Academy House Review

Great find in the city

This was the first apartment that I've ever rented, and first time living alone. Academy House is a condominium building with several units rented out by either private landlords or management companies. The unit I live in has great sunlight, views, and is quite spacious for someone living alone. The building management is very responsive, and the 24 hour staffed front desk is great for receiving packages when you're not at home. Maintenance staff have been incredibly kind, responsive and willing to look at issues in the unit outside of whatever you submitted a ticket for. The building also has a community space where you can do work with public WiFi, a conference room you can reserve, as well as a gym and swimming pools. There's a washer/dryer on every other floor, although some units may have in-unit laundry. The building is not as luxurious as others, but my rent includes all utilities/internet/cable and it is hard to beat!

Living in Academy House has been amazing. The units are priced well, and it comes with all utilities included except an extra $60ish per moth for internet/cable. The management and front desk workers are amazing, with weekly email updates about what's going on in the building and in Philly. No complaints whatsoever!

Comfortable living in hard to beat spot

Small but liveable space. There were major renovations in my apartment and in the shared facilities recently. Lots of pleasant older residents in the building but many younger families moving in.

Although I just moved into Academy House last week, the location is even better than I expected! EVERYTHING is within walking distance, this is truly in the heart of center city! All of the best restaurants, shops, bars, and sites are right outside your door! The unit I am living in is spacious with great views. Could use a bit of a renovation, but we got a great deal on rent! I recommend this place to anyone, the door people and staff and so nice and helpful. Couldn't have asked for a better place!

The apartments are spacious, the location is great, the gym has everything we need, and the fact that all utilities are included is a major pro for us (no need to deal with any service providers or bills, except for internet).
The price is affordable and overall we love the building.

If I ought to state cons: the pool is quite small and most residents are old but extremely nice couples, so it's not ideal if you are looking to socialize.

Most of the condos in the building are owned by older folk who live in the suburbs and rent to students, either from Jefferson Medical School or elsewhere. As a result, the prices are extremely reasonable and everything (water, gas, electric, A/C, heating, etc) is included in the rent. It varies from condo to condo but, generally, it's a great location without the hassle of overpriced apartments.

Pros: More spacious than most other housing options, large rooms + large drawing room - 2 Bathrooms! - Well appointed kitchen and bathrooms - People at the concierge are helpful - Decent gym (not as fancy as 1500 Locust, but pretty well equipped and quite large) - Our landlord was pretty helpful and quite accommodating (he even allowed sublets during the summer) - Building is well located. Cons - Slightly older building (we haven't had too many issues with things breaking down, but it does happen occasionally) - Not too many Whartonites in the building and typical occupant is elderly (70+). Neighbors may sleep early and don't like too much noise, so don't expect this to be a party pad! - Building manager can be a bit crabby and unhelpful (but reception/concierge is great!)