Franklin Apartment Renter's Guide
Franklin Apartment Renter's Guide
Overview
Franklin - Where the Main Street was named as one of the "Ten Greatest Streets in America." Take that, Santa Cruz!
Sitting at the merge point of the Allegheny River and French Creek, Franklin is a quaint, historic town
Franklin - Where the Main Street was named as one of the "Ten Greatest Streets in America." Take that, Santa Cruz!
Sitting at the merge point of the Allegheny River and French Creek, Franklin is a quaint, historic town. Founded as an oil city in the early days, much of the town still sports appearances that reflect the Victorian era of buildings. It is a quiet town, with a very tight sense of community that comes from a stable, stationary population that has called the area home for centuries.
Moving to Franklin
You really can't live in Franklin without a car - Franklin has no public transportation, and the nasty winters take the options of walking or bicycling out of the picture. If you can get four-wheel drive transportation, that's even better, as plows can take some time to reach the back roads in a snowstorm. The Venango Regional Airport has room for small planes to land, so pilots can bring their small prop planes around.
Another thing to take into account when you're checking out rental apartments is time. Vacancies are quite rare in Franklin, so you may need to start your search long before you intend on moving in. It could take months to find a suitable apartment, and you won't be able to be too picky either. On the plus side, the average rent is low compared to the rest of the state.
Neighborhoods of Franklin
Franklin doesn't have well defined neighborhoods, just areas - above French Creek, the town center, and out by the airport.
Above French Creek: The area above French Creek is mostly residential, with some light industrial and commercial areas along the creek. It is heavily wooded, rural, and with only a handful of rental houses and apartment complexes.
Town Center: The town center is your best bet for finding townhouses for rent in Franklin, as well as small, individual apartments. A mix of residential and businesses, it's the only neighborhood where you can get around on foot. It also includes the entire Franklin Historic District.
Venango Airport: Don't worry about the noise if you live in the neighborhood out by the airport - it's a small airport, serving only small prop planes, so there's no howling of jets. What you will have to worry about is it being a bit remote. The apartments to rent in this neighborhood are two miles or more from downtown, so take that into account when you start your search.
Life in Franklin
For a small town of just under 6,500, Franklin is pretty busy. It's never busier than during the first week of October, when Franklin becomes home to AppleFest, the largest craft show in Pennsylvania's Northwest. With over 300 vendors, a classic car show, a farmers market, entertainment, food, and a 5K Race, it is a major event that everyone in town attends, plus plenty of out-of-towners.
Franklin can be heaven for the outdoorsman, with two rivers that flow through the center of town and offer kayaking, swimming, and fishing. Nearby is Two Mile Run Park - it's much bigger than two miles, that's just the name. The park offers over 2,600 acres of hiking, hunting, skiing, and wildlife experiences. Inside the park is Justus Lake, which has year-round fishing - hop on a boat during the summer, or cut a hole through the ice in the dead of winter.
Franklin also has arts on hand, if that's your thing. The Barrow-Civic Theater brings in national music acts, as well as hosting local theater. If you're a musician, why not try out for the Franklin Silver Cornet Band? Dating back to 1856, it's one of the oldest traditional town bands still playing today in the country.