Philly neighborhoods and commuting time to west chester... (lease, how much)

[jamie2140]

Hi -

Can anyone tell me how much of a commute it would be to live in Rittenhouse and go to West Chester for work... Would I be going with traffic or against it during rush hour. I am moving to the area this week and looking for places in the city but want to be prepared for what my commute it likely to be..

Thanks

[solibs]

When people say "West Chester" they often mean the actual town and a broad area around it - so the answer is "it depends"

Either way you'll be going against traffic for most of your trip. If you're in town it should take you about 60-70 minutes, depending on how far away your car is parked, how far you are from the expressway and how far your parking garage in West Chester is from your office.

I'm not sure where you're moving from but I hope you've already applied for a parking permit or you've leased a parking space. Rittenhouse is the wrong neighborhood to live in with a car that you have to move everyday. A friend of mine lived in Wash West, a less dense neighborhood than Rittenhouse, and he had to drive to work in NJ everyday. He usually had to park his car 6 blocks from his house. He got so tired of the hassle that he started leaving his car at a train station in NJ.

[orrmobl]

Far enough to say it's not worth it, either change where you live or where you work...

[bryson662001]

The problem if you look at a map is that there isn't a direct way to get there. West Chester itself is a nice little college town with a quaint, urban center that you might like which is surrounded by suburbia. Also you will save 4% of your paycheck (city wage tax) by not living in the city.

[Tone509]

I agree that it would be a lengthy reverse commute. West Chester's downtown is lively enough that you may be content enjoying your weekday nights there and heading into Philly on the weekends.