Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with neighborhoods

I don't want to cuddle my pepperspray all night.

Ms. Saint — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:46:45 -0800

I need to go to a professional conference in New York City at the end of December. I'll be going alone. Where can I find a cheap, safe hotel? I've never been to NYC, and, really, I know more about the city through episodes of Law & Order more than anything else. I really don't want to end up staying in a bad part of town, or a sketchy part of town, but I also really need to find a really cheap hotel. And even though I already know that nothing bad would probably happen to me in sketchy areas, what I want is to feel safe while there. I don't care about size of the room, I don't care about any amenities at all (except internet access would be nice), mostly I just want a place where I can sleep without freaking myself out about being alone in a hotel in a giant, unfamiliar city. So I have some questions that someone more familiar with the town might be able to help with:

1) The hostels (Chocolat Hotel and Hostel, Candy Hostel, etc) look like really good deals, but I don't know anything about them. Does anyone have experience with them, able to tell me if they're good environments?

2) What general areas should I be looking at? I mean, I know the names ("SoHo," "Upper West Side," etc), but I know nothing about what types of neighborhoods those are. Where can I find something cheap, and what areas should I avoid (as being too shady)?

3) What can I expect from a hotel room with a shared bathroom? This whole concept is completely unfamiliar to me -- I've never had a shared bathroom in a hotel. I'm not against it, in theory, but I'd just like to know what to expect. Will I likely have to interact with anyone? Is it the sort of thing that often leads to frustration (the bathroom constantly being used, no hot water when you need it, etc), or is it really not a big deal?

4) Is there anything else I should know?

Thanks for any help you can provide. I looked through all the previous Ask.Me threads about NYC hotels, but: A) only one of them addressed the safety aspect, and it's three years old; B) most of the hotels that answers claimed were available for less than $200 are showing up in Expedia for way more than that.

Also, there's a chance I'll have to cancel my trip, so please don't suggest any discount webpages or anything where cancellations aren't accepted.

Again, thanks!

What is it like living in Pittsburgh?

boatsforshoes — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:52:31 -0800

I want to know everything about living in the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. I have taken a real interest in Pittsburgh though I have never been. I have researched most (or at least many) of the attractions the city has to offer but I would love to read about more detailed day to day life in the many neighborhoods that make up the city. I am particularly interested in Polish Hill, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Oakland, Bloomfield, Friendship but would love any information on any Pittsburgh area.

Can you recommend books, blogs, websites, etc. that provide descriptions of life in Pittsburgh?

Getting to know San Francisco

AlliKat75 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:00:09 -0800

Moving Help: My SO and I are moving to San Francisco in one month, and we do not know much about the neighborhoods. We have found a place we like that is within our price range. Can anyone out there tell us about this neighborhood? Chelsey Avenue and 1st Street, Richmond, CA 94801

I'd leave my heart in L.A. but flowers in the hair are doable.

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:50:35 -0800

I'm a Los Angeles native in the very early stages of considering a move to San Francisco and would like some guidance on neighborhoods that would match up with my preferences. If you'd asked me 72 hours ago if I'd ever consider moving out of my hometown, I would have scoffed, but I'm now in the running for a job/career opportunity that's appealing enough to possibly change my mind. One of the things I'm thinking about this weekend is whether I'd even like living in San Francisco. I've visited it some and enjoyed myself, but not with this in mind. So I'd like to survey mefites for ideas on SF neighborhoods--and next I'll work out if I could even happily afford to live in those places.

I am: an early-30s straight single woman with an indoor cat and a $300/mo car payment. I will keep my car in the move, so I'd want a parking space or easy street parking. (I will also keep the cat; don't worry.)

The job: is located in Silicon Valley, and I know I'd be looking at an hourish commute--that's fine. The salary range is 85-95k.

Things I like about where I live in Los Angeles: smallish quiet residential area, very walkable (local pharmacies, coffee, etc) and fairly centrally located. There isn't much in the way of nightlife immediately in my hood, but I'm not on one side of the city or the other, so getting to other places is relatively easy. It's got some crime, but more of the "you left your ipod in the car on the street at night and your window got smashed by a hoodlum" than the "you got shot by a crackhead walking to your apartment at 5 pm" variety. It's got a lot of middle-class families who have been in the area for decades and is racially diverse. There are two Targets, a Trader Joes, a Whole Foods and a Petco located within 15-minute drives.

I've also lived in Chicago--specifically Hyde Park. Things I liked about that were: it was similarly walkable, quiet and residential and yet 15 minutes' driving distance from downtown. Again, I liked the diversity and history of the neighborhood. It was more crimey than where I live now, but not unbearably so. I wouldn't say I miss the sexually aggressive drunks on the CTA, but I did like having the option of public transportation.

Things I did not like about Chicago (aside from the ludicrous weather): the racial (and class, to an extent) segregation, everything shutting down at 6 pm Mon-Sat and not open at all on Sunday, the relative uptightness of the people compared to L.A. and the big focus on dining out as the thing to do (I like food, but not so much to make it my whole evening. And the restaurant wait times, even with reservations, are nuts!). Also disliked the poorer selection of fresh produce and fish and all the Targets being located an hour away. (Hey, I like Target.)

From reading some past questions, I think Glen Park might be a good fit for me--any specific recommendations on that are welcome. Also, I was thinking about the Mission area, but that's starting to sound more crackhead-shootingish than I'd like.

Where to live in Atlanta near Georgia Tech?

44sunsets — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:41:20 -0800

AtlantaFilter: My partner is moving to Atlanta to take a postdoc at Georgia Tech. Please help us find a place he'd be happy living (and I'd be happy visiting!) for the next two years. My partner is moving to Atlanta from Chicago in a month, and needs advice about the relocation! We're going to spend a weekend there soon looking for his future apartment, and if you know the city, we'd love some advice to help us narrow down which places on craigslist are worth the visit during the short time we have.

Some details: He'll be working at Georgia Tech, on the south side of campus. With his budget, he'd like to stay under $900, and have at least a one-bedroom. He's not planning on having a car, so the primary concern is that it needs to be accessible to Tech by bus or MARTA, and ideally close enough to bike in on a regular basis.

Things we'd love to have nearby if possible: farmers markets, a micro-beer pub, Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, a comfy independent coffee shop, and a few good, cheaper take-out options. Parks and museums are nice too. While we are both city-dwellers and so a little grit doesn't bother us, we'd also like someplace we don't have to worry about feeling safe walking around at night.

So, normally, we'd just roam around nearby neighborhoods to see what felt safe, fun, etc. But we have no time for that. So, what neighborhoods near Georgia Tech should we look at? I've heard good things about Midtown and Poncey-Highlands, but I've also seen reviews saying that it's absolutely not safe to live along Ponce de Leon. Are there sections that are particularly bad which we should avoid, should we just stay away completely, or is there really nothing to worry about?

What about areas south and west and north of the campus? Any good sections there or places we should absolutely stay away from?

Thanks for your help hive mind!

Need Colorado Info Please

pearlybob — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 20:27:21 -0800

I need advice/info about the best neighborhoods/school districts in Boulder/Denver Co. Hi all, my good friends are making a quick move from GA to the Boulder/Denver, Co area. They have a high schooler and elementary age children. This is happening really fast and they need some advice about where to look to rent for a year. They want a nice area for families and a good school system. They want to buy after they sell here in GA so they need advice on a neighborhood that they can stay in for a while. Any advice about where to look would be appreciated. They have job possibilities in both cities so all info on both areas appreciated. Thanks all!!

Neighborhoods in NYC

Wolfster — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:18:30 -0800

Mr Roger’s Neighborhood: NYC, introduce me to your neighborhood plus rental places NYC filter

I’ve lived in NYC for about 4 years and really enjoy living here.

Now I like my current neighborhood, but the apartment is very, very small and has a lot of problems. Because the rents are currently dropping (my landlord just offered to lower my rent for a few hundred dollars), I figure this is the time to upgrade.

I would love it if people share what they like/love/don’t like about their neighborhood and what they think I could get for a ballpark sum of $. Even if I can’t afford your neighborhood, please share! Pretend you are a broker for your neighborhood but also tell me about the warts (a broker, with truth serum!). Even if things that you like are not on my list – tell me about them, I knew nothing about this neighborhood when I moved here and have grown to enjoy it.

As a plus please let me know if it has some of the things I am looking for/not looking for although I still would enjoy the introduction to your neighborhood.

Below are things that I enjoy about my neighborhood, like/don’t like about my apartment, and my dream list.

Current neighborhood: UWS/near Lincoln center

Love:
• Hudson path along the water for walking
• Riverside drive for biking (no cars come from opposite lane, can get to GW bridge to ride out of the city, not much traffic)
• Very safe (sometimes I come home very late –not a problem)
• Can easily visit friends on UES
• Proximity to a few subway trains – 1,2, A, C
• Close to activities but not in the middle of everything (eg, Lincoln center free music in August; can walk to theaters ~ Times Square)
• It isn’t that loud compared to other parts of town
• There is a store/deli around every corner (if I need a cookie…I walk 10 feet)

Current apartment: In this neighborhood, I pay about $1400 and the rent will be lowered to $1200

Like: location

Don’t like:
• Very, very small (200 square feet) – I can’t take this anymore!
• The heating system is poor (this system that is either turned completely on or off in the winter…(baking, freezing baking, freezing)
• My neighbors are very, very young/college kids (I am fine with this age group, but I need to work, and they are dancing, drinking, hollering and living la vida loca at 1, 3, and 4 in the morning…too loud)

Where do I want to live?

Amt to pay: Up to $1500, but not much more, and I would love to get a 1-BR, but that may be delusional so …a large studio is ok. Are there buildings that have a normal heating/cooling system or keep it on rather than turn it off most of the day in the winter?

Features of neighborhood: 1) safe (can still walk around late at night), 2) still near activities or things to do (ie, I don’t want to ride a subway or boat for an hour to go to a play), 3) can still get to UES within 30 minutes/45 minutes 4) easy to bike (the highway is not surrounding me on all sides)

Not essential: I freelance and work from home – subway is not essential but makes things easy in the winter.

I like Manhattan, but I am open to Brooklyn and Queens as long as I am not commuting for an hour.

Living in Salt Lake City during ski season

Calloused_Foot — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:44:39 -0800

I want to spend Jan-Apr of the 2010 season snowboarding in the Salt Lake City resorts. Can you guys help me figure out where to live in SLC (three months at a resort is just too much $$, and plus I'd like to be able to get away from the mountain on the days I don't ride) , and the best way to go about securing a place? There's really only two things I really need (that I can think of right away) as far as the apartment is concerned:
1) Must be on one of the bus routes that heads up to Snowbird/Solitude/Brighton (I don't care about Alta obviously). This part is non-negotiable, simply because I know it's anywhere from a 45-60min ride up to the mountain, and I am so not a morning person - I need to be able to stumble a couple of blocks to the bus stop after getting ready. Also, since my driving skills are non-existent (no driver's license - this was why Denver and the Colorado resorts were eliminated from consideration), acquiring a car is not an option.
2) Basic amenities (groceries, laundry, restaurants, bars) should be within an easy bike ride (I'll find a beater on craigslist), or short bus ride away, again because of the no car requirement. Walking distance would be nice, if possible.

I've been told by my airport shuttle driver (I was out there at the end of the season in April) I should look in Cottonwood Heights, and that rents for a studio or 1BR would run from about $750-900 a month, and that finding something short term should not be a problem. Is this where I should be looking? What other neighborhoods should I be aware of? Of course I'm going to be looking on craigslist for a place, but are there any real estate brokers I should know about? What other things do I need to know?

Writings about pairs of adjacent neighborhoods?

mirepoix — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:49:38 -0800

Urban Planning/Theory Filter: I am looking for writings, preferably available online, about the relationships of adjacent neighborhoods over time. I'm interested in the symbiotic (or antagonistic, or whatever) relationships of adjoining neighborhoods, especially when change is added to the mix.

I've heard about "triage" in a planning/policy context, where cities decide to leave certain under-served communities for dead and save others that are closer geographically to more affluent or gentrified parts of town -- those "up and coming" "frontier" neighborhoods that the creative class has probably staked some claim in already.

Also interested in case studies about how certain areas deal successfully with integrating the needs and resources of nearby communities into their Specific Plans.

So, stuff like that, or articles about more organic relationships between neighborhoods... not really looking for personal anecdotes as much as help finding academic literature or good journalism. Thanks!

Cool, pedestrian-friendly Nashville apartments?

Famous — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:02:46 -0800

My boyfriend and I are moving from Boston to Nashville in late May or early June. We are looking to rent a one bedroom and would prefer to pay no more than $600 a month, within city limits or as close to the city as possible. We've been looking in East Nashville as recommended by friends but so far searching via the internet hasn't been extremely helpful. Specific street names/apartments would be greatly appreciated. Ideally, we'd like a swimming pool, washer/drier, and patio. We want to live in as pedestrian of an area as possible, and/or close to trees, a park, etc. Basically, I want to find the place that is most like Boston in Nashville (except, of course, the cost of living part.)

So, please tell me about your favorite neighborhoods and apartments as well as any places to avoid. Thanks!

===

I'm posting this on behalf of my baby sister. I had referred her to these threads already (one two three), and while she found them quite helpful, I think she still desires some up-to-date specific answers.

I'm constantly bragging about how Metafilter has the smartest, most helpful people on the Internet, so I appreciate your indulgence. :)

Cheap neighborhoods in New Orleans?

palindromic — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:05:29 -0800

What are some fun neighborhoods to live in on the cheap in New Orleans? I'm moving from Detroit to New Orleans this summer and I'll be attending Tulane (School of Public Health - I hear the university is split in two campuses, and I don't know where it sits in relation to the rest of the city). I want to find a place to live that will be affordable to a poor grad student, one who hates to drive.

I'll be heading down in a week or so to scope out the city. Any tips on places to check out ahead of time would be most appreciated.

And feel free to drop any random wisdom that you think would help a stranger find her way in a strange land.

What Portland, OR neighborhoods would you recommend for a someone moving to PDX for the first time?

Auden — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:15:59 -0800

What Portland, Oregon neighborhoods would you recommend for someone moving to PDX for the first time? A friend of mine is interested in moving to Portland after years in the Bay Area. She'd be looking for a single apartment ($1100 all included or less, ideally much less) in a safe, walkable neighborhood (she has neither car nor bike) with easy access to transit, healthfood stores, etc.

Although I grew up in Portland, the city has been changing fast, neighborhoods have been undergoing rapid gentrification (good and bag) and I'm somewhat unfamiliar with much of these changes. Based on my Portland experience in the 90s I would suggest something in NW Portland between say 18th and 23rd (although I'm not a huge fan of what 23rd has become) or SE Portland in the Belmont/Hawthorne area. I'm sure she'd like something with quirky wamth and charm (hence SE Portland). Anyway, I'm sure I'm missing out on many other possibilities. Suggestions?

Which website recommends neighborhoods in other cities based on your old neighborhood?

espertus — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:41:31 -0800

I once came across a website that recommends equivalent neighborhoods across cities. For example, if you asked for the San Francisco equivalent of Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, it might recommend the Castro. Could someone point me to this website?

Allapattah and Downtown Miami- how is it?

aussicht — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:04:39 -0800

I am contemplating moving (I live in Wynwood, and like it) nearer to where I go to school/work (hospital district/the gables). How is living in allapattah or downtown miami? i'm used to living in working class areas and can handle myself, but am not sure if crime is bad there? Is anything open downtown after like 6? What about community spaces, bars, restaurants, cafes, etc? My girlfriend is asian, and I know there's no neighborhoods with many asians around, but is downtown homogeneously latin or is it more diverse?

Moving to Wilmington, NC

sara is disenchanted — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:28:56 -0800

We're moving to the beach! But, I would like a few specifics about life in Wilmington, NC. Hope me Wilmington Mefites! I was offered a career position with the City of Wilmington last week, and now my husband and I have three to four weeks to relocate from Winston-Salem, NC to Wilmington, NC.

I grew up on the Delmarva shore and my husband spent most of his summers and free time visiting the coast from Wilmington down to Myrtle, so we have a decent understanding of coastal living. We're even familiar with where we like to fish and eat and drink and visit when we're in the greater Wilmington area.

What we would love to have is information regarding "lifestyle and living" questions.
-What neighborhoods are best for a married couple (who does not plan on expanding the family any time soon) that earns combined $60K? We're going to live in an apartment from 6 months to a year just to become oriented and save some money, but we would like to purchase a single-family house in the future.
-Any recommendations as far as apartment/condo complexes that are safe, comfortable, and dog-friendly? Any to avoid?
-Does anyone have a suggestion for veterinarians and/or doggie daycare? My schedule is so that we would only need to take the Rocky dog to daycare up to 3x per week. He's 5 years old, healthy, and blind (he gets around just fine, but sometimes we think we should buy him a little helmet!).
-What is traffic like on a regular basis? Is this a bicycle-friendly area (i.e., will I have trouble riding my road bike to work?)?
-What tasty vegetables and fruits can I grow in my garden?
-Best tackle/fishing shops in the area?
-Safe running trails and areas? Good mountain bike trails? Or will I be riding my road bike more with the terrain?
-We're both interested in hopefully joining an adult sport league (he's looking for flag or contact football, I'm more interested in ultimate, soccer, or tennis), and I've found some interesting leads, but do you have any clubs/teams you'd specifically endorse?
-Is there anything that you wish you would have known before you made the move to Wilmington?

Thank you in advance...this totally might be an excuse for a meetup.

Which neighborhood should we stay in during our trip to Seattle?

underdetermined — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:11:53 -0800

We (early-30's couple, no kids) are headed to Seattle May 7-10 and are trying to figure out which neighborhood to stay in. We have a number of hotel recommendations, many of which sound very good, but we'd also like to find a location that is in close proximity to great restaurants, non-cheesy nightlife, live music and other interesting attractions which might be a little bit off the beaten path. Not having a sense of what the neighborhoods are like is making it challenging to choose a hotel...do you have any suggestions? Thanks!

Help get us out of this long term hotel!

razdrez — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:38:06 -0800

We've just moved to Raleigh with nothing set up but a mailbox. Can someone give me a stereotyped guide to Raleigh neighborhoods? I'm looking for a resident's candid view of the areas to consider and/or avoid. Something like "this area: newlyweds and newly deads" or "avoid these neighborhoods if you don't drive an SUV to soccer practice" and the like. :)

Or maybe Raleigh isn't so split up that way? We moved from Seattle, where people tend to clique together quite a bit and the neighborhoods reflect that.

We're in our 30s, no kids at the moment, no jobs right now if that gives some perspective on us. Thanks!

What areas / neighborhoods / streets should I avoid in San Francisco?

stackhaus23 — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:31:32 -0800

What areas / neighborhoods / streets should I avoid in San Francisco? Ok, I'm trying to plan for a trip to San Francisco in May. I've got a list of places to go but I'd like something of a list of places not to go to. Chances are I'll be traveling a bunch on foot so if there is a street that I shouldn't walk down. We're 23 years old, m/f couple from Cambridge/London, UK.

We're mostly planning to stay in the North West of the city, only once or twice planning on venturing to Ocean Beach and the Golden Gate Park on the weekend of the Bay to Breakers. We're also not really planning on going as far south as Sunset, Castro and maybe venturing into the Mission once for the Flea Market on a Sunday. So I guess anything south of those places don't really matter.

I've read about avoiding the housing projects although I don't know really where these are - as well as certain places around the Mission (16th, 20th, 24th and 26th), Northern Addition, some parts of Haight, some places on Market Street (between 5th and 9th) and into Tenderloin.

We'll be staying on Jones and Post at the USA Hostel, Mason and Beach at the Wharf Inn, as well as the Metro on Divisadero and Page so if there is a street literally around the corner that we shouldn't walk down then those would be much appreciated!

Any advice will be greatly received, thanks.

Indy, Indiana, not Louisiana, Paris, France, NY or Rome

DiscourseMarker — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:01:54 -0800

Moving to Indianapolis, need neighborhood recommendations. Posting this for a friend: Mrs. Friend just accepted a job located near the SW corner of the greater Indianapolis tri-county area. They are currently in South Dakota (Brookings). Mr. Friend is looking for suggestions on where to live. They need a good school system (1 middle-school aged kid) and a house. They also need housing in Indy for grandma who is now in a HUD supported senior apt complex in Brookings. They like the college town vibe, but I think Bloomington is too far of a commute. Mr. Friend is a freelance writer/audio producer/stay-at-home dad.

Please give suggestions for good neighborhoods, MLS numbers, zip codes, etc where they can look. My friend thanks you!

Moving to Houston, eh!

arcticseal — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:10:49 -0800

So after 5 years of swimming in the cold waters of Norway, the arcticseals are migrating to the warmer zones of Houston. Which brings us to the obvious question that all newcomers ask: Where should we live? I've been in Houston a few times before on courses etc. with work and I do have colleagues whose brains I've been picking, but would dearly love to hear what the hive mind have to offer. I've searched AskMeFi for previous questions, but most seem to be over 2 years old and I'm looking for more up to date information.

There's the 2 of us, married, mid-30s, Canadian/British, Asian/Caucasian, liberal outlook, arriving in mid-April. I'll be likely working near Dairy Ashford, and have gotten used to a 15 minute commute in Norway, so we'd prefer not to live in the suburbs.

Areas we're looking at (so far) are Mid-town, West University, Montrose, Bellaire and Sugar Land. We're looking for quiet & safe neighbourhoods, with walking access to shops, prefer to be close to the arts, movies, parks and generally cultural hangouts.

Type of place we're looking for is a condo, apartment or townhouse, with the intention to rent short term and then buy, budget TBC but in the range of $250-400k, need to look at finances first. Credit should be ok as I'll likely be getting the mortgage through the company credit union, so initial worries about credit rating should not be a big concern.

Recommendations on areas, good realtors, good building inspectors, places to go, things to see, the good and the bad deals on phone, cable, internet, things to look out for and tips on things to do. We're also planning on getting a dog since we'll finally have our own place, so pet friendly is a must.

Will also need to buy a couple of cars, so recommendations on good car dealers also appreciated.

I apologize for the brain dump, it's going to be a busy couple of months! Feel free to MeFi mail me with any questions.

Mission District or Mission Bay?

holympus — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 22:14:55 -0800

SF residents: were money no object, would you prefer to live in the Mission District near 16th and Valencia, or in Mission Bay near AT&T Park, and why? Coming from someone with very little direct experience with the city. I know they're very different places having just recently spent a day in both, but as a young person who has never really lived in a city before, I'm not sure which I'd prefer.

Any salient information about you and/or facts about these neighborhoods that will help me interpret your answer is greatly appreciated. I'm intentionally not saying too much about myself because I'm curious to know what you would prefer and why. Thanks.

Steer me to your nearest "bad neighborhood"...

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:02:43 -0800

What is the "bad part of town" for your nearest metropolitan area... and what's the name of the most notoriously "bad" neighborhood(s) in that part of town? If you're catching a whiff of "chatfilter", it is not because I didn't diligently try to avoid or discourage it when formulating the question. I've kicked it around in my head for a week now, and haven't found a silver bullet to kill the possibility that answers might be a bit chat-tainted. I do have a very specific question I'd like answered, and I am not trying to promote lax conversation. That the thread may be used by some in chatty ways shouldn't indict the specificity of my question. abusus non tollit usum.

I am a cartographer. I've been thinking about "bad neighborhoods" lately and rolling some ideas around in my head. I am thinking about making something that might approximate an "Atlas of the Bad Part(s) of Town(s)". I'd like to get some "jumping on" points to guide my research of various cities.

My perception of "bad part of town" has everything to do with "prevalence of crime"--yours may not, but if you are using some other rubric as your principal justification, please note this.

I am very gracious for any information you can provide, from specific to the very general. It need not be exact, and a notional response (if fairly well informed) would be absolutely fine.

By way of example... the information for my city is as follows: St. Louis, MO - Bad part of town: The North Side - Notoriously bad neighborhoods: Hyde Park, St. Louis Place, the Ville, Carr Avenue.

I am very appreciative for any information you can provide, and for any direction you can steer my research. The project I am envisioning will likely be U.S.-centric, but I am very interested, personally, in answers from all over the world. Thanks much.

What should I check out in the South Loop?

melodykramer — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:25:06 -0800

I'm moving to Chicago's South Loop neighborhood. What undiscovered gems should I check out? Ethnic eateries? Interesting social gatherings for 20-somethings? Groups to join? (I currently live way far north, near Roger's Park, which is lovely, but far from work.)

Living near the University of Miami

aussicht — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:22:14 -0800

Where should I live near(ish to) the University of Miami? I was accepted to the UofM nursing school. I have visited Miami for a week, so kinda know the layout, but am not really sure where I should live.

Here's what I'm looking for:
1. being near (walkable, bikeable) grocery stores, laundry, restaurants and things to do if possible.
2. I want to live in a diverse, affordable, and working class area.
3. i want to be near public transit.

I want to avoid having a car if at all possible. That would mean living somewhat near the U of M (metrorail?). The other thing is I could be doing clinicals at a bunch of hospitals around town: Baptist, Jackson, Miami Childrens, South Miami, Mercy, and VA. Would getting to those make a car totally necessary? I just want to be realistic, though i'm willing to try real hard to avoid it.

Where would be a good place to live? I've had friends who lived in little havana, and they said it was decent and affordable. Maybe parts of that neighborhood would be well connected by bus or bike towards school? I'd like to live on the metrorail line, but that leaves like coral gables, south miami, or downtown? is that right? I'm a little nervous to return to the spread out sprawl/car based areas (takes me back to my youth in california), but maybe living in an interesting neighborhood would outweigh those factors. Secretely i'm hoping to find a place with space for fruit trees (avocados, mangos, etc).

I have a few friends and they live in hialeah, sweetwater, overtown, and the design district. Those are all out-they-way though I think.

Thanks for any help for this confused stuck-in-portland-mentality fool.

todd

What are good neighborhoods to consider in the Philadelphia area?

scblackman — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:11:22 -0800

PhillyFilter: My wife and I are relocating to the Philadelphia area and could use some advice on what neighborhoods or (shudder) suburbs to consider. We currently live in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, having previously lived in the Clifton neighborhood of Cincinnati and in the East Lakeview part of Chicago, meaning that we prefer neighborhoods that are more artsy/diverse. We have a new little girl, so safety, schools and greeenspace are important.

We've been looking at places on the "Main Line" but I don't want to live in a generic suburb, and so our attention has been turning more to Germantown and Chestnut Hill, but we could use more suggestions.

I'll be working in Upper Gwynedd/West Point, but am willing to tolerate a commute of up to 45-60 minute if it means living in a neighborhood that we both are happy with.

For the sake of this AskMe, assume that we're a late 30s/early 40s family of 3 and that cost doesn't matter nearly as much as quality of neighborhood, schools, housing stock, safety, etc.

And if you have a minute, what's the scoop on the Friends schools? They don't have them here in Beantown.