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Is there any prospect that the commute from Philadelphia or NYC to Trenton can be done more quickly by car (well, from Philly at least -- I know that NYC area traffic can be a beast) than by rail? If I were to work in Trenton, then I'd prefer to live somewhere that's reasonably safe, that's densely populated and that has both a pulse and big city amenities, so that has me considering both Center City and Manhattan. This sees my daily commute at 75-95 minutes door-to-door using a mix of walking, train service and taxis.
If only Trenton weren't such a disaster. The powers that be need to fix it up without delay. What a waste. It's the state capitol for heaven's sake!
The ride on SEPTA Regional from CC to Trenton takes about an hour in and of itself, not counting getting to the train and then getting to work from the station in Trenton. Total would most likely be in the 90 - 105 minute range. You can definitely drive from CC to Trenton in less time than that as you will largely be reverse commuting. Riding up the PA side (95) you are probably looking at 60 minutes door-to-door, taking the NJ side (295) you are probably at 60-75 minutes. The nice thing is that you have options if either route is FUBAR'd.
In the case of Philly though, there are quite a few options in the suburbs that would lessen that commute and still provide real easy access to CC by either car or rail. It would be possible to be around 15 minutes from CC in a high end suburb with a lot of what you are looking for and be around 40 minutes to Trenton.
The ride on SEPTA Regional from CC to Trenton takes about an hour in and of itself, not counting getting to the train and then getting to work from the station in Trenton. Total would most likely be in the 90 - 105 minute range. You can definitely drive from CC to Trenton in less time than that as you will largely be reverse commuting. Riding up the PA side (95) you are probably looking at 60 minutes door-to-door, taking the NJ side (295) you are probably at 60-75 minutes. The nice thing is that you have options if either route is FUBAR'd.
The plan would be to live within a ten-minute walk of Suburban Station and then to grab a taxi in Trenton for the 1.5-2 miles to and from the office, so that's where the 75 minute guesstimate came from. All the same, with inevitable waits for trains and the like, your 90-105 minute guesstimate is probably more realistic. That's not appealing in the least. Time to consider biting the bullet and looking at Princeton instead. Princeton is hardly a big city, but it's close to Trenton if nothing else, it's safe, and it has some decent places to walk to locally to grab a bite to eat/get a beer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NJGOAT
In the case of Philly though, there are quite a few options in the suburbs that would lessen that commute and still provide real easy access to CC by either car or rail. It would be possible to be around 15 minutes from CC in a high end suburb with a lot of what you are looking for and be around 40 minutes to Trenton.
I've heard about such places in the Philly suburbs, but I've never visited them. I should do that next time I'm in the city.
I've heard about such places in the Philly suburbs, but I've never visited them. I should do that next time I'm in the city.
I'm not sure what your budget is like and whether you are buying or renting, but some of the towns to check out in South Jersey would be:
Haddonfield - Historic high end suburb. Great walkable downtown with restaurants, shops and cafes. The only drawback is that it is a dry town (you can BYOB at the restaurants), but there are several nearby bars and liquor stores in neighboring towns. You are about a 10 minute drive to I295 (route 561 area) and a similar distance to all the retail shopping in Cherry Hill. The great bonus on top of that is a PATCO station in town with direct service to CC Philly.
Moorestown - Another historic high end suburb. It has a walkable downtown, but with far less content than Haddonfield. Moorestown is also a dry town, but you can BYOB at the couple of restaurants. You are very close to several major shopping and dining areas as well. The nice part with Moorestown is that you would pick up I295 at route 38, which would help you avoid all of the traffic snarls on 295 and shave about 15+ minutes off your commute. To get to CC would require a drive (~15 minutes off peak) or driving to the PATCO station at Woodcrest off 295.
A cheaper alternative to Haddonfield would be Collingswood. There is a decent downtown with a ton of restaurants and a PATCO station to get you into CC Philly in less than 10 minutes. It's also a very walkable town and although dry (restaurants are BYOB) has access to the same bars and stores that Haddonfield does. You could also look into Haddon Twp. which is the town between Haddonfield and Collingswood and where all the bars are at. There is a PATCO stop there as well and you would have easy access to both local downtowns and Philly.
A cheaper alternative to Moorestown would be Cinnaminson. Cinnaminson may be an interesting choice as while it doesn't have much of a downtown, there is a major townhome/condo/apartment complex that was just built there (Cinnaminson Harbor). This complex's entrance just happens to be right next to a Riverline station. You could easily walk to the station and hop the Riverline to work in Trenton or take it into Camden and transfer to PATCO to go into CC. You literally wouldn't have to drive unless you really want to.
Not that I'm a drunk or anything, but I'd never live in a dry town. Never, ever, ever. Fine if others want to do that, but it's not for me. Different strokes for different folks.
Cinnaminson might be an interesting option if it had a proper downtown. I'm not one much for places that aren't built around a vibrant town/city center. Again, a personal preference. I'm just more of a city guy.
Thank you once again for your input! It's good to know what's out that way.
Is there any prospect that the commute from Philadelphia or NYC to Trenton can be done more quickly by car (well, from Philly at least -- I know that NYC area traffic can be a beast) than by rail? If I were to work in Trenton, then I'd prefer to live somewhere that's reasonably safe, that's densely populated and that has both a pulse and big city amenities, so that has me considering both Center City and Manhattan. This sees my daily commute at 75-95 minutes door-to-door using a mix of walking, train service and taxis.
If only Trenton weren't such a disaster. The powers that be need to fix it up without delay. What a waste. It's the state capitol for heaven's sake!
You can try looking along the Northeast Corridor Line. You may be able to find something in Linden or Rahway, which are both fairly dense and urban.
New Brunswick is very urban, and, while it does have a few seedy sections, I would consider it safe to live in (and the train ride is only about 30 minutes, plus walking and waiting for the train)
New Brunswick is very urban, and, while it does have a few seedy sections, I would consider it safe to live in (and the train ride is only about 30 minutes, plus walking and waiting for the train)
Also NJT has many 600 series bus rtes that connect employment centers in trenton to the train station they accept rail passes as payment too. also there are shuttles from hamilton to major employers check gmtma.org for shuttles the shuttles are free
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Fine if others want to do that, but it's not for me. Different strokes for different folks.
