4. FIND AN APARTMENT YOURSELF USING THESE TECHNIQUES

Employer or school

You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market. Similarly, if you have any school affiliations (alumni or current), contact your school and inquire as to whether the school has any apartment bulletin boards or online listings. These housing openings are often more affordable and safer than something you could find on your own, and many are only open to people affiliated with the university.

Online

Online listings are particularly good for learning about the "flavor" of the Philadelphia apartment market; go online and get a sense of prices and what you get for them. Online apartment listings are also useful because you can get tons of information about the place without leaving the comforts of your robe; you can even see the floorplans or pictures if you're lucky. There are literally hundreds of sites out there, but we recommend apartments.com, and move.com.

Newspapers and magazines

Newspapers and magazines (both print and online) are great sources for apartment listings. A few to try are:

  • APARTMENT GUIDE -A monthly publication of apartment listings that caters to large complexes. Great if you're looking for an upscale place to live, but not that helpful if you're on a tight budget. These chunky little books are available for free and can be found in many stores and on numerous street corners, as well as online.

  • PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY - A free weekly paper with the most comprehensive list of rental agencies and apartments in its classified section. You can pick it up on most busy street corners and in most convenience/grocery stores.

  • CITY PAPER - Free like the Philadelphia Weekly, the City Paper also publishes tons of apartment listings, although most listings are for the Center City, Manayunk, and Chestnut Hill areas.

  • THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER& THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS - These two widely-read newspapers host a wide variety of apartment listings all over the city and surrounding suburbs. You do have to dish out some change for them though. If you're not down with paying, their online counterpart, philly.com, features numerous rental listings in the classifieds.

  • THE NORTHEAST TIMES&THE NORTHEAST NEWS GLEANER - both of these papers' classified sections feature a comprehensive list of apartment listings for Northeast Philadelphia.

  • THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN - The University of Pennsylvania's free daily newspaper lists apartments and houses for rent in and around the Center City/University City/West Philadelphia areas. It's ideal for students looking for housing or sublets, particularly during the summer. You can get the DP on the Penn campus, or check them out online.

In addition, there are many smaller free papers geared to specific neighborhoods, such as The Harrowgate Guide, that provide apartment listings in those areas. To find one, visit a neighborhood you'd like to live in and see if copies are available (hey, we can't do all the legwork for you).

Neighborhood bulletin boards and postings

If you do decide to visit a neighborhood for rental leads (and you should), be on the lookout for flyers and other signs advertising apartments for rent. Mom and pop grocery stores, telephone poles, and "for rent" signs in windows often lead to great places that would otherwise be overlooked, so check 'em out. Also, don't forget about postings in churches, local recreation centers, gyms, transit stops, and corner cheesesteak joints (with one on every other street corner in Philly, you're bound to find something).