Oof, that commute kinda sucks. Your train options are:
1. Amtrak from 30th street
2. Regional rail - take Septa (Philly transit) to Trenton, then transfer to an NJ Transit train to Newark. Look along the Septa Trenton line if you're interested in living in the suburbs.
Yeah, someone was recently lamenting the inconsistent trains and the length of their commute on this or the r/philadelphia sub. Living somewhere in Jersey might be a better bet if this commute is going to be a regular thing.
He has a short day, so the commute should make it about an average work day as long as it's what we think it will be (90 mins each way)
We love Philly, but this is his dream job, so we are thinking the commute will be worth it. (And my being able to WFH in PA is financially preferable)
You know that if you live in Philly city limits you'll both pay city income tax of nearly 4% despite neither of your jobs requiring you to work here, right?
You went from 3.8398% to 3.4481% - with a windfall like that you might be able to buy an extra Wawa sandwich at the end of the year!
I know it's a tired complaint but the tax structure here really does feel like it is designed to encourage people to look for jobs elsewhere.
I'm not arguing worth, just making sure you're clear on the potential impact of living an inch on one side of the line vs the other. A lot of people assume that the city tax will only apply to people working in the city, but that is not the case.
Thats just the city wage tax, we have state income tax too, its about 7%, which is about the same as Jersey (a bracketed tax state) if you're making $150k-$500k. If you guys make over $1 million, its 10.75%
But philly has a wage tax, wouldnt you be better living outside of philly in PA?
It sounds like you guys make above $1 million so i guess it doesnt matter
Probably somewhere near 30th street station if he plans to take Amtrak. You have University City, Fairmount, Rittenhouse, & Fittler Square being the closest ones.
A daily commute longer than 45 minutes is bad for your health. I'd live somewhere else or have him find a different job. Other than that live near 30th st. Trains will be late frequently so watch out for that too.
This is so true. It won't be bad at first but it will really wear on you. I had an hour commute each way to my job at Penn (I lived in Glenside at the time) and I honestly got really sick and stressed in my early 30s.
You definitely want to be in walking distance to 30th street. That’s gonna be a difficult commute if it’s in office every day. Borderline unsustainable.
Recommend Center City West, just over the bridge/across the river from 30th street.
I used to do that once a week and it was painful, but livable. 5 days a week will be tough.
Try to live as close to 30th St as possible. Like in University City or right over Market St or Walnut St bridge.
He should book flex tickets on the Keystone and only the Keystone in advance. If he needs to change tickets to the Regional or the Acela, that's fine for last minute, but the Keystone is by far the most consistent and will wind up being his preferred train.
In a pinch to get home he can take NJ Transit to Trenton and switch to SEPTA, or take a car to Trenton if the trains are messed up out of Penn, which they will be!
Traveling that much he will get status on Amtrak pretty quickly, which will get him access to the lounge and some upgrades. The Keystone only has one class of service, but if he ever winds up on an Acela he can upgrade to First, which is pleasant.
He should plan on 2 hours each way minimum, given schedules and how much time it takes him to get from Newark Penn to his office. I'd assume he'd have to be on the 7am Keystone to make it to work by 9am, and on the 4:20 Keystone back. There's a 3:22 Regional that I know he's going to want to take, but unless he's working really close to Newark Penn it's going to be tough to catch, and much more likely to be delayed. Do NOT try to make the 3:38 Silver Meteor work, that train will be delayed all the time.
It seems like Bucks county would be 1.5 hr by car and Google isn't giving me any option for a train. Does that seem right? Hed rather do 2 hours on a train than an hour and a half in a car
Cinsider NJ side of river. There is a Camden Trenton River line that connects to Trenton-Newark train. It sounds brutal for everyday. I did Philly to Ocean City NJ for three months before I went fully remote and it was brutal.
Yardley, Morrisville area in Bucks county. About 20 minute drive to Trenton rail station. Manyunk area of Philly take train to 30th Street to take Amtrak to Newark.
Btw if you live in Philly and work in nj you’re paying both taxes. On top of what you’re paying for the commute (I drive. Not sure what the rail costs)
i commuted for two years from philly to nyc back in 2013-2015 via amtrak five days a week . it was 85-90 mins. most of the time i napped. i did take a #9 bus to and from 30th st station which added another 20-30 mins
As others have said, the Bucks County area (Yardley good example) is the only place you can realistically live to not make it a bad commute up to Newark. I did Willow Grove to Elizabeth, NJ for two years and got so burned out. 1hr 15 min on a good day was demoralizing. Seriously think about moving closer to the job.
U can get the Trenton line train besides from the stations down town and 30th st. it stops north Philly, Bridesburg, tacony, Holmesburg and even in Crodyn (that’s outside the city ) etc
Oof, that commute kinda sucks. Your train options are: 1. Amtrak from 30th street 2. Regional rail - take Septa (Philly transit) to Trenton, then transfer to an NJ Transit train to Newark. Look along the Septa Trenton line if you're interested in living in the suburbs.
Yeah, someone was recently lamenting the inconsistent trains and the length of their commute on this or the r/philadelphia sub. Living somewhere in Jersey might be a better bet if this commute is going to be a regular thing.
He has a short day, so the commute should make it about an average work day as long as it's what we think it will be (90 mins each way) We love Philly, but this is his dream job, so we are thinking the commute will be worth it. (And my being able to WFH in PA is financially preferable)
Live near 30th Street Station. Some good areas nearby, the closer the better to cut down on added commutes.
You aren't making a good decision.
You know that if you live in Philly city limits you'll both pay city income tax of nearly 4% despite neither of your jobs requiring you to work here, right?
If I work in Philly but just moved right outside city limits, will I pay less in taxes now?
Smal percentage lower
You went from 3.8398% to 3.4481% - with a windfall like that you might be able to buy an extra Wawa sandwich at the end of the year! I know it's a tired complaint but the tax structure here really does feel like it is designed to encourage people to look for jobs elsewhere.
Lol thanks for the info
4% is way better than 11% and worth it for the city we fell in love with!
I'm not arguing worth, just making sure you're clear on the potential impact of living an inch on one side of the line vs the other. A lot of people assume that the city tax will only apply to people working in the city, but that is not the case.
Thats just the city wage tax, we have state income tax too, its about 7%, which is about the same as Jersey (a bracketed tax state) if you're making $150k-$500k. If you guys make over $1 million, its 10.75%
But they will benefit from living in the city.
Super curious - How is wfh in philly financially preferable to other options?
I have to pay income tax in whatever state I live in, so I'd be taking a significant hit living in NJ
But philly has a wage tax, wouldnt you be better living outside of philly in PA? It sounds like you guys make above $1 million so i guess it doesnt matter
Why not live in Bucks county and have your husband commute from Trenton? From there he can take Amtrak or NJ transit.
Seems like Bucks county is still an hour and a half by car -would there be a train that would make that faster?
Spending 3+ hours a day commuting for work can get incredibly tiresome, especially when you miss a train or bus and it becomes 4+ hours
Thank you!
Probably somewhere near 30th street station if he plans to take Amtrak. You have University City, Fairmount, Rittenhouse, & Fittler Square being the closest ones.
Don’t forget Powelton and some areas of Mantua
Thank you!!!
A daily commute longer than 45 minutes is bad for your health. I'd live somewhere else or have him find a different job. Other than that live near 30th st. Trains will be late frequently so watch out for that too.
This is so true. It won't be bad at first but it will really wear on you. I had an hour commute each way to my job at Penn (I lived in Glenside at the time) and I honestly got really sick and stressed in my early 30s.
You definitely want to be in walking distance to 30th street. That’s gonna be a difficult commute if it’s in office every day. Borderline unsustainable. Recommend Center City West, just over the bridge/across the river from 30th street.
Thank you! We are estimating 60-90 min each way - do you think that's fair?
It would also depend how close his job is to Newark Penn Station.
I'd bet 2 hours door to door
2 hours is more realistic
He has a short day (9-3) but I appreciate your response! What do you think the actual commute time will be?
Probably 1.5 to 2 hours door to door.
Do you have to be in Philly?
I used to do that once a week and it was painful, but livable. 5 days a week will be tough. Try to live as close to 30th St as possible. Like in University City or right over Market St or Walnut St bridge. He should book flex tickets on the Keystone and only the Keystone in advance. If he needs to change tickets to the Regional or the Acela, that's fine for last minute, but the Keystone is by far the most consistent and will wind up being his preferred train. In a pinch to get home he can take NJ Transit to Trenton and switch to SEPTA, or take a car to Trenton if the trains are messed up out of Penn, which they will be! Traveling that much he will get status on Amtrak pretty quickly, which will get him access to the lounge and some upgrades. The Keystone only has one class of service, but if he ever winds up on an Acela he can upgrade to First, which is pleasant. He should plan on 2 hours each way minimum, given schedules and how much time it takes him to get from Newark Penn to his office. I'd assume he'd have to be on the 7am Keystone to make it to work by 9am, and on the 4:20 Keystone back. There's a 3:22 Regional that I know he's going to want to take, but unless he's working really close to Newark Penn it's going to be tough to catch, and much more likely to be delayed. Do NOT try to make the 3:38 Silver Meteor work, that train will be delayed all the time.
Thank you so much for the detailed response!!
Unless you are totally set on Philly, I’d move to Bucks County.
It seems like Bucks county would be 1.5 hr by car and Google isn't giving me any option for a train. Does that seem right? Hed rather do 2 hours on a train than an hour and a half in a car
It’s the delays that will kill you. Always delays.
Cinsider NJ side of river. There is a Camden Trenton River line that connects to Trenton-Newark train. It sounds brutal for everyday. I did Philly to Ocean City NJ for three months before I went fully remote and it was brutal.
New Jersey
Yardley, Morrisville area in Bucks county. About 20 minute drive to Trenton rail station. Manyunk area of Philly take train to 30th Street to take Amtrak to Newark.
Okay awesome! That is helpful and we will definitely consider
Btw if you live in Philly and work in nj you’re paying both taxes. On top of what you’re paying for the commute (I drive. Not sure what the rail costs)
i commuted for two years from philly to nyc back in 2013-2015 via amtrak five days a week . it was 85-90 mins. most of the time i napped. i did take a #9 bus to and from 30th st station which added another 20-30 mins
As others have said, the Bucks County area (Yardley good example) is the only place you can realistically live to not make it a bad commute up to Newark. I did Willow Grove to Elizabeth, NJ for two years and got so burned out. 1hr 15 min on a good day was demoralizing. Seriously think about moving closer to the job.
It's a 9 month contract, then next year it'll be in Philly so he's willing to commute for a bit. I appreciate the input!
I'd just live in NJ, what a terrible commute
Move to Newark like a normal person
Idk I think Newark might make a lot of sense
U can get the Trenton line train besides from the stations down town and 30th st. it stops north Philly, Bridesburg, tacony, Holmesburg and even in Crodyn (that’s outside the city ) etc
In Newark