Want to live in Center City but must commute to Paoli

**WilliamPenn** · 03-18-2011, 02:50 PM

Will be moving from Tucson this July. Too much cactus down here, can't wait to live in a real city again! (used to live in Boston, New York, Chicago etc) However, I am not familiar at all with the area as I have only visited once before.

With a budget of around 1600, I am flexible on that however, I am hoping someone can help me find apartment building rentals that are walking distance to a train station that can get me to Paoli.

I don't have to live in Center City proper, as I said I am not that familiar with the area so any neighborhood nearby that is by a train station would work.

Also, about how long would the train ride be? And how much does a monthly train pass cost? A link to this info would work too if you don't know it offhand.

I think that is all the questions I have for now. I thank you in advance for your help. It is much appreciated!!!

**eldondre** · 03-18-2011, 03:02 PM

center city is probably as convenient as you're going to get to the paoli thorndale line inside city limits
http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/pdf/tho.pdf
fares
SEPTA | Trailpass
although Paoli is zone 4 $176), I think reverse commuters can use a zone 3 pass ($155). these passes are also good for unlimited SEPTA travel on weekends for regional rail as well as all transit all the time (buses, subways, etc). If you wil be working down the hill, trains that have a C have connecting bus service. many companies like vanguard (I know they have an arizona office, is that where you're coming from?) also have their own shuttles.

lastly, please be aware that Amtrak also runs trains to Paoli from 30th st. these trains run less often and the passes are not good for all transit
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobSe...ak_W10_web.pdf

but you would accumulate frequent rider points for free trips to NY, they're faster, more comfortable, etc.

**gren** · 03-18-2011, 03:04 PM

Paoli is zone 4 so your pass will cost $47.75 a week or $176.00 a month. Trip length will depend on which station and which train you take. A schedule is here and your worst case scenario is 57 minutes (train with most stops from farthest Center City station). You're good as long as your work is close to the Paoli station.

Basically you can live in a ton of places in and around Center City or University City with your criteria.

**phillyaggie** · 03-18-2011, 03:11 PM

since the commute questions are already answered, all that I'll say is for the apartment search, check out listings on Philadelphia Weekly | Local news, reviews, multimedia, music, real estate and more, 4wallsinphilly.com, and perhaps craigs list. Center City Philly apartment market is fragmented among many local landlords and mom-and-pop type places that are in townhomes which are subdivided into apartments. Many condo buildings also have units that get rented out by unit owners. Of course, there are apartment buildings as well, owned/operated by large companies...

**WilliamPenn** · 03-18-2011, 03:14 PM

Thanks for the quick responses!

I am not affiliated with any company that would have a shuttle, but that was a good thought.

So it sounds like the train will be easy to get to regardless of the building.

I did visit the 1500 locust building which seemed very nice, but got terrible reviews on apartment ratings.com. I know to take those reviews with a grain of salt, but it still gave me pause. Does anybody have any suggestions of buildings they live in or friends or family that had positive experiences? Thanks again!

**gren** · 03-18-2011, 03:20 PM

I had a friend who lived at 2400 Chestnut and she seemed to like it--lived with a roommate for a summer before getting a job in the Northeast. Check out the building. If it interests you I can try to ask them about it. Here's the pricing. My guess is you can finding cheaper in a more interesting area but it's often easier dealing with a large rental company.

**phillyaggie** · 03-18-2011, 03:20 PM

1500 Locust seems pretty good building. Other nearby ones that you might like would be The Drake, The Touraine, Academy House, etc...

Rittenhouse Square East Apartments in Philadelphia, PA - Rittenhouse Square East - 4Walls

**dartmo** · 03-18-2011, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by WilliamPenn

Thanks for the quick responses!

I am not affiliated with any company that would have a shuttle, but that was a good thought.

So it sounds like the train will be easy to get to regardless of the building.

I did visit the 1500 locust building which seemed very nice, but got terrible reviews on apartment ratings.com. I know to take those reviews with a grain of salt, but it still gave me pause. Does anybody have any suggestions of buildings they live in or friends or family that had positive experiences? Thanks again!

Hi, make sure your ofice is within walking distance of the train. I live in the city and work out in that general direction, but the train station isn't remotely walkable so i have a terrible commute on 76.

I'd say any apartment buildings within a reasonable walk of Suburban Station should work (you will be on the train for a while so you don't want to make it any longer than necessary.) 1500 Locust is a very nice location, don't know much about the building except its old. $1600 should get you a decent 1 bdrm I think, nothing special. You could see if anything is for rent in the Phoenix Building, which is connected to the train station or maybe in the Kennedy apt buildings. That would make your commute pretty easy and is still a good location, though not as good as Locust.

**bluecuracao** · 03-18-2011, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by dartmo

Hi, make sure your ofice is within walking distance of the train. I live in the city and work out in that general direction, but the train station isn't remotely walkable so i have a terrible commute on 76.

I second this. I used to have this commute, and getting to my final destination was a nightmare. Getting to Paoli was generally OK, but catching the 92 bus or a cab to my office was a bigger pain in the butt than it was worth.

During weather events such as heavy rain and even light snow, expect long delays and canceled trains. And delayed/no buses or cabs in Paoli.

A note about the Septa passes: I'd purchased zone 4 passes for while until a ticket booth employee told me I should use a zone 3 pass instead ($43 weekly and $155 monthly), due to it being a reverse commute.

Amtrak: Convenient if you miss your Septa train or it's canceled. In the morning, purchase your ticket before you get on the train at 30th St. Station, or you will have to pay about $17. In the evening you can buy a ticket on the train for regular price, $6.50 or $7.50.

**cewillm** · 03-22-2011, 08:38 PM

I hope your workplace offers a lot of paid time off/sick days if you want to commute to Paoli via train and don't own a car. When it snows you're either going to need to get up at 5 and hope SEPTA isn't completely shut down, drive (which isn't much better), or call out. And that's even if your shuttle at Paoli (if that's what you're going to rely on) is running.

You might have to sacrifice some real vacation to just stay home when it's white outside. Just a head's up.

**eldondre** · 03-22-2011, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by cewillm

I hope your workplace offers a lot of paid time off/sick days if you want to commute to Paoli via train and don't own a car. When it snows you're either going to need to get up at 5 and hope SEPTA isn't completely shut down, drive (which isn't much better), or call out. And that's even if your shuttle at Paoli (if that's what you're going to rely on) is running.

You might have to sacrifice some real vacation to just stay home when it's white outside. Just a head's up.

that bad? things must have gotten worse since I rode that line, when it snowed, I was the only one at work on time

**bluecuracao** · 03-22-2011, 08:48 PM

It could be pretty bad. Luckily I had the option of working at home.

**3rd&Brown** · 03-22-2011, 08:50 PM

1500 Locust is a gross building, with notoriously bad/slow elevators. IMO, it also doubles as a Wharton dorm. Add to that, it is perhaps, the most generic building in Center City, though it does have a good location. I think it is also overpriced. If you spent more than 10 minutes looking, you could do MUCH MUCH better.

Unfortunately, our rental market is very fragmented, so a lot of the units that come on line will be 1 offs that you are renting directly from the owner or through an agency. It's just the way it is. But to be frank, a lot of these are nice units than the few buildings that are 100% rental and managed by apartment leasing companies.

That being said, I believe 1 of the 2 Dranoff buildings off Fitler Square is still rental (one went condo a few years ago). I'd check it out. Fitler Square is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Center City, and you could take the River Trail to the train station and bike/run there on the weekends. There is also a building across from the Sunoco Station at 20th&Walnut or thereabouts that looks very nice, recently rehabbed, and is VERY close to both the train station and Rittenhouse Square. I think it's called RiverLofts, but I'm not sure. I once met an airline stewardess that lived there, as well as a nurse at UPenn's Hospital, and both liked it.

**Dolemite** · 03-22-2011, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

That being said, I believe 1 of the 2 Dranoff buildings off Fitler Square is still rental (one went condo a few years ago). I'd check it out. Fitler Square is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Center City, and you could take the River Trail to the train station and bike/run there on the weekends. There is also a building across from the Sunoco Station at 20th&Walnut or thereabouts that looks very nice, recently rehabbed, and is VERY close to both the train station and Rittenhouse Square. I think it's called RiverLofts, but I'm not sure. I once met an airline stewardess that lived there, as well as a nurse at UPenn's Hospital, and both liked it.

Ther is also the Left Bank on the other side of the River but close to 30th Street Station.

**JugglerDave** · 03-22-2011, 09:40 PM

I've been commuting from center city to Paoli for 7+ years now. There are several buses (204, 205, 206, 92, 105), that generally connect to the train.

I started out driving 4 days a week and taking the train + bus on Fridays or when it
was the threat of snow.

Four years ago I switched to Amtrak plus a folding bike, which I've been doing almost daily. I only drive maybe once a month now when I have a specific reason to. I ditch the bike and take the 206 bus when it's all-day heavy rain or snow/ice.

My suggestion is to live within a mile of 30th St. station, so that you can walk and have the choice of Amtrak or SEPTA, and then a connecting bus at Paoli depending on where you have to go. If your office is not served by a bus you have fewer options (like the bike).

**BarryG** · 03-22-2011, 11:03 PM

Regional Rail is not as bad in the snow as some are making it out to be. When we have crazy blizzards, they get ****ed up, but in general the schedule just gets a little whacked. And guess what, people also have trouble driving to work when it snows. You are at an advantage in some ways.

As for proximity, if 30th St Amtrak is a backup plan, keep in mind that the Market-Frankford Line will get you from 15th to 30th St in about 2 minutes and runs reliably in all weather. There are also underground trolleys along Market St at 19th & 22nd Sts that will get you to 30th St and Suburban Station. Your TrailPass is good for unlimited city bus/trolley/subway.

**cewillm** · 03-23-2011, 12:45 AM

I'm not slamming reverse commuting via SEPTA because it really is a nice feature and we are lucky to have it.

From my experience snow is just always an issue. Trains are only completely fubared when it blizzards, true, in which case you are probably staying home regardless of how you get out to the main line. But when it snows a decent amount SEPTA always seems to have delay issues. This is OK with me in the evenings since I can just watch TrainView, but it means in the mornings you need to be extra vigilant and get up early. It's a nice trade-off for not having to drive to work every day.

For me, I get off (or will be getting off, come summer) at Malvern and take a shuttle to work. I am not sure about how reliable these are in the snow.

As far as housing selection, I would suggest you not discount private homes or apartments. I much prefer them to the big apartment/condo complexes. I'm moving in a couple months and am strongly considering old city north of Market despite it being passe to some. It's close enough to Market East that I can walk mostly underground when it's nasty out and I don't have to deal with the hysteria at Suburban Station.

**cewillm** · 03-23-2011, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

1500 Locust is a gross building, with notoriously bad/slow elevators. IMO, it also doubles as a Wharton dorm. Add to that, it is perhaps, the most generic building in Center City, though it does have a good location. I think it is also overpriced. If you spent more than 10 minutes looking, you could do MUCH MUCH better.

Unfortunately, our rental market is very fragmented, so a lot of the units that come on line will be 1 offs that you are renting directly from the owner or through an agency. It's just the way it is. But to be frank, a lot of these are nice units than the few buildings that are 100% rental and managed by apartment leasing companies.

That being said, I believe 1 of the 2 Dranoff buildings off Fitler Square is still rental (one went condo a few years ago). I'd check it out. Fitler Square is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Center City, and you could take the River Trail to the train station and bike/run there on the weekends. There is also a building across from the Sunoco Station at 20th&Walnut or thereabouts that looks very nice, recently rehabbed, and is VERY close to both the train station and Rittenhouse Square. I think it's called RiverLofts, but I'm not sure. I once met an airline stewardess that lived there, as well as a nurse at UPenn's Hospital, and both liked it.

RiverLoft's studios are over $1900/mo. Must be nice to have that kind of income.

**ArcticSplash** · 03-23-2011, 05:31 AM

If you're looking for cheap rentals that aren't bad... i.e. starter apartments, the Chinatown neighborhood fits the bill. Lower rents. The neighborhood is too "ethnic" for the type of people who rent for >$1500 a month, so you can find 1-bdrs there in the $1,100-$1,400 range. This area is roughly bordered between Broad and 6th Street and between Arch and Callowhill. It's also very close to Regional Rail, closer than Rittenhouse Square is. A lot of newcomers usually select this area b/c of its convenience to everything and the lower rents. When you get more familiar with the city and the region you can rent elsewhere or buy.

Also note as 3rd & Brown said, there are a lot of graduate students who rent in Center City; many of them law and biz grads going to Penn/Drexel.

This is the best time to be shopping for apartments though. Graduation is coming and students empty out of the city driving vacancies up. They return in August snapping up apartments again. May/June are the best months to shop for apartments in CC since that's when a lot of inventory is available and there is a lot of competition for landlords to re-rent out their vacancies before school starts again.

**Bob_Head** · 03-23-2011, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by JugglerDave

I've been commuting from center city to Paoli for 7+ years now. There are several buses (204, 205, 206, 92, 105), that generally connect to the train.

Service on the 200 series routes seems to be in a constant state of flux, and with the exception of the 204, the trend has been to cut back on frequency and hours of operation. Plus, since the 200 series is largely funded via the Feds for congestion relief during the Route 202 expansion project, I have serious doubts on their continued operation once that money is gone.