The Isle — Local services in Philadelphia

The Isle is a top notch place to live for a variety of reasons. For some background, I have lived in a single family home my entire life (originally from NYC and lived in NJ). I moved to PA for a career opportunity in May/June and was nervous about moving into an apartment for a variety of reasons (i.e., how will my pet adjust, how will I adjust, what will my neighbors be like, will management be attentive to my needs, is the building safe, will my car be safe, what are the public transportation options, etc.).

First of all the management at The Isle is exceptional.

The apartment complex is large enough where you don't feel like you live in a closet but small enough where you don't get "sold" on the perks of living at The Isle and then move-in having to track down management to address concerns or to ask questions. The same people who give you a tour to view the apartments at The Isle are the same people you work with when you move-in. Evan and Gina from the management office are above and beyond professional, have an amazing bedside manner and consistently go above and beyond to accommodate the needs of the residents. There is not a single person on the staff who does not go above and beyond the call of duty to accommodate the needs of the residents and while I feel guilty bugging them as much as I do they never show any sign of annoyance. The building is new so everything is new and modern. Parking is assigned and so you don't have to deal with a first-come, first-serve scenario - after a long day's work you pull into your assigned spot and head to your apartment.

The complex is located a short (3-5 min) walk from Main Street that is lined with several pubs, small shops, restaurants, as well as several hair/nail salons. I drive to work daily but for kicks, I took the Manayunk train (about 7-10 minute walk from The Isle) into University City. There are also several SEPTA bus lines that run through Main Street as well. The Isle sponsors many events throughout the year to keep residents engaged and to promote a community environment. On the most part the current residents appear to be working professionals between ~22-60 years old. There are a few residents with kids but I don't see many families (mostly couples and single folks). There is a gym in the building, a pool table, outside seating area overlooking the river, large screen TV in the common area and plenty of seating in the lobby to hang out. Wifi connected computers are also available for use of guests with a networked printer as well. If you have a need to meet with a group, residents can reserve the conference room in the building as well. On a daily basis there is coffee/tea/hot chocolate and some other cool beverage available to residents and their guests. The apartments are beautiful and spacious and the kitchens and bathrooms are modern. All apartments come with their own washer/dryer and YOUR OWN WATER HEATER. You pay for what you use and never a day with a cold shower because the building doesn't supply hot water to your unit, your own water heater does. All units also come with central heat/air.

Every time my people from NY/NJ area come to visit they don't want to leave. The Isle kind of has a hotel feel to it but not in a bad way. You would have to live here to understand what I mean. The maintenance crew is always hard at work, keeping the grounds looking good both inside and outside of the building.

The dog park is also well maintained (with the exception of some residents who plainly don't clean up after their dogs - even though The Isle provides poop bags within the dog park). Again the maintenance crew keeps the dog park maintained so the occasional mess is annoying but not pervasive.

The town of Manayunk is very dog friendly and most of the people I've met is because of my super cute dog!

I think the management is doing a superb job and for being my first apartment this has been and continues to be an...

look, if you can afford to live here please do, the isle is honestly out of this world. what is advertised is exactly what you get and the place is breathtaking. i live on the side facing the canal and i feel such peace every morning when i wake up and see the little turtles peeping up from the water, or to see happy people and families walking up and down main street, it's honestly a privilege to live here. i can walk to take my dog to the vet, to see my PCP, to get my favorite coffee, to get to the train station for work, and walk for a drink afterwards. where else can you do that???

it's scary quiet (no seriously- i ponder all the time what the walls are made of), uber roomy, and the leasing office has always been crazy kind and responsive.

ok, example: i had surgery last week and had two bouquets of flowers delivered to me. when my boyfriend went to go pick them up (perishables go to the office for pickup), the manager Cindy took note and was genuinely concerned with what may have happened/if i was ok. she even offered to personally deliver any future packages to our doorstep until i'm all healed up!! the management office is forreal always this kind. i could list like 32 examples of how helpful and kind they've been anytime we interact.

conclusion: rooms are dope, neighborhood's dope, management's dope, rent- not so much but if you can...

We had an amazing experience living at The Isle, and a big part of that was thanks to the incredible team—especially Sean (one of the property managers) and Steve (the maintenance lead). They were always responsive, friendly, and went above and beyond to make our time here comfortable and enjoyable. Honestly, they both deserve a raise!

The building itself is modern and well-maintained, with thoughtful amenities like a pool table and a dog walk area tucked behind the complex. The location is one of the best parts—just a short walk to Main Street Manayunk and some of our favorite spots like Twisted Gingers (awesome pizza and brews). We also loved the access to the nearby bike trails, which offer a scenic ride all the way into downtown Philly.

There’s even a great local dog park (Pretzel Park) just a few blocks away, which was a favorite stop for our doggos.

A couple of minor downsides: the rent was a bit pricier than what we were used to in Chicago, and the unit lighting was on the dim side (we ended up adding a few of our own lamps to brighten things up). But overall, the experience was overwhelmingly positive. We’re grateful for our time at The Isle and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place...