I want to move out of the city and to the suburbs but I can't rent an apt. because of my dog...

**Sphilly19145** · 11-10-2011, 04:00 PM

I have a doberman mix dog that a lot of apts won't allow because of breed restrictions. And houses for rent go for too high for my budget. I can afford about $800 a month. I want a place close to 95 so I can drive into Philly for work.
Do you have any suggestions? I don't have any kids so I don't care about the schools. I just want a nice neighborhood with lots of trees and parks. I don't care about traffic or congestion. I will gladly put up with that instead of putting up with the trash and ugliness of the city where I live now.
Thanks for your suggestions.

**MariusPontmercy** · 11-10-2011, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Sphilly19145

I have a doberman mix dog that a lot of apts won't allow because of breed restrictions. And houses for rent go for too high for my budget. I can afford about $800 a month. I want a place close to 95 so I can drive into Philly for work.
Do you have any suggestions? I don't have any kids so I don't care about the schools. I just want a nice neighborhood with lots of trees and parks. I don't care about traffic or congestion. I will gladly put up with that instead of putting up with the trash and ugliness of the city where I live now.
Thanks for your suggestions.

It would be cheaper and easier if you just found a nice city neighborhood, say in the NE around Torresdale?

**3rd&Brown** · 11-12-2011, 07:48 PM

Prospect Park or Ridley Park? Both are cute. Ridley is probably a tad nicer, in the center of town, with more shops and restaurants, though most are greasy spoon type places. They also have some complexes along Chester Pike and 420, in the case of Prospect Park, and are within walking distance of the train.

**Sphilly19145** · 11-14-2011, 01:28 PM

K, thanks for your suggestions. They're now cutting all the trees down on my block. I'm really sick of this city.
I'm going to start saving to move to the burbs. I'll check out the places you suggested. Maybe there's a private homeowner landlord type who will let me rent out a small house with my dogs.

**wisertime** · 11-14-2011, 03:40 PM

You can find a decent apt near the train station in Elkins Park. Tons of trees, parks everywhere. Restaurants, farmers market, drug store, library and basic services within walking distance too. If you can take the train to the city its about 25 min.

I see plenty of dogs, but you will have to find out about breed restrictions yourself. But $800 ish is realistic.

**hubba1** · 11-14-2011, 06:11 PM

I have live in South Philly 27 of my 33 years and loved almost every minute of it, but for some reason over the past year or so (maybe it is because I have my first child on his way next month) I have just grown more and more tired of city life, I want a yard, a place to park my car, and now a place to send my kid to school... my wife is from the Northeast, but I have told her if we move, it is out of the city completely... and areas like Ridley and around Delaware county are also place I have considered...oh, also have a 4 year old lab. We won't be doing this immediatly, sometime in the next 3-4 years is my goal though, as I would have to sell our house, and not quite ready to do that yet. Good luck, let me know if you find anything good out in Delco!

**56MARKET** · 11-15-2011, 10:28 AM

Get ready for a shock when you see the property taxes in Delaware County.

**Sycamore** · 11-15-2011, 10:31 AM

She's renting.

**BarryG** · 11-15-2011, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by 56MARKET

Get ready for a shock when you see the property taxes in Delaware County.

Elkins Park (Cheltenham Twp) is probably worse, but like Sycamore said, she's renting.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 11-15-2011, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by hubba1

I have live in South Philly 27 of my 33 years and loved almost every minute of it, but for some reason over the past year or so (maybe it is because I have my first child on his way next month) I have just grown more and more tired of city life, I want a yard, a place to park my car, and now a place to send my kid to school... my wife is from the Northeast, but I have told her if we move, it is out of the city completely... and areas like Ridley and around Delaware county are also place I have considered...oh, also have a 4 year old lab. We won't be doing this immediatly, sometime in the next 3-4 years is my goal though, as I would have to sell our house, and not quite ready to do that yet. Good luck, let me know if you find anything good out in Delco!

Honestly, you probably should reconsider the Northeast as an option. Look at neighborhoods like Burholme, Fox Chase and Rhawnhurst where there are just such houses with garages and yards and good schools (parents have a large, single, with an extra lot and a 2-car detached garage on a great block) and plenty of amenities and accommodations that make life with a child or three much easier. And the taxes are much more affordable than in nearly all suburbs. Unless neither of you works in the city and you both work outside, which would probably offset the difference.

**lankenau** · 11-15-2011, 11:01 AM

Cheltenham is a fine place to rent, but the taxes are horrible if buying. It's an issue that keeps a lot of potential residents from moving there.

**LUCas** · 11-15-2011, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

Honestly, you probably should reconsider the Northeast as an option. Look at neighborhoods like Burholme, Fox Chase and Rhawnhurst where there are just such houses with garages and yards and good schools (parents have a large, single, with an extra lot and a 2-car detached garage on a great block) and plenty of amenities and accommodations that make life with a child or three much easier. And the taxes are much more affordable than in nearly all suburbs. Unless neither of you works in the city and you both work outside, which would probably offset the difference.

Property taxes vs. private school. The NE has zero advantages over any suburb.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 11-15-2011, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by LUCas

Property taxes vs. private school. The NE has zero advantages over any suburb.

No, the public schools are better too. It's just not discussed much here.

**LUCas** · 11-15-2011, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

No, the public schools are better too. It's just not discussed much here.

Better than what? Philadelphia elementary schools are ranked 67th out of 67 counties in PSAT scores. If you want to look at individual elementary schools, go ahead. There are several hundred suburban schools ranked above the top rated Philly school.

**Pibbles** · 11-15-2011, 04:17 PM

You should check out rentals in manayunk/roxborough too. I know a lot of people who rent with dogs in the area and there are plenty of parks. You might even find something within walking distance of Wissahickon park.

**annie** · 11-15-2011, 04:18 PM

A local organization did a study of which Philadelphia public schools still had staff librarians and they were almost entirely located in the Northeast. It wasn't clear if those school had more funds to work with or if they were cutting other things to maintain the librarians. I don't know how many of the librarians in the Northeast schools survived the latest budget cuts or if the remaining ones will survive the upcoming ones.

I have heard good things about Solis-Cohen Elementary in the Lawndale(?) neighborhood. Depending where Hubba lives in South Philly he may already be in the catchment for one of the schools recently receiving more community support. But a lawn etc. may still have more of a draw.

**Moonraker** · 11-15-2011, 04:39 PM

Find the neighborhood you really, really want, then work with a realtor.

**annie** · 11-15-2011, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by LUCas

Better than what? Philadelphia elementary schools are ranked 67th out of 67 counties in PSAT scores. If you want to look at individual elementary schools, go ahead. There are several hundred suburban schools ranked above the top rated Philly school.

If ranking like you describe were an accurate measure of the education quality, the entire city of Philadelphia would apply to Laboratory Charter since it's ranked 3rd in elementary schools statewide by PSSAs. The schools normally considered the top schools (Meredith and PAS) are at 319 and 493 respectively (there are other Philly neighborhood elementary schools rank in the 50s). Suddenly, I'm guessing it's all "more complicated" than that...

**hubba1** · 11-15-2011, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

Honestly, you probably should reconsider the Northeast as an option. Look at neighborhoods like Burholme, Fox Chase and Rhawnhurst where there are just such houses with garages and yards and good schools (parents have a large, single, with an extra lot and a 2-car detached garage on a great block) and plenty of amenities and accommodations that make life with a child or three much easier. And the taxes are much more affordable than in nearly all suburbs. Unless neither of you works in the city and you both work outside, which would probably offset the difference.

Well that work thing is a big differance, I work in NJ, and she is a Bartender, so it doesn't have a huge affect on her work, but I'm sure when the time comes, the N.E will be in the considerations,just not areas like Mayfair and around there in general, as it seems to be declining (her mother lives there, and it gets worse every time we go!) I was hoping for South Jersey, but the taxes are just too much to even think about right now. Like I said, this won't be for a few years, so in the mean time, I will continue enjoying my time in South Philly!

**3rd&Brown** · 11-16-2011, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Lucas

Better than what? Philadelphia elementary schools are ranked 67th out of 67 counties in PSAT scores. If you want to look at individual elementary schools, go ahead. There are several hundred suburban schools ranked above the top rated Philly school.

I'm always shocked when I realize you live here.

I won't point out that you are comparing schools in the entire city to individual schools in the suburbs. Sampling error. Nor that the city is growing for the first time in 50 years, in some parts, quite quickly, and that not all of these people are crazy. I'll just let you go on being miserable with your NE Philly/white flight mindset. I also won't remind you that pretty soon, we'll be living in a minority-majority world, so if you really think the answer to improving your lot in life or neighborhood is to flee every time dark complected people move into your zone of comfort, well...that's a recipe for failure.

But good luck with that. I also won't point out that most of the folk here who live in improving neighborhoods have a completely different mindset than you and the majority of those who live in the NE. You know, the one where they decide to dig in and improve the neighborhood around them instead of fleeing every time something doesn't go their way?