Split Commute - Wilmington and Philly Airport (Chester, West Chester: apartments, renting)

[sdmelzer]

Hello all!

I will be moving to the area for a new job this fall, and am wondering where the optimal places to live would be considering the needs of both my fiance and I.

Me: Downtown Wilmington
Her: 3 or 4 days a week to and from PHL airport for business, otherwise working from home

I have heard good things about the Chadds Ford area and West Chester, but we are trying to minimize commute time as much as possible by living closer to 95. I also know that Claymont and Chester along the 95 corridor are pretty much awful. We are not opposed to living in Delaware.
We will be renting an apartment, 1 or 2 bedroom, with a maximum budget of $1800 a month.

Thank you in advance, and please ask any questions that would be relevant to your answer.

[rainrock]

Chadds Ford , Concordville,Glen Mills sounds like a good fit. West Chester or Media if you want/need to be in a more walkable town.

Boothwyn is probably worth looking at as well, its closer to 95 and its pretty nice around Naamans Creek Road.

[thunderkat59]

I lived in West Chester and had to go to the MBNA Bank complex every day and it horrifying. Sometimes over an hour in am/pm rush hour. I tried 202, it was terrible. Finally came to a convoluted way down old Rt100 in to Greenville. Not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but the commute from West Chester to Wilmington is not going to be a pleasant one. West Chester is a nice (college oriented) town for sure, and maybe that stuff doesn't bother you, so might not be an issue.

[qworldorder]

Honestly, I would just get a nice place in Wilmington. With an $1800 budget, you could easily get a 1 br, possibly 2 br, in Downtown Wilmington or even the Riverfront, which is the city's newest development. Downtown is currently gentrifying at an insane pace along Market St, as several historic buildings have been/are being converted into upscale apartments (Residences at Rodney, Wilmington Trust building, etc). The COL in Delaware will be cheaper than either the PA or NJ side, but you will still have access to both for nightlife, events, etc.

Really, the only "hiccup" to living in Wilmington and commuting to PHL will be I-95 traffic. I-95 does get congested during rush hour, particularly around the Commodore Barry Bridge when you first enter PA, but it is manageable, and unless there is a notable accident, still moves along at a decent clip (50-55). Most days you will be looking at a 20-25 minute commute to the airport, at a one-way distance of only around 21 miles or so. And getting on and off I-95 will be extremely quick from anywhere in or near Downtown Wilmington (pretty much everywhere since city limits are so small lol). The commute to PHL from West Chester will take you twice as long to go almost the same distance, so I definitely would not recommend it.

[pman]

Wilmington, trolley square which is near 95. Chadds ford isn't terribly accessible to the airport and not much of a place at any rate. West chester is nice but you're adding time to the wilmington commute while not saving anything on the airport commute.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by rainrock

Chadds Ford , Concordville,Glen Mills sounds like a good fit. West Chester or Media if you want/need to be in a more walkable town.

Boothwyn is probably worth looking at as well, its closer to 95 and its pretty nice around Naamans Creek Road.

Rainrock, I wonder if you mean Garnet Valley instead of Boothwyn? When we lived in the area near Naamans Creek road/Booth Farmers Market, it had the mailing address of Boothwyn, but is now Garnet Valley. I would not suggest that area for youngish singles, although it was good for our family. Location-wise it would be good. I know we could make the Philly airport in less than 30 minutes.

I like the downtown Wilmington suggestion. Not a bad commute to PHL and it's always nice for at least one person to have an easy commute.