Walking along the streets, you are bound to run into a Philadelphia Historical Site. This city has such a rich history and it is incredibly rewarding to live here. I wanted to do a spotlight on one of these great sites!
Located just blocks from the Art Museum, the Eastern State Penitentiary is one of Philadelphia’s most haunting and exciting historical buildings. It was built in the early 1800’s and opened its doors in 1829 as a new kind of prison, one that got rid of corporal punishment & poor treatment and embraced solitary confinement. The Penitentiary did not focus so much on punishment, but provided a space for spiritual enlightenment and change. The word “penitentiary” came from the criminals, in their disgust for the crimes they had committed, becoming sorrowful, or penitent.
The prison sits on 11-acres of land and had tons of amenities that former prisons did not; running water, flushing toilets, and central heat! Today, this Philadelphia Historical site is best known for its “Terror Behind the Walls” tours, which run from September until November, and are sold out during Halloween weekends!
Have any horror stories from Halloween at the Penitentiary or any interesting facts that you’d like to share? Please feel free to comment!
Philadelphia Neighborhood CheckIt is very important, no matter where you move, to find out about the area you’re moving in to. For our residents, we think it is extremely helpful for them to have all of the information needed about their new Philadelphia neighborhood.
There are some great websites that you can use. By typing in any given address, you can find out the crime that has taken place in any specific Philadelphia neighborhood:
If you have a smartphone you can even download an app from one of these sites, which enables you to gain knowledge about any Philadelphia neighborhood while you’re on the go. Philadelphia is a great place for you to live, but it always good for you to be aware of what is going on around you!
A New Resort is Sure to Have Philadelphia Residents Flocking to A.C. This SummerEver since Philadelphia opened its grand casinos, we haven’t been hearing too much about new things going on with the Atlantic City strip. Well, get ready for that all to change as Philadelphia residents learn about Revel Resort, having its grand opening Memorial Day Weekend 2012. In size, it “Trumps” all of the other casinos, and looks like it will be a major competitor for the now largely successful, Borgata.
Check out their website and be sure to make a reservation for one of the hottest-places-to-be this upcoming summer!
Some Tips to Help Ease Your Move in PhiladelphiaWhether you’re a renter or homeowner, the most daunting aspect of changing housing locations is the move. You have two options when you move in Philadelphia: you can do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Here are some tips and resources to help your move happen quickly and easily.
If you choose to move in Philadelphia and do it yourself there are a few things you should do to make it easier. First, you need to make sure you have the right packing tools. Usually, if you go to any liquor store in the area, they will have unused cartons that they are going to throw away; ask if you can have some. These are great things to pack in and are totally free. Also, when you move in Philadelphia, pack in any suitcases or bags that you already have; they will take up space in the move, so you should use them to your benefit. If you are buying any new furniture that has not been assembled yet, please don’t assemble it until you move into your new place. It is more compact and easier to handle in the box that it came in. Do not purchase big boxes and fill them with books! I know this may seem like a common sense tip, but the bigger the box the heavier it’s going to be, the harder it is going to be to carry, and the worse off you are going to be in an already stressful move.
If you aren’t looking to lug and carry, you can hire a moving company to do it for you. When you move in Philadelphia, the easiest way to find help is to type the phrase “moving company in Philadelphia,” and you will be given a ton of labor services. I weeded through them and found a few that I personally liked.
**MAJOR TIP: When you move in Philadelphia, you may want some help putting together all that new Ikea furniture you just bought. There is a service that provides adorable furniture assembly. From personal experience, I highly suggest you use it!
I hope this helps your move in Philadelphia happen more quickly and efficiently. Just remember, we’re rooting for you at JG Real Estate!
Should You Use a Real Estate Agent to Rent in Philadelphia?
If you are looking to rent in Philadelphia, a lot of people will automatically go to Craigslist or another real estate listing portal to find all of the places available. This may seem like your best option, to scroll through the thousands of postings to find two options that fit what you’re looking for, but what if I told you that there was an easier way? Now that I have become accustomed with the real estate field, I’ve found that the best way to rent in Philadelphia, to find a place that you want to call home, is work with a real estate agent.
If you’re wondering why working with a real estate may be beneficial to you, the renter, when you rent in Philadelphia, the answer is simple and easy: searching for places is time consuming, and a real estate agent can help you to cut that time in half. You can decide for yourself, your options being: weeding through all of the places you don’t want in order to find a few you do, or giving someone a list of requirements that you have and receiving a list of multiple options that are exactly what you’re looking for, at no, or little cost to you. I would hope the answer would seem obvious.
I would hope that the answer would be clear to this question. In my opinion, using a real estate agent to locate a place for you to rent in Philadelphia is a very smart idea!
Rodent and Pest Control in PhiladelphiaFor some reason I was under the impression that I didn’t have mice in my apartment. That idea was squashed when my roommate trapped a mouse under a cup in our sink. It was then and there that I decided I needed to find out what renters need to know about rodent and pest control in Philadelphia.
Contributing factors to Philadelphia’s rodent and pest control problems are large population, density, family poverty, and city age. In our case, it most likely had to do with the garbage not being taken out quickly enough. Fox has reported on restaurants experiencing mice control issues. Mark Coopersmith comments in the Fox article that “Philadelphia is loaded with steam pipes underground.” He goes on to mention that there are tons of access points that have not been sealed. It is no wonder that it is so hard to keep the pests out!
Hope this helps!
