Welcome to a special edition of Curbed Comparisons, a dive into the options available for a certain price point in various neighborhoods. In honor of National Bike Month, we took a look at rentals with bike-friendly features for this week’s comparison. Is one person's loft near a buffered bike lane another person's townhouse close to the park? Let's find out! Today's price: $1,400/month.
Brewerytown (2 beds, 2 baths)—This apartment in a rapidly changing neighborhood has modern finishes, including a new kitchen and hardwood floors. The newly built building is also just two blocks from an Indego bike share station. But the real bike-ability of this unit comes thanks to Philly’s age old "city in a park" ethic, which puts the dedicated bike lanes of Poplar Drive and other Fairmount Park roads just around the corner.
Art Museum (1 bed, 1 bath)—It may feel a little cave-like in this is one-bedroom across from the Art Museum, but the bike-friendly features of both this building (the Philadelphian) and this neighborhood are hard to beat. Dedicated bike lanes run outside the front doors on Pennsylvania Avenue and lead all the way to Center City via Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The $1,400 / month rent includes utilities.
Old City (studio, 1 bath)—If the 550-square-foot unit seems small, this gated community offers indoor bike racks and an enclosed dog run. Plus, an Indego bike share station is only a block away, and designated north/south bike lanes are just a few more blocks, on 5th and 6th Streets. There are also bike rentals and bike tours that depart from nearby Independence National Park.
Rittenhouse Square ( 1 bed, 1 bath) —The modest style of this apartment may not hint at its rich roots, but this Pine Street apartment is practically on hallowed ground for Philly bikers. The dedicated Pine Street bike lane that runs east past its front door was one of the first bike lanes in the city, along with the west-going Spruce Street bike lane. These two lanes proved to policymakers that Philly bike-ability makes sense. And they’re great for getting across Center City.
Manayunk (1 bed, 1 bath)—The Manayunk Bridge Trail opened as a scenic biking and walking feature late last year, providing a link between the popular Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, and the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Montgomery County. This first-floor,1,900-square-foot unit is just steps from access points to all three trails. Inside there’s an island kitchen, exposed brick, a large basement and living area, and a private yard entrance. Heat and hot water are included in the $1,350 monthly rent.
- Philly named the 9th most bike-friendly city in the U.S. [Curbed Philly]
- 5 non-traditional transportation projects receive funding [Curbed Philly]
- How bike trails became Philly real estate's must-have amenity [Curbed Philly]
- Map: 14 new trails coming to Philly [Curbed Philly]
- Philly ranked 7th in nation for walking, biking to work [Curbed Philly]