Moving to Philly from Maryland. Wanted to know if anyone is familiar with 56th and Berks street. Going to see a property on Berks in the morining. Is it worth the ride up? Please tell me quick.

The 54th Street corridor has been problematic in the past. There were 4 or 5 homicides within a 5 block radius last year. This year seems a little better, but it still isn't good.

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“Stupidity has a certain charm - ignorance does not”

Well what will be a "great " area in that community. Help me out a little.

For about the same money there are a number of homes in Overbrook Park. A "great" area? I don't know if you would call it that. I like it, and would buy here again. I wouldn't buy around 54th and Berks right now. There are some very nice areas in Overbrook, particularly in the northern and western part, near Morris Park. Overbrook Farms and Wynnefield Heights (nearer City Ave.) are very nice, but you're looking at at least $300,000 there.

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“Stupidity has a certain charm - ignorance does not”

I think the OP wants to rent, not buy.

Wynnefield starts getting nice roughly above Gainor/Malvern. The closer to City Ave the better.

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I think your best bet would be to stick to Wynnefield Heights (section near Conshohocken Ave & Country Club Rd), Balwynne Park, Belmont Village (an often overlooked neighborhood with some interesting architecture and mix of neighbors), City Ave. areas of Wynnefield and Overbrook if you're looking to buy or rent. Sections of Wynnefield below Wynnefield Ave. aren't as stable.

Overbrook Farms is probably the most elegant of Philadelphia City Ave neighborhoods, but it is at a higher price point than all the other neighborhoods mentioned.

Hi. I know I'm a little late in responding to this topic but I'm going to share my opinions about the neighborhood I grew up in. I'll give you the good and bad points

Good Points

1) Safer than parts of North and South Philly and Chester, Pa.
2) Minutes from Downtown and the suburbs.
3) 54th Street has 1.5 business corridors with stores, pizza shops, laundrymat, a bookstore, and so on (don't eat at Pete's go to Wynnefield Pizza b/c Pete's is nasty)
4) Lots of churches for the religious folks
5) Right near the Mann Center of Performing Arts you can hear the concerts from your window if you live below Berks Street and east of 54th Street.
6) For the most part it's quiet during the fall and winter months when kids are in school.
7) Celebrities pop in the neighborhood every now and again. Why? I don't know.
8) Lots of greenery on the lawn and tree.
9) Close to the suburban business district of Bala Cynwyd. Can you say Lord and Taylor or Saks 5th Avenue?
10) View of the Philadelphia skyline from your roof.

Bad Points

1) Be careful walking 54th Street after dark especially below Diamond Street (hood line) or Gainor Road (good line). Occasional homicides.

2) Nosy neighbors.
3) Bad ass kids below the hood line.
4) Trashy lawns below the hood line.
5) Loud ass neighbors. (section 8)
6) Schools. If you love your kids do not send them to Mann Elementary, Beeber Middle School, and Overbrook High School.
They won't learn diddly squat. The kids are rowdy.

Send them to Gompers Elementary or a charter school in Center City.

7) Rude people (especially some of the old time residents).
8) Stores close up at 7pm.
9) Dirty diapers are thrown out of people's car on 54th Street.

10) Sour apple sewage smell below Berks Street especially Columbia Avenue.

If you can afford to move to the following streets:

The Wynnefield Circle: Parkwyn Rd, 4900 blks of Wynnefield, Wyndale and Woodcrest Avenues, and 50th Street.

Monument Rd, Bryn Mawr Avenue (above Wynnefield Avenue), 51st Street, 52nd Street (above Gainor), 53rd Street (same thing), 54th Street, 56th Street, 57th Street, Graham, Salford, Woodbine Ave, Overbrook Ave, Church Rd, Rexford Rd, Georges Lane (2200 blk), Wanamaker, Hobart, and Melvin Streets.

Streets to avoid IMHO.

Peach St, Oxford, Columbia Ave, Georges Lane (1700 & 1800), Montgomery Ave, Euclid St, Berks (except 5600), and Upland Way from 54th to 57th Streets.

I think that St Joes becoming a bigger partner in stabilizing Wynnefield will at least maintain and improve sections of Wynnefield, especially the part above Wynnefield Ave with the large singles and twins. Some of the most beautiful homes and communities in Philadelphia exist in this pocket. Yet I am more concerned long term about turning around the lower sections of the neighborhood around 54th & Berks. I think that this area is not what it used to be 10-15 years back, but there is potential to make it better since it still isn't as bad as a lot of Philly neighborhoods.

Oh I agree with you totally. Saint Joe's University is in the process of giving lower Wynnefield, along with the upper part, a nice makeover in terms of improving the value of the properties in the hood side of the neighborhood.

There is talk of St. Joe's purchasing the old Acme Supermaket warehouse, at 54th and Upland Way, and converting that into a multi-purpose center/football stadium in which will raise the value of the homes in area on Turner, Oxford, Columbia, and Ruby Streets and on.

The overall mission of St. Joseph's and the city is to make Wynnefield, or Wynnefield Heights as it will be referred to, a diversed community. However, the current predominately Black population are worried that Wynnefield will become gentrified and will kick Blacks out. Far from the truth. This time Wynnefield will have African-Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics, and Asians living there with children attending Mann, Gompers, the Lab School (charter) and Beeber as well as the private schools such as Wynnefield and Woodbine Academies. Hopefully, this will improve the quality of life in Wynnefield.

Interesting feedback. When I was house-hunting I looked at a couple houses in Wynnefield, both on Berks IIRC. For how long has Berks been the "hood line"?

I agree that the presence of St Joe's makes Wynnefield a better bet than some other areas. I might've bought there, despite my misgivings, if the shopping weren't so suburban out that way. I'm sure there are other people to whom that setup would appeal, though.

__________________
Your representatives on Philadelphia's City Council are at odds with our new mayor over whether many reforms he has proposed should become law. Please write to them and tell them what your priorities are.

Indict State Senator Vince Fumo into The Crooked Pol Hall of Fame.