new to penn.

[georgiabrown]

Hi guys

My fiance is going to attend U Penn's vet school this fall and we will be moving there from Georgia. We are looking to live between Philly and West Chester. We both love to fly fish but have never fished in PA. Any advice on streams to try in the area would be great. Any advice on where to live would be even better. I did not know where to post this, so i thought this would be the best place. Thanks for the help and i look foward to talking with you guys.

Wes

 

[Rolf]

I can't help you with where to live but once you get settled in, contact me and I'll be happy to share with you what little I know.

rjacobsen13@comcast.net

Rolf

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Wes,

I'm going to assume you want to rent an apartment? If that is the case check out the following website. There are also other websites that list apartments but I don't have them handy right now.

http://www.apartmentfinder.com/

If you are looking to buy a place check out realtor.com.

I'd like to caution you that the area where you are looking to live is one of the most expensive areas in the State of Pennsylvania so don't get sticker shock when you look at rental rates.

And BTW, Rolf isn't kidding when he says he doesn't have much knowledge to share with you. :-D

He's a buddy so I can say that.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[georgiabrown]

I would actually like to rent a house. I would also like to get a job in the fly fishing industry. Are there a lot of fly shops and private water up that way.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Wes,

There are several fly shops in the general area. There isn't a lot of prime trout fishing water in the area though so I don't think a guiding career in that immediate region is a possibility.

If you go to realtor.com I think you can search for rental houses. At the very least you will be able to locate the bigger real estate brokerages in the area and they will be able to refer you to rental properties.

Regards,
Tim Murphy

 

[Rbull]

I live 10 minutes from New Bolton Center which is part of U Penn. Maybe I can Help. E-mail me

 

[Fishidiot]

Tim is right that the area you're moving into is expensive and has a dense population. However, if you're from Atlanta or its suburbs you'll fit in fine. There are fly fishing opportunities in this part of PA. An hour drive will put you on some very nice trout waters. The Jersey shore is a couple hours away if you are, like me, a saltwater junkie. There are also some good warm water areas nearby too (Delaware River, Schuylkill, lower Perkieoman etc). Pennsylvania has a great wealth of trout streams. The lengendary waters tend to be in the central part of the state but there are trout streams everywhere. Some of these are stocked waters and of marginal quality in the summer. There are even two trout streams in the city of Philly! If you are a wild trout purist Valley Creek isn't far and there are some other lesser known gems nearby.

 

[troutbert]

Be sure to watch the movie Rockie over and over to get the Philly accent right.

 

[jayL]

I live exactly four blocks from Penn's campus.

I'd recommend going to the fish and boat website:

www.fish.state.pa.us/

get a list of some of the closer waters and a good delorme atlas.

http://tinyurl.com/2xzjje [amazon] is my default recommendation as well.

Before you make any trips, post said waterway here and ask a few questions. We can usually give up something of value between all of us.

If I can help in any way, let me know.

 

[Wulff-Man]

I can't add much to the advice you got so far. JayL's advice is good - check out the PFBC web site and ask us for particulars once you narrow things down. In addition to the Philly/Chester area if you want to travel a bit there are good streams in the Lehigh/Northampton County area, an hour away at most. A bit further, for a more wilderness experience, is the Poconos (Carbon/Monroe Countys and north). And a bit further than that is the trout mecca of PA, North Central PA, starting in Centre County, about 4 hours away. In addition to the book that JayL gave you, I would highly recommend Trout Streams of Pennsylvania.

As far as housing, Tim is right that this is an expensive area, but like anywhere there is a wide range of housing prices (and desirability) in an area as big as "Philly to West Chester." But if you want to live further away from campus, make sure you are close to a regional commuter rail line, because the commute can be horrible.

 

[jayL]

I'm lower on the fly fishing experience totem pole around here since i'm young... but

because the commute can be horrible.

Now that I can help you with. I've been slinking around and taking back door roads in and out of the city for three or four years now. Depending on where you live, just ask me and I can probably give some tips.

It took me three years to crack the Schuylkill expressway, but it's been done. I can get from university city to Radnor in a half hour - 45 minutes at rush hour. ;-)

 

[Wulff-Man]

Jay, I've got you on experience there. I'm just a few blocks from you as I write this, and I've been commuting from Pottstown to center city for 14 years now. :-( But I'll defer to you on this because I'm not a very imaginitive commuter, and pretty much keep to the 422/Schuylkill nightmare. About the best I can do is give advice on where it's best to move from the right lane to the left lane, and how to take the City Line Avenue and the King of Prussia "bypasses."

 

[jayL]

Take lancaster Ave to N 44th street. This becomes belmont Ave after it crosses girard. That will take you parallel to the schuylkill exp. until the belmont exit, past city line exit. you effectively pass all of the traffic, because it always starts moving right there.

for 422, i'm still at a loss. Every now and then I take 23, but that's no good.... I go back to reading on friday afternoons to see the the trout, the dachshund, and occasionally the girlfriend ;-). I've probably sat right next to you in traffic before. I see a few fly fishing bumper stickers here and there in all this damn traffic I sit in.

 

[Chaz]

The Commute into Philly can be tough, but it isn't Atlanta which is one of the worst. I'd find a place near the trains and take the train to town every day. I take the train with all my computer crap when I have to go to Philly, it takes a bit longer, but I don't sit in traffic. Way better than driving.
As for where to fish, there are loads of places in SE PA to fish for trout, both wild and stocked. Send me a PM and I'll get you started.

 

[Wulff-Man]

Thanks for the tips, Jay. Yeah, 23 isn't much of an alternative. As soon as daylight savings time starts I've taken to stopping off at Valley Forge on the way home and fishing Valley Creek until dark arrives and the traffic dies. This morning a semi was stuck in the muddy median at Oaks, and lanes were closed while they tried to winch it out. Then I got behind some bimbo in a yellow Mini on the Schuylkill who was doing 20 while everyone else was doing 40, and swerving from the center line to the shoulder. When I passed her to avoid the potential flying debris she was leaning over her passenger seat doing something. This went on for some time as I looked in my rear view mirror.

Georgiabrown: Find a place close to a commuter station!

 

[jayL]

I usually make it back to Reading in time for the evening hatches at the manatawny, hay creek, the tully on Friday, but this year I've got to keep PT hours at my job and work until 5:30 or so. Looks like I might see you at Valley this year. As useless as 23 is, it does cross Valley and Pickering. Maybe we can wet a line one afternoon this spring/summer.

As far as the other drivers... tell me about it. And nothing beats these guys in the city. Never a turn signal, and they perpetually try to make one lane roads into two laners. I almost get killed daily.

For going into the city, the belmont suggestion would probably be even more useful. I'm on my way west in the morning, but there is almost no traffic heading down belmont ave on its way in.

 

[ryguyfi]

Thats nothing... you have your normal crappy drivers in Pittsburgh but no matter how long you've lived there you still can never find your way around the city. With continuous construction and just the way the city is built, def one of the most confusing city in the nation. However no fly fishing spots in the city lol. Guess thats a good thing.

 

[Philly]

I really can't add to the suggestions. I've lived in Philly my whole life other than the usual travels like the military and college. I've got my own little shortcuts to get around or avoid traffic. As to where to live, my family's been in the same house for almost 100 years, so I have a narrow view.
I'll add one reading suggestion "Philadelphia on the Fly". It covers many of the fly fishing spots within the city, including some close to the U of P's main campus.
A little tidbit, Philadelphia was voted one of the top ten "green" cities in the country. One of its main pluses was Fairmount Park which is the largest urban park, I believe in the world. Check out the Wissahickon Valley when you get here.

 

[Wulff-Man]

Jay, now that you mention it I've taken Lancaster before on my way to Ardmore. Maybe I'm being a bit too suburban, but that area in West Philly kind of scares me. And it seems like it can get backed up too, during rush hour. But maybe Girard to Belmont, and vise' verse'. Might be especially good alternative if there's an accident. I'll have to try it out.

And don't get me started on the drivers! (Ooops, too late, I already did!) Now they're saying that text messaging while driving is becoming a problem. Duh! My son said I sound like an old man when I complain about cell phones, but COME ON! Yeah, no turn signals, drifting through stop signs, 5 cars through after the light turns red, riding on the shoulder of the expressway, AAAAGGGHHHHH! I need to get on a stream!

Ryguyfi, I used to go to Pittsburgh frequently, and it's a pretty nice city, but I agree about the confusing streets. I remember often being able to see the building I wanted to get to, but not being able to figure out how to get there. It's like "You can't get there from here."

Georgiabrown, I hope your question was answered at some point! The "Philadelphia on the Fly" book recommendation by Philly is a good suggestion. In addition to the fly fishing information, it's a very good read.

 

[jayL]

you're not being suburban. it's damn scary. As a matter of fact, I had to park a few blocks from home one day a vest full of my life's work (in flies) was stolen from my trunk. How they have any value on the streets of philly is beyond me.

As far as Philly on the Fly... wow. I can't believe I never saw it. I'm going to go find a copy tonight.