new resident - commute advice needed (Philadelphia, Norristown: neighborhoods, college, living in)

[drn284]

Hello,

I am moving to the area. I want to live in Philly for the lifestyle and near my friends, but will be working at Einstein Montgomery hospital. I am looking for commute advice. Hours are likely 8am-5pm-ish. I will have my car but would it be a terrible drive? is there a reasonable public transportation option? i have been trying to look at the google map suggestions, but hard to understand with zero knowledge of the area. Looking to live in Rittenhouse. Greatly appreciate any advice and guidance! Thanks!

[bigfish1]

A transit commute to that area would be pretty difficult as the 90 bus is the only bus that runs to that hospital and it is not frequent or efficient. Below are a few options.

First if you plan to live in Rittenhouse:

Transit the whole way. Take the Norristown/Manayunk line to Norristown transportation center and then take the 90 bus. Door to door this would be at least 1:30 to 1:45 and that is assuming that the train and bus line up in their connection

Option two if you wanted to live in Rittenhouse would be to leave your car parked in Norristown and take the same Norristown/Manayunk line and drive the 10 minutes from the train station. This one would be the most reliable as the regional rail is generally good and door to door should be about 1 hour. If I were in your shoes this would be my choice

Option three would be to drive but that would be over an hour each way in traffic. I am not sure where you are from but the route you would need to take on the Schuylkill expressway is notoriously bad

Another option would be to live closer to Einstein. You obviously won't get the great downtown feel you do in Rittenhouse but Manayunk along with other NW Philly neighborhoods are great and would provide a decent commute but would involve parking.

As I mentioned I would recommend parking at the end of the train line because if you keep your car in Center City consistently you would also need to pay a couple hundred every month to store it. I hope this helps and I am happy to answer any other questions

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by bigfish1

A transit commute to that area would be pretty difficult as the 90 bus is the only bus that runs to that hospital and it is not frequent or efficient. Below are a few options.

First if you plan to live in Rittenhouse:

Transit the whole way. Take the Norristown/Manayunk line to Norristown transportation center and then take the 90 bus. Door to door this would be at least 1:30 to 1:45 and that is assuming that the train and bus line up in their connection

Option two if you wanted to live in Rittenhouse would be to leave your car parked in Norristown and take the same Norristown/Manayunk line and drive the 10 minutes from the train station. This one would be the most reliable as the regional rail is generally good and door to door should be about 1 hour. If I were in your shoes this would be my choice

Option three would be to drive but that would be over an hour each way in traffic. I am not sure where you are from but the route you would need to take on the Schuylkill expressway is notoriously bad

Another option would be to live closer to Einstein. You obviously won't get the great downtown feel you do in Rittenhouse but Manayunk along with other NW Philly neighborhoods are great and would provide a decent commute but would involve parking.

As I mentioned I would recommend parking at the end of the train line because if you keep your car in Center City consistently you would also need to pay a couple hundred every month to store it. I hope this helps and I am happy to answer any other questions

Agree with this.

I drove the Schuykill expressway for over a year on a commute from Old City to Conshohocken. About 45-55 minutes. Really unenjoyable. The driving on that stretch is impossibly aggressive and stupid. There accidents daily.

The manyunk idea seems like a good one. That's a cool little town and you could be in CC in a few minutes on that train.

[thedirtypirate]

Manayunk is a perfect fit.

[JacksonPanther]

Are you a fresh college grad looking to drink each night? If not, don't move to manayunk.
If you're looking for the cool city experience, live in Rittenhouse with your car in Norristown.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by bigfish1

Option two if you wanted to live in Rittenhouse would be to leave your car parked in Norristown and take the same Norristown/Manayunk line and drive the 10 minutes from the train station. This one would be the most reliable as the regional rail is generally good and door to door should be about 1 hour. If I were in your shoes this would be my choice

This is great option provided parking in Norristown isn't a hassle. Further, if you ever do need your car during the week after work or over the weekend, you just suck it up for that day and drive it.

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Are you a fresh college grad looking to drink each night? If not, don't move to manayunk.

I agree that the urban experience of Rittenhouse is unparalleled but I think we can also agree that Manayunk offers a lot more than what you are describing.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by bigfish1

Transit the whole way. Take the Norristown/Manayunk line to Norristown transportation center and then take the 90 bus. Door to door this would be at least 1:30 to 1:45 and that is assuming that the train and bus line up in their connection

They do not, especially when you get off the train to find a bus. So frustrating.

Option two if you wanted to live in Rittenhouse would be to leave your car parked in Norristown and take the same Norristown/Manayunk line and drive the 10 minutes from the train station. This one would be the most reliable as the regional rail is generally good and door to door should be about 1 hour. If I were in your shoes this would be my choice

The Norristown Transportation Center has a parking garage as well as dedicated monthly permit parking, I'm assuming at a discount compared to paying $1 (or maybe it's $2 now) a day. Not sure what the rules are on overnight parking in those monthly spaces or in the garage.

[Muinteoir]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

Are you a fresh college grad looking to drink each night? If not, don't move to manayunk.
If you're looking for the cool city experience, live in Rittenhouse with your car in Norristown.

That's exaggerating. I live in Manayunk. Like many Philadelphia neighborhoods, it's very block-by-block. I am in my early thirties, and easily the youngest on my block. The block perpendicular to me is much more what you describe. Yes, the college bro component exists and is one of the downsides to the neighborhood. But honestly, I've come to realize I'd much rather have some bros as neighbors than some other unsavory characters. The worst that ever happens is some occasional loud music. The neighborhood feels (and relative to most of the city, IS) very safe, which is a huge upside.

Main Street is much more than just Grape Room and Mad River (now closed). There are fantastic restaurants, cafes, shops, etc. Personally, it won't be a forever-neighborhood for me, but the neighborhood is heterogenous in age. As a thirty-something, I've enjoyed it here more than I anticipated.

Manayunk is also really fantastic if you value access to trails and nature. Wissahickon Park, The Canal Towpath (part of the larger Schuylkill River Trail network), and The Manayunk Bridge Trail - Cynwyd Heritage Trail are all less than a mile from my house.

OP, along with Manayunk, I'd also consider East Falls. This section of the Northwest would offer a balance of city-living with train access to Center City, with a less grueling commute than living in Center City itself.

[NewtownBucks]

Living in Conshohocken is another thing to consider. That would make your work commute very easy (bypass all of the Schuylkill, not just half of it living in Manayunk), but still has a somewhat urban feel and plenty to do. Getting into Center City from Conshy by car during off-peak hours isn't too bad, and there is easy public transportation on regional rail as well.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by drn284

Hello,

I am moving to the area. I want to live in Philly for the lifestyle and near my friends, but will be working at Einstein Montgomery hospital. I am looking for commute advice. Hours are likely 8am-5pm-ish. I will have my car but would it be a terrible drive? is there a reasonable public transportation option? i have been trying to look at the google map suggestions, but hard to understand with zero knowledge of the area. Looking to live in Rittenhouse. Greatly appreciate any advice and guidance! Thanks!

Maybe a bit of a dark horse suggestion but perhaps consider living in Chestnut Hill which has a somewhat similar social vibe to Rittenhouse and is in close proximity to the hospital for an easy drive. During leisure time if you want to head into Center City, hop on either of the SEPTA Chestnut Hill trains.