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Living in Philadelphia

Grab one of the country's best Philly Cheesesteaks or stroll through Fairmount Park. Spend the day visiting The Liberty Bell, Philadelphia Museum of Art, or Independence Hall. SEPTA provides city transportation, while The Acela Express trains provide easy access between Boston, New York and Washington, DC.

The city is home to neighborhoods such as University City, home of University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, and Bella Vista - Southwark, with eclectic boutiques, coffee shops, gastropubs and restaurants.

Nearby Philadelphia Apartments on Redfin

75 Walk Score of Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia is Very Walkable

Most errands can be accomplished on foot.

Walk Score Map

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Photo of Hutchinson Street in Philadelphia

Hutchinson Street

Photo of The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell

Philadelphia is the 8th most walkable large city in the US with 1,526,006 residents.

Philadelphia has good public transportation and is somewhat bikeable.

Find apartments in Philadelphia's most walkable neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Avenue of the Arts South and Washington Square West.

Philadelphia Apartments for Rent

Philadelphia Neighborhoods

Rank

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Name

Walk Score

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Population

1 Rittenhouse Square 99 100 91 8,524
2 Avenue of the Arts South 99 100 87 4,013
3 Washington Square West 99 100 89 11,444
4 Center City West 99 100 92 6,411
5 Center City East 98 98 83 14,635
6 Fitler Square 97 98 98 7,429
7 Bella Vista - Southwark 97 78 83 37,130
8 Graduate Hospital 95 85 94 11,282
9 Logan Square 95 100 86 5,137
10 Spruce Hill 94 89 96 14,098
11 Northern Liberties - Fishtown 94 77 88 11,212
12 Cedar Park 94 80 99 4,634
13 Queen Village - Pennsport 93 65 86 19,490
14 Walnut Hill 93 82 98 3,815
15 Southwest Cedar Park 92 82 95 3,628
16 South Philadelphia East 91 76 84 24,742
17 Fairmount - Art Museum 91 78 89 23,767
18 University City 90 95 92 14,345
19 Point Breeze 89 74 82 23,703
20 Powelton Village 88 94 96 5,620
21 West Powelton 88 90 97 3,733
22 Avenue of the Arts North 87 86 73 10,910
23 Dunlap 87 75 87 2,088
24 Kensington 84 69 74 47,682
25 Haverford North 83 73 89 1,442
26 North Philadelphia East 82 81 71 43,367
27 South Philadelphia West 82 71 79 37,002
28 Manayunk 81 54 51 18,876
29 Mantua 80 65 94 5,991
30 Hunting Park 80 76 52 18,865
31 Haddington 80 75 75 21,981
32 Oxford Circle - Castor 79 62 61 52,702
33 Cobbs Creek 79 72 86 37,900
34 Olney 79 69 61 35,312
35 Tacony - Wissinoming 79 58 59 32,115
36 Logan - Ogontz - Fern Rock 79 77 58 43,341
37 Tioga - Nicetown 78 80 56 14,885
38 Mayfair 78 66 58 25,330
39 Port Richmond 78 62 75 25,568
40 Carroll Park 78 72 63 14,127
41 Juniata Park - Feltonville 77 60 63 36,522
42 Belmont 76 69 76 3,767
43 East Germantown 76 63 50 24,752
44 Mill Creek 76 74 78 8,410
45 Kingsessing 75 75 81 25,694
46 Frankford 75 78 60 38,533
47 West Oak Lane 74 60 61 20,166
48 Lawncrest 74 58 65 38,335
49 Fairhill 74 69 61 26,097
50 Elmwood 73 72 66 20,252
51 North Philadelphia West 73 70 69 51,516
52 Germantown 73 65 57 22,573
53 Allegheny West 72 70 61 17,745
54 Cedarbrook - Stenton 72 56 53 31,087
55 East Mount Airy 71 55 51 15,221
56 Grays Ferry 71 60 73 6,342
57 West Parkside 70 68 87 792
58 Overbrook 69 64 57 32,774
59 West Mount Airy 68 51 51 12,783
60 Bridesburg 67 48 56 7,022
61 East Falls 66 62 61 9,635
62 Wynnefield 66 60 69 9,352
63 Chestnut Hill 65 49 48 9,820
64 Fairmount Park 63 65 84 2,016
65 Rhawnhurst 62 56 63 29,682
66 Oak Lane - East Oak Lane 61 64 60 13,774
67 Eastwick - Southwest Philadelphia 61 66 65 26,525
68 Holmesburg 60 52 64 33,658
69 East Parkside 57 64 88 2,936
70 Fox Chase - Burholme 54 49 53 20,829
71 Roxborough 52 43 50 21,835
72 Wynnefield Heights 52 54 60 7,172
73 Bustleton 50 47 50 41,398
74 Northeast Philadelphia 47 50 50 57,889
75 Somerton 46 47 42 24,151
76 Torresdale 45 48 50 22,079
77 Parkland 37 49 53 531

Average Home Features

According to HomeAdvisor Data, these characteristics make up the average home in Philadelphia

Average square footage 2100
Homeowners have 3.3 bedrooms
Homeowners have 2.1 bathrooms
Age of home 48 years
Average time living in home 14 years

Check out HomeAdvisor’s Philadelphia Home Happiness Survey.

thumbnail for Hutchinson StreetMany of Philadelphia's quaint alley streets are located in Washington Square West. This picture shows the intersection of Hutchinson and Latimer streets. #phillyalleys #alley

Krista Guerrieri
on Hutchinson Street

67 Transit Score of Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia has Good Transit

Many nearby public transportation options. Find Philadelphia apartments for rent on Redfin.

Public Transit Routes

Philadelphia has good public transportation and about 92 bus, 13 rail, 4 subway and 5 light rail lines.

Transit Time

The map above shows how far you can travel in 30 minutes from Philadelphia on public transit.

Neighborhood Guides

Thinking of renting an apartment or buying in Philadelphia? Ask our neighborhood guides a question.

Hope Ann Callahan Sabatini

I am an energetic mom of two boys.

Ask Hope about Philadelphia

Photo of Fox Chase Playground in Philadelphia

Fox Chase Playground

Photo of 6th Street Phila Pennsylvania in Philadelphia

6th Street Phila Pennsylvania

Photo of El Bar in Philadelphia

El Bar

67 Bike Score of Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia is Bikeable

Some bike infrastructure.

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What's It Like to Live in Philadelphia?

Photo of Stinger Square Park in Philadelphia

Stinger Square Park

Photo of St Gabriel School in Philadelphia

St Gabriel School

Photo of Rhoads James School in Philadelphia

Rhoads James School

Photo of Liberty Baptist Church in Philadelphia

Liberty Baptist Church

Overview

Philadelphia is a city rich in American history. Independence Hall is here, where the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The Liberty Bell is here too. German immigrants came to Philly as early as 100 years before American independence. And while it’s steeped in history – Elfreth’s Alley is a skinny street occupied continuously since the early 1700s – the city also has buildings like the 58 story shiny glass tower where Comcast makes its home.

Comcast isn’t the only big employer in town. There are lots of government jobs here – as you’d expect from a city so close to Washington DC. Aramark hospitality services is Philly based, Dow Chemical has a hub here, and Campbell’s Soup is across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey. Several big pharmaceutical companies have their headquarters in the region, and US Airways has a major hub in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has its own stock exchange, so there are a number of financial services companies here too.

The city has long prided itself on diversity. That continually occupied street, Elfreth’s Alley, was once home to Jewish merchants, former slaves, and immigrants from Germany, Ireland, and other parts of Europe. Now, Philly’s diversity is seen it its embracing of the “Gayborhood” with its rainbow street signs – while not far away, you can shop Amish farm products at the Reading Terminal Market.

There’s a large student population too – Thomas Jefferson University is right in the heart of the city, and Drexel is in University City. There are more than two dozen institutes of higher learning in Philly, and that’s just in the city proper, there are more in the nearby Delaware Valley.

The city initially had a reputation for a rather practical approach to food – the cheese steak is a Philly phenomenon, and fresh soft pretzels are easy to come by. That stuff is still popular, but with the city’s gentrification, there’s been a new wave of restaurants that either remix Philly’s basic style or bypass it all together. You want organic shade grown coffee or grass fed beef or imported cheese? No problem. Philly’s immigrants have also left their mark on the food here, there’s an Italian market it South Philly, and a large Polish population should you find you want pirogi. You won’t starve here for lack of good food, that’s for sure.

Philly has that four season climate that many Northeast cities have, though it tends to be a bit milder in the winter than neighboring DC, New York, or Boston. Humid summers are common, and prime time is spring and fall. There are lots of pocket neighborhood parks and squares, and the city is home to Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in the world.

Photo of Bryant Elementary School in Philadelphia

Bryant Elementary School

Photo of SEPTA Train Station in Philadelphia

SEPTA Train Station

Getting Around

Getting around Philly without a car is quite easy – which is good because car owners will find parking a real challenge in most of the city. SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) runs an extensive network of busses, trolley lines, regional rail, and the city’s subway system. There is rail service to Philadelphia’s international airport. Amtrak runs the Acela Express, train service that connects Philly with Boston, New York, DC, and Baltimore. Megabus has express service to the major nearby northeastern cities as well. PATCO runs a regional rail line that connects downtown Philadelphia with Camden, New Jersey and the nearby New Jersey suburbs.

Bicycle commuting in Philly has a ways to go, but advocates are working to improve the existing network of bike routes and trails throughout the region. The city launched bike share program Indego in 2015 with over 1,000 bikes and more than 130 bike share stations. Enterprise and Zipcar both run car sharing service, so should you find you need a car for short term use, there’s no shortage of options.

thumbnail for The Liberty BellVisit one of the most historic American symbols of all time. The bell is located inside a learning center that showcases all of the great history behind it. #publicart #historicplace #kidfriendly Photo: pepsiline

Walk Score Team
on The Liberty Bell

Neighborhoods

Center City (East and West) wins for walkablity in Philadelphia, and there’s all kinds of housing here, from historic row houses to brand new highrises. In Old City, buildings that were once warehouses are being renovated and converted into stylish condos, and they’re walking distance from great restaurants, shopping, and the subway. Closer to Thomas Jefferson University, there are immaculate new buildings with lots of modern amenities like stainless steel appliances, onsite gyms, and roof gardens. There are also classic old apartment buildings with lofted lobby spaces and beautiful architectural detailing.

Fishtown has a centrally located subway stop and it’s a top restaurant ‘hood in Philly. It’s got a lively First Friday artwalk and is gentrifying fast. That means prices are going up, but also, that this once working class fishing neighborhood is now a cool place to live. You’ll find smaller new construction condos squeezed in between vintage row houses and sparkling new loft style apartments with big windows and high ceilings. It’s possible to find units with as many as four bedrooms, maybe with a view of the river.

Photo of Passyunk Food Cart in Philadelphia

Passyunk Food Cart

Photo of Overbrook Train Station in Philadelphia

Overbrook Train Station

Photo of Grays Ferry Crescent Trail Park in Philadelphia

Grays Ferry Crescent Trail Park

Photo of Cedar Park in Philadelphia

Cedar Park

You’ll have to compromise a little bit on walkability, but if you want to live in a place that has historically embraced integration, check out West Mount Airy.

SEPTA rail lines do serve the neighborhood, so it’s possible to have a public transit commute if this is your choice. There are attractive modern townhouses here, some with hardwood floors and open floor plans, and some nice historic brick apartment buildings with attractively landscaped courtyards and details that include arched ceilings, leaded glass windows, and built in cabinets. Prices are a bit lower here than in more central neighborhoods.

Fairmount, bordered on one side by the Schuykill River and on the south end of Fairmount Park is known as a family friendly neighborhood. You can find larger apartments in gorgeously renovated factory buildings where the floor to ceiling windows are still intact.

You’ll also find single family homes walking distance from Fairmount’s neighborhood parks, and more of Philadelphia’s classic row houses for rent in their entirety or as apartments in divided buildings.

Search for Philadelphia apartments for rent with Walk Score and join the 35% of Philadelphia residents who rent their homes. You can find great homes for rent in one of Philadelphia's diverse neighborhoods including a studio in Germantown, or a 2 bedroom rental in North Central. Sort by condo price, number of bedrooms, access to SEPTA, Philadelphia's public transportation, or by the city's best restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores.

Families moving to Philadelphia can find family friendly neighborhoods with great schools near parks with Walk Score. Search for places to live near Zipcar car share locations in Philadelphia.

thumbnail for Stinger Square ParkGreat neighborhood park. Includes pool, swings and jungle gym. Also had an indoor recreation center for indoor activities. This park hold many neighborhood events.

Zahkiyah Allen
on Stinger Square Park

Philadelphia is Talking About...

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Photo of Dati's Homemade Water Ice in Philadelphia

Dati's Homemade Water Ice

Photo of Cedar Park in Philadelphia

Cedar Park

thumbnail for St Gabriel SchoolSt. Gabriel's Church and School. This place had been around for generations. You have grandparents, children and grandchildren who have all attended. #GraysFerry

Zahkiyah Allen
on St Gabriel School

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