Submitted by samxxx06 t3_10d2bj8 in Pennsylvania
Hello! I got a new job in the Lancaster area but my partner will need to frequently get to the Philly airport for work. What are some cities in between where the commute would be comparable for both of us? Looking for safe areas with good school districts
Ooo I didn’t know about that! Do you know if they go directly to the airport? I’m sure I can do some Googling but thought I’d ask :)
Amtrak will take you to 30th Street Station in Philly. In the same station is a SEPTA train that will take you directly to the airport. I have done it a couple of times. It is so much easier than driving to the airport. One drawback is that the Amtrak times can sometimes be a little tricky to line up with a flight.
So good to know. Thank you for your help!
Seconding this, avoid philly traffic if possible
Yeah I agree. It's a lot to make that commute daily. I did it a few times a week for years and you just never know what i76 will be like on the drive in. The train won't stress you out as much.
Downingtown is roughly in between.
Could also try the Exton area.
And expensive
If there's any place safe with good schools and cheap west of the main line I'm not familiar with it. Partly why we moved away after 10 years.
*Philly
Sorry :)
I would stick to the Lancaster area and use Amtrak / septa to get to PHL as mentioned
Kennet Square
With KSQ you have a couple routes to drive to the airport and if traffic isn’t bad you can get there in 45 mins. Also has good schools and a nice main street (restaurants, shops, salons).
Cons are its not a city, real estate is expensive/hard to come by and not easily accessible to public transportation.
Adamstown or Morgantown. Cheaper housing and both are right off the PA Turnpike.
It doesn’t seem like it but you can get from Adamstown to the Philly Airport in 1:15 in off-hours and it avoids the worst traffic in the Philly area. Morgantown is an hour.
Adamstown is an easy 20-30 minute drive (or less) into Lancaster. Depends on where you are going and traffic has increased but it isn’t big city traffic jam either.
My friend has to fly 2-3 times/month out of Philly and his wife works for the Lancaster School District. Just built a really beautiful custom home right outside Adamstown.
Adamstown is in Cocalico School District which is a good, small district. Just a bit more rural but it has been changing with recent construction in the area.
Morgantown is in Twin Valley which isn’t as good as Cocalico or some of the other districts around Lancaster.
If you want a bigger city, you are kind of out of luck. Not any cities of size west of West Chester in Chester County except Kennett Square.
Some great school districts but not an easy commute to Philly Airport or Lancaster daily.
Thank you for the detailed response!
Unless you are a winger, avoid Adamstown. School district is nutty, too. Twin Valley, imho, is a bit better than Cocalico. And there is better retail (right across 23 from TV high school).
It's just Walmart lol
There's a beer store, a tire place, a sheetz, bunch of fast food, a goodwill store, AJ's with the awesome striped bass dish, an auto parts store, closets place. A car dealership.
Oh, you were maybe looking for a Macy's ro something fancy?
Coatesville
r/Phoenixville
Just moved away from Pheonixville this fall. It is in the perfect spot for both an hourish commute to Philly and Lancaster depending on traffic. The only gripe against the area is the price of homes and apartments in the area. Everything has sky rocketed in the past 2 years. Good luck finding something livable for under 300k.
All of that development along the SRT.
I’m in Coatesville and work in and around Philly. My drive is typically 50min in the morning and a little over an hour in the afternoon. Downtown Lancaster is about the same drive just more horse and buggies ha. Chester county is beautiful and a nice spot to raise a family. I grew up in West Chester which is a great little town but has gotten pricey. I’m in a 2100 sq ft house on an acre and a third I bought 5 years ago for $235k. Taxes are reasonable.
Downside is school district is no bueno.
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West Chester is nice. Expensive, but very cute.
I grew up in Downingtown. It’s a great place to live.
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Coatesville gets a bad reputation but is on the rise and still cheaper. I teach there. Downingtown, Exton, all along the rail line is good but will be more expensive. Many stations are either refurbished or will be new like Coatesville. Message me if you want. From here it's about an hour ride to 30th st.
Yes and although Lancaster county is a bit pricey (especially Mannheim Township) it's a helluva lot cheaper then the towns heading closer to the city. And to add to other comments, Lancaster train station is charming little station and clean. Parking can be a pain though in the mornings. Good luck and watch out for those buggies!
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Exton is about mid way and Amtrak just refurbed the station
Exton. The station was just redone and it’s about 1/2 way between. And you can take Amtrak or septa
tonguefangtail829 t1_j4j9ens wrote
Depending on how frequently you need to get to PHI you can live in Lancaster. Amtrak & SEPTA are a super easy way to get to the airport. No worrying about parking or driving. Just a thought.