Which Philly Neighborhood Should you live in? If you’re deciding between Northeast Philadelphia and Fishtown / Northern Liberties, you should consider rent affordability, ease and affordability of parking, open spaces and greenery, organized children’s sports, and more.
Rent Affordability
The average cost of a 1 Bedroom in Northeast Philly is $915 whereas in Northern Liberties the average cost of a 1 Bedroom is $1,612 and in Fishtown is $1,340 (source).
Northeast Philly is 76% cheaper than Northern Liberties and 46% cheaper than Fishtown.
Ease and Affordability of Parking
Parking can be expensive.
The average cost to park a car in Fishtown / Northern Liberties is $178/month.
Northeast Philly Neighborhoods including Bustleton, Somerton, and Fox Chase generally have no additional costs associated with parking your car at your apartment. There are some buildings that charge $35 per month, but they are an exception.
Open Space and Parks
In 2010 the GreenPlan Philadelphiaรย initiative included in its report tree canopy coverage across various Philadelphia neighborhoods as follows:
- Bridesburg/Kensington/Richmond: 3.4% (The area most similar to Fishtown/Northern Liberties)
- Far Northeast Philadelphia: 26.8% (Includes Northeast Philly neighborhoods of Bustleton, Somerton, and Fox Chase, and more)
Northeast Philadelphia has among the highest tree canopy coverage in the entire City. For an added bonus, if you live in Northeast Philadelphia you are very close to Pennypack Park (1600 acre park) whereas from Northern Liberties/Fishtown you are probably at a point in the City that is furthest away from any major park.
Crime
There is no neighborhood in any city or suburb that is crime-free, however, crime can be measured, and there is a direct relationship between crime and personal and property safety. The Philadelphia Inquirer tracks crime ratesย throughout the city over the last 30 days. For the last 30 days as of the date this article was written, many NE Philadelphia Neighborhoods had significantly lower property crime rates and violent crime rates compared to Northern Liberties/Fishtown neighborhoods*
Property Crime Rates (Looking Back 30 Days from the Date of This Article Written) ย comparing NE Philadelphia communities of Bustleton, Somerton, and Fox Chase to Northern Liberties/Fishtown:
- Bustleton had approximately 12.5% of the Property Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
- Somerton had approximately 14.5% of the Property Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
- Fox Chase had approximately 18% of the Property Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
Violent Crime Rates (Looking Back 30 Days from the Date of This Article Written) comparing NE Philadelphia communities of Bustleton, Somerton and Fox Chase to Northern Liberties/Fishtown:
- Bustleton had approximately 1% of the Violent Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
- Somerton had approximately 9% of the Violent Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
- Fox Chase had approximately 6% of the Violent Crime Rate of Northern Liberties/Fishtown.
Ability to Drive Up to Shopping Centers
- Fishtown – 1 shopping center, though several grocery stores
- Northern Liberties – 3 shopping centers.
Now for some neighborhoods in Northeast Philly
- Bustleton -15 shopping centers
- Somerton – 21 shopping centers
- Fox Chase -5 shopping centers
That’s 41 shopping centers in just these 3 Northeast Philly Neighborhoods compared to 4 shopping centers in all of Fishtown/Northern Liberties.
Organized Children’s Sports
If you live in Northern Liberties/Fishtown, there are very few options for organized children’s sports (if any), but Northeast Philly is known for its diverse array of children’s sports and activities.
- Hockey – Flyers Skate Zone
- Soccer – Somerton Youth Organization, Lighthouse SC, Philadelphia Soccer Club, Fox Chase Soccer Club
- Basketball – Somerton Youth Organization, Parkwood Youth Organization, Lansing Knights Youth Organization, Northeast Racquet Club
- Baseball/Softball – Somerton Youth Organization, Parkwood Youth Organization, Lansing Knights Foundation
- Football – Somerton Youth, Parkwood Youth, Fox-Rok Athletic, Liberty Bell Youth
- Cheerleading – Somerton Youth Organization, Fox-Rok Athletic Association, Liberty Bell Youth Organization.
- Tennis – Northeast YMCA, Northeast Racquet Club
- Volleyball – Northeast YMCA
and so much more.
Diversity of Food.
Photo by Jorge Zapata on Unsplash
Although Fishtown has some great restaurants and Northern Liberties has some restaurants too, it’s tough to beat the authentic diversity of Northeast Philly restaurants.
The diversity of the food scene may be best summarized by this description from the famous food critic Craig LaBan.
For two months, I feasted on Uzbek kebabs and Brazilian churrasco, Transylvanian stuffed cabbage, stellar Vietnamese banh mi, and flaming Portuguese sausage. I tasted the authentic offerings of Russian markets, a growing Chinese corridor with some of the city’s best seafood and dim sum, and a South Indian community that produces the hard-to-find dishes of Kerala รขโฌโ not to mention an Indian cheesesteak wrapped inside a dosa crepe. With side trips to some of the area’s more traditional spots, from classic cheesesteak and hoagie delis to Italian gems, kielbasa corners, craft beer pioneers, and, yes, some still-great diners, rarely has a Philly eating adventure been so fun. There may be no Philly food destination more dynamic than Northeast Philly. Craig Laban Philadelphia Inquirer
There are simply too many restaurants, and specialty food stores to name, but NE Philadelphia is very culturally diverse, and home to nearly every cuisine you can imagine. Among the many specialty/international grocery stores that offer selections from around the world are Netcost Market, House of Kosher, Petrovsky Market, Vatan Market, Kashmir Garden Super, Kuttanadu Super Market, and more.
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(1) Rent Data Analyzed For Bustleton (19115), Somerton (19116), and Fox Chase (19111)
*Neighborhoods defined by data on chart are only for a point and time and look back 30 days only from the date this article was written. We make no guarantees to the accuracy of the data, and moreover, neighborhood boundaries from this crime data may not match up exactly with your interpretation of neighborhoods. You need to always do your own research and make your own decisions.
