Commuting Philly to Wilmington (Philadelphia, Greenville: foreclosures, condos, crime)

[BuschTango]

Hi,

I am going to be working in Wilmington DE, but I was considering living near Philly since it seems to have more going on.

Does anyone know the commute time - google says about 35 minutes, I have never been to Phili or Wilmington so I don't know what the traffic situation is.

Thanks

[Pine to Vine]

It would not be uncommon for the commute from Center City to downtown Wilmington to take as much as an hour during rush hour.

I agree with you - as someone who has lived in Wilmington (many years ago) as well as Philly, they are like night and day in terms of having "more going on." When you say you'd rather live "near" Philly, however, your choices are some pretty run down areas off of 95 or suburban towns in PA (which will be even less vibrant than Wilmington). Take a look at Trolley Square in Wilmington and see if it offers you enough diversions to keep you happy. From there, you can make the occasional drive to Philly. If it's not enough for you, however, then bite the bullet and move to Philly. Living in South Philly offers good access to 95.

All this said, keep in mind living expenses and parking will be easier in Wilmington. Best of luck

[BuschTango]

Thats really good info thanks!

Is Willmington relatively safe? It looks like the eastern part has really low property values and foreclosures.

Is that part generally unsafe?

[Marius Pontmercy]

Take the choo choo if your workplace is within walking distance of the station.

Wilmington isn't the safest town, but then again neither is Philly. The difference is Wilmington is so much smaller you're going to be in closer proximity to those unsafe areas. At least in Philadelphia you can live in a neighborhood with some insulation from all that.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by BuschTango

Thats really good info thanks!

Is Willmington relatively safe? It looks like the eastern part has really low property values and foreclosures.

Is that part generally unsafe?

Wilmington's eastside is very unsafe. Trolley Square is separated from the eastside by the the downtown (which has no evening and weekend activity) and 95. You can live there and be relatively insulated from the east. The two times I lived in Wilmington I lived in TS and had no issues. I understand it has only improved with time.

If you want to get more views on Wilmington, I'd suggest you search through the DE forum and post any questions you have there.


(BTW - It's PhillY, not Philli )

[RightonWalnut]

If you're working in Downtown Wilmington just live in Center City Philadelphia and take the SEPTA train to Wilmington.

[wardwhirlboromarlpool1955]

Originally Posted by Marius Pontmercy

Wilmington isn't the safest town, but then again neither is Philly. The difference is Wilmington is so much smaller you're going to be in closer proximity to those unsafe areas. At least in Philadelphia you can live in a neighborhood with some insulation from all that.

I'm sorry to spoil anything but that sounds like BS to me. If anything, the northern "suburban" part of Wilmington (not counting Claymont, which is rough) is way more insulated from "bad" areas than any part of Philadelphia County. Generally, if people living in areas such as Branmar in Wilmington stay north of 95, they will be safe. I will admit most of the businesses on 202 seem seedy, as do the ones at the Branmar Shopping Center, although Branmar is a mostly residential neighborhood. But let's also talk about Greenville which is in northwestern Wilmington... there couldn't possibly be any danger there, as the town is one of the richest in the USA (and it MUST be THE richest neighborhood anywhere in Delaware), and its businesses are all merchandised to a rich demographic.

[hartford_renter]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

If you're working in Downtown Wilmington just live in Center City Philadelphia and take the SEPTA train to Wilmington.

I will look into this, great idea!

[Mimidae]

Originally Posted by BuschTango

Thats really good info thanks!

Is Willmington relatively safe? It looks like the eastern part has really low property values and foreclosures.

Is that part generally unsafe?

Yes, the eastern part is not a place you want to buy a house unless you're talking about the condos around the recently developed riverfront area. You want downtown, east (depending on the neighborhood, there are great blocks and not so great blocks), or north.

Wilmington is infinitely safer than Philadelphia - and I say that as someone in the midst of moving to Philly. There are some drug-related shootings, but crime is pretty rare if you're not involved in the drug trade. My father-in-law thinks Trolley Square is unsafe, and if a person gets mugged there once a year, it makes the front page of the News Journal because it's so rare. Wilmingtonians are pretty funny like that - they have no idea how relatively safe it is, for a city.

It is night and day compared to the nightlife available in Philly, but keep in mind that Wilmington has made a lot of big strides in the past few years. We now have an art house movie theatre, an IMAX theatre, a beautifully landscaped riverfront walk, several music venues that book touring acts, an off-Broadway theatre, a montly 'art loop', a burgeoning main street, and several areas that are becoming very trendy with younger people. This was not necessarily the case 15 years ago, when it was primarily a business town that completely closed down at night.

[BuschTango]

Do you know anyone who commutes from Phily to Wilmington?

I was figuring I could drive but there doesn't seem to be much parking in the city.