New nurse needs help moving to Philly!

casperx875x · Nov 27, 2008

Driving in Philly can be an absolute nightmare. The area around CHOP is always extremely busy and crowded. Put two major hospitals right next to each other and that is bound to happen. Parking is awful. My best advice: find somewhere close enough that you can either take public transportation or walk! The people I know who are working at CHOP love it and all either walk or take public transportation to get there. I'd fly up there to check places out. You definitely want to find somewhere safe. :)

shinyblackcar · Nov 28, 2008

Hey everyone,
I'm excited to report that I've recently accepted a position at CHOP :monkeydance:, but now I have to manage the move from North Carolina soon after the New Year. I'm a single gal with a couple of dogs, and I was planning on moving to the Center City area for convenience. I have some friends in CC, but they're pretty new to the area, so I don't know how much they would be able to help me outside of checking out places here and there...
Does anyone have suggestions on management companies or apartment buildings in the Center City area that might offer clean, pet-friendly apartments for a decent price?
If you happen to be a nurse living in Center City, I'd love to hear what it's like living and working in the city. How is the commute (do you take public trans)?
Any info would be very much appreciated.... I'm like a sponge!
Thank you!

Just out of curiosity, are you a new or experienced nurse? I had been in contact with nurse recruitment at CHOP over the summer before I graduated, and now I absolutely cannot reach them.

RN34TX · Nov 28, 2008

Scooby484K:

Michael Singer Real Estate owns a lot if not most Center City rental property so look there first.

It's been years since I lived in Philadelphia so things may have changed but for whatever it's worth:

1. I found that most properties were not pet friendly and actually acted dumbfounded like I was an oddity because I had cats.

Shopping for apartments in Philadelphia.....they all basically acted like it was a really big deal that I had pets and they weren't sure if they could rent to me but the pet friendly apartments are out there, you just need to look for them.

2. I don't care where you've ever lived before, I had many friends in Manhattan at the time, and as anyone out East knows, New Yorkers love to say that they have seen it all and live in the roughest town. No way!!

Philadelphia is very rough and you need to watch your back. Manhattan pales in comparison unless you are uptown.

Having said that, my years there were filled with excitement and adventure. Center City is a very stimulating place to be and I wouldn't have traded my time there for anything.

Parking there is prohibitive. I was one of the only people in my circle who actually had a car and it cost me $200/month way back then (1990's) to park it.

And insurance.......forget it with a center city address!!

Take advantage of the great public transportation system there and forget the car! And take advantage of the fact that NY, Baltimore, DC, etc. are all just a short train ride away.

Great exciting fun city for a single person like yourself!!

Good luck.

Scooby484k · Nov 28, 2008

Thanks everyone... good tips so far. I've been to Philly pretty frequently to visit, so I know the atmosphere (and Center City seems pretty safe to me for the most part, although you meet all sorts of interesting people).

Keep 'em coming! I really appreciate it! :bow:

Scooby484k · Nov 28, 2008

Just out of curiosity, are you a new or experienced nurse? I had been in contact with nurse recruitment at CHOP over the summer before I graduated, and now I absolutely cannot reach them.

Actually, I'll be graduating in a couple of weeks (so, BRAND new nurse). I found that nurse recruiters were very nice, but also extremely difficult to get a hold of by phone. I played phone tag over a period of a few weeks just to schedule an interview and such. Try calling around 1pm or 2pm... I find that's the time when they call me back, so perhaps they're not as busy around that time (?).

Are you from Philly? Do you have any tips? :nuke:

AtomicWoman · Nov 28, 2008

Don't forget to check Craigslist.com for housing other than apartments. Lots of people post on CL if they are renting out part of their home. You could also post on CL looking for a place, but be careful about what kind/how much personal info you post. I always use their email anonymizer function to avoid having to deal with wackos get my email or phone number from the listing. :)

I do agree that if you can find a living space close to CHOP, you will be better off. I drive in Center City a lot, and I actually hate to drive in West Philly even more! Two hospitals, 2 major universities... ugh. :)

glamgalRN · Nov 29, 2008

If I were you I would check into renting a house with a couple of friends in Manayunk. It's still in Philly but has a "cute little town feel" with a main street that has a bunch of bars and trendy restaurants and is geared to people in their mid twenties. I also think it may be more affordable than living in Center City and while it can be congested, it is way easier to find a parking spot on the street in Manayunk compared to Center City.

I'm not sure of the commute from Manayunk to CHOP, but I believe you can take the train. Here's the train you would take from Manayunk to University City- http://www.septa.org/service/sched/r6n_wk.html.

Good luck and Congrats on getting a job at CHOP!

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2008

If you are working at CHOP, you should look at apartments in University City. This houses a lot of off-campus Penn students, but also families and professors and young professionals. It's the neighborhood I live in, and I love it- lots of trees, good access to public transportation, Clark Park, and there's a yoga studio on 45th & Baltimore that offers $10 yoga classes and community events. University City is also much, MUCH less expensive than Center City. Center City is also kinda scary at night, and I say that as someone who lived in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan.... UPenn security patrols pretty far out in to University City, so you're never completely isolated late at night.

We found our place on craigslist and the landlord allowed us to have cats- but we had to add it on to the lease. It's harder to find a pet friendly lessor but not impossible.

Here are some leads for you:

http://www.4wallsinphilly.com/universitycity.htm

http://4300spruce.com/home.aspx (if you'd consider buying)

nco781 · Dec 3, 2008

I also agree on Manayunk. It's where a lot of young professionals live, it has a fun nightlife, and shopping on main street, i used to go to the gym there and loved it.

I live in South Philly now, and there are some places here that are affordable, nice and safe, but that's all on a case to case basis. If you need anymore help, let me know!

catlvr · Dec 4, 2008

Hi, Philadelphia is a great city! You can find all the answers at www.phillyblog.com. Tons of information!

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shinyblackcar · Dec 4, 2008

Actually, I'll be graduating in a couple of weeks (so, BRAND new nurse). I found that nurse recruiters were very nice, but also extremely difficult to get a hold of by phone. I played phone tag over a period of a few weeks just to schedule an interview and such. Try calling around 1pm or 2pm... I find that's the time when they call me back, so perhaps they're not as busy around that time (?).
Are you from Philly? Do you have any tips? :nuke:

Wow, well it's not phone tag when only one person is doing all the calling! Anyway, no I'm not from Philly, so can't really help you with that. Sorry!