This article has some good remarks: Philadelphia's transit network lets you get around pretty easily without a car. The subways and regional rail lines are reasonably extensive, and while they...
This article has some good remarks: Philadelphia's transit network lets you get around pretty easily without a car. The subways and regional rail lines are reasonably extensive, and while they could be larger and offer more frequent service, they do the job. The city is fairly well-covered by buses and is working on adding more dedicated bus lanes on major arterials, such as Market St in Center City.
The article is also a little rosy. Large parts of North Philadelphia in particular have minimal transit offerings. Philadelphia's bike lane network isn't really a network and has almost zero protected bike lanes: the only ones of note are the Schuylkill River Trail and the extremely short Delaware River Trail. But as far as US bike networks go, it's still ahead of the curve.
Also, let's not forget the age of "Parking Wars" that had a good portion of filming in Philly. I know most cities are the same, but definitely can cost you a lot more than needed to have a car in...
Also, let's not forget the age of "Parking Wars" that had a good portion of filming in Philly. I know most cities are the same, but definitely can cost you a lot more than needed to have a car in philly when it isn't as needed.
I am actually considering a move to Philly or the NE in general. The main thing going for it is that I can catch the rail lines to a lot of places that host events that I participate in, but with...
I am actually considering a move to Philly or the NE in general. The main thing going for it is that I can catch the rail lines to a lot of places that host events that I participate in, but with where I'm at in the south, I have to drive 4-6 hours
I take Amtrak along the NEC all the time. It's great. It's an hour and change between NYC and Philly, and right into the center of the city, no need to find parking and whatnot. Honestly it's not...
I take Amtrak along the NEC all the time. It's great. It's an hour and change between NYC and Philly, and right into the center of the city, no need to find parking and whatnot. Honestly it's not even expensive as long as you buy a few days ahead of time. $10 is the cheapest I've seen, more often $19, but still very reasonable... probably about the cost of gas for being twice as fast, no stressful traffic, and a physically smoother ride.
When choosing a city, whether your goal is to be truly car-free or just car-lite, you should definitely also think about the local rail network. If you find a place near an Amtrak station you can walk, but there's usually only one or two of them per city max, so realistically you would be taking a local train/subway/bus/etc.
Unsolicited opinions on a bunch of cities
Philly's regional rail network is actually extremely connected to its three Center City hubs, including 30th St Station (Amtrak). The subway doesn't technically connect to 30th itself for some reason, but it's a 2-minute walk. New York gets all the attention but Philadelphia is pretty undervalued for what it offers. It's right between NYC and DC, and every single train anywhere from Boston to DC will stop there, so there's a lot of availability. Despite its great location and perfectly solid amenities, rent in the urban core is nowhere near that of lower Manhattan.
In the Philly area, Wilmington is directly on the Amtrak NEC route and has great connectivity to Philly (even through SEPTA), as does Newark, DE (slightly less Amtrak, but just as much SEPTA). Camden also has good connectivity through NJ Transit, though I've never lived there.
NYC is obviously easy to get around in due to its amazing subways, but only if you're in the general vicinity of Manhattan or near a Metro North line. Amtrak stops at Penn Station, which was recently renovated and looks gorgeous. Wonderful station with super high capacity. It's not connected to Grand Central, but the subway connections between GC and NYP are so good that it's not a problem. However, if you live way out (waaay out) in Queens or Brooklyn, there is surprisingly little transit. Same with Staten Island, but you would only live there if you hated trains.
Baltimore only has a couple rail lines so you would need to rely on buses for most suburban connections, but it's still on the NEC route and if your goal is just to be near an Amtrak station, it does the job. (They're supposedly building another maybe-subway maybe-light rail line soon, but there's no timeline.) It's also very undervalued relative to somewhere like NYC. Philly and Baltimore in particular are more "rowhouse cities" (like much of Brooklyn) than "skyscraper cities," so even though there is a skyline, it could be a nice place to live if you want something with a more midrise feel.
DC has a pretty expensive housing market but its metro system is extensive. There's not quite as much on the NoVa side. The city has some nice urban fabric and I'd say it's pretty walkable! Never lived there so can't provide many thoughts.
Boston has a fantastic metro/commuter rail network that stretches quite some distance into nearby cities, all the way to Worcester and Providence and elsewhere. The city has some real "bones" and lots of history. Its spaghetti roads are an absolute nightmare to drive in, which I think is why it has a pretty robust transit network. South Station and Back Bay Station aren't connected (at least for Amtrak, not sure about commuter lines), but unless you're going from NYC to Maine frequently it's probably not a concern. I really like Boston, though that's where it starts to get pretty chilly in the winters. Might want to emotionally prepare if you're used to the mild winter months of the South.
There are other cities with good Amtrak connections worth thinking about too, like Providence (RI), New Haven (CT), Trenton (NJ), etc. I don't know much about them. Maybe even Pittsburgh (PA) or Albany (NY), but they're kind of out of the way. These smaller cities don't have as extensive local transit lines, however if you're looking for a different vibe, they might be a good fit!
Anyone interested in urban living might like the City Nerd YouTuber. He has a very sardonic style, relies heavily on real world data and is a big proponent of urban living. I really enjoy his videos.
Anyone interested in urban living might like the City Nerd YouTuber. He has a very sardonic style, relies heavily on real world data and is a big proponent of urban living. I really enjoy his videos.
The main problem with not having a car and living in Philly is that most of the good employment opportunities lie outside the city, even outside the state. My partner works in New Jersey, and let...
The main problem with not having a car and living in Philly is that most of the good employment opportunities lie outside the city, even outside the state. My partner works in New Jersey, and let me tell you: a car is required. The 45 minute commute that they normally have would take 2.5 hours by public transit.
Now, if you live and work both in the city proper, you may not need a car. But even then, SEPTA leaves a lot to be desired. But with the state of public transportation in this country, I can believe Philly is still one of the best.
This article has some good remarks: Philadelphia's transit network lets you get around pretty easily without a car. The subways and regional rail lines are reasonably extensive, and while they could be larger and offer more frequent service, they do the job. The city is fairly well-covered by buses and is working on adding more dedicated bus lanes on major arterials, such as Market St in Center City.
The article is also a little rosy. Large parts of North Philadelphia in particular have minimal transit offerings. Philadelphia's bike lane network isn't really a network and has almost zero protected bike lanes: the only ones of note are the Schuylkill River Trail and the extremely short Delaware River Trail. But as far as US bike networks go, it's still ahead of the curve.
Also, let's not forget the age of "Parking Wars" that had a good portion of filming in Philly. I know most cities are the same, but definitely can cost you a lot more than needed to have a car in philly when it isn't as needed.
I am actually considering a move to Philly or the NE in general. The main thing going for it is that I can catch the rail lines to a lot of places that host events that I participate in, but with where I'm at in the south, I have to drive 4-6 hours
I take Amtrak along the NEC all the time. It's great. It's an hour and change between NYC and Philly, and right into the center of the city, no need to find parking and whatnot. Honestly it's not even expensive as long as you buy a few days ahead of time. $10 is the cheapest I've seen, more often $19, but still very reasonable... probably about the cost of gas for being twice as fast, no stressful traffic, and a physically smoother ride.
When choosing a city, whether your goal is to be truly car-free or just car-lite, you should definitely also think about the local rail network. If you find a place near an Amtrak station you can walk, but there's usually only one or two of them per city max, so realistically you would be taking a local train/subway/bus/etc.
Unsolicited opinions on a bunch of cities
Anyone interested in urban living might like the City Nerd YouTuber. He has a very sardonic style, relies heavily on real world data and is a big proponent of urban living. I really enjoy his videos.
The main problem with not having a car and living in Philly is that most of the good employment opportunities lie outside the city, even outside the state. My partner works in New Jersey, and let me tell you: a car is required. The 45 minute commute that they normally have would take 2.5 hours by public transit.
Now, if you live and work both in the city proper, you may not need a car. But even then, SEPTA leaves a lot to be desired. But with the state of public transportation in this country, I can believe Philly is still one of the best.