2121 Market

Overall, this location is above average in terms of value for your money.  The Philadelphia Management Co. is subpar, but manageable.  Our (my wife and I)big deciding factors: pet-friendly, no bugs or mice, proximity to everything (good on all these counts). The Good:- Great location: only 2 blocks from the Schuylkill Trail (great place to bike, run, or relax by the river); only 3 blocks from 30th St. Station; trolley and bus stop are directly outside the front door; Trader Joe's is on the first floor.  I walk everywhere and it's all within a 25 minute walk.  - Pet friendly: We have both a cat and dog and have no issues.  There are about 8 dogs of all sizes on our floor.  Being close to the trail is convenient for dogs as well.- Good apartment layout: For the most part the living space is a good size and well thought out.  The high ceiling (14 ft.) is also nice.  - Lots of light:  The windows start at about 4 feet up and go all the way to the ceiling, so you have 10 foot high windows.  This is really nice for light addicts like my wife and I.  - Quiet:  I'm on the 3rd floor and have been very happy with how quiet street noise is.  I face North and really the loudest noises are police cars and Trader Joe's shopping carts, but I only hear them when the window is open.  The wall thickness isn't too bad.  I hear my neighbors sometimes, but that's to be expected. - Clean and no bugs or varmints (yet): We saw a lot of places with both bugs and mice, but we have yet to see any in this building.  When we moved in, the unit was very clean and overall kept up decently. The Not So Good:- Maintenance is non-existent: We've submitted 4 separate work orders and even after calling, not a single one has been filled.  We find the cleaning lady and she gives us whatever we need and I do the fixing myself. The maintenance guy, when we do see him, is extremely rude and smells bad.  If we ask him something, he acts like we're wasting his time.- Security: It's not horrible, but security guards are often sleeping in the middle of the night.  There is no doorman from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.  There have also been a rash of break-ins (electronics stolen), even when the doorman was present.  Security has been stepped up since then, but it's a little disconcerting... I'm glad I have a dog.  - Adult Shops right outside: While you can kind of ignore this, the neon lights make it hard and it attracts some seedy characters.  I have been asked for money and heckled more than once simply walking in and out of the building.  Make sure you know what direction your apartment looks if you don't want to be looking at the front of the shops.- Lack of storage space and some inefficiencies: We have a lot of stuff, and there is very little closet space.  The closets that do exist are not very space efficient - there is only one shelf above the hanging bar, so I actually added additional shelving to take advantage of the high ceilings.- Kitchen is inefficient: If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this isn't the best place.  The sink is tiny, the stove burners are crooked, and the cabinets don't take advantage of all the space available (there are random open spots that could have benefitted from an additional cabinet).  Whoever designed the kitchen had obviously spent no time working in a kitchen before.- Washer and dryer:  There are no in-unit washer and dryers, and that's ok, but the washer and dryers they have on the floor are often broken, not free, and the dryers don't dry.  Start saving those quarters now.- Parking (lack there of): There is no inexpensive, convenient parking.  The lot we do use at 23rd and Market is so-so (attendants or slow and forgetful and sometimes forget we have a paid monthly spot) and a little steep... we're looking for a new lot.- Garbage closets and smell:  The garbage closets on each floor are not large enough to support the floor.  Everyday it's overflowing into the hallway, thus often causing an awful smell everywhere.