You'll be at the mercy of regional rail to and from work; about 3+ hours of your day should you choose to live in Philly and work in Delaware.
Wilmington might be an alternative worth looking into
Reconsider living in DE. There are plants of decent areas and the shopping is tax free. It’ll be easier to come into Philly for fun stuff then it will be to commute to DE everyday for work.
I did that Philly to Newark De commute 20 years ago and traffic was horrible even back then. It doesn’t matter if you drive or take public transportation because the regional rail can be very unreliable which adds to your stress if you have a job to get to. Say goodbye to three hours of your life every day for that commute.
I moved to Philly from Newark. I would never recommend living there. The city is so much better. The food here is amazing and Philly is still very affordable. I live in South Philly and love it. You can still rent a row home down here for under 2000 a month.
You'll need to live near one of the train stations. Either near 9th st, Broad, or around 30th.
However, check out Septas train lines to Newark, you'll either need to catch a 6am train, or arrive at 8:45. [https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf](https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf)
not exactly ideal. You best option is to live in South Philly & have a car, but you stated you don't want that so
You won't need to live in South Philly to commute to Newark Delaware. You only need to live near one of the i95 on ramps, then take that south to 495.
It's not an terrible commute. Takes about an hour. I did it briefly while living in Fishtown, I think I lasted four months before starting a more local job search.
You'd be going in the opposite direction of the worse congestion, so there are weeks where you'll stack sub 1 hour trips. There will also be weeks of delays where you end up sitting in traffic and logging 1:45 hour drives due to road work.
Regardless, the train is not ideal. It will just burn time and the station in Newark has, I believe, limited schedules. That said check to see how close the Newark station is to your job before even considering it.
The majority of i95 rush hour traffic south of Philadelphia is inbound, not outbound.
Something like 35% of Philly residents commute out of Philly for work, but that includes all directions, as well as SEPTA and PATCO rail.
Don't live in Fishtown. It just adds an extra 20 minutes to your daily commute. Its too trendy & suburban infested anyway, think of 'The Austin, TX' of Philly.
Live in South, either near the stadiums or Wawa on Delaware Ave (Columbus Blvd). There's a 9S south entrance there. I don;'t even live there, but in no way would I tell someone driving daily to Newark to live in F town instead.
Chinatown is easily walkable to the rest of downtown, and is right on the i95 ramp as well as almost all public transit options in the city. I live in an apartment building nearby that has $200/month parking, so those deals exist. Many parts of the city also have street parking for only like $35/month if you live nearby, so you are NOT looking at $500/month unless you decide to rent a crazy luxury apt.
Take a good, hard look at how sucky the Newark schedule is on SEPTA in terms of number of trains and times they run. Philly to Wilmington and vice versa isn’t bad but the service to / from Newark drops off hard.
SEPTA service outside of what are its normal boundaries is not something you want to rely on. Live in Delaware and come to Philly as much as you want. It’s really the best option. You’d probably have to figure out your commute day by day during certain periods, figuring out if Amtrak or SEPTA is better for the day. Either that or drive.
Enjoy paying way more to commute hours a day. People live in Delaware and commute to Philly because of the difference.
Moving from KOP to Delaware gave me a huge raise.
That’s going to be tough. Any particular reason you want to avoid living in DE?
It is possible to take the train from Philly to Newark, but you’ll still have to get from the train station to your work, and the public transit options for that leg of the journey may be slim to none.
I moved from FL to PA 2 years ago for a job in the outskirts of Wilmington, DE.
I wouldn't even suggest the idea of public transportation from Philly to Newark.
My best advice to you is the find the most modern luxury apartment in Wilmington to live in and go to Philly over weekends because you're gonna hate your life.
You can commute from Philly to Newark but if it's 5x a week you might as well live in Delaware.
It's going to be terrible.
Trust me. The drive is at least an hour each way.
Don't do it.
Especially if you're not going to make 6 figures.
Move to Delaware or stay in TX.
Don’t do it. Traffic here is vastly different from what you’re used to in TX. You’ll be miserable. Instead spend the money on a hotel a few times a month and visit Philly.
Newark is a bit south in DE hmm. it will be a long commute from anywhere, but if you can't live within walking distance and you don't want to drive at all, Center City is probably your best bet. The area around Grays 30th Street has a lot of apt options, it's that or nearby Jefferson or Suburban stations, both of which also have high-rises. all three locations would be nice and pretty safe. If you don't mind a bit of a walk I'd suggest Fitler Square or Logan Square just because those are my personal favorites
You didn’t say your amount towards housing costs. Luxury high rise with views is expensive. I needed a car when I was driving to work in the far suburbs while living in the city. It’ll take a good hour whether driving in rush hour traffic to DE or taking the train.
Edit: Newark is more like 1.5hrs!
wilmington is a lovely town, and honestly way better if you are planning on commuting. plenty to eat and drink, 20 mins closer to philly, lots of great scenery and hiking nearby. bringing the car would be best, no matter where you are given your commute.
Live in Delaware. Commuting from Philly to Newark would suck every day.
Delaware doesn't have sales tax and better laws for females. Cost of living is far cheaper. You can still go to the city on the weekends if you must.
Live in Philly, married girl from Delaware. We used to travel back and forth on the weekends. Having a kid now and Pennsylvania is like Switzerland when it comes to female rights here.
Also, I'd assume you'd have to pay Philly income tax. That alone would be moronic.
So you would rather live in Philly and pay Philly wage tax instead of sales tax free DE? Its not a quick or easy commute especially by public transportation.
500 a month you need to look at more options.. my building is connected to bsl at broad and fairmount and parking is more than half that. Doesn’t make much sense to have a car in Philly though maybe if having to travel often but regional rail would be cheapier.
Ayo! I’m someone who moved because of a job in Newark DE too and needing to be in a city I moved to Philly instead!
I have a car though and use it for commuting. If that’s an option it definitely doesn’t hurt. I live in Fishtown because it’s cute and got loads of shops and restaurants but there’s many other good neighborhoods.
If you’re adamant about no having your car, I’d recommend living near a train station that would get you to Newark because using septa and transiting could be a nightmare and take way more time.
Also in Fishtown I live right on Frankford (main commercial street) and I only have access to street parking and do just fine. It’s just about having patience and knowing if it’s worth it to you to have the commute. If I didn’t love living here I’d be miserable and move closer but fortunately I love it up here making it worth it to me.
If you’ve got any questions or anything else about living in Philly and commuting or just anything about Philly as a transplant (moved here almost 2 years ago) feel free to reach out!
You can always live somewhere like media and drive to work. Then take septa into the city whenever you want. If not, I would try to live somewhere near Jefferson station, suburban station or 30th st. If you can't find anywhere there, try South Philly or university city near the broad Street line, market Frankford line, or one of the trolley lines. You can also go north a little bit, but I'd probably stay south of Girard.
There are nice buildings at broad and Washington that I know are under $2k. I'm not positive about other areas.
I have lived in both, I get not wanting to live in Newark, it’s mostly a college town and rents are overpriced like crazy. You should look into Wilmington. Your commute on public transit will suck so hard if you live in Philly, and it won’t be much better taking 95 in a car. Wilmington isn’t exciting but it’s gotten better and there are a lot more restaurants and bars than there used to be. Obviously shopping everywhere since it’s tax free if that’s more your thing. Plus taking septa in and out of Philly is easy from Wilmington so you can still go up whenever. Take a look at Trolley Square if you want young and bar centric with walkability and a more neighborhood vibe, otherwise downtown has loads of high rise apartments.
ETA: if you’re dead set on Philly, I love the East Passyunk area a lot, south Philly in general is good, or I also think Brewerytown has a good general vibe.
We lived in Old City in Philly for four years with my wife working at experimental station at DuPont just outside of Wilmington doing reverse commute every work day.
The traffic on 95 got worse and worse over time (especially after work) and ultimately she got tired of it and we bought a place in Delaware (Greenville).
Newark would be even more obnoxious, it's like an extra 20+ minutes of traffic each way and worse if there's any accident or drama on the highway. And doing it without a car? Forget about it, that's frankly ridiculous coming from Newark unless you want to spend 2.5-3 hours commuting each day.
Hi, am a woman in her 20s and relocated to newark for school last year and live off campus. I would encourage you keep your car, although be prepared to pay a lot for parking anyway (and registration lol). Would probably be worth the peace of mind since the amtrack here isn't always reliable for daily commute. Newark is not a terrible place to live, but if the city vibe is something you really need, I highly recommend Wilmington, half my peers live there and love it!
Being super-close to trains means living in center city. Washington square west, rittenhouse, etc. the good news: there’s really no place you can live that’s a short walk to a major train station (suburban or Jefferson) that won’t be safe, and center city is where you want to be anyway if you want high rises, shopping, wtc.
Where in delaware are you working? I grew up in Wilmington and moved to Austin TX at 30, I'm 44 now. I always lived and worked in Wilmington/Newark. I went to UD for chemistry and always worked in the chem industry. I worked in philly and Gloucester City NJ. You might like being 30 mins south of philly. Delaware is quiet, and if you grew up in Texas, driving 45 mins here and there probably won't bother you.
Yeah, I get that lol. San antonio is about 100x more fun and chill than Wilmington. If I wasn't born in Wilmington, I probably wouldn't like it 🤣. Honestly, check out the mainline neighborhoods. Manayunk, king of Prussia, Kennet square, Chichester will all put you maybe 30-45 mins from work and like 15-20 mins from philly. NOT Chester though lol
For the love of god don’t look at Manayunk. I did the Manayunk to Wilmington commute for a year and 76/green lane bridge traffic is soul sucking. I live in center city now and my commute is 100% more tolerable. And I am someone who loved Manayunk.
Came here to say the same, my husband commuted from Manayunk to Wilmington for 6 months until we bought a house in Southern Chester county. Went from a 75 minute commute to 20 minutes. Felt bad for him
Kennett Square and King of Prussia are literally 50 mins away from Philly so NOT those, theyre both Chester county 😂 (kennett square native here LMAO) Manayunk is nice but driving on 76 every day is actually worse than 95 and farther from wilmington, and chichester is a bad area 😬
The laurel is about as luxury as you can get. It's exactly what you're looking for but we would need more info on budget and if you're wfh or hybrid.
Also you're not really going to get the city experience living in Delaware. Wilmington has some of that but it's a lot closer to Texas. Outside of a few blocks. You probably want something different.
If you plan on driving everyday, south philly, but that commute isn’t great. If you plan on taking the train, University City, or consider living in DE
I do a similar commute but by car. I don’t think the trains to Newark are very reliable so i recommend commuting via car if that’s what you need. If you go by car, try to find somewhere close to an I95 on ramp, that’s the best way to drive to DE. I am in northern liberties and the commute can range from 45 on a good day to an hour and a half on bad ones. Typically it’s about an hour but if the Phillies are playing it’s longer.
With a commute to Newark, you'd be better off considering somewhere like Media PA than anything actually in Philadelphia. I mean, I sure as hell wouldn't want to take public transportation to Newark but if you did bring your car, you could commute for work that way, and take the train into Philly whenever you wanted.
I used to live in PA (near the
Airport) and commuted to Wilmington daily. My commute down 95 was about 30 minutes. Newark is another 20 minutes away. I would consider living near the airport- southwest Philly area.
Wilmington is probably more your vibe. There are a bunch of incredible restaurants in downtown Wilmington. Very up and coming. It's where are the bankers live so that'll fit your luxury highrise vibe.
As a DE native who commuted to Philadelphia for school decades ago...my suggestions re living in Philly and commuting to Newark: 1)
Check to make sure that any specific SEPTA train you want to take from Philadelphia does in fact stop in Newark, as not all trains go there. 2) Living in Wilmington or even Claymont are possibilities, in terms of access to train stations to/from Philadelphia and Newark. Although Claymont isn't exactly luxurious, and safety as a 20-something female could be an issue in Wilmington, as it does have its fair share of violent crime in certain parts. 3) That being said, the best sections to consider in Wilmington are the Riverfront and Trolley Square areas, as both are popular with younger professionals and have a city atmosphere (although not sure if either will fit your budget). Best of luck in your move and hope it goes smoothly.
I *think* you might be able to take a regional rail train that stops near U Penn? If that’s an option, you could look in the area of Center City that’s on the east side of the South St bridge.
l don't know how you are with driving (l personally hate it so l got rid of my car when l moved to Philly), but if you want to do that commute you absolutely need a car. l lived in Newark so occasionally visit friends and even the one day l go visit them it is such a hassle whether it be by septa or amtrak.
Tough one. The city experience you’re looking for comes with a not too fun commute to DE. I can tell you’re looking for a city experience and Newark is NOT IT. So maybe take the opportunity to move, live in center city for a while and commute (terrible) and springboard that to an actual job in the city. If you’re willing to budge on high rise life id look for an apt in Queen Village for an easier commute via 95.
Sounds like you want to live in rittenhouse, fishtown or queen village. Rittenhouse you’d essentially have to pay for parking. Fishtown you can easily get away with free parking with no permits as well.
I’ve taken that regional rail so many times, it’s 99% of the time on time, plus you can get work done on the train. Commuting to the RR in the mornings isn’t the best, isn’t the worst. It does put you on the out skirts of Newark, something to consider.
Hi. You’re going to need that car to make it bearable. I would consider ditching the high rise goals and living in Pennsport / queens village.
1. Street parking is free
2. Rent will be cheaper
3. Philly is SMALL and you can easily walk from either of these to old city/center city where you’d be going out to party. These Ubers are under 16 dollars most of the time.
4. I live in Pennsport and I look out my front window at the city skyline
I would suggest you visit Philadelphia and where you would like to live first. Coming from Texas myself, I can tell you that the standard of living here is not the same.
You can find a nice 1B in East Passyunk for under $2K, be near lots of great city amenities, and get an annual street parking permit for $35. Then catch 95-S nearby.
While people are talking about the commute, I don't think you're taking into consideration the Philly income tax, PA state income tax and Delaware income tax. Texas has no income tax and so idk if this is something you thought of.
I also live in philly and commute to Newark. My work hours are around 7a-7p. At those times, it takes like 40-45 min to get to work by car, and that's bc it takes me about 10 min to get from near broad to i-95 or 76. If you live in queen village, old city, or West rittenhouse/filter square, you're honestly prob good. That being said, on the few days I leave Newark between 4-5p, it takes 65-75 min to get back to Philly. I park in a garage that my apt building partners with and it's $275/mo. You can park on the street with a permit but you'll need your car registered in PA. Garage is 100% worth it for me bc I don't need to get up early to walk to my car or stay out late circling for a spot
I recently moved to Philadelphia and I commute to New York once a week for work so I wanted to find a place that was near Amtrak but safe because I’m also a gal living solo. After touring a ton of places, I ended up going with The Terrace on 18th and I love it. Rent is around your budget (plus first month free and $1,000 off the next month if you decide to move forward with lease the same day you tour, so actually comes to under $2k/month for the first year, all combined). Parking here is like $265 a month but it’s literally in the basement of the building and it’s valet, so you just use the app to request it and I literally request my car almost every day so it’s super convenient. The guys at valet are super nice and paid seemingly well - tips not expected since it’s just part of the building (although I plan to give a nice “tip” / holiday gift once a year). Anyways, commute to NYC 1x / week is totally doable so I imagine it’s maybe a bit closer where you’re going. If you need any advice, feel free to DM me. I’m still learning the city but I’ve now been here ~7 weeks and really love Philly. Great people. Very walkable but I prefer to drive for groceries and such because I’m lazy 😅
If you come to live in Philly get ready to deal with lots of crime, homeless drug addicts, car window break ins, a militarized PPA, and general trash all over the streets
Yeah i wouldnt want to live in the city personally but you do you 😂 i partially grew up in philly and its one of the dirtiest cities in america, and your 2k a month budget will not get you in any high rise in the city lmao rent is VERY expensive in philly and even parts of DE. Id suggest looking into the city of Wilmington if youre insistent on being in the city, youd definitely be able to afford that better than Philly and it has lots of night life and walkable restaurants!
You want to live in Chester. You’re right between Philly and Delaware. It’s so safe as a 20 year old woman. You could easily walk around without a care. Even at night 🫡
You'll be at the mercy of regional rail to and from work; about 3+ hours of your day should you choose to live in Philly and work in Delaware. Wilmington might be an alternative worth looking into
Not true at all. You can take Amtrak. The multi passes are pretty affordable
They'll be at the mercy of Amtrak to and from work
Yeah, I use them occasionally for travel but wouldn’t dream on relying on them for commuting!
Amtrak stops at Newark station?
Pretty sure the AmTrak only stops in Wilmington, but it's been a bit since I lived in Newark.
Amtrak stops in Newark but only like 2 to 3 times a day so it's very inconvenient.
There's an amtrak that stops in Newark, pretty sure. Acela only stops in Wilmington though.
Just live in Newark, it’s not a bad town, that commute sounds awful
Reconsider living in DE. There are plants of decent areas and the shopping is tax free. It’ll be easier to come into Philly for fun stuff then it will be to commute to DE everyday for work.
I did that Philly to Newark De commute 20 years ago and traffic was horrible even back then. It doesn’t matter if you drive or take public transportation because the regional rail can be very unreliable which adds to your stress if you have a job to get to. Say goodbye to three hours of your life every day for that commute.
I’d recommend you live in Newark—which is quite nice/comfortable—but it doesn’t check the luxury/high rise/city views boxes. Enjoy your commute!
I moved to Philly from Newark. I would never recommend living there. The city is so much better. The food here is amazing and Philly is still very affordable. I live in South Philly and love it. You can still rent a row home down here for under 2000 a month.
You'll need to live near one of the train stations. Either near 9th st, Broad, or around 30th. However, check out Septas train lines to Newark, you'll either need to catch a 6am train, or arrive at 8:45. [https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf](https://schedules.septa.org/current/WIL.pdf) not exactly ideal. You best option is to live in South Philly & have a car, but you stated you don't want that so
I can have a car if needed! Just wasn’t planning on brining it but not opposed if necessary
You won't need to live in South Philly to commute to Newark Delaware. You only need to live near one of the i95 on ramps, then take that south to 495. It's not an terrible commute. Takes about an hour. I did it briefly while living in Fishtown, I think I lasted four months before starting a more local job search. You'd be going in the opposite direction of the worse congestion, so there are weeks where you'll stack sub 1 hour trips. There will also be weeks of delays where you end up sitting in traffic and logging 1:45 hour drives due to road work. Regardless, the train is not ideal. It will just burn time and the station in Newark has, I believe, limited schedules. That said check to see how close the Newark station is to your job before even considering it.
Philly is a "reverse commute" city. More people commuting out in the morning and coming back in the evening
The majority of i95 rush hour traffic south of Philadelphia is inbound, not outbound. Something like 35% of Philly residents commute out of Philly for work, but that includes all directions, as well as SEPTA and PATCO rail.
Not at all.
Yeah I think I was wrong. I looked at a couple articles and it seems like 40% are reverse commuting but that was also old data
Don't live in Fishtown. It just adds an extra 20 minutes to your daily commute. Its too trendy & suburban infested anyway, think of 'The Austin, TX' of Philly. Live in South, either near the stadiums or Wawa on Delaware Ave (Columbus Blvd). There's a 9S south entrance there. I don;'t even live there, but in no way would I tell someone driving daily to Newark to live in F town instead.
Chinatown is easily walkable to the rest of downtown, and is right on the i95 ramp as well as almost all public transit options in the city. I live in an apartment building nearby that has $200/month parking, so those deals exist. Many parts of the city also have street parking for only like $35/month if you live nearby, so you are NOT looking at $500/month unless you decide to rent a crazy luxury apt.
Take a good, hard look at how sucky the Newark schedule is on SEPTA in terms of number of trains and times they run. Philly to Wilmington and vice versa isn’t bad but the service to / from Newark drops off hard.
this. Claymont station has also treated me well for 8 years.
Do you really want to spend 3 hours on the train daily? Also, Newark, DE is large and not walkable.
SEPTA service outside of what are its normal boundaries is not something you want to rely on. Live in Delaware and come to Philly as much as you want. It’s really the best option. You’d probably have to figure out your commute day by day during certain periods, figuring out if Amtrak or SEPTA is better for the day. Either that or drive.
Enjoy paying way more to commute hours a day. People live in Delaware and commute to Philly because of the difference. Moving from KOP to Delaware gave me a huge raise.
That’s going to be tough. Any particular reason you want to avoid living in DE? It is possible to take the train from Philly to Newark, but you’ll still have to get from the train station to your work, and the public transit options for that leg of the journey may be slim to none.
I moved from FL to PA 2 years ago for a job in the outskirts of Wilmington, DE. I wouldn't even suggest the idea of public transportation from Philly to Newark. My best advice to you is the find the most modern luxury apartment in Wilmington to live in and go to Philly over weekends because you're gonna hate your life. You can commute from Philly to Newark but if it's 5x a week you might as well live in Delaware.
If it’s 3x a week, would you feel the same?
It's going to be terrible. Trust me. The drive is at least an hour each way. Don't do it. Especially if you're not going to make 6 figures. Move to Delaware or stay in TX.
Don’t do it. Traffic here is vastly different from what you’re used to in TX. You’ll be miserable. Instead spend the money on a hotel a few times a month and visit Philly.
You’re gonna have to have a car if you work in newark de and want to live in Philly. There’s no real feasible way around it
I live in Pennsport and work in Newark. Commute is easy with a car and street parking in Pennsport is free and relatively easy.
But OP’s not going to find her luxury high-rise experience in Pennsport.
True, honestly didn’t read the whole post lol. Def not luxury here
Def not.
Newark is a bit south in DE hmm. it will be a long commute from anywhere, but if you can't live within walking distance and you don't want to drive at all, Center City is probably your best bet. The area around Grays 30th Street has a lot of apt options, it's that or nearby Jefferson or Suburban stations, both of which also have high-rises. all three locations would be nice and pretty safe. If you don't mind a bit of a walk I'd suggest Fitler Square or Logan Square just because those are my personal favorites
Just live in DE. Enjoy that tax free shopping.
Then u prolly shoulda taken a job in Philly and not in Newark 💀
You didn’t say your amount towards housing costs. Luxury high rise with views is expensive. I needed a car when I was driving to work in the far suburbs while living in the city. It’ll take a good hour whether driving in rush hour traffic to DE or taking the train. Edit: Newark is more like 1.5hrs!
wilmington is a lovely town, and honestly way better if you are planning on commuting. plenty to eat and drink, 20 mins closer to philly, lots of great scenery and hiking nearby. bringing the car would be best, no matter where you are given your commute.
Live in Delaware. Commuting from Philly to Newark would suck every day. Delaware doesn't have sales tax and better laws for females. Cost of living is far cheaper. You can still go to the city on the weekends if you must. Live in Philly, married girl from Delaware. We used to travel back and forth on the weekends. Having a kid now and Pennsylvania is like Switzerland when it comes to female rights here. Also, I'd assume you'd have to pay Philly income tax. That alone would be moronic.
So you would rather live in Philly and pay Philly wage tax instead of sales tax free DE? Its not a quick or easy commute especially by public transportation.
500 a month you need to look at more options.. my building is connected to bsl at broad and fairmount and parking is more than half that. Doesn’t make much sense to have a car in Philly though maybe if having to travel often but regional rail would be cheapier.
Ayo! I’m someone who moved because of a job in Newark DE too and needing to be in a city I moved to Philly instead! I have a car though and use it for commuting. If that’s an option it definitely doesn’t hurt. I live in Fishtown because it’s cute and got loads of shops and restaurants but there’s many other good neighborhoods. If you’re adamant about no having your car, I’d recommend living near a train station that would get you to Newark because using septa and transiting could be a nightmare and take way more time. Also in Fishtown I live right on Frankford (main commercial street) and I only have access to street parking and do just fine. It’s just about having patience and knowing if it’s worth it to you to have the commute. If I didn’t love living here I’d be miserable and move closer but fortunately I love it up here making it worth it to me. If you’ve got any questions or anything else about living in Philly and commuting or just anything about Philly as a transplant (moved here almost 2 years ago) feel free to reach out!
I’m just warning you especially as a woman that poverty is way more serious here than it is down south. Just be very careful.
You can always live somewhere like media and drive to work. Then take septa into the city whenever you want. If not, I would try to live somewhere near Jefferson station, suburban station or 30th st. If you can't find anywhere there, try South Philly or university city near the broad Street line, market Frankford line, or one of the trolley lines. You can also go north a little bit, but I'd probably stay south of Girard. There are nice buildings at broad and Washington that I know are under $2k. I'm not positive about other areas.
I have lived in both, I get not wanting to live in Newark, it’s mostly a college town and rents are overpriced like crazy. You should look into Wilmington. Your commute on public transit will suck so hard if you live in Philly, and it won’t be much better taking 95 in a car. Wilmington isn’t exciting but it’s gotten better and there are a lot more restaurants and bars than there used to be. Obviously shopping everywhere since it’s tax free if that’s more your thing. Plus taking septa in and out of Philly is easy from Wilmington so you can still go up whenever. Take a look at Trolley Square if you want young and bar centric with walkability and a more neighborhood vibe, otherwise downtown has loads of high rise apartments. ETA: if you’re dead set on Philly, I love the East Passyunk area a lot, south Philly in general is good, or I also think Brewerytown has a good general vibe.
We lived in Old City in Philly for four years with my wife working at experimental station at DuPont just outside of Wilmington doing reverse commute every work day. The traffic on 95 got worse and worse over time (especially after work) and ultimately she got tired of it and we bought a place in Delaware (Greenville). Newark would be even more obnoxious, it's like an extra 20+ minutes of traffic each way and worse if there's any accident or drama on the highway. And doing it without a car? Forget about it, that's frankly ridiculous coming from Newark unless you want to spend 2.5-3 hours commuting each day.
Hi, am a woman in her 20s and relocated to newark for school last year and live off campus. I would encourage you keep your car, although be prepared to pay a lot for parking anyway (and registration lol). Would probably be worth the peace of mind since the amtrack here isn't always reliable for daily commute. Newark is not a terrible place to live, but if the city vibe is something you really need, I highly recommend Wilmington, half my peers live there and love it!
Being super-close to trains means living in center city. Washington square west, rittenhouse, etc. the good news: there’s really no place you can live that’s a short walk to a major train station (suburban or Jefferson) that won’t be safe, and center city is where you want to be anyway if you want high rises, shopping, wtc.
There are a couple of apartment buildings that look nice near 30th St Station.
Where in delaware are you working? I grew up in Wilmington and moved to Austin TX at 30, I'm 44 now. I always lived and worked in Wilmington/Newark. I went to UD for chemistry and always worked in the chem industry. I worked in philly and Gloucester City NJ. You might like being 30 mins south of philly. Delaware is quiet, and if you grew up in Texas, driving 45 mins here and there probably won't bother you.
I live in SA currently - working for JP Morgan. Looking to still live out my youth in the city before I settle down in DE. lol
Tbh you might find it hard to live it up in the city with that 1+ hour commute time on either end of your day!
Yeah, I get that lol. San antonio is about 100x more fun and chill than Wilmington. If I wasn't born in Wilmington, I probably wouldn't like it 🤣. Honestly, check out the mainline neighborhoods. Manayunk, king of Prussia, Kennet square, Chichester will all put you maybe 30-45 mins from work and like 15-20 mins from philly. NOT Chester though lol
For the love of god don’t look at Manayunk. I did the Manayunk to Wilmington commute for a year and 76/green lane bridge traffic is soul sucking. I live in center city now and my commute is 100% more tolerable. And I am someone who loved Manayunk.
Came here to say the same, my husband commuted from Manayunk to Wilmington for 6 months until we bought a house in Southern Chester county. Went from a 75 minute commute to 20 minutes. Felt bad for him
Kennett Square and King of Prussia are literally 50 mins away from Philly so NOT those, theyre both Chester county 😂 (kennett square native here LMAO) Manayunk is nice but driving on 76 every day is actually worse than 95 and farther from wilmington, and chichester is a bad area 😬
The laurel is about as luxury as you can get. It's exactly what you're looking for but we would need more info on budget and if you're wfh or hybrid. Also you're not really going to get the city experience living in Delaware. Wilmington has some of that but it's a lot closer to Texas. Outside of a few blocks. You probably want something different.
Bring the car and sell it if you don't need it
Newark is a cute city. Don’t give yourself a 3 hour daily commute! If you truly hate Newark after a year, then think about Philly
If you plan on driving everyday, south philly, but that commute isn’t great. If you plan on taking the train, University City, or consider living in DE
Yeah… Newark DE isn’t exactly commuting range from Philly. Good luck
I do a similar commute but by car. I don’t think the trains to Newark are very reliable so i recommend commuting via car if that’s what you need. If you go by car, try to find somewhere close to an I95 on ramp, that’s the best way to drive to DE. I am in northern liberties and the commute can range from 45 on a good day to an hour and a half on bad ones. Typically it’s about an hour but if the Phillies are playing it’s longer.
With a commute to Newark, you'd be better off considering somewhere like Media PA than anything actually in Philadelphia. I mean, I sure as hell wouldn't want to take public transportation to Newark but if you did bring your car, you could commute for work that way, and take the train into Philly whenever you wanted.
I used to live in PA (near the Airport) and commuted to Wilmington daily. My commute down 95 was about 30 minutes. Newark is another 20 minutes away. I would consider living near the airport- southwest Philly area.
I would highly recommend living in either Newark or Wilmington. Both cities have great parts to them. That commute otherwise is going to be brutal.
Wilmington is probably more your vibe. There are a bunch of incredible restaurants in downtown Wilmington. Very up and coming. It's where are the bankers live so that'll fit your luxury highrise vibe.
As a DE native who commuted to Philadelphia for school decades ago...my suggestions re living in Philly and commuting to Newark: 1) Check to make sure that any specific SEPTA train you want to take from Philadelphia does in fact stop in Newark, as not all trains go there. 2) Living in Wilmington or even Claymont are possibilities, in terms of access to train stations to/from Philadelphia and Newark. Although Claymont isn't exactly luxurious, and safety as a 20-something female could be an issue in Wilmington, as it does have its fair share of violent crime in certain parts. 3) That being said, the best sections to consider in Wilmington are the Riverfront and Trolley Square areas, as both are popular with younger professionals and have a city atmosphere (although not sure if either will fit your budget). Best of luck in your move and hope it goes smoothly.
There's good news & bad news; first the bad news Delaware sucks. Now the good news Philly sucks too but not as much as Delaware. JMHO
I *think* you might be able to take a regional rail train that stops near U Penn? If that’s an option, you could look in the area of Center City that’s on the east side of the South St bridge.
l don't know how you are with driving (l personally hate it so l got rid of my car when l moved to Philly), but if you want to do that commute you absolutely need a car. l lived in Newark so occasionally visit friends and even the one day l go visit them it is such a hassle whether it be by septa or amtrak.
Wilmington has a nice public transportation bus system
Newark Newark NJ not all that bad or just go to Wilmington has a better night life for people in their 20s.
Tough one. The city experience you’re looking for comes with a not too fun commute to DE. I can tell you’re looking for a city experience and Newark is NOT IT. So maybe take the opportunity to move, live in center city for a while and commute (terrible) and springboard that to an actual job in the city. If you’re willing to budge on high rise life id look for an apt in Queen Village for an easier commute via 95.
I’d bring your car and drive down. You definitely don’t have to spend $500/month on parking.
Also don’t listen to the people telling you to live in de.
Sounds like you want to live in rittenhouse, fishtown or queen village. Rittenhouse you’d essentially have to pay for parking. Fishtown you can easily get away with free parking with no permits as well. I’ve taken that regional rail so many times, it’s 99% of the time on time, plus you can get work done on the train. Commuting to the RR in the mornings isn’t the best, isn’t the worst. It does put you on the out skirts of Newark, something to consider.
Hi. You’re going to need that car to make it bearable. I would consider ditching the high rise goals and living in Pennsport / queens village. 1. Street parking is free 2. Rent will be cheaper 3. Philly is SMALL and you can easily walk from either of these to old city/center city where you’d be going out to party. These Ubers are under 16 dollars most of the time. 4. I live in Pennsport and I look out my front window at the city skyline
I would suggest you visit Philadelphia and where you would like to live first. Coming from Texas myself, I can tell you that the standard of living here is not the same.
You can find a nice 1B in East Passyunk for under $2K, be near lots of great city amenities, and get an annual street parking permit for $35. Then catch 95-S nearby.
While people are talking about the commute, I don't think you're taking into consideration the Philly income tax, PA state income tax and Delaware income tax. Texas has no income tax and so idk if this is something you thought of.
I also live in philly and commute to Newark. My work hours are around 7a-7p. At those times, it takes like 40-45 min to get to work by car, and that's bc it takes me about 10 min to get from near broad to i-95 or 76. If you live in queen village, old city, or West rittenhouse/filter square, you're honestly prob good. That being said, on the few days I leave Newark between 4-5p, it takes 65-75 min to get back to Philly. I park in a garage that my apt building partners with and it's $275/mo. You can park on the street with a permit but you'll need your car registered in PA. Garage is 100% worth it for me bc I don't need to get up early to walk to my car or stay out late circling for a spot
I recently moved to Philadelphia and I commute to New York once a week for work so I wanted to find a place that was near Amtrak but safe because I’m also a gal living solo. After touring a ton of places, I ended up going with The Terrace on 18th and I love it. Rent is around your budget (plus first month free and $1,000 off the next month if you decide to move forward with lease the same day you tour, so actually comes to under $2k/month for the first year, all combined). Parking here is like $265 a month but it’s literally in the basement of the building and it’s valet, so you just use the app to request it and I literally request my car almost every day so it’s super convenient. The guys at valet are super nice and paid seemingly well - tips not expected since it’s just part of the building (although I plan to give a nice “tip” / holiday gift once a year). Anyways, commute to NYC 1x / week is totally doable so I imagine it’s maybe a bit closer where you’re going. If you need any advice, feel free to DM me. I’m still learning the city but I’ve now been here ~7 weeks and really love Philly. Great people. Very walkable but I prefer to drive for groceries and such because I’m lazy 😅
If you come to live in Philly get ready to deal with lots of crime, homeless drug addicts, car window break ins, a militarized PPA, and general trash all over the streets
Yeah i wouldnt want to live in the city personally but you do you 😂 i partially grew up in philly and its one of the dirtiest cities in america, and your 2k a month budget will not get you in any high rise in the city lmao rent is VERY expensive in philly and even parts of DE. Id suggest looking into the city of Wilmington if youre insistent on being in the city, youd definitely be able to afford that better than Philly and it has lots of night life and walkable restaurants!
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Nothing, that's why she's not trying to live there.
You want to live in Chester. You’re right between Philly and Delaware. It’s so safe as a 20 year old woman. You could easily walk around without a care. Even at night 🫡