Commuting to Bryn Mawr--where to live? (Philadelphia, Ardmore: middle-class, to rent, how much)

[FuzzyDunlop]

Hi All,

My wife and I will be moving up to the Philly area in the next few months and I'll be working in Bryn Mawr.

We would really like to live in Philadelphia proper and I could manage about a 30 min commute each way. What are the best parts of the city to live in to hop on the r5 every day for that commute?

All else being equal, we'd prefer to live somewhere cheaper rather than ritzier. We have lived in NYC, Baltimore, DC, etc. so something along those lines of "safe enough" and "cheap enough" would be ideal.

Thanks!

[BPP1999]

It's going to be tough to live in the city in a neighborhood that will allow you to commute via the R5 to Bryn Mawr in under 30 min. You could technically live anywhere in the city and drive/take a bus/take the subway/take another train to Center City, then transfer to the R5, but you'd need to live in or near Center City or University City to be within walking distance to Market East, Suburban Station, or 30th Street Station where you can pick up the R5. Also, your commute would probably be more than 30 min by doing this. CC and UC are great places to live, but they probably aren't going to fall on the "cheap enough" list either.

[Tone509]

I admire your desire to eschew a short commute to work for the vitality of urban living. That said, it may be a bit difficult to recommend a place in-town that's both convenient to the train and relatively affordable... although Bryn Mawr isn't exactly cheap itself.

Ideally, you'll want to start your train ride at 30th Street Station, the westernmost train depot downtown. Neighborhoods close to there include the Fitler Square and Graduate Hospital sections of Center City (downtown) and West Philly neighborhoods such as University City and Powelton Village. Of all of these, Powelton Village is the closest, wedged in between the academia of University City to the south and the challenged neighborhood of Mantua to the north. You could conceivably walk to and from 30th Street from all of these neighborhoods except for University City where you could catch a 10-15 minute light rail or bus ride.

Still in the city but a little further up the R5 is the Overbrook section of town. West Overbrook in particular is pretty nice. Compared to the other neighborhoods I mentioned, however, it is pretty sedate unless you're a St. Joseph's University student.

You did not say what your budget is or whether you intend to rent or buy. I would say that for the average middle-class person, it would be easier to rent in these neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by FuzzyDunlop

Hi All,

My wife and I will be moving up to the Philly area in the next few months and I'll be working in Bryn Mawr.

We would really like to live in Philadelphia proper and I could manage about a 30 min commute each way. What are the best parts of the city to live in to hop on the r5 every day for that commute?

All else being equal, we'd prefer to live somewhere cheaper rather than ritzier. We have lived in NYC, Baltimore, DC, etc. so something along those lines of "safe enough" and "cheap enough" would be ideal.

Thanks!

[Tone509]

Yeah... what BPP said.

[newmarlig]

You know, it's really hard to answer - because "cheap enough" is so vague. Could you please give a ballpark figure (the cost of living is much higher in NYC or DC, so you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can live in center city). The R5 ride from Suburban Station to Bryn Mawr is 19 minutes (on express trains which run frequently during the rush hours).

[FuzzyDunlop]

Hi All,

Thanks for the great responses so far. Sorry to have been vague about the details, but I'm not sure exactly how much we'll be able to afford yet.

We are planning to rent, and at the minimum need a 1 bedroom, though a 2 bedroom is preferable. Depending on what my wife ends up doing we are looking for something from $1000-1200/mo., maybe something slightly higher.

As for the commute, does it help to say I am ready and willing to take any mode of public transportation to Bryn Mawr? My intial searching seems to indicate that the r5 is the fastest and most direct though, but I'm sure three are other options. If I'm going to live in the city, I don't want to have a car though.

How about if I open it up to a 45 min commute each way, door-to-door? 45 min would be pushing it for my other committments, but if it opens up cheaper digs, I might be able to bite the bullet.

Thanks again for all the detailed and quick responses!

[leighland]

why don't you just live in Bryn Mawr to get to know the area, use SEPTA to see 'hoods you like on your free time and decide from there? You could rent my place for your budget.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Originally Posted by leighland

why don't you just live in Bryn Mawr to get to know the area, use SEPTA to see 'hoods you like on your free time and decide from there? You could rent my place for your budget.

You mean, that's your rent on the Mainline, or that's what you are paying somewhere in the city itself?

This is probably only about a one-year gig, so living in the 'burbs and then finding a sweet spot in the city for the next year probably isn't going to happen.

All that said, an option may be to live on the Mainline and then just hit the city for fun...

[newmarlig]

Look in Ardmore. You should find something in your price range. It's on the same train line, two stops closer to Philly than Bryn Mawr is, so you will have easy access into the city when you want. It really doesn't make sense to live in Philly because you would have to pay the city wage tax even though you don't work here.

[FuzzyDunlop]

Originally Posted by newmarlig

Look in Ardmore. You should find something in your price range. It's on the same train line, two stops closer to Philly than Bryn Mawr is, so you will have easy access into the city when you want. It really doesn't make sense to live in Philly because you would have to pay the city wage tax even though you don't work here.

Thanks, the wage tax is a concern. The daily fare for commuting (even on a monthly pass) seems high too.

Keep the ideas coming, guys, it really is helping to give a bigger picture. Much appreciated.