There is a Facebook group called Philly Plant Exchange. You might want to post there. Lots of plant enthusiasts :)

What's your budget? Remember that safety is relative and Philly is a bit more block by block compared to other cities. Good neighborhoods to start looking into include Rittenhouse, Fairmount, Graduate Hospital, Washington Square West, Bella Vista East Passyunk, Fishtown, Northern Liberties. There are several more.

Chiming in to suggest Washington Square West, Society Hill, and Queen Village. We're early 30s with no kids and you basically described us and our neighbors in Wash West.

Yes. I did the same thing when I moved into an apartment with a private landlord. I then dropped off a rent checks at his office once a month.

I agree. I did a summer share and fall share last year. I loved being able to add on an apple share. The shares are generous in size and force me to eat veggies that I wouldn't normally buy at the store.

I had a Taproot CSA share last summer and just signed up for a spring share. I pickup in Old City on Wednesdays.

It's in the Logan Square neighborhood, which is a nice and safe area near the Art Museum (caveat that it's in Center City so use common sense).

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

Visit the blocks around your apartments of interest during the day and at night (after 10pm if possible).

Perhaps along the Mainline? For example, Ardmore and Narberth have nice main street areas.

You'll get responses if you give us more information. Budget? Job location? Good schools usually means you'll be looking outside of the city.

I mean, I live here car-free and my opinion is that public transit is quite good compared to other US cities. I stick to buses, regional rail, and the trolley system. Philly is also incredibly walkable. I chose to live in a neighborhood where everything I need is within walking distance.

Septa, like many transit systems in the US, is a bit outdated and clunky (we only got key cards a few years ago). Efforts to upgrade are slow.

If you're wfh I suggest living in a walkable neighborhood near Center City with restaurants, cafes, and parks.

People are kind, but not nice (I'm a Midwest transplant and still super friendly). I like it. People have an f-you oh let me help you with that attitude. Volunteering and community sports are a great way to meet people. I can't really speak to the current dating scene beyond I met my now-spouse here. Dating pool is definitely better than the Midwest town I came from.

Taxes are what they are. Philly is still a cheaper option compared to nearby cities DC, NYC, Boston, etc

You're being downvoted because bringing up Kensington tiktok videos connotes that you haven't researched the city yet. Kensington is in a small, isolated part of the city, yet is often the social media poster child for Philly.

The typical neighborhoods to consider when starting your search are Rittenhouse, Fairmount, Graduate Hospital, West Philly near UPenn, Washington Square West, Old City, Society Hill, Queen Village, East Passyunk, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, etc. If you need to bring your car prepare for street parking or paying more for an apartment that comes with parking.

As others have noted, 51k will provide a decent standard of living compared to 68k in NYC.

Definitely check out Brewerytown. Try to walk around the area a bit at night to get a sense of safety.

You also might want to look around other neighborhoods. If you don't need much space, you can usually find an efficiency studio for less than 1k.

Budget? There are many safe neighborhoods in Philly. You use common sense when you're out and about. Some areas are more block-by-block than others.

I live in Washington Square West and love it. I don't have a car so I walk everywhere or use the bus system. There are a lot of parks, neighborhood restaurants/bars, shops, and grocery stores.

I've fostered for Green Street Rescue for 5 years. Thank you for adopting from us! Please make sure to check out our website too as we have many cats and kittens being fostered in our homes (I have five right now:) who are up for adoption.

Budget? Need parking? Commuting anywhere?

Definitely check out Washington Square West. It's safe with some really nice parks and walkable to everything.

Facebook marketplace, neighborhood buy nothing group, and Nextdoor

Philadelphia Independents in Old City

Why not come spend a weekend in Philly and the surrounding suburbs to see if you'd like it? Philly is a city of neighborhoods. There's really something for everyone.

Regional rail gives you plenty of options regarding suburbs. If you're thinking about commuting via rail to one of your company's downtown locations, check out areas like Media, Manayunk, and Conshohocken. There's the Mainline (e.g., Narberth) that are pricey, but have lovely main streets.

I hear you on housing prices in DC. I briefly lived in DC before moving to Philly. I've largely stayed because I was able to buy a home here. And, regarding crime, Philly is more block-by-block than DC.

This is a very good comment. Providence (excellent place) will provide a discounted cleaning, but usually not X-rays. If your vet suspects that your cat does/will need extractions, it's worth it to get X-rays done.

With that income you could honestly live anywhere. Are you thinking suburbs? Downtown? Do you need a parking spot?

When I was a PhD student at UPenn I lived in Fitler Square, which is an amazing neighborhood and an easy 20 minute walk to campus. I now live in Washington Square West (only a few blocks from my dissertation chair ironically). It's a bit quieter, but walkable to restaurants and parks. The #40 bus is a 20 minute ride from here to UPenn and drops off all over campus.

If you haven't yet, definitely try to come out and visit. Philly is a city of neighborhoods. You should definitely come out and explore to get a sense of where you'd like to live.