As a psychiatry resident in Philadelphia, I wanted to create a guide to moving to Philadelphia for residency for those who can’t visit the city before their move. Prior to residency, I lived in Philadelphia for medical school and business school for five years. So I’ve been here for quite some time now! Before I first moved to Philly, I was traveling in Europe while making arrangements to move to a new city. In other words, I know what it’s like to plan a move to a city without being able to visit in person. Over the past six years, Philly has truly become home to me. I love this city wholly – the positives and flaws. Thus, I want to help make your process of moving to Philadelphia for residency as seamless as possible.
When it comes to moving to Philadelphia for residency, your most stress-inducing to-do item is likely finding somewhere to live. Choosing a neighborhood to live in is one of the most important parts of moving to Philadelphia. The neighborhood you eventually choose will depend on several factors: the location of your residency program; your comfort level with commute times; your budget; your desire for a residential versus mixed residential/commercial neighborhood; your individual threshold for safety; the type of building you’d like; and many other factors. There’s a lot to consider, but I will do my best to provide as comprehensive a housing guide as possible.
Neighborhoods in Philadelphia
To know Philadelphia, you must first appreciate the nuances
of the different neighborhoods. At first glance, there’s Center City, West
Philadelphia, South Philly, and North Norf Philly. There’s no such thing
as East Philly! If you mention it, that’s a clear way to giveaway that you’re
not a local 😛
Knowing these general regions of the city will be most helpful as you think of which part of the city your residency program is located in. Temple residents are more likely to live in or close to North Philly. Penn residents tend to live in West Philadelphia, Center City, or South Philly. Jefferson residents are more likely to live in Center City or South Philly. These are not rules. Rather this is an anecdotal reflection of resident norms, based on my interactions with friends and colleagues in the city.
Now to the nitty-gritty neighborhood details…
Within each region of Philadelphia, there are specific neighborhoods, each with its own flair, resources, and communities. I’ll give a breakdown below.
Sections of West Philly
For incoming Penn Medicine residents, West Philadelphia makes a lot of sense for those looking for a good combination of affordability and proximity to work.
Because the University of Pennsylvania is located within University City, prices in this neighborhood tend to be higher than in other parts of West Philadelphia. However, as a perk for the steeper rents, your access to chain restaurants and convenience stores is heightened in this part of West Philadelphia. On the cons side, University City tends to be filled with undergraduate and graduate students. So if you’re hoping to avoid the college scene, University City might not be for you.
North of University City you’ll find Powelton Village. This neighborhood tends to be a mix of Philadelphia locals, Drexel college students, and young working professionals in Philadelphia. Personally, I haven’t spent a ton of time there other than to go to Chick-Fil-A or Sabrina’s (great brunch spot), but I know a few residents who live in this neighborhood and they tend to boast about the community vibe of the neighborhood.
As you travel past University City deeper west into West Philly, the college-age demographic transitions to graduate students, medical residents, Penn faculty, young professionals, and Philadelphia locals. Typically, the further west you go, the less ease of access you have to chain stores and restaurants; however, these amenities are certainly still available in West Philly. You might just need to drive or use public transit to access them, rather than simply walking. On the flip side, West Philly is known for its great food scene with local restaurants spanning many cultural cuisines. Black barbers, hair salons, and beauty supplies stores are also quite easy to find in this neighborhood.
Sections of Center City
Center City is likely where the vast majority of your co-residents will live, regardless of which residency program you’re in. However, because of the diversity of neighborhoods within Center City, residents tend to congregate in particular areas. Because of the proximity to University City, Penn residents often settle in Rittenhouse Square or Graduate Hospital. These neighborhoods offer quick commutes ranging from 10-30 mins, depending on which mode of transportation you chose.
In general, Rittenhouse Square tends to attract young professionals, particularly those used to big city life. In this neighborhood, you’ll find the highest density of high rise luxury apartments in the city. These buildings are within walking distance to the large retail stores in the city (H&M, Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic Factory Outlet, etc) as well as ample options for grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Rittenhouse Market, Target, etc). Along with the ample amenities comes rents that are on average higher than other neighborhoods within the city. It would be common to find one-bedrooms at rates of $1700 or more per month.
On the other hand, if you live in Graduate Hospital, just a 10-minute walk south of Rittenhouse Square, one-bedroom apartments run closer to $1400-$1500 per month. Graduate Hospital boasts a more residential feel than Rittenhouse Square, while still being in Center City. Apartment buildings tend to be smaller. High rises are rare. In fact, you’ll commonly find that old row homes (the Philly terminology for a townhouse) have been converted into apartments. In some instances, however, landlords will rent out entire rowhomes. Purchasing property in Graduate Hospital on a resident’s salary will be more feasible than most other Center City Neighborhoods. But you’ll most likely end up with a condominium rather than a full house if you choose to buy. Commercial establishments are less common and you’ll typically find small mom and pop type shops rather than chain branches.
Logan Square is just north of the financial district on Market Street. This neighborhood includes the large Whole Foods and is proximal to the Art Museum and other iconic attractions along the Ben Franklin Parkway. Similarly to Graduate Hospital, this neighborhood provides a more residential experience than other sections of Center City.
East of Broad Street in Center City, you’ll find smaller, more nuanced neighborhoods than west of Broad. The Gayborhood (Midtown Village), Chinatown, Market East (home of the new Fashion District), Old City, and Society Hill, are just a few of the neighborhoods you’ll find in this section of Center City. In these neighborhoods, you’ll find a mix of rowhomes and luxury apartment buildings and some of the best restaurants in the city. The Gayborhood and Old City are popular nightlife destinations, whereas Society Hill and Queen Village offer quaint residential living.
Sections of South Philly
I am not the most familiar with South Philly. I visit South Philly mostly when I’m looking for bubble tea or yearning to try a new restaurant. However, some of the more popular South Philly neighborhoods that I’m aware of are Greys Ferry, Point Breeze, and Passyunk Square. Based on observation and some assessment of crime maps during my house buying experience, I noticed a few trends about South Philly. The easternmost and northernmost parts of these neighborhoods tend to have more commercial development and fewer abandoned homes. In conjunction, these sections tended to have lower crime rates. However, some of the advantages of South Philly include great restaurants, cheaper rents, and cheaper housing prices for those interested in purchasing a home before residency. Many of the homes in South Philly have breath-taking rooftop views of the Philadelphia skyline. If moving to Philadelphia for residency is your first time living in the city, it might make for an easier transition if you start off in Center City or University City, where you are more likely to be close to co-workers and friends.
Sections of North Philly
Similarly to South Philly, my knowledge of North Philly is limited. I am, however, aware that many Temple residents choose to live in North Philly, often close to Broad Street for ease of access to the Broad Street subway line. In addition to neighborhoods that straddle North Broad Street, Temple residents, and some residents from other programs, choose to live in the up and coming neighborhoods of Fishtown and Northern Liberties. When I first moved to Philadelphia almost six years ago, these neighborhoods were in the midst of heavy renovations (aka gentrification). At present, these neighborhoods offer a mix of commercial and residential living, often at price points more affordable than Center City. In fact, many of the city’s newest and most interesting restaurants are in this neighborhood and much of the clubbing nightlife and performance venues can be found here as well.
Summary
In most areas of Philadelphia (and any major city), it would be wise to use crime trackers to help assess the safety of varying parts of the city. As a general rule, the farther away from Center City you move, the higher the rates of crime. Despite this, with appropriate street smarts and wherewithal, you can keep yourself safe in any part of the city, and have a GREAT time living in Philadelphia, taking advantage of all the fun the city offers.
As I mentioned at the start, it’s probably impossible to provide a perfect housing guide to moving to Philadelphia for residency. However, I hope that this post provided you some insight as to which neighborhood in the city might be best for you. And remember, if you end up not liking where you initially choose to live, you can always move to a different part of the city!
Dr. Atasha Jordan is an Ivy League-trained psychiatry resident and businesswoman. Learn more about Dr. Jordan here. Feel free to send a message and subscribe to her newsletter!
