Is Philly Walkable Enough? (Walkable Neighborhoods?) (Philadelphia, Lancaster: home, to buy, property taxes)

[enescetiner]

I really like European cities, especially the cities of the Netherlands. Unfortunately in America, there are very few walkable places like this, and the walkable ones are extremely expensive.

Philly and Chicago are affordable, walkable cities. But the very wide streets of downtown Chicago do not feel comfortable for walking. I've never been to Philadelphia so I want to ask you.

How walkable do you think Philly is? I am also waiting for your comments regarding the narrowness of the streets and the bicycle paths.

My real question is, where are the safe, walkable, affordable neighborhoods? You can also include the suburbs that are 30-40 minutes away from the city by public transportation.

[Redddog]

You will not find a more walkable city than Philly anywhere.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by enescetiner

I really like European cities, especially the cities of the Netherlands. Unfortunately in America, there are very few walkable places like this, and the walkable ones are extremely expensive.

100% true. It was completely avoidable (thanks, oil and auto lobbies) but definitely the unfortunate reality of the US in 2023.

Originally Posted by enescetiner

How walkable do you think Philly is? I am also waiting for your comments regarding the narrowness of the streets and the bicycle paths.

The core of Philly is one of the oldest and overwhelmingly pre-automobile-developed in the US, so it's layout is incredibly walkable. It was a city planned by a European, so the heavy Euro influences are certainly there.

What makes Philly uniquely pedestrian-oriented for an American city, even compared to a handful of other highly-walkable peers, is its much narrower-than-typical street widths (the city is largely one-way streets, even in its downtown/Center City), small blocks, and human-scaled rowhome neighborhoods. For that reason, it arguably does have the most inherently pedestrian-friendly form in the US.

Not that any study or ranking is an authority on this topic, but this did just come out recently, as well: https://www.timeout.com/usa/news/thi...not-nyc-052223

Originally Posted by enescetiner

My real question is, where are the safe, walkable, affordable neighborhoods? You can also include the suburbs that are 30-40 minutes away from the city by public transportation.

So many to list (and this topic has come up relatively frequently on this forum, so I'd recommend searching past threads). In Philly proper, much of South Philly (Passyunk, Pennsport, Point Breeze), parts of North/Northwest Philly (East Falls, Western Germantown, Brewerytown), and areas of Fishtown/South Kensington, are still relatively affordable and reasonable safe by "big city" standards.

In the 'burbs, consider areas like Lansdale, Glenside, Phoenixville, Jenkintown, and Ambler for relative affordable walkability (of those, all but Phoenixville have direct train access to the city, although it has one of the most robust "Main Streets" of the suburbs).

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Duderino

In the 'burbs, consider areas like Lansdale, Glenside, Phoenixville, Jenkintown, and Ambler for relative affordable walkability (of those, all but Phoenixville have direct train access to the city, although it has one of the most robust "Main Streets" of the suburbs).

I'd add Media to that list of suburbs. And really quick, easy access to the city via train or trolley.

[MarketStEl]

There are oodles more walkable suburbs than the ones already mentioned, but the OP did ask for affordable comnunities. Most of the ones on the Main Line (Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Wayne) don't fall into that category, but the OP might want to give Ardmore's southern half (below Lancaster Avenue, inclulding the portion that's in Delaware County) a look. It's home to the oldest (settled shortly after the Civil War) and largest Black community on the Main Line.

I'd also put in a good word for the New Jersey suburb of Collingswood. It's located along the first of the modern rapid transit lines, the PATCO Lindelwold Line, which gets you into Center City in 10 minutes, and it has a really happening downtown, one I would put on par with Media. If the OP is looking to buy, they should be aware that New Jersey property taxes are higher, sometimes significantly so, than those in Pennsylvania, but if they're willing to pay them, they will find they get a really cool community in Collingswood — as well as the best farmer's market in the entire Philadelphia region every Saturday from April through November under the PATCO elevated downtown.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

There are oodles more walkable suburbs than the ones already mentioned, but the OP did ask for affordable comnunities. Most of the ones on the Main Line (Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Wayne) don't fall into that category, but the OP might want to give Ardmore's southern half (below Lancaster Avenue, inclulding the portion that's in Delaware County) a look. It's home to the oldest (settled shortly after the Civil War) and largest Black community on the Main Line.

I'd also put in a good word for the New Jersey suburb of Collingswood. It's located along the first of the modern rapid transit lines, the PATCO Lindelwold Line, which gets you into Center City in 10 minutes, and it has a really happening downtown, one I would put on par with Media. If the OP is looking to buy, they should be aware that New Jersey property taxes are higher, sometimes significantly so, than those in Pennsylvania, but if they're willing to pay them, they will find they get a really cool community in Collingswood — as well as the best farmer's market in the entire Philadelphia region every Saturday from April through November under the PATCO elevated downtown.

+1 for Collingswood. We have family over there and it's amazing.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Redddog

You will not find a more walkable city than Philly anywhere.

I agree. As someone that visited often for Crew events and more, it is so flat and great to walk around. Very nice.

[AshbyQuin]

This city is deceptively walkable. The city really caters to car-dependent suburbanites rather than focusing on improving pedestrian lanes, shutting down Kelly Drive for vehicles and letting it be bikers and walkers only and adding protected bike lanes, there should be light rail at Market but there isn't. This area as a whole has an extreme car-centric mentality, people view walking or taking SEPTA as something reserved for "poor people" or not worth considering at all which is basically absent in NYC or DC in which people encourage people to walk, bike, and take public trans.

I'll give you an example:
The main gripe people have with the new proposed stadium is that there will be traffic or inadequate parking as if it does;t sit on top of a major train station.

Philly could be so much better if the stigma around walking, biking and public transportation wasn't in the gutter, SEPTA got their act together, and the city stopped bending over backward to pro-vehicle suburbanites. The "walkable" Philadelphia in 2023 isn't near its peak and it has the bones to rival European cities in terms of scale.

[hailieann]

Most major cities in the Northeast/Mid Atlantic region are very walkable. The question is do you want to walk in the places you want to walk? As a New Yorker, I find Philadelphia very walkable but realize(just like in NYC) there are certain places it's better to just drive through. I once made the mistake of walking towards Kensington and previously living in the South Bronx, I shouldn't have been startled but I was.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by AshbyQuin

This city is deceptively walkable. The city really caters to car-dependent suburbanites rather than focusing on improving pedestrian lanes, shutting down Kelly Drive for vehicles and letting it be bikers and walkers only and adding protected bike lanes, there should be light rail at Market but there isn't. This area as a whole has an extreme car-centric mentality, people view walking or taking SEPTA as something reserved for "poor people" or not worth considering at all which is basically absent in NYC or DC in which people encourage people to walk, bike, and take public trans.

I'll give you an example:
The main gripe people have with the new proposed stadium is that there will be traffic or inadequate parking as if it does;t sit on top of a major train station.

Philly could be so much better if the stigma around walking, biking and public transportation wasn't in the gutter, SEPTA got their act together, and the city stopped bending over backward to pro-vehicle suburbanites. The "walkable" Philadelphia in 2023 isn't near its peak and it has the bones to rival European cities in terms of scale.

On the topic of a city for pedestrians, some Center City streets could use bollards to curb vehicle traffic. For example, Sansom Street should be pedestrian focused except for deliveries and trash collection.

Yes, on paper, Philadelphia is extremely walk-able, but the potential is still partially untapped, and it's clear that some city leadership (and residents) couldn't care less about tapping into that potential (Kenyatta Johnson & Darrell Clarke).