Living in CC or Manayunk/Roxborough/East Falls

Hey all. I'm David. 23 years old guy, graduated from Penn. Grew up outside of Philly and have been here since starting college, finishing and have lived here every summer for the last 5 years. I'm currently in a place on South Street, which is kind of a well known hot spot of the city for night life, food, and culture. I've seen a few posts from people who haven't spent much time in the area, so I thought I'd answer some questions. From what I've heard from my friends who are at Temple now and students who I met on the tour, the class last year was divided in half between Center City and just outside in the suburbs of Manayunk, Roxborough, and East Falls. Both can be really incredible. If you are living in the suburbs of the city though, you will pretty much be driving to campus, although I think there is a way to take a bus or train using SEPTA (philly's most loved public transit system - some sarcasm implied). If you are in Center City, there is a shuttle that Temple runs from Chinatown, pretty sure it's leaving from the Podiatry or Law School area, but not positive. You can also take the subway. Both are reasonable options, but if you are studying late into the night, I think the bus offers crazy hours. In terms of lifestyle, Center City is really alive and you can definitely manage life without a car for quite some time since supermarkets, great restaurants, public transportation, etc are all within walking distance....plus if you are close to Chinatown, you can hop the bus up to campus easily. Manayunk and the surrounding area are really beautiful and some of the places are right along the river, which has an awesome jogging/biking path as well as a train that runs into Center City that only takes about 15 mins. Personally, I choose Center City to live because of the walking options when I haven't been in class or at work, but for the longest time I thought it would be amazing to live in Manayunk. So there you have it. I'm currently apartment shopping and thinking about a move and I may also be in the market for a roommate. I am one of the lucky ones in Center City that happens to have a garage for parking and pays far too little in rent to deserve it. If you can find a place like that and want to have a car, it really is the ideal choice. More to come. bermanmail@gmail.com or facebook: David Berman