I was in grad school at Penn several years back, and I lived with my son in West Philly. I knew it was time to leave when I was walking home with him one afternoon and, just one street from campus (in so-called “University City”), we were mugged. He was five years old at the time, and he kept yelling, “Leave my mommy alone!” I was so tired, and broke and frustrated that I cussed the guy out. I said, “How you gonna roll up on me and my kid like that? Do I *look* like someone who got two nickels to rub together?!” The guy apologized, and as he walked away he said, “Have a good night, sister.” Sister?! I lost it, and started walking all quick and crazy after him. I was so caught up, I forgot the man was dangerous. I yelled, “Oh, now we’re family? Now you got some kind of racial pride? Huh? HUH? Uhuru, mothertrucker!” My son said, “Mommy, I think we should be going the *other* way.”
I know! I have family outside Philly, so it would have been a strong contender–low rents, family, proximity to Manhattan, burgeoning scene…but I’m not trying to get shot. I just don’t have nearly enough gangsta to brave those odds.
God. I checked out Chicago rents again last night. Not much better than here. Except for Rogers Park, and what I’ve seen of that is okay, but kind of a haul into central Chi, no?
Being that I actually live in Philly, I’m going to have to comment. I live in the Broad St./ Spring Garden area. I am constantly hearing about University City being so bad. Or course college students living on the edge of a less desirable neighborhood is a bed for robberies, muggings, etc. Seems like everyone forgets that most of it is in West Philly especially now since it’s expanding (I don’t venture out there unless I’m with BR since that’s where he hangs). Just like how Temple and La Salle are deep in North Philly (not going there either!). I’ll tell you in a split second where it’s cool and not cool to live. Of course to live in a good neighborhood you have to pay.
You should talk to Mari and or I about McKinley Park on Chicago’s south side. It’s the second safest neighborhood in the city and an easy orange line commute to the loop. I get out of bed at 7:10AM, do the three C’s and make my desk by 8:15-30 depending on the bus to el thing I do.
Just say no to Rogers Park. It has some really bad parts. Really bad.
The only problem with McKinley Park (and most of the S Side) is that I don’t think it’s a walk-about neighborhood yet. You’d need a car to do just about anything except commute to work in the Loop. Not very NYC-ish. I’d think you’d want a neighborhood that had everything you’d want locally and leaving the neighborhood was an option, not a necessity.
D-to-the-L-O looked at Philly for a bit too. She eventually said “no”, but I don’t know why.
My problem was I believed the school PR spin about University City, when they mainly were trying to recruit people to gentrify West Philly. The thing about University City is that it’s all about the block. One block can be all urban blight, while the next is all “aren’t we all one big, happy, multicultural block-party having family?”
I was coming from the Dorchester section of Boston, so I thought I knew “city”. I was unprepared.
@ Cat - I think every city is guilty of that lie. It’s ashame especially when someone ends up buying property. My friend just started selling with a Center City firm and I’m amazed how many people will put out $500k on “suspect” blocks.
At least you didn’t get seriously hurt, there re some whack-jobs around here.
In response to Dragonslayer, yes Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood has its rough patches (north of Howard Ave./aka the “Juneway Jungle”). But it’s a 30-40 minute El ride to downtown, it borders Evanston if you need more nearby “yuppiedom” in your life (like events going on at Northwestern) and parking’s a wee bit better there. I lived there for almost four years and nothing happened to me crime-wise (and I was working in morning-drive radio at the time, so I had to leave home at 4:30 am!). Disclaimer: that was more than a decade ago, but it’s defintely more gentrified now than when I lived there, so I would imagine it’s somewhat safer.
With that said, there is a LOT of new, yuppie-friendly stuff in Rogers Park, like a Bally’s 3 blocks from where i used to live. Dammit, I would have killed to have that Bally’s back in the day (I had to drive to Skokie to work out at the Bally’s there).
And yeah, I was in north Philly a few weeks ago… NOT. PRETTY. Philly is a weird city anyway, with a VERY weird mass transit system.
I was in grad school at Penn several years back, and I lived with my son in West Philly. I knew it was time to leave when I was walking home with him one afternoon and, just one street from campus (in so-called “University City”), we were mugged. He was five years old at the time, and he kept yelling, “Leave my mommy alone!” I was so tired, and broke and frustrated that I cussed the guy out. I said, “How you gonna roll up on me and my kid like that? Do I *look* like someone who got two nickels to rub together?!” The guy apologized, and as he walked away he said, “Have a good night, sister.” Sister?! I lost it, and started walking all quick and crazy after him. I was so caught up, I forgot the man was dangerous. I yelled, “Oh, now we’re family? Now you got some kind of racial pride? Huh? HUH? Uhuru, mothertrucker!” My son said, “Mommy, I think we should be going the *other* way.”
Yep. I have two friends who live in Philly. Both have been mugged. One of them twice.
And apparently, the FBI has just declared it the most violent/crime ridden city in America. Nice. Hell naw.
Which is kinda sad because I’ve really liked Philly the few times I’ve visited.
I know! I have family outside Philly, so it would have been a strong contender–low rents, family, proximity to Manhattan, burgeoning scene…but I’m not trying to get shot. I just don’t have nearly enough gangsta to brave those odds.
God. I checked out Chicago rents again last night. Not much better than here. Except for Rogers Park, and what I’ve seen of that is okay, but kind of a haul into central Chi, no?
Being that I actually live in Philly, I’m going to have to comment. I live in the Broad St./ Spring Garden area. I am constantly hearing about University City being so bad. Or course college students living on the edge of a less desirable neighborhood is a bed for robberies, muggings, etc. Seems like everyone forgets that most of it is in West Philly especially now since it’s expanding (I don’t venture out there unless I’m with BR since that’s where he hangs). Just like how Temple and La Salle are deep in North Philly (not going there either!). I’ll tell you in a split second where it’s cool and not cool to live. Of course to live in a good neighborhood you have to pay.
You should talk to Mari and or I about McKinley Park on Chicago’s south side. It’s the second safest neighborhood in the city and an easy orange line commute to the loop. I get out of bed at 7:10AM, do the three C’s and make my desk by 8:15-30 depending on the bus to el thing I do.
Just say no to Rogers Park. It has some really bad parts. Really bad.
The only problem with McKinley Park (and most of the S Side) is that I don’t think it’s a walk-about neighborhood yet. You’d need a car to do just about anything except commute to work in the Loop. Not very NYC-ish. I’d think you’d want a neighborhood that had everything you’d want locally and leaving the neighborhood was an option, not a necessity.
D-to-the-L-O looked at Philly for a bit too. She eventually said “no”, but I don’t know why.
My problem was I believed the school PR spin about University City, when they mainly were trying to recruit people to gentrify West Philly. The thing about University City is that it’s all about the block. One block can be all urban blight, while the next is all “aren’t we all one big, happy, multicultural block-party having family?”
I was coming from the Dorchester section of Boston, so I thought I knew “city”. I was unprepared.
@ Cat - I think every city is guilty of that lie. It’s ashame especially when someone ends up buying property. My friend just started selling with a Center City firm and I’m amazed how many people will put out $500k on “suspect” blocks.
At least you didn’t get seriously hurt, there re some whack-jobs around here.
In response to Dragonslayer, yes Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood has its rough patches (north of Howard Ave./aka the “Juneway Jungle”). But it’s a 30-40 minute El ride to downtown, it borders Evanston if you need more nearby “yuppiedom” in your life (like events going on at Northwestern) and parking’s a wee bit better there. I lived there for almost four years and nothing happened to me crime-wise (and I was working in morning-drive radio at the time, so I had to leave home at 4:30 am!). Disclaimer: that was more than a decade ago, but it’s defintely more gentrified now than when I lived there, so I would imagine it’s somewhat safer.
With that said, there is a LOT of new, yuppie-friendly stuff in Rogers Park, like a Bally’s 3 blocks from where i used to live. Dammit, I would have killed to have that Bally’s back in the day (I had to drive to Skokie to work out at the Bally’s there).
And yeah, I was in north Philly a few weeks ago… NOT. PRETTY. Philly is a weird city anyway, with a VERY weird mass transit system.