Diane Lilli was living in a condo in Nutley, New Jersey, when a near-death experience in 2022 left her with a new sense of urgency about making a life change.

She had moved to Nutley in 2019 to be closer to her daughter’s high school, but knew it wouldn’t be her forever home.

Lilli had been searching for a new apartment in the city before her near-death experience after years of bouncing back and forth between New Jersey and New York City, but couldn’t find anything she liked within her $350,000 budget.

This led her to break up with New York and refocus her search after she recovered, writes T.M. Brown for The New York Times.

After toying with Paris and the Hudson Valley and running into the same budget issues, someone recommended her to check out Philadelphia.

Her specifications? A one-bedroom or two-bedroom home with some character and close to the historical sites the city had to offer.

Good options included a renovated one-bedroom rowhouse near the Delaware River in Old City, a one-bedroom in an Old City condo building; and a two-bedroom townhome in Pennsport.

Lilli ultimately chose the one-bedroom rowhouse in Old City.

Read more about what kind of homes a $350,000 budget could get you in Philadelphia at The New York Times.

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