Owning a car in Philly

[rxram03]

I'm considering moving to Philadelphia for a job but I'm try to weigh the differences in cost of living and what not. My question is about having a car in Philly. Do you think I should bring mine up to Philly or rely on public transportation? The job is in the 19104 area so I'm looking at apartments in that area. Most of the apartments I'm finding are about 10 minutes driving distance from the job. I realize public transportation can become costly but I imagine so can paying for parking - which I'm wondering if anyone can explain that to me. Do you have to pay for parking anywhere you go i.e. retail stores, etc? In my city the only parking that you have to pay for are parking lots/garages downtown and metered parking.

Thanks.

[awl4knot]

Philly is a city of neighborhoods and each is different. I think 19104 is basically University City (Penn and Drexel), some of West Philly, and the area immediately around the art museum (PMA). What you need to do is locate the job and the public transportation and then trace the transportation routes to favorable neighborhoods. As a general proposition public transportation is cheaper than parking.

But you'll want to go to lots of places that are easier accessed by car, so don't ditch the car. You can always sell it later.

You really should spend the time and money and spend at least 3 days to scout out the city. You'll save thousands later.

[rxram03]

Solid. Thanks man.