All Forum Posts by: Ryan Dressel

I have a similar rowhome outside of Philly (Conshohocken), and did half patio / half grass.  The grass patch is similar, and all I have to do is weed whack it once in a while.  Home Depot makes a $40 weed whacker that uses the same 18V battery I have in my power drill, so the frustration associated with maintaining it is minimal.

I would second the wood chips, fake grass, and would also throw in pebbles or gravel.  Since it's section 8 tenants I wouldn't put too much money into it.

I would share Paulette's comments as well.  Outside the city, I would throw in Conshohocken, West Conshohocken, Ardmore, and Bryn Mawr as places "trending up" with millennial renters.  These areas are all connected downtown via rail and have close proximity to a number of schools, but have a slightly more mature population compared to say Manayunk.  If you are looking for areas where millenials are starting families, I would look add in Phoenixville, King of Prussia, Media, Plymouth Meeting, Collegeville, and even as far out as Malvern (in addition to the aforementioned areas in the city). 

I would consider Overbrook a hybrid area.  It is a tiny geographical area that touches the city limits.  I would lean towards an urban feel given it's proximity to downtown Philly.  

I am 30, and purchased a 2/1 row home in Conshohocken with the intent of renting it out in 5-10 years once starting a family.  

The county planning documents are a great read in terms of finding areas with planned improvements.  For example, there is a detailed Montgomery County plan to put in a additional rail line to King of Prussia by 2023.  Philly Business Journal (regional), and Morethanthecurve.com (conshohockens/Plymouth/Whitemarsh) are other publications worth reading for insights.