Philadelphia is known for being a “city of neighborhoods”. How do you find YOUR neighborhood in Philadelphia? We sat down with some of our agents and asked for their advice on how they help clients hone in on the home search and find the neighborhood that suits them best.
First the Facts
Depending on who you ask, there are 114-158 neighborhoods throughout Philly. Why such a discrepancy? Philadelphians love to argue neighborhood boundaries, names of their beloved residential patches, and have a special, unique skill in creating neighborhoods within neighborhoods, aka pocket neighborhoods.
According to the 2025 State of the City Pew Research Center Report, the population of Philadelphia is 1,573,916 people. In 2023, it was recorded that more than ½ of all households live in homes that they own, which works out to be 51.8%. That is the third-highest homeowner rate in the US (Phoenix and Detroit take first and second place).
The real estate market here in Philly is still going strong and is no stranger to people moving from other cities and states. A new report from Street Easy shared that more New Yorkers are moving to Philadelphia than any other city (take that, Miami!). In 2024, over 25% of our website traffic was generated from folks in other cities taking a peek at our listings! The list is among good company with buyers and renters from NYC, Washington, LA, Columbus, Miami, Atlanta, and the list goes on. g, front lawns, and finished basements—hallmarks of mid-20th-century residential design.
Bringing it into focus
As we know, Philly has so much to offer, let’s talk about how to bring your search into focus. This is where your Philly Home Girls agent comes in.
With so many incredible neighborhoods to choose from, how do you decide where to start?
Melissa: It’s all about those first chats together. I want to know all about my clients' lifestyle, what makes them happy. Do they work from home, so having a quiet indoor space is going to be important, or do they commute to the office daily? What does being a local look like? Are they foodies, so nearby restaurants are a must, do they want to walk to the gym, or do they want space to set up at home?
Rachel: Exactly! We start with the basics: what’s your budget? What are your house must-haves? Then we take it from there. We’ll dive into those other details like work commute, school catchments, hobbies, do you want to be near a park for the dog, is public transportation important to you, parking, and if so, what type of parking, a nearby lot, private garage, or street?
Peter: I love that initial assessment of facts and then pure personality coming together. Each neighborhood has a niche to it, and part of my job is to help figure out which neighborhoods will deliver. For example, East Passyunk and Fishtown are both incredible neighborhoods and on paper have a lot of similarities- close to public transportation, great restaurants, a range of nightlife but it’s two different personalities of people. Both equally cool, but there's a je nes se quois about each neighborhood. A vibe check, if you will.
Rachel: I’ll also keep an eye on the portal I set up for you after our first conversation. It sends you homes I think you’ll be interested in. You mark the ones that pique your interest. I watch for any patterns I see that might define where we should start looking. For example, if you are checking off new construction homes, that will point to certain neighborhoods. Budget can help steer the direction as well.
Ok, so I’ve taken my 6 neighborhoods and have narrowed them down to 3, now what?
Rachel: It’s homework time! Public transportation is on a lot of people’s lists, especially when they are coming from places like NYC or DC. I like to suggest that my clients take public transportation to meet me for the first appointment of the day. Get a real feel of how it works. Did you like the walk from the station? Really imagine yourself in your daily routine- look around, where are you grabbing your coffee, feel the neighborhood energy, does it match yours?
Peter: One thing to note is that when we are touring together, it’s most likely going to be in the daytime. When you’ve clicked in with a neighborhood, take the time to visit it for different reasons. Book a dinner reservation, head over and check out the parking situation once everyone is home from work, take a stroll, or bring the dog to the local park to see who his new friends will be.
Melissa: Once we’ve met, and maybe even before we’ve gone out together, I always advise my clients to “date the neighborhood”. Just like Rachel and Pete mentioned, get out there and peek into your local shops, walk down the street, say hi to neighbors, and even have a little chat about living there. Philadelphians are really proud of their neighborhoods, and by talking with someone, you’ll learn a lot of the local secrets and things that make up that particular neighborhood's identity.
How do I get to know my neighborhood if I am across the country?
Melissa: Google Street View is your best friend! Walk the city from your couch.
Peter: We also have a robust collection of blogs that can help, from school info to a walking tour of Brewerytown.
What about touring homes in my limited time while visiting?
Rachel: If you only have a few days while you’re in town, we’ll put together an itinerary so that you can see a few homes in the neighborhoods of your choice. It will also depend on what stage you’re in. Are you looking as a preview of what the city offers, so when you are looking at your portal listings, you understand them better, or are you on a deadline where you have to find a home in a particular time frame? Either way, we’ll always have a little download after our tours so I can target searches to the neighborhoods you liked best.
Melissa: After a big day of touring, sometimes my clients will want to see a few more. This is where open houses can really help your search. I will often set up a specific open house portal for my clients so that they can also take advantage of touring if I am not available. It’s also a great way to walk a neighborhood- pop from open to open without any pressure of a tight schedule.
What about touring homes remotely?
Peter: Remote tours can be done. I’ll Facetime my clients and walk through and test the soft close of the kitchen drawers, turn on the taps for water pressure, and we’ll look in the mechanical room, etc. All that said, if you have a friend or family member who can join the tour, it’s highly recommended.
Rachel: Only a very specific client is going to purchase a home without ever visiting the city first. It’s hard to show it all on video, the house specifics, the street, the neighborhood vibes. That said, for clients who’ve visited and we’ve done some tours together, it can be a great solution. Often, I will tour the homes so that the client can decide if they want to come out again to see it IRL.
Melissa: I always have my tape measure with me on a virtual tour too! If you need a measurement to know if your couch is going to fit, I can grab it for you right there. If there aren’t floor plans available with the listings, I have been known to draw up one for my remote clients.
Where would I find….
We played a speed round, top of mind recommendations. Are there more neighborhoods to find your slice of the dream? Absolutely! But here are some to get you started!
New Construction with 3-4 bedrooms 2.5 - 3 baths?
Budget $300-$500 | We have incredible new construction listings in Paradise right now. With private garage parking too! Brewerytown is a great place to get a bit more for your money. Norris Square and East Kensington have a lot of new development.
Budget $500k-$800k | Fishtown, Pennsport, and Point Breeze all have new construction options that tick all the boxes.
A backyard that's big enough to garden and have friends over for a BBQ?
Manayunk, East Falls, Port Richmond has a lot of decent backyards, and of course, West Philly
A neighborhood that’s walkable to the gym, has great coffee shop choices, and restaurants for dinner dates?
Budget $300K -$500K | East Passyunk, Fishtown, East Falls/Paradise, and we always encourage people to look south of Snyder because you can find some real gems! Brewerytown and Olde Kensington are fun. Take advantage of small businesses in your neighborhood or walk to nearby neighborhoods for even more amenities.
Budget $500K - $800K | Bella Vista, Queen Village, and Fairmount is right near the park, which is heaven for walkers.
Easy Access to bike trails, we have 2 dogs that also love a good walk.
Budget $300-$500 | Manayunk, Roxborough and East Falls are all near so many green space options with trails for running and biking. It’s a big dog community too, since many homes have great outdoor space.
Budget $500- $800 | Fitler Square has the prettiest streets and is near the Schuylkill bike trails. Graduate Hospital has easy access too, with more outdoor space options be it back patio or rooftop. Fairmount is so close to the park that the pups and you will have endless options. Chestnut Hill butts up against Wissahickon Park which is a magical paradise with streams for pups to play and wooded trails for jogging, walking and biking.
Looking for space for our growing family
Mount Airy baby! Train line for easy commuting to Center City, totally walkable, near green space and trails, local library, and cute shops. The burbs are a natural move as well when folks are looking for more space. Don’t forget we service PA and NJ suburbs! West Philly has options that have rooms upon rooms as well as leafy outdoor spaces and if you’re lucky a driveway!
What are some condo living recommendations? Quiet and chill, as well as in the middle of it all.
Quiet and chill Society Hill has some cool mid-century options. Nearby Queen Village has pretty tree-lined streets, local shops, and restaurants that are hidden in the neighborhood.
For happening options, Northern Liberties have more condos with parking options, and you can’t get more happening in central than Washington West, Rittenhouse, and Center City. Old City can be in both chill AND happening - it has that special magical balance.
There is a neighborhood (or two!) for everyone. We promise that Philly has your perfect fit! Give us a ring and we can chat about your specifics and you’ll be waving to your new neighbors in no time!
Saving money for a downpayment and closing costs is the # 1 reason people are holding off on purchasing a home. PHG agent Rachel Shaw came up with a trusty list of some of her favorite homebuyer assistance grants and loan programs. With a little help, your dream of owning a home may not be as far off as you thought!