Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

CommunicationTime265 t1_j5vl0dq wrote

God bless ya if ya can afford to buy a house in that area

47

jedilips t1_j5vudzs wrote

you can thank the Ivy League neighbors for that... all of those well paid professors, academics, and medical folks gotta live somewhere.

9

mikewarnock t1_j5vvlei wrote

I believe Penn did, and might still, have some sort of program for staff and faculty to buy houses in the area. I think it was special loans with favorable terms.

35

jbphilly t1_j5vwm03 wrote

They've had to expand it westward, as now the original area Penn was trying to gentrify has become entirely unaffordable to buy in if you aren't upper-upper-middle-class at least.

17

Astrogrover t1_j5wn3am wrote

Penn and Drexel both have housing assistance programs for faculty and staff. They have different regions. Penn's is a five year forgivable loan for up to $7500 that prevents the property from ever being used as a rental in the future. Can be used for purchase or renovations. Drexel is a five year forgivable loan for up to 15000, or 5000 for renovations.

7

GoldenMonkeyRedux t1_j5ycu0q wrote

It’s literally going back to it’s origin. My house had maid’s quarters on the 4th floor. Average Joes didn’t live in 9-bedroom homes.

For the record, houses on my block sold for under $200k in 2001. I’ve lived here for 25 years, and I could have purchase my whole block for what the city is claiming my house is currently worth. Luckily, we bought in 2010, when the market bottomed out.

3

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5vodtz wrote

What the hell could a house in West Philly built over a creek possible cost?

−18

jbphilly t1_j5vwgg8 wrote

Upwards of $750k easy

26

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5vwnkg wrote

WHAT?!?! And cant walk your dog around the block? No thanks.

−32

jbphilly t1_j5vwquk wrote

What are you even talking about?

35

timory t1_j5ww6e9 wrote

lol this guy hasn't come west of the schuylkill in 20 years is what

10

jbphilly t1_j5wxjbq wrote

Or inside the city limits more likely

8

NonIdentifiableUser t1_j5w67h5 wrote

Haven’t you heard? The entirety of the 4th largest city in the country is a war zone. Duh.

8

[deleted] t1_j5vr3o7 wrote

[deleted]

23

squee_bastard t1_j5wdjjh wrote

Used to live in that neighborhood 20+ years ago and hearing this blows my mind. When I lived at 48th and Pine in 2000 there were a ton of abandoned properties around me. I can remember an entire block that had apartment buildings on both sides that were burned out and boarded up.

6

8_Foot_Vertical_Leap t1_j5ybmo3 wrote

There are still pockets of that around, it's pretty block-by-block. But by and large, it's getting gentrified af. Especially around Clark Park / bordering the penn campus, it's getting tough to find anything that isn't approaching $1mil.

3

squee_bastard t1_j5yvj8t wrote

I left in 2004 and it’s amazing to see how much has changed since then. If i knew then what i know now I would have bought property back then and not moved to NYC but c’est la vie.

2

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5zseya wrote

It all looks very nice but you'd have to be a shut-in.
Of the almost 60 neighborhoods/areas of Philly its top 10 in crime.
Not at all worth what is being said.

−1

CommunicationTime265 t1_j5voui7 wrote

It wouldn't surprise me if it costs a fortune

17

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5vqf27 wrote

If it's a penny over 18k it's too much.

−32

CommunicationTime265 t1_j5vtngd wrote

I very much doubt it would be even close to that. Most homes in that area are going for 500k.

9

CathedralEngine t1_j5wdf9l wrote

Easily. I was living in a house on 44th right by Baltimore 17 years ago and decided to check the property records. The landlord bought it in the low 100s in the mid-90s, and the house was valued at close to 400k less than a decade later.

3

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5vwqwf wrote

Who in the hell is paying that to be a hermit?

−20

8_Foot_Vertical_Leap t1_j5yb4kp wrote

Buddy I'm not thr biggest fan of west philly, or cities in general, but if you think west philly is some sort of dangerous bombed out hellhole, you obviously haven't been here in decades, or possibly ever.

Specifically the area being discussed here is one of the nicest parts of town there is. People jogging and pushing strollers. Old ladies on porches. Kids playing in the street. And yes, people walking their dog. I can't think of a time I've ever felt legitimately unsafe here.

The real estate prices are far too high, I'll give you that, but that's almost exclusively compared to the shoebox-level of square footage you get in most of these rowhomes, especially if you have or want to start a family.

3

GoldenMonkeyRedux t1_j5yd7rb wrote

LOL, my kid literally goes out on their own or with friends all the time. As an elementary school student. Our block is safer than Rittenhouse according to crime stats. Penn police are here in less than 5 minutes if I need them.

You’re fucking delusional.

2

StevenFromPhilly t1_j5zv67g wrote

Oof. Must have a lot of kids.

1

GoldenMonkeyRedux t1_j6014yr wrote

I don’t. Not sure what your point is. Is it that I have sex with a woman? Is that what freaks you out?

1

StevenFromPhilly t1_j601a36 wrote

I meant you must have kids to spare. You knew that though.

0

GoldenMonkeyRedux t1_j601wdf wrote

No, I didn’t because you really suck at this. There hasn’t been a physical assault nearby my home in over 10 years.

Just admit you so t know a damn thing about Spruce Hill.

1

CroatianSensation79 t1_j5vs2sq wrote

It’s changed a lot in this part of West Philly. It’s gotten nicer and more expensive. No lie.

6