Where is a good temporary place to live in Philadelphia?

Where is a good place to live for a young professional near/in Philadelphia?

• I need to move to the Philadelphia area for work and trying to decide which area to target. I know that Manayunk is a popular place for young professionals, but are there any other locations that are right outside the city so I can avoid the city wage tax? Thanks!

• Answer:

  Don't bother with Manayunk. It's an alright time for about a month, then you'll have seen everything. Plus, I have no idea how they get up and down those hills in the snow and ice storms we've gotten on occasion. The commute into the city will take you onto I-76, or the Schuylkill Expressway, which is one of the worst highways of the region. It gets backed up at the most ridiculous times and for the stupidest reasons. It'll also be about a $30 cab ride into and out of the city for a night of drinking or whatever downtown. Whatever you have to spend traveling back and forth will no doubt blast your wage-tax 'savings' out of the water...however it works. Try Fairmount (or the Art Museum Area). It's a nice area, pretty professional although transient. In other words, the neighbors seem to keep to themselves only because they rent, and they'll probably be moving out within the year. Plenty of bars and BYOs in the area to enjoy and Center City is walkable. Northern Liberties is the up-and-comer in Philly and is a lot more yuppie than it used to be. They still have some of the best BYOs and bars in the city, and I anticipate that'll keep going. Center City isn't as walkable, but it's a very short bike ride and the Market-Frankfort Line ("The El") has two stops in Northern Liberties, and you're only one away from Old City. I have friends in South Philly, although it seems to be more of a family neighborhood, where you're done moving for awhile when you get there. Parts of it can be really nice, but you're not as convenient to anything as you are in town. Fishtown is another nice town, close to Northern Liberties, but closer to South Philly in terms of lifestyle. Lots of lifers in Fishtown, but the neighborhoods are clean and the people are decent. Not as many bars as the others I mentioned, but it's a quick walk to NL and Fishtown has 2 or 3 El stops itself. Old City and Rittenhouse are overrated in my opinion and command rents that are a little too high for what you're getting. PLENTY of restaurants, bars and BYOs, but plenty of people too and plenty of noise. I think the areas/addresses are just for show anymore. There are also a ton of other neighborhoods and little spots within each of the places I mentioned that it's worth it to look at all of them, and of course, everything I missed. Trust me though...it's much easier to work AND live in the city. Rents are similar throughout the area--'burbs included--but the commute can be a bear.