nice in Lawndale. You know, after getting some pants for my son at the Roosevelt Mall, I drove down Castor Ave back to Frankford and happened to look up the first two or three streets off Castor and saw the loveliest blocks! Mature sycamore trees lining every home, nicely kept twins..

There's lots of good stuff here in the lower NE. And I have to say that shopping in Sears was so cool with the West Indians, Irish Catholics and East Asians.

Originally Posted by amythatch

There's lots of good stuff here in the lower NE. And I have to say that shopping in Sears was so cool with the West Indians, Irish Catholics and East Asians.

Originally Posted by Mayfairchick

Sounds like you were in Castor gardens not lawndale.

Originally Posted by dctineffect

You know where some really really cool houses are is on 4600 or 4700 block of Leiper street right off of Oxford ave. they are huge single homes almost like a mansion with full garages and big yards. They are some homes I would love to get IF the neighborhood was nicer.

Originally Posted by ACE

I know those houses. Beautiful homes.

There's some cool houses on Aarott Street. I don't know the hundred block, but maybe three blocks up from Frankford Avenue. Most are broken up into apartments, and they are amazing inside. The molding alone in them is great.

Originally Posted by ScorpioRose

Yes, they are! Just to give you some idea:

In NJ, when we sold the house there for 200K, the transfer tax was around $800.

In Philly, when we bought this house for around 200K, the transfer tax was 9K. Yes, you read that right.

Fortunately, in Philly, because its so high, the seller and buyer usually split the tax. Still, its a nasty-*ss tax!

Originally Posted by sharkfood

Yeah, but what are the annual property taxes? Probably $9,000 in New Jersey and $800 in Philadelphia. So you make back that transfer tax in a few years.

Originally Posted by amythatch

I wasn't sure where I was off Castor today, identity-wise. Now I know. Castor Gardens. Thanks!

I do know Lawndale, as a friend of mine lives there and so I am somewhat familiar.

Originally Posted by justinh66

I've said periodically that Castor Gardens has been unfairly judged by some folks on here, and also in the NE Times. Yes, there are parts of it that are bad, yes, there are blocks that look dirty and unkempt, but you can't make a judgment about an area that large based on a few pockets of crapiness. Different parts of the neighborhood have a very different feel about them. It's not all great, but it's not a slum, either. Don't believe the hype!