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Old 09-07-2009, 10:46 PM
 
4 posts, read 30,161 times
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Hello all,

I'm considering taking a fantastic job in Lancaster, PA, but as a single guy approaching his mid-thirties I'm concerned there may be very few single women to date in the 25-35 range. I'm thinking about doing a reverse commute from Philadelphia by car or train to broaden my social options when I'm not at work.

I would appreciate recommendations on-

1-The better areas to live in Philadelphia to promote meeting 25-35yr singles? (I'm not someone who lives to go to bars every night, now and then is fine, but not the mainstay of my social life) (Similar with live music) I tend to mix things up between a variety of cultural and outdoor activities, I appreciate living near where major events occur, but that's not a requirement.

2-Which of those areas in Philadephia have the quickest commute options to Lancaster? For driving, going opposite the usual commuting direction each day may help, but I'm totally unfamiliar with the area so I don't want to assume anything particularly with connecting interchanges, and state highways as I-76 isn't exactly a direct east-west freeway and I wonder if some of the smaller roads would be quicker depending on what part of town you were coming from. Regarding rail, I heard a rumor of an "express" train going between Lancaster and downtown Philadelphia that is supposed to cut the trip in half from 70 minutes to 35 minutes, but I don't know this for sure and would appreciate local input.

I'll make enough at the job that I could live anywhere in Philly and don't mind spending extra to live in a fun area, but I don't need to totally burn money to live in "coolest" part of town, either. I'm leaning toward downtown in general as it would be straightforward to do a metro-30th street station-Lancaster commute, and that way I'd be close to a lot of things when I'm off work, but the 70min train ride X metro ride X 2 would eat 3hrs out of my day. I don't know Philadelphia that well and if there are other areas farther out from downtown that would still fit my social requirements but allow for a quicker car/rail commute, I'd love to hear about them.

Thank you all for your suggestions!

Last edited by flyhome; 09-07-2009 at 11:31 PM..
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Old 09-08-2009, 05:40 AM
 
Location: Pennsylvania
5,725 posts, read 11,664,054 times
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The train may work if your job in Lancaster is close to the train station - you'd have plenty of choices that would get you to 30th Street station easily. If not, the driving would be a killer from Center City, probably in the 90 minute or better range. 76 would be your best bet - route 30 is more direct but is much slower because of all the lights. You might consider Conshohocken or King of Prussia which are further west along 76 but still relatively close to the city.
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Old 09-08-2009, 01:51 PM
 
Location: Philly
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Live close to 30th st or directly off the el to minimize commute times. that leaves, northern liberties, old city, washington sq west, and directly west of broad. It's feasible to walk from rittenhouse and certainly form logan square to 30th st.
the only other options I'd look into is Paoli which is a stop on ALL Keystone trains. there are a few apartments within walking distance of the train station (parking sucks at the station) and it cuts off 22 minutes off the schedule to lancaster. Paoli doesn't have a lot of nightlife but it has a few restaurants but it does have excellent trains service to Philadelphia including trains as late as 1:45 am from center city on saturdays. like I said in another thread, don't count on 35 minute rides, though it's possible they will be shortened somewhat (an express is 63 minutes, not 70) in the near future.
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Old 09-08-2009, 02:21 PM
 
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Where abouts is your job in Lancaster? If its not near the Lancaster station (roughly Duke and Mcgovern) you could potentially have quite a walk. If you're going to drive, best bet is 76 to exit 286, 222 South into Lancaster (this would mean tolls, but trains cost money too..). I wouldn't mess around with rt 30. You could look into places near rt 100 and the turnpike or off main line in places like downingtown, exton, malvern, paoli...you would have close proximity to west chester - which is somewhat of a young professionals hub - and still be near train stations for going into CC or Lancaster as well as close to the turnpike.
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Old 09-08-2009, 02:47 PM
 
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I agree that West Chester would be a decent 20something hub that would split the difference between Philly and Lancaster.
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Old 09-08-2009, 08:15 PM
 
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Try West Chester. Even as a reverse commute, the drive from Philly to Lancaster would be hell. The Schuylkill Expressway jams up in both directions, and even at random times like 1am.
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Old 09-08-2009, 10:13 PM
 
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I greatly appreciate all the thoughts that have been shared so far.

Good to learn that doing the complete reverse commute may not be worth the pain. The more I looked into it, the more I was worried it wouldn't work. Does anyone know if there will be an "express" train route in the next year or so between Lancaster and Philly, supposedly only a 35 min ride. I don't know if this is just a rumor.

Can anyone tell me more about West Chester? It wasn't on my radar before. I'd especially love to hear more about the 25-35yr old single scene in the area. (i.e. older than college undergrads but not into cougar territory)

Did I understand correctly that West Chester is near a train station that could take me directly to CC? That would be fantastic as I wouldn't need to fight downtown traffic with my car when heading to the city for various activities.
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Old 09-09-2009, 12:00 AM
 
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As for an "express" train route between Lancaster and Philly...I know not too long ago the Keystone route (which is the route between Harrisburg and Philly) was updated to improve speeds in certain areas near Lancaster. With the new government stimulus funds, the Keystone corridor may be a candidate for more high-speed upgrades.

There was a news blurb about this in the Inquirer the other day:
Pa. asks U.S. for $28million for high-speed rail | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/25/2009 (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090825_Pa__asks_U_S__for__28million_for_high-speed_rail.html - broken link)

Whether this would actually happen or when, who knows.

For now, the ride from the 30th st. station to Lancaster is about an hour.

As far as I know, West Chester does not have commuter trains that go into CC. But you wouldn't be too far from the R5 rail, which you could pick up at Exton in about a 10 min drive from West Chester. Theres also bus transportation by SEPTA.
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Old 09-09-2009, 09:11 PM
 
Location: Philly
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the train ride now is 63 minuteson on an express. This MAY change within the next year or two but I GUARANTEE that 35 minutes will be more like 3-5 years if it happens. It just takes that long to upgrade all the necessary infrastructure. You may get some time each year but you're not going to get the whole chunk. driving would be insane. West chester is a short drive from a long ride to center city and most trains on weekends don't run past Malvern. Moreover, if you intend to go bar hopping or have a few beers at a baseball game, you still have to drive home. Paoli and Ardmore both have Amtrak AND SEPTA stops. sadly, Ardmore is the better fit demographically but it's not a stop on ALL Amtrak trains. As family oriented as Paoli is, it might be a decent compromise. It's ~42 minutes to Lancaster by train and there are a few places to rent within walking distance of the station as well as a few places to go in town or nearby (Malvern). Of course, you are also able to take the train to places like Ardmore, Bryn MAwr, or Wayne pretty late on weekends.
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Old 09-09-2009, 11:04 PM
 
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I appreciate all the thoughts that have been shared, but I'm wondering if we can now focus on the western philadelphia suburbs/towns from a demographic standpoint. Is west chester that good a place to be if you're too old to be dating college coeds? (I'm 34) From searching on this site, west chester sounds like a college town with nice architecture and a few well-attended fairs, but I'm not from the area so correct me if I'm wrong.

Can anyone recommend an area(s) west of downtown philly where you can find a reasonable number of 25-35 year old singles?

Thanks
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