I just got a new apartment four months ago and can confirm that Craigslist is by far the best website. However, the best way to find an apartment is to just walk around where you want to live. You ll find a lot of places aren t listed on any websites and generally these apartments are cheaper too. Walking around also gives you a lot better idea if you want to live in the area or not. I live in Fishtown and love it. It s not too far from center city, it s close to the El, and the rent isn t too expensive (yet..I m sure it will be in 3-5 years).
Check out Craigslist. Consider University City (near Univ of Penn, Drexel, Univ of Sciences) just west of dowtown.Also look at South Philadelphia (particularly Passyunk Square, Queen Village, East Passyunk Crossing, and the Italian Market area) these are just south of dowtown. There are lots of apartments in these areas and you can find places with great public transport links, super market, cafes, shops, etc.Look at the Philly Weekly site: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/
You can always start with Craigslist...always a good bet. From there, head to:http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/forum/It s just one of the many forums stated up within the city that s broken down by neighborhood, so you can look into each thread/topic and see what suits you. I think most of the neighborhood sections actually start their first post with the Crime Report, so you can get an idea of what s going on where. Either way, the people are generally friendly and will answer any questions for you.
You may want to check out South Jersey. Towns along the high speed line are perfect for you. There are plenty apartments to choose . Try looking in Collingswood and Westmont. They are both great neighborhoods, with that small town atmosphere. You are only several minutes from center city too. You won t find any slums either. These are very safe towns. Good Luck!