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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8lklzj wrote

Is South Philly ok for a family? Are there a lot of drugs around? Would I need to worry about my 13yo getting jumped?

We currently live in NYC but we are in an extremely safe neighborhood where it is normal to walk around with headphones on.

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lapeirousia t1_j8o9bkc wrote

Depends where in South Philly. I live in Passyunk Square, and I feel very safe here (as a petite woman), and I'm planning on raising at least one kid here (expecting my first next month). There are tons of families here.

I haven't seen drugs around (besides the obvious alcohol/cigarettes/weed), but I haven't gone looking for them either. I'm sure they exist.

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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8pbrwz wrote

That’s good to hear! Where we live now there are projects and whatnot but the overall vibe is that people are happy and they get along with each other.

So I’m guessing a 13 year old walking or taking public transit to school in center city alone would not be out of the ordinary?

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Christinamh t1_j8qaajd wrote

Based on the two hour delay the other day, the subway was packed like sardines with a bunch of late elementary to high school kiddos going to school on their own. I felt like odd man out being a grown ass adult at 9AM.

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lapeirousia t1_j8ptdvd wrote

I don’t have any personal experience to speak of, but I get the impression that that’s normal!

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demography_llama t1_j8mvs74 wrote

South Philly is fairly large. Do you have a particular neighborhood/cross streets in mind.

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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8n0zsu wrote

Thanks for replying. It seems like the areas we can afford are in central south, east Oregon, and Marconi plaza.

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ColdJay64 t1_j8nire2 wrote

There are plenty of safe areas in South Phlly. Hawthorne, Whitman, Bella Vista, Grad Hospital, Passyunk Square, and East Passyunk Crossing are great options.

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UndercoverPhilly t1_j8nnxvn wrote

For me, Bella Vista and Grad Hospital are not South Philly. Maybe they used to be--but I think there's a definite boundary now with Washington Avenue. Hawthorne is Bella Vista and not sure what Whitman is! Where is it?

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ColdJay64 t1_j8o1up5 wrote

I thought South Street and down was considered South Philly? And Whitman is bounded on the west by Sixth Street, on the east by Front Street, on the south by Bigler Street, and on the north by Snyder Avenue.

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UndercoverPhilly t1_j8o9g0r wrote

I think historically it has been, but for me, there is a really different feel when you cross over Washington Avenue. Also considering how expensive Bella Vista is, and the construction of some high rises in the past 10 years, it is not the same as it was. I lived in Bella Vista over 15 years ago, and although I still like it a lot, it's more like a bridge between Center City and South Philadelphia, IMO. And when people say South Philly, I don't think most are including Grad Hospital or Bella Vista, both which have been gentrified significantly. But whatever you want to call it, Bella Vista is nice, and I'd live there in a minute if I could afford it.

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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8nrmwk wrote

What about central south, east Oregon, and Marconi plaza?

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ColdJay64 t1_j8oeb16 wrote

They seem nice, I just haven’t spent enough time in those areas to know if they’re walkable enough for someone moving from NYC. Usually I’m just driving through.

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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8pafe9 wrote

Thanks good to know

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ColdJay64 t1_j8pewkl wrote

No problem. What i do know about Marconi Plaza is that it's safe and has nice houses. There is also a subway stop at Broad and Oregon that you can quickly take into Center City.

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Nouseforaname1066 t1_j8pqc2c wrote

Thanks that’s good to hear. I’m excited to get down there and look around.

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MaladjustedCarrot t1_j8uwabi wrote

Marconi Plaza area is nice and definitely safer than a lot of other neighborhoods in South Philly. Central South and East Oregon both sound like made up realtor neighborhood names because those are general locations. The area north of Oregon Ave is called Lower Moyamensing. I would avoid the entire stretch from 8th St to Front St. 9th St to 11th St is decent and 12th St to Broad St is the nicest part of that area. South of Oregon Ave is similar but that area is called the Stadium District. Proximity to Broad Street is key if you want to use the subway.

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