Looking around, the area seems fine. It looks like it there's a small cultural hub for the local ethiopian community (small grocery store + restaurant), a karate dojo and a bunch of old victorian houses. My significant other however has friends who have deemed it too close to the "forbidden zone" for it to be a worthy place to live, but I feel like the deal id be getting on the apartment is too painful for me to part with (5 spacious rooms for 850). Has anyone lived there before? Has anyone had a landlord by the last name of Ahmed?

thank you for any input!

as far as I'm concerned, it's one of the best blocks in west philly.

though I much prefer where I am now, on the western end of Cedar Park, along baltimore ave.

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"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."
— Howard Zinn

I lived at 46th and Walnut last year. Things in that area generally get worse as you head north and west. But right around there is quite nice. When I moved, I came very close to taking an apartment on 45th just north of Locust, but didn't because it felt a bit claustrophobic.

Upon checking my old e-mails, I find that the place I saw on 45th (a one-bedroom, for $500 if I remember correctly) belonged to a Mr. Ahmed, which is probably the same one as your place.

The walk from there to the 46th Street El station can be kind of sketchy at night, though. But if that's a concern for you, you've got other options -- the 21 or 42, or even the trolley on Baltimore.

45 + Locust is fine. I was on Walnut, which is seedier, but still safe (imo). You will be fine. I would not call it near the "forbidden zone"... 45+Chestnut I would say may be near the forbidden zone... but not at locust.

You'll be fine as long as you stay south of there and west to about 50th.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

Your SO's friends are wrong. But then again, maybe they consider Sam's art gallery or Rx dangerous.

It's still shady.

Yeah there's nice places...but there still trash neighbors and the fact that 46th and Market is just well...seedy.


How you going to get to CC....you're going to walk to 46th and Market or wait for 30 minutes for an off peak 42.


It's the northern boundary for the "nice" part of UC.


I lived there. for the record.

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Try to go lower than 46th Street. You really do not want to use the El station at 46th street (it's closing for renovations for a YEAR anyway).

I would stick to the lower 40s as much as possible since that puts you closer to Penn police who run their patrols.

There are rentals on Sansom near the mid 40s that are available right now. I saw them when I was biking there last night.

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Buh-bye.

45th and Locust is between really nice parts of UC and not so nice parts, but the really nice parts such as Garden Court are closer.

Go there, walk around. Get a feel for the neighborhood. I think you'll like it.

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"Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness."

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

What isn't really clear from everybody posts is that from there the issue is not so much east-west as north-south. The 46th St. El is "seedy" but below Walnut and further west below Pine its quite nice for many, many blocks west. I like that area.

BTW the giant apartment complex the Stoneleigh which stretches completely around the block Melville to 46th along Walnut is slowly being rehabbed one section at time and the landlord has some sort of connection to Drexel so for the short term its likely to become a more and more student heavy section of West Philly. FWIW.

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