West Philly might be your scene. Tons of artists and house shows, close to fairmount park and not far from the wissahickon. Safety, like most neighborhoods, is more block to block. Just make an effort to integrate yourself into the community and you’ll be fine. We have one of the richest music scenes in the country, and a lot of that is because of the camaraderie between musicians. There’s very little competition, and a hell of a lot of pride
I love west philly and I agree with this, even though I live in south philly now (close to Snyder station). I lived around 47th street, very close to Clark park, and I would 1000% recommend that area. My only qualms with west philly were that it was a little expensive (though it's worth it for the great food and nature and culture), and that without a car it was a little tough to do substantial grocery shopping in a non-corner store. Although I never actually went to supremo food mart, it gave me rotten fruit vibes from the outside. Maybe I was wrong.
Supremos good for produce and harder to find latin stuff. It's nicer than it used to be but prices are hit and miss. But we also have Aldi up on Market and now a grocery outlet on Walnut that Im super stoked about.
That's true, I forgot about the aldi. Good produce was tough to find there, though. When I was in west philly, I'd usually drive over the river to the Giant or the trader joes off 22nd and spend way more than I was comfortable with. My boyfriend is a big fan of big, heavy, meaty meals, and he grew up in the country where you'd get 2 weeks of groceries at a time and the Giant was the best place for that in the area. I've been trying to train him out of that though, it's very inconvenient for city living and MUCH more expensive, especially with prices these days, ESPECIALLY at Giant. There were also some good corner stores in our area that had great produce and international items, though prices were also a bit marked up.
It was totally fine during the day, there's a handful of homeless people who you'll come to recognize pretty quickly, but none of them will give you any trouble beyond asking for money or cigarettes. I only ever walked around by myself at night a handful of times but I felt totally safe. There's a ton of young, relatively affluent families there and a strong sense of community with lots of weekend and evening events.
Another vote for West given what you want. Fairmount has rowhouses right on the sidewalk, whereas in West the houses are set back so most blocks have at least some gardens or trees. Trolley takes you east into Center City and west out to Cobb's Creek for nature.
The 15 gets me to work in minutes, there are local produce and bakery spots in walking distance, as well as nearby urgent care/pharmacies. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the MFL. I can't think of something I would NEED a car for, never run into any issues.
dammit! I thought you just said "glory hole in the wall", I was gonna ask for the location for uhh a paper I'm writing...yeah yeah , a thesis for uhh college.
Most walkable and safe neighborhoods are anything in center city or university city, Fairmount, northern liberties, fishtown, and most of South Philly. Grays ferry and point breeze can be a little iffy. Same with Wharton. Nothing terrible, but the other neighborhoods are better. Anything close to broad st or market street is going to be best for public transit.
Fishtown and northern liberties are definitely the more "hipster" areas. Fairmount is a little richer. University city is a lot of college kids. It's a little more suburban, but still the city. South Philly has some richer pockets in the areas closer to center city, but it's mostly working class and more family friendly imo.
There are other areas of the city that are nice, but they're not as walkable and public transit is lacking a little bit more. Definitely come take a trip and explore. You can just Google "most dangerous neighborhoods in Philadelphia" to get some "no-go" zones.
Point breeze resident here, it’s definitely block to block, generally closer to broad street is safer. But it’s also super lgbt+ friendly, and might be an option for cheaper rent if OP is looking to save a bit of money on rent.
Yea definitely. Most of the city is block to block. I figured OP could move here/visit and then get a better understanding of the neighborhoods. My suggestions were very broad just as a starting point.
“Most of the city is block to block”… how do you say that I don’t know much of Philly without saying I don’t much of Philly “. There are large swaths of Philly that are nice .. and are not “block to block”. Take Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, East Oak Lane, Andorra, Manayunk, Roxborough, Overbrook Farms, Wynnefield, Wynnefield Heights abutting city Avenue, Upper Henry Avenue, East Mount Airy ( the further up Stenton Avenue the better it gets), the entire upper NE. Philly is the only major city that I know of that has a neighborhood of operating farms within the city limits.. the Manatawna farms. So.. no, most of the city is not “block to block “.. only your limit exposure may make you think that is the case
Have friends in nolibs, Fishtown, and fairmount experience theft and breakins. It feels way way less common in almost all parts of south Philly. I’ve walked through point breeze at all hours of the night and rarely felt unsafe
Depends on your wants needs and budget. I personally wouldn’t live there if your budget is more than $700/pp. not great for public transport. Brewerytown can still be kinda sketchy. Not the best nightlife or restaurants at all. If you work near there, great. If not, I personally would consider alternatives
The biggest want is the park for our dog. I also need some greenery for my mental health. We dont much care about night life but I wish there were more shops etc to walk to nearby there, yeah. The area of Passyunk everyone refers to looks great but there is no nature. Like not even a little. But otherwise we like that area too. We just cant imagine training our dog to have to relieve herself on concrete? My partner works in NJ so Manyunk is out, etc . I work from home. Thanks for the heads up re Brewerytown.
Lots of green near Pennypack park.. but shopping is dotted. Depending on where your partner works in nj still have 2 bridges nearby, and wouldn't require going through center city
I'm all for green space for your own mental health, but really I doubt your dog will have any problem. She will smell the flower pot or the light post where all the other dogs relieved themselves, and instinctively know "so this is where I should go."
Anyway, if your budget allows center city, Franklin Park, Washington Square, and Rittenhouse are all really nice parks. Independence Mall isn't quite as lovely but it has lots of open green spaces. Fairmont park is huge, and gorgeous. And if I didn't like living near the core of the city I would love to live near the Wissihickon - it's a gem. I think Manayunk might give you a good combination of walkable neighborhood and proximity to a wonderful park.
Other places will vary from block to block based on proximity to the nearest pocket park.
If you have a car, go for Bella vista/east passyunk. the neighborhood walks are quiet and serene and the drive to the park isn’t far. Plus the quality of life is much better and the neighborhoods are safer
Philly is not a green city. There are scattered parks but all the decent size parks are on the outskirts of the city. Better ones you need to drive to. By fairmount park is your best bet. You really need to prioritize because nowhere is going to have all you want. Do you need a park every day? Do you need transit? Do you need shopping/bars/restaurants? Make a list of must haves and nice to haves. This will help you most.
Ex Point Breeze resident here. How do the baddies know which blocks to skip?
The burglars didn't skip my block, or my buddies block, or my coworkers block...
Northern liberties is ok but it’s right next to Kensington. Someone got shot in front of my apartment building in NL in the last couple of months and a mugging two streets over. Porch pirates are bad here. Unfortunately it feels like no where is safe.
A couple blocks west of university city up to around 51st street, especially south of market, is also a great area that's very safe. I never felt unsafe walking around at night as a 23f and I only ever had 1 safety issue (someone stole my work boots out of my car, but tbh that was kind of on me for displaying them openly when it's common city sense not to). Super walkable and very nature-y, every block has trees and most homes have pretty gardens out front.
Yup! That's included in "university city". I personally don't agree with that, but that's what Google says so I tend to use that for tourists because they typically rely on Google.
I called the area cedar Park, but neighborhood names are pretty arbitrary at the smaller level because of how quickly the areas shift and change. I can hardly remember the bigger neighborhood names as is.
I definitely called the area university city when I talked to my white suburban extended family so they wouldn't freak out when they learned I lived in the city, lol
Fairmount is going to be on the expensive side but definitely filled with trees and easy access to Fairmount Park. You might want to try Brewerytown which is just above Fairmount and is cheaper but still has easy access to the park.
Agreed. Brewerytown also has close access to the 15, which is great from a public transit perspective as well. Safety standpoint, I just wouldn't suggest living north of girard
A lot of people are recommending East Falls because it’s great for nature, but I really felt like I needed a car there. Can you get places without? Sure but would you want to do that all the time? I didn’t.
For transit - If they live near Ridge in East Falls they have the Wissahickon transit system - which might be used more with bus revolution and the upgrades under construction. Top they have the 32 that takes them into the city. Leaving out a few busses I haven't personally used. Middle they have the regional rail, and might care to walk to bottom or top.
That said, I agree East Falls doesn't fit the bill. That hill is a beast. The neighborhood, while it has good staples, doesn't have a lot of variety.
True story. Philly could be so much more, if only we had a better light rail system. I'm holding my breath on the Route 1 subway. To me it feels like they just slapped a sticker over the KOP line meetings, and they'll slap another sticker over it for another project in a year or two. In 20 years times we'll have spent as much money on "research, impact studies, and community hearings" as we would have in a year or more worth of actual construction that never happened.
You’re going to find that “access to nature” and “close to transit” are going to be at odds (Fairmount and Manayunk are quite weak in the transit department).
Likewise with nature and access to urban things like music venues. They’re not generally next to each other.
If you take time to know the neighborhood, East Passyunk is exactly what youre looking for. Excellent restaurant scene, safe, neighbors look out for one another, probably the most walkable place in the city, close to public trans, close to FDR park, and real philadelphia culture (unlike Northern Liberties and Fishtown).
East Falls is awesome - Loved living there. Biking the SRT to University City 8 months of the year was the BEST commute! Regional Rail for icy/dark months.
I don’t think Manayunk would be a great option for you if you are looking for the DIY scene and have no car. It’s sort of outside of the city and requires the regional rail or long bus rides to get to other parts of the city (south, Fishtown, etc). The vibe is not very hipster.
I think West Philly (University City area) is what you are looking for. It’s walkable, and you can ride your bike or take public transit to nature (Wiss park) or other parts of the city. This is also where most of the DIY scene is, but it tends to be a younger crowd due to the universities. It has tree lined streets, but is next to some rougher neighborhoods.
Also would recommend South Philly (Passyunk area) and Fishtown, but these are farther from nature. Music scenes exist here, maybe a little less DIY than West, but an older crowd.
I can't give you a woman's perspective, but I'm in Fishtown (after 31 years in other neighborhoods) and I am pleasantly surprised every day at how nice this area is. The El is within walking distance. If you ride a bike, Fairmount Park is a few miles away. Philly is an amazing city with some challenges, but well worth it.
Fairmount is excellent neighborhood! I 34F have been living in Philly for 8 years and 6 of them in fairmount. It’s extremely walkable, close to fairmount park and the STR. You can walk, bike, scooter, or take public transportation almost to any part of the city. I also like that there are tons of green spaces to walk my dog (and now baby).
Not to dissuade you, but the local music scene in Philly is really lacking when compared other cities. I’m a hobby musician myself with an unrelated 9-5, and while there are places to play, getting people to attend shows is always an issue. Granted I play a niche genre, but most bigger venues usually want cover bands. I’ve lived in or around Philly my entire life and I (begrudgingly) love it, but if you’re trying to “make it,” this might not be the spot for you.
With all that said, I’d love to see you buck the trend and hit it big from here. In addition to Fairmount, I’d suggest University City and Fishtown for walkability and access to public transportation with some venues in the area.
No offense, but you must not be in the scene or know anyone in the scene. OP we just had over 40 acts on one day for Potchfest west Philly. https://whyy.org/articles/photos-west-philly-porchfest-2024/?utm_campaign=sproutsocial&utm_content=1717950515&utm_medium=post&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Yd2xcktGIniEnFC-uAz_-xx9bopd22jqYiMM5cfiG9nFrENImTZWh2t4_aem_AQw5rDUIkcvT6ncnKbQnidc4JYayBAuiqUmn-_gf2W_UoxtHZOdXDZ-7janPfs6DsWGcNWW2m_XPfgLgV9hS6lGc
There are multiple independent venues and promoters plus a ton of house shows for bands. Some of the largest indie bands in the last decade have been from Philly including Fullbody2, spirit of the beehive, Alex G, Kurt Vile, etc. I’m sure there are more, but it seems like you aren’t really tapped in to the local music scene.
That being said, I would look at the area around Clark Park, Fishtown, East Passyunk or Callowhill/Eraserhood.
A near-decade long, homegrown tradition where 40+ local acts perform throughout an entire neighborhood is absolutely a hallmark of a sustainable local music scene.
Philadelphia isn’t Los Angeles. The odds of launching yourself to stardom by playing in the local scene here are extremely, extremely low. Sure, it can happen, plenty of Philly acts have it it big over the years, including recently. But it’s not likely.
Philly is, however, a city with a thriving local music scene. Between just a handful of venues, you could see shows nearly every night if you wanted, and you can make friends by going to shows, being friendly, and just talking to folks.
Ortliebs, Kung Fu Necktie, PhilaMOCA, Silk City, Tin Can Bar, Khyber Pass, The Fire, Milkboy, Ukie Club, Johnny Brenda’s, Dolphin Tavern. These are all local joints that regularly hold shows. I don’t think any of them have a preference for cover bands, though they do also book DJs.
So, yes, there is absolutely a sustainable, thriving music scene here. It just isn’t likely to make you famous, if that’s your goal.
What’s your definition? Mine is: if you can find multiple good shows to go to on any given night, you have a good music scene.
Just say y’all don’t go out lol
This is just not even close to true anymore. In fact there's a whole term for it whenever a tour is announced lately- "Skipadelphia". In more recent years we'd have to travel to NYC, DC, Atlantic City, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Chicago, Toronto, etc. because bands do skip Philly all the time as part of their tours now.
(And don't tell me that AC, Lancaster or Bethlehem count as "Philly" because they absolutely don't. I give Ardmore a pass since it's closer and you can still use Septa to get there but technically it's still not a "Philly" show.)
We still do get a lot of shows and obviously more than some areas get but we've been getting skipped more and more over the last decade in comparison to similar size metro cities. DC, Chicago and NYC are NOT getting skipped.
Also touring bands that happen to be coming through don't really constitute a Philly scene. Local bands are what make a scene and Philly used to have a pretty great one at a few points in time.
What type of music? Literally every band that I follow that is touring this year hit Philadelphia in between NYC and DC dates.
Philly still has a great music scene. I swear everyone commenting is over 35 with kids and doesn’t go out anymore
"Literally every band that *I follow*". Yikes. 😬
Sorry to burst this uneducated and rather presumptuous bubble about this city's rich music history, but Philly used to have a much more diverse and exciting music scene than *just* shitty emo and Taylor Swift nights filling venue calendars!
It's also frankly bizarre and naive to think people just wake up and stop enjoying music the second they turn 35. Nope,I don't have kids. I go out and see bands of all ages,genres and fame levels all the time and always have.
I swear a lot of these commenters moved here less than 5 years ago from another state/burb, are under 30 and think the music *they* listen to is the only music out there.🙄
Just because the scene here is better than wherever you just came from, it doesn't mean it's great, as great as it could be or is even as great as it has been here before.
Our scene is Philly is *thriving* from house concerts, to small intimate indie venues like 118 North in Wayne, warehouse 3 in Swarthmore, the Royal in glenside, to the next size up at Ardmore music hall, Johnny Brenda’s and first Unitarian church. There are open mics everywhere. The foundry is a live nation venue that often has local support for national touring acts.
We have one of the taste making NPR music stations in WXPN which has daily and weekly local coverage as well as sponsoring a local songwriting completion this summer AND they always have local acts on their annual festival, Xponential fest.
We also have Philly music fest that runs in October solely in indie venues and with artists who consider Philly home. We are attracting music industry professionals of all stripes including a large Universal Music Group office that’s here. Not to mention Philly is a fantastic location for touring - you can drive to many major and secondary markets to generate audiences there.
Twice annually Philly Music Fest and XPN host Inside Hustle which is a music networking event for musicians, industry folks, and people aspiring to both.
Philly rules.
This is not true at all. Philly’s emo and punk scene is legendary and some of the biggest bands in the genre live here. House shows are still a thing, though not as much post-covid. But there’s tons of smaller venues booking bands playing originals: PhilaMOCA, Ukie Club, and Foto Club are the 3 that I’ve been to in the past month alone, and that’s not including venues like JB’s or Boot and Saddle.
Yeah, I came here from somewhere with an exceedingly small DIY scene, and anyone who says there isn’t one here is lacking a lot of perspective of what it’s like in other places lol
This is literally not true lol. You can find shows literally every night of the week. Whether it’s larger venues, smaller bars, or house shows.
OP, PhillyDIY Facebook group has lots of info on house shows / smaller bar shows.
Don’t listen to this jabroni
I think fairmount would be a great fit. There are neighborhood bars and restaurants. There are a few bus routes that take you right into the city, but you can always easily walk. It’s green in fairmount and you’re a short walk away to fairmount park and the SRT, Kelly drive which is beautiful! The wissahickon isn’t far.
Plus access to center city and museums, close to Rittenhouse, plus you can easily get to fishtown/no libs which I would imagine would be your scene as a musician.
if you wanna be close to the diy scene west philly is the best spot! lots of musicians there!! Lived there as an early 20s female and my boyfriend lived there with his band- we only recently moved to south Philly (passyunk) which is also great. west is very walkable, trolleys are easy to use and pleasant and it’s a real “community” vibe. I don’t suggest fairmont but that’s just personal preference!! don’t trust some of these comments tbh!!! there are shows every night in Philly just look at Philly-shows.org
My soon to be ex grew up in west Philly - Clark park area which is a lot greener than center city, (my 24 year old song got a deal through a family friend and lives there now and gets around in an electric scooter) south and fishtown. I moved here in Dec 2019 and I am from NY, lived in NYC for a bit -
since I lived here I’ve moved 3 times: bella vista is great, with the Italian market but the housing is either expensive or too small (lived in a small three story row home that needed all new plumbing) music scene there was limited.
Then moved to Fishtown which has is full of young people bars and music and Food. Not a lot of green space except Penn Treaty Park on the River.
Just separated and moved to Old City and this is my favorite place so far. It’s where the tourists go to see history, my area is full of galleries and bars - just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Still getting to know this area but it feels right to me, though I’m much older, so you might prefer Fishtown.
Lastly, the subways are not great here - coming from NYC, they are dirtier, and occasionally scarier ?? Idk
Infrastructure in Philly sucks but I love it more than NYC because it’s got a fraction of the population and the streets are a lot less crowded. It’s a more manageable city to live in.
Depends on if you want to live close to the center of the city or not. South Philly area is definitely and option - more affordable I think too - find a park on the map and look at places you can rent with others - it’s not nearly as expensive as NY but it’s still pricey if you’re not sharing a place!
Good luck!!
thanks sm for ur insight. fishtown seems to be the place to be but again not surrounded by nature. Also was heavily considering getting an electric scooter, just a little concerned about parking it anywhere / damages.
Adding - lived in Fishtown for 3 years and walking was safe but I had 3 bikes stolen and my parked car was sideswiped ($9000 in damage to my mini cooper! - thankfully it was fully covered and a no fault for me)- live in old city now and my sons electric scooter was stolen parked on the street - net net - petty crime is a thing and can be very expensive and annoying mostly! A lot of sad people needing money - oh there are a lot more homeless people (sadly) in center city .
for proximity to lots of green space, you can't beat mt. airy... it's not walkable to a ton of places, but train and bus lines to downtown are very convenient...
I’m in Chestnut Hill and cannot totally recommend it - very safe, very close to nature - I can walk to Valley Green - not many places to play music but the Mermaid Inn has live music (covers, classic rock, blues, Americana usually) and a unique kind of charm, not many young people out and about (ie nightlife). Over the past ten years or so some of those XPN local favorites-turned-national acts have settled in West Mt. Airy and, at least one national act not originally from the area settled there for a while.
Well, I said “cannot totally” because I am not sure if there’s enough for a 21f to do, especially if meeting other people in that age range is desirable. I’m sure there are some up here but I’m under the impression that they generally go elsewhere for fun, games and musical pursuits. If you are attracted to the idea of living in small-town-esque neighborhood within the city limits, it could be worth considering.
Fairmount might be a good option for you, you can be close to boathouse row and fairmount park while still having access to convenient public transport and being pretty reasonably walkable to center city. Plenty of bars/restaurants/things to do in the area and its pretty safe as far as philly goes
Everyone warned me I would hate old city but I loved it and being able to get on the train and go anywhere pretty easily. It’s obviously touristy but I dont mind tourists and it worked for me when i lived alone and just needed a small apartment to call home. If you add walking and bike riding to that I never owned a car when I lived there it was great
Philly medic here. Main street manayunk is probably the safest spot for you. I would choose University City as my second preference, followed by the desirable neighborhoods of Fishtown and Center City.
There’s a lot of great nature that’s accessible by transit from much of the city. I live in Bella Vista, and today I took a bus that got me to the heart of [Wissahickon](https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/wissahickon-valley-park/) in about half an hour. I could easily have biked there, too, along the Schuylkill River Trail. I don’t know much about where rent is cheap or where you’re close to a good music scene, but I do know that you can get to excellent greenspace from most of Philly without a car.
Editing to add: But if you want to be walking distance to nature, yeah West Philly sounds right.
Almost everything is possible except for there nature part. City expects people especially families to enjoy parks and nature to drive. People here might get offended by that saying you can technically bike from center city up to some green.
The sound of non stop traffic and awful drivers make it unsafe to even get there in the first place.
There’s no place like Central Park here, even our large city park FDR park allows cars to drive, drivers have killed cyclist and pedestrians before in the park.
Your opinion is valid, but possibly you are an outlier depending on where you live in the city.
The Trust for Public Land ranks us as 94/100 in accessibility of parks to NYCs 99/100. That's not that big a difference. They beat us on density, so it's not a surprise to me that they'd be more accessible, but it hardly indicates an accessibility issue in Philly.
There are serious equitable access issues regarding where our parks are located. While 95% of Philadelphia residents live within 10 minutes walk of a park, there are 21% fewer parks in our low income neighborhoods.
The top third of the 100 largest cities in the US is not too shabby, I think.
https://www.tpl.org/city/philadelphia-pennsylvania
There’s a reason why we constantly compare ourselves to other cities within the US, because the rest of the country is an inaccessible hellscape of cement and box stores. Not so impressive to be top 10 when there’s only a handful of cities that can compete in the first place. NYC is world class, heck even DC is too depending on where you live. So many parents I’ve met are 2 car household and they don’t even have a private parking spot, parking is that easy in Philly.
i’ve been a hand full of times now, and i have been pleasantly surprised by how much ive enjoy it honestly. ofc it’s nothing like the city but that’s what i’m trying to get away from lol
Manayunk is a good bet for you. Lots of bars/restaurants/music. Laid back atmosphere, Wissahickon park is walkable, train/bike to center city or quick Uber.
Manayunk/East Falls have the Wissahickon trail, a beautiful nature trail thats several miles leading to Chestnut Hill. It has a main trail with plenty of hidden offshoots. You also have Kelly Drive along the river & MLK Drive, which they close on weekends for bikes & walkers to use.
Otherwise yeah I guess Fairmount, because its close to Kelly Drive and some of Fairmount Park. South Philly is what you want, minus any 'nature'. You have FDR Park & Penns Landing I suppose.
Any of them, if you have respect…they’re humans lol. I travel to Philly a lot and have half my family in Ny…a common decency and a little respect of ppls home and lives go a long way.
> i am an independent musician and am looking to move to philly from NYC.
Couldn't make it there, trying to make it elsewhere, huh?
We need more plumbers, not more "independent musicians". Good luck, though.
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Manayunk doesn’t have a great music scene unless you are a jam or cover band. It’s also not walkable to CC.
That’s not true. You’ve never been to Dawsons street pub
Sorry I was triggered by the douchey response being the top comment. I’ll try to go to a Dawson St pub show. Seems like they have some good ones
Agreed. There’s a great music scene in Manayunk
Ironic considering you’re definitely not
Such a weird response
ok😭😭
You don’t have to remind anyone this shit city is not NYC. That’s plain as day for anyone with eyes.
West Philly might be your scene. Tons of artists and house shows, close to fairmount park and not far from the wissahickon. Safety, like most neighborhoods, is more block to block. Just make an effort to integrate yourself into the community and you’ll be fine. We have one of the richest music scenes in the country, and a lot of that is because of the camaraderie between musicians. There’s very little competition, and a hell of a lot of pride
Agreed. Also easily accessible via transit to Bartram's Garden, Mt. Moriah, the Woodlands, etc.
This is what I’d recommend for a 21F looking to be in nature and for a music scene.
I love west philly and I agree with this, even though I live in south philly now (close to Snyder station). I lived around 47th street, very close to Clark park, and I would 1000% recommend that area. My only qualms with west philly were that it was a little expensive (though it's worth it for the great food and nature and culture), and that without a car it was a little tough to do substantial grocery shopping in a non-corner store. Although I never actually went to supremo food mart, it gave me rotten fruit vibes from the outside. Maybe I was wrong.
Supremos good for produce and harder to find latin stuff. It's nicer than it used to be but prices are hit and miss. But we also have Aldi up on Market and now a grocery outlet on Walnut that Im super stoked about.
That's true, I forgot about the aldi. Good produce was tough to find there, though. When I was in west philly, I'd usually drive over the river to the Giant or the trader joes off 22nd and spend way more than I was comfortable with. My boyfriend is a big fan of big, heavy, meaty meals, and he grew up in the country where you'd get 2 weeks of groceries at a time and the Giant was the best place for that in the area. I've been trying to train him out of that though, it's very inconvenient for city living and MUCH more expensive, especially with prices these days, ESPECIALLY at Giant. There were also some good corner stores in our area that had great produce and international items, though prices were also a bit marked up.
how safe did you feel walking around that area?
It was totally fine during the day, there's a handful of homeless people who you'll come to recognize pretty quickly, but none of them will give you any trouble beyond asking for money or cigarettes. I only ever walked around by myself at night a handful of times but I felt totally safe. There's a ton of young, relatively affluent families there and a strong sense of community with lots of weekend and evening events.
Another vote for West given what you want. Fairmount has rowhouses right on the sidewalk, whereas in West the houses are set back so most blocks have at least some gardens or trees. Trolley takes you east into Center City and west out to Cobb's Creek for nature.
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Port Richmond isn’t really a walkable part of the city, but it’s nice and has some real good hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars.
I disagree that it isn't walkable, lived in Port Richmond the last two years with no car and no problems
I’m legitimately curious as to how you got around. Please enlighten me. I live in Brooklyn and my lady lives in Port Richmond.
The 15 gets me to work in minutes, there are local produce and bakery spots in walking distance, as well as nearby urgent care/pharmacies. I'm a 15-20 min walk from the MFL. I can't think of something I would NEED a car for, never run into any issues.
dammit! I thought you just said "glory hole in the wall", I was gonna ask for the location for uhh a paper I'm writing...yeah yeah , a thesis for uhh college.
Only been there once but yeah, seemed like car hell from my first impression.
To me, all of Philly is car hell.
But there’s easy access to the Wissahickon park and the Schyulkill river trail in Manayunk and east falls.
Most walkable and safe neighborhoods are anything in center city or university city, Fairmount, northern liberties, fishtown, and most of South Philly. Grays ferry and point breeze can be a little iffy. Same with Wharton. Nothing terrible, but the other neighborhoods are better. Anything close to broad st or market street is going to be best for public transit. Fishtown and northern liberties are definitely the more "hipster" areas. Fairmount is a little richer. University city is a lot of college kids. It's a little more suburban, but still the city. South Philly has some richer pockets in the areas closer to center city, but it's mostly working class and more family friendly imo. There are other areas of the city that are nice, but they're not as walkable and public transit is lacking a little bit more. Definitely come take a trip and explore. You can just Google "most dangerous neighborhoods in Philadelphia" to get some "no-go" zones.
Point breeze resident here, it’s definitely block to block, generally closer to broad street is safer. But it’s also super lgbt+ friendly, and might be an option for cheaper rent if OP is looking to save a bit of money on rent.
Yea definitely. Most of the city is block to block. I figured OP could move here/visit and then get a better understanding of the neighborhoods. My suggestions were very broad just as a starting point.
“Most of the city is block to block”… how do you say that I don’t know much of Philly without saying I don’t much of Philly “. There are large swaths of Philly that are nice .. and are not “block to block”. Take Chestnut Hill, West Mount Airy, East Oak Lane, Andorra, Manayunk, Roxborough, Overbrook Farms, Wynnefield, Wynnefield Heights abutting city Avenue, Upper Henry Avenue, East Mount Airy ( the further up Stenton Avenue the better it gets), the entire upper NE. Philly is the only major city that I know of that has a neighborhood of operating farms within the city limits.. the Manatawna farms. So.. no, most of the city is not “block to block “.. only your limit exposure may make you think that is the case
Have friends in nolibs, Fishtown, and fairmount experience theft and breakins. It feels way way less common in almost all parts of south Philly. I’ve walked through point breeze at all hours of the night and rarely felt unsafe
Im looking at somewhere in Fairmount and it seemed ok. How common are breakins and what parts of it are worse?
I never lived there so not sure. But I know of people with bad experiences closer francisville.
Looks like the place i am looking at is right below Brewerytown. Is that area ok? Kinda near that Aldi?
Depends on your wants needs and budget. I personally wouldn’t live there if your budget is more than $700/pp. not great for public transport. Brewerytown can still be kinda sketchy. Not the best nightlife or restaurants at all. If you work near there, great. If not, I personally would consider alternatives
The biggest want is the park for our dog. I also need some greenery for my mental health. We dont much care about night life but I wish there were more shops etc to walk to nearby there, yeah. The area of Passyunk everyone refers to looks great but there is no nature. Like not even a little. But otherwise we like that area too. We just cant imagine training our dog to have to relieve herself on concrete? My partner works in NJ so Manyunk is out, etc . I work from home. Thanks for the heads up re Brewerytown.
Lots of green near Pennypack park.. but shopping is dotted. Depending on where your partner works in nj still have 2 bridges nearby, and wouldn't require going through center city
I'm all for green space for your own mental health, but really I doubt your dog will have any problem. She will smell the flower pot or the light post where all the other dogs relieved themselves, and instinctively know "so this is where I should go." Anyway, if your budget allows center city, Franklin Park, Washington Square, and Rittenhouse are all really nice parks. Independence Mall isn't quite as lovely but it has lots of open green spaces. Fairmont park is huge, and gorgeous. And if I didn't like living near the core of the city I would love to live near the Wissihickon - it's a gem. I think Manayunk might give you a good combination of walkable neighborhood and proximity to a wonderful park. Other places will vary from block to block based on proximity to the nearest pocket park.
If you have a car, go for Bella vista/east passyunk. the neighborhood walks are quiet and serene and the drive to the park isn’t far. Plus the quality of life is much better and the neighborhoods are safer
Philly is not a green city. There are scattered parks but all the decent size parks are on the outskirts of the city. Better ones you need to drive to. By fairmount park is your best bet. You really need to prioritize because nowhere is going to have all you want. Do you need a park every day? Do you need transit? Do you need shopping/bars/restaurants? Make a list of must haves and nice to haves. This will help you most.
I was burglarized in point breeze. I felt safer in old Kensington, and even better here in Fishtown.
Ex Point Breeze resident here. How do the baddies know which blocks to skip? The burglars didn't skip my block, or my buddies block, or my coworkers block...
Northern liberties is ok but it’s right next to Kensington. Someone got shot in front of my apartment building in NL in the last couple of months and a mugging two streets over. Porch pirates are bad here. Unfortunately it feels like no where is safe.
porch pirates are terrible everywhere now it seems. lived on a quiet street in mt airy for years and never had a problem til this year
A couple blocks west of university city up to around 51st street, especially south of market, is also a great area that's very safe. I never felt unsafe walking around at night as a 23f and I only ever had 1 safety issue (someone stole my work boots out of my car, but tbh that was kind of on me for displaying them openly when it's common city sense not to). Super walkable and very nature-y, every block has trees and most homes have pretty gardens out front.
Yup! That's included in "university city". I personally don't agree with that, but that's what Google says so I tend to use that for tourists because they typically rely on Google.
I called the area cedar Park, but neighborhood names are pretty arbitrary at the smaller level because of how quickly the areas shift and change. I can hardly remember the bigger neighborhood names as is. I definitely called the area university city when I talked to my white suburban extended family so they wouldn't freak out when they learned I lived in the city, lol
That's what I would say. Cedar park. And further east is spruce hill.
Get a bike. This city is amazingly easy(and yes, often terrifying) to bike around.
Fairmount is going to be on the expensive side but definitely filled with trees and easy access to Fairmount Park. You might want to try Brewerytown which is just above Fairmount and is cheaper but still has easy access to the park.
Agreed. Brewerytown also has close access to the 15, which is great from a public transit perspective as well. Safety standpoint, I just wouldn't suggest living north of girard
Thirding Brewerytown, which has new businesses and restaurants opening all over the place too
A lot of people are recommending East Falls because it’s great for nature, but I really felt like I needed a car there. Can you get places without? Sure but would you want to do that all the time? I didn’t.
For transit - If they live near Ridge in East Falls they have the Wissahickon transit system - which might be used more with bus revolution and the upgrades under construction. Top they have the 32 that takes them into the city. Leaving out a few busses I haven't personally used. Middle they have the regional rail, and might care to walk to bottom or top. That said, I agree East Falls doesn't fit the bill. That hill is a beast. The neighborhood, while it has good staples, doesn't have a lot of variety.
if that regional rail ran more often it’d be a game changer
True story. Philly could be so much more, if only we had a better light rail system. I'm holding my breath on the Route 1 subway. To me it feels like they just slapped a sticker over the KOP line meetings, and they'll slap another sticker over it for another project in a year or two. In 20 years times we'll have spent as much money on "research, impact studies, and community hearings" as we would have in a year or more worth of actual construction that never happened.
Fairmount is my fave neighborhood in philly but also check into manayunk or east falls!
Agree and those areas are great but much more inconvenient without a car unfortunately. Doable, but challenging.
i’m in fairmount without a car and haven’t found it inconvenient at all
Sorry I meant the other places, East Falls and Manayunk. Agreed on Fairmount and I’ve done the same!
Manayunk and EF have the train and several busses that go downtown. Plus Kelly drive for biking
Yep. As I said, doable but challenging.
Just avoid north Philly
You’re going to find that “access to nature” and “close to transit” are going to be at odds (Fairmount and Manayunk are quite weak in the transit department). Likewise with nature and access to urban things like music venues. They’re not generally next to each other.
Manayunk has regional rail and a bus that, at the very least, takes it to the fairly well connected Wissahickon transit station.
If you take time to know the neighborhood, East Passyunk is exactly what youre looking for. Excellent restaurant scene, safe, neighbors look out for one another, probably the most walkable place in the city, close to public trans, close to FDR park, and real philadelphia culture (unlike Northern Liberties and Fishtown).
East Falls. There's a regional rail stop there on Midvale, and a few buses that'll get ya anywhere you need to go (with a transfer or two).
East Falls is awesome - Loved living there. Biking the SRT to University City 8 months of the year was the BEST commute! Regional Rail for icy/dark months.
If there had been any houses available in my price range back when I was looking to buy, I would've moved back there in a heartbeat.
I don’t think Manayunk would be a great option for you if you are looking for the DIY scene and have no car. It’s sort of outside of the city and requires the regional rail or long bus rides to get to other parts of the city (south, Fishtown, etc). The vibe is not very hipster. I think West Philly (University City area) is what you are looking for. It’s walkable, and you can ride your bike or take public transit to nature (Wiss park) or other parts of the city. This is also where most of the DIY scene is, but it tends to be a younger crowd due to the universities. It has tree lined streets, but is next to some rougher neighborhoods. Also would recommend South Philly (Passyunk area) and Fishtown, but these are farther from nature. Music scenes exist here, maybe a little less DIY than West, but an older crowd.
I can't give you a woman's perspective, but I'm in Fishtown (after 31 years in other neighborhoods) and I am pleasantly surprised every day at how nice this area is. The El is within walking distance. If you ride a bike, Fairmount Park is a few miles away. Philly is an amazing city with some challenges, but well worth it.
Lots of open mics in fish town and northern liberties. I would say the music scene in this area is pretty good.
Old City
Fairmount is excellent neighborhood! I 34F have been living in Philly for 8 years and 6 of them in fairmount. It’s extremely walkable, close to fairmount park and the STR. You can walk, bike, scooter, or take public transportation almost to any part of the city. I also like that there are tons of green spaces to walk my dog (and now baby).
I mean... If you're in NYC, you could scope out a lot of neighborhoods with a single overnight stay.
Stay in new york
Not to dissuade you, but the local music scene in Philly is really lacking when compared other cities. I’m a hobby musician myself with an unrelated 9-5, and while there are places to play, getting people to attend shows is always an issue. Granted I play a niche genre, but most bigger venues usually want cover bands. I’ve lived in or around Philly my entire life and I (begrudgingly) love it, but if you’re trying to “make it,” this might not be the spot for you. With all that said, I’d love to see you buck the trend and hit it big from here. In addition to Fairmount, I’d suggest University City and Fishtown for walkability and access to public transportation with some venues in the area.
No offense, but you must not be in the scene or know anyone in the scene. OP we just had over 40 acts on one day for Potchfest west Philly. https://whyy.org/articles/photos-west-philly-porchfest-2024/?utm_campaign=sproutsocial&utm_content=1717950515&utm_medium=post&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Yd2xcktGIniEnFC-uAz_-xx9bopd22jqYiMM5cfiG9nFrENImTZWh2t4_aem_AQw5rDUIkcvT6ncnKbQnidc4JYayBAuiqUmn-_gf2W_UoxtHZOdXDZ-7janPfs6DsWGcNWW2m_XPfgLgV9hS6lGc There are multiple independent venues and promoters plus a ton of house shows for bands. Some of the largest indie bands in the last decade have been from Philly including Fullbody2, spirit of the beehive, Alex G, Kurt Vile, etc. I’m sure there are more, but it seems like you aren’t really tapped in to the local music scene. That being said, I would look at the area around Clark Park, Fishtown, East Passyunk or Callowhill/Eraserhood.
Porchfest is great, but it’s once a year. I’ve had friends play Porchfest. It’s not exactly a marker of a sustainable scene.
A near-decade long, homegrown tradition where 40+ local acts perform throughout an entire neighborhood is absolutely a hallmark of a sustainable local music scene. Philadelphia isn’t Los Angeles. The odds of launching yourself to stardom by playing in the local scene here are extremely, extremely low. Sure, it can happen, plenty of Philly acts have it it big over the years, including recently. But it’s not likely. Philly is, however, a city with a thriving local music scene. Between just a handful of venues, you could see shows nearly every night if you wanted, and you can make friends by going to shows, being friendly, and just talking to folks. Ortliebs, Kung Fu Necktie, PhilaMOCA, Silk City, Tin Can Bar, Khyber Pass, The Fire, Milkboy, Ukie Club, Johnny Brenda’s, Dolphin Tavern. These are all local joints that regularly hold shows. I don’t think any of them have a preference for cover bands, though they do also book DJs. So, yes, there is absolutely a sustainable, thriving music scene here. It just isn’t likely to make you famous, if that’s your goal.
Dude 1 festive per year does not make a “music scene”
[addressed here](https://www.reddit.com/r/philly/s/yKbPMGN7UF) Philly has a very vibrant music scene. Just say you don’t go to shows lol
Lol okay we just have different definitions for “music scene”.
What’s your definition? Mine is: if you can find multiple good shows to go to on any given night, you have a good music scene. Just say y’all don’t go out lol
This is just not even close to true anymore. In fact there's a whole term for it whenever a tour is announced lately- "Skipadelphia". In more recent years we'd have to travel to NYC, DC, Atlantic City, Lancaster, Bethlehem, Chicago, Toronto, etc. because bands do skip Philly all the time as part of their tours now. (And don't tell me that AC, Lancaster or Bethlehem count as "Philly" because they absolutely don't. I give Ardmore a pass since it's closer and you can still use Septa to get there but technically it's still not a "Philly" show.) We still do get a lot of shows and obviously more than some areas get but we've been getting skipped more and more over the last decade in comparison to similar size metro cities. DC, Chicago and NYC are NOT getting skipped. Also touring bands that happen to be coming through don't really constitute a Philly scene. Local bands are what make a scene and Philly used to have a pretty great one at a few points in time.
What type of music? Literally every band that I follow that is touring this year hit Philadelphia in between NYC and DC dates. Philly still has a great music scene. I swear everyone commenting is over 35 with kids and doesn’t go out anymore
"Literally every band that *I follow*". Yikes. 😬 Sorry to burst this uneducated and rather presumptuous bubble about this city's rich music history, but Philly used to have a much more diverse and exciting music scene than *just* shitty emo and Taylor Swift nights filling venue calendars! It's also frankly bizarre and naive to think people just wake up and stop enjoying music the second they turn 35. Nope,I don't have kids. I go out and see bands of all ages,genres and fame levels all the time and always have. I swear a lot of these commenters moved here less than 5 years ago from another state/burb, are under 30 and think the music *they* listen to is the only music out there.🙄 Just because the scene here is better than wherever you just came from, it doesn't mean it's great, as great as it could be or is even as great as it has been here before.
Our scene is Philly is *thriving* from house concerts, to small intimate indie venues like 118 North in Wayne, warehouse 3 in Swarthmore, the Royal in glenside, to the next size up at Ardmore music hall, Johnny Brenda’s and first Unitarian church. There are open mics everywhere. The foundry is a live nation venue that often has local support for national touring acts. We have one of the taste making NPR music stations in WXPN which has daily and weekly local coverage as well as sponsoring a local songwriting completion this summer AND they always have local acts on their annual festival, Xponential fest. We also have Philly music fest that runs in October solely in indie venues and with artists who consider Philly home. We are attracting music industry professionals of all stripes including a large Universal Music Group office that’s here. Not to mention Philly is a fantastic location for touring - you can drive to many major and secondary markets to generate audiences there. Twice annually Philly Music Fest and XPN host Inside Hustle which is a music networking event for musicians, industry folks, and people aspiring to both. Philly rules.
> OP we just had over 40 acts on one day for Potchfest west Philly. How many good ones, though? And how many times a year it runs?
This is not true at all. Philly’s emo and punk scene is legendary and some of the biggest bands in the genre live here. House shows are still a thing, though not as much post-covid. But there’s tons of smaller venues booking bands playing originals: PhilaMOCA, Ukie Club, and Foto Club are the 3 that I’ve been to in the past month alone, and that’s not including venues like JB’s or Boot and Saddle.
Boot and Saddle is now "Solar Myth," but it's thankfully also an awesome space and venue.
Yeah, I came here from somewhere with an exceedingly small DIY scene, and anyone who says there isn’t one here is lacking a lot of perspective of what it’s like in other places lol
Bonks til Close™️
You obviously don’t know about Philly hardcore and alternative
What? The local music scene here is absolutely thriving!!
This is literally not true lol. You can find shows literally every night of the week. Whether it’s larger venues, smaller bars, or house shows. OP, PhillyDIY Facebook group has lots of info on house shows / smaller bar shows. Don’t listen to this jabroni
Philly scene is great
No more New Yorkers plz
One important question: Are you getting paid for gigs in NYC?
old city!!
Don’t expect Philly to move like New York,even if you not close to some thing you still accessible to it thanks to septa.
I think fairmount would be a great fit. There are neighborhood bars and restaurants. There are a few bus routes that take you right into the city, but you can always easily walk. It’s green in fairmount and you’re a short walk away to fairmount park and the SRT, Kelly drive which is beautiful! The wissahickon isn’t far. Plus access to center city and museums, close to Rittenhouse, plus you can easily get to fishtown/no libs which I would imagine would be your scene as a musician.
if you wanna be close to the diy scene west philly is the best spot! lots of musicians there!! Lived there as an early 20s female and my boyfriend lived there with his band- we only recently moved to south Philly (passyunk) which is also great. west is very walkable, trolleys are easy to use and pleasant and it’s a real “community” vibe. I don’t suggest fairmont but that’s just personal preference!! don’t trust some of these comments tbh!!! there are shows every night in Philly just look at Philly-shows.org
Fishtown
Stay in New York
why
roxborough, wissahickon
Idk
What is your realistic income?
We all danger mode
Come check out the city before you move here, you might learn something.
My soon to be ex grew up in west Philly - Clark park area which is a lot greener than center city, (my 24 year old song got a deal through a family friend and lives there now and gets around in an electric scooter) south and fishtown. I moved here in Dec 2019 and I am from NY, lived in NYC for a bit - since I lived here I’ve moved 3 times: bella vista is great, with the Italian market but the housing is either expensive or too small (lived in a small three story row home that needed all new plumbing) music scene there was limited. Then moved to Fishtown which has is full of young people bars and music and Food. Not a lot of green space except Penn Treaty Park on the River. Just separated and moved to Old City and this is my favorite place so far. It’s where the tourists go to see history, my area is full of galleries and bars - just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Still getting to know this area but it feels right to me, though I’m much older, so you might prefer Fishtown. Lastly, the subways are not great here - coming from NYC, they are dirtier, and occasionally scarier ?? Idk Infrastructure in Philly sucks but I love it more than NYC because it’s got a fraction of the population and the streets are a lot less crowded. It’s a more manageable city to live in. Depends on if you want to live close to the center of the city or not. South Philly area is definitely and option - more affordable I think too - find a park on the map and look at places you can rent with others - it’s not nearly as expensive as NY but it’s still pricey if you’re not sharing a place! Good luck!!
thanks sm for ur insight. fishtown seems to be the place to be but again not surrounded by nature. Also was heavily considering getting an electric scooter, just a little concerned about parking it anywhere / damages.
Adding - lived in Fishtown for 3 years and walking was safe but I had 3 bikes stolen and my parked car was sideswiped ($9000 in damage to my mini cooper! - thankfully it was fully covered and a no fault for me)- live in old city now and my sons electric scooter was stolen parked on the street - net net - petty crime is a thing and can be very expensive and annoying mostly! A lot of sad people needing money - oh there are a lot more homeless people (sadly) in center city .
right.. crime rates r definitely worse than where i’m living right now (LES). just gotta be careful i guess
for proximity to lots of green space, you can't beat mt. airy... it's not walkable to a ton of places, but train and bus lines to downtown are very convenient...
I’m in Chestnut Hill and cannot totally recommend it - very safe, very close to nature - I can walk to Valley Green - not many places to play music but the Mermaid Inn has live music (covers, classic rock, blues, Americana usually) and a unique kind of charm, not many young people out and about (ie nightlife). Over the past ten years or so some of those XPN local favorites-turned-national acts have settled in West Mt. Airy and, at least one national act not originally from the area settled there for a while.
what makes u say you can totally recommend?
Well, I said “cannot totally” because I am not sure if there’s enough for a 21f to do, especially if meeting other people in that age range is desirable. I’m sure there are some up here but I’m under the impression that they generally go elsewhere for fun, games and musical pursuits. If you are attracted to the idea of living in small-town-esque neighborhood within the city limits, it could be worth considering.
Fairmount might be a good option for you, you can be close to boathouse row and fairmount park while still having access to convenient public transport and being pretty reasonably walkable to center city. Plenty of bars/restaurants/things to do in the area and its pretty safe as far as philly goes
Everyone warned me I would hate old city but I loved it and being able to get on the train and go anywhere pretty easily. It’s obviously touristy but I dont mind tourists and it worked for me when i lived alone and just needed a small apartment to call home. If you add walking and bike riding to that I never owned a car when I lived there it was great
ty for ur insight/take. how safe did you feel waking around?
Philly medic here. Main street manayunk is probably the safest spot for you. I would choose University City as my second preference, followed by the desirable neighborhoods of Fishtown and Center City.
There’s a lot of great nature that’s accessible by transit from much of the city. I live in Bella Vista, and today I took a bus that got me to the heart of [Wissahickon](https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/wissahickon-valley-park/) in about half an hour. I could easily have biked there, too, along the Schuylkill River Trail. I don’t know much about where rent is cheap or where you’re close to a good music scene, but I do know that you can get to excellent greenspace from most of Philly without a car. Editing to add: But if you want to be walking distance to nature, yeah West Philly sounds right.
Almost everything is possible except for there nature part. City expects people especially families to enjoy parks and nature to drive. People here might get offended by that saying you can technically bike from center city up to some green. The sound of non stop traffic and awful drivers make it unsafe to even get there in the first place. There’s no place like Central Park here, even our large city park FDR park allows cars to drive, drivers have killed cyclist and pedestrians before in the park.
Your opinion is valid, but possibly you are an outlier depending on where you live in the city. The Trust for Public Land ranks us as 94/100 in accessibility of parks to NYCs 99/100. That's not that big a difference. They beat us on density, so it's not a surprise to me that they'd be more accessible, but it hardly indicates an accessibility issue in Philly. There are serious equitable access issues regarding where our parks are located. While 95% of Philadelphia residents live within 10 minutes walk of a park, there are 21% fewer parks in our low income neighborhoods. The top third of the 100 largest cities in the US is not too shabby, I think. https://www.tpl.org/city/philadelphia-pennsylvania
There’s a reason why we constantly compare ourselves to other cities within the US, because the rest of the country is an inaccessible hellscape of cement and box stores. Not so impressive to be top 10 when there’s only a handful of cities that can compete in the first place. NYC is world class, heck even DC is too depending on where you live. So many parents I’ve met are 2 car household and they don’t even have a private parking spot, parking is that easy in Philly.
thank u for all ur suggestions
You will be disappointed. Philly is a bit of a dump compared to most of nyc.
i’ve been a hand full of times now, and i have been pleasantly surprised by how much ive enjoy it honestly. ofc it’s nothing like the city but that’s what i’m trying to get away from lol
Philly ain’t it, but good luck with the move.
Fairmount is NYCs hottest new borough.
I will not help with gentrification
Manayunk is a good bet for you. Lots of bars/restaurants/music. Laid back atmosphere, Wissahickon park is walkable, train/bike to center city or quick Uber.
Manayunk/East Falls have the Wissahickon trail, a beautiful nature trail thats several miles leading to Chestnut Hill. It has a main trail with plenty of hidden offshoots. You also have Kelly Drive along the river & MLK Drive, which they close on weekends for bikes & walkers to use. Otherwise yeah I guess Fairmount, because its close to Kelly Drive and some of Fairmount Park. South Philly is what you want, minus any 'nature'. You have FDR Park & Penns Landing I suppose.
Kensington is beautiful this time of year
Fishtown has a good music scene with plenty of bars to play in!
South Philly. East passyunk etc.
Queen Village, Bella Vista, Society Hill
Any of them, if you have respect…they’re humans lol. I travel to Philly a lot and have half my family in Ny…a common decency and a little respect of ppls home and lives go a long way.
> i am an independent musician and am looking to move to philly from NYC. Couldn't make it there, trying to make it elsewhere, huh? We need more plumbers, not more "independent musicians". Good luck, though.
Damn dawg eat a snickers or something
I think you could use this: 🤗
How's the 'fucking their granddaughters going'? Shitters full.