Where to Live Near 30th Street Station in Philadelphia?

In this post we cover:

1. What is 30^th Street Station?
2. Where can you go from 30^th Street Station Philadelphia locally?
3. Where can go from 30^th Street Station out of town?
4. Why live near 30^th Street Station?
5. What Specific Neighborhoods to Live in Near 30^th Street Station?

What is 30^th Street Station?

30^th Street Station is the main train transit hub in Philadelphia, for local bus routes (SEPTA), local trains (SEPTA for Pennsylvania) and New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit), as well as Amtrak.

From 30^th Street Station, you can access almost every major city in the Northeastern part of the United States via Amtrak, and around the country.

Where can you go from 30^th Street Station locally?

From 30^th Street Station, you can take SEPTA Regional Rail Line and go to a variety of places including Philadelphia International Airport, University City (Penn Medicine Station), Center City Philadelphia (Suburban Station and Jefferson Station), as well as several Northeast Philadelphia and Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods, and Philadelphia suburbs of Montgomery and Bucks County.  

Where can you go from 30^th Street Station out of town?

From Philadelphia 30^th Street Station, you can go via Amtrak to almost every major East Coast city including Boston, New York City, and Washington D.C.

You can also take 30^th street to the Philadelphia International Airport, and then can jet off to anywhere in the world.

Why live near 30^th Street Station?

Given the variety of places you can go, there’s no wonder you are looking to live near 30^th street station. Here are just a few of the reasons people may want to live near 30th Street Station and public transit:

1. Frequent Commute out of town – Live in Philly but commute to NYC, Boston or Washington D.C. easily
2. Work Near University City (UCity) – Work Near University City (Penn or Drexel Area), and want access to the train.
3. Student at Near-By University – Student in University City but want easy access to the train to visit friends or family out of town, or even in the local PA or NJ suburbs.
4. Love Traveling – Perhaps you just love traveling, and access via train (30^th Street Station) or plane (since you can take train directly to Philadelphia International Airport).
5. Airport Access – If you need airport access due to business or pleasure trips, then living near 30^th street may make sense for you. (Also see: Where to live near Philadelphia Airport).

Where to live near 30^th Street Station?

So where can you live near 30^th street station. Let’s take a look at some of the near-by Philadelphia neighborhoods:

University City

Generally, among higher end rents and parking costs relative to some of the other neighborhoods listed here. There are some older walk ups, and older apartment buildings, but also several new construction apartment buildings (mostly high-rises and mid-rises) with top-of -the -line amenities.

Pros:

• Close in Proximity to 30^th Street (potentially walking distance or train)
• Good amount of restaurants
• Near UPenn, Drexel, CHOP, and variety of emerging biotech companies and employers

Considerations:

• Higher End Rents in New Buildings
• Parking Costs High (can be $300/month/car)
• Not as much of “outdoor lifestyle” near parks and trails
• Most of New Construction is High Rise, Few Have Balconies

Fitler Square/Rittenhouse

Rittenhouse is the main shopping and restaurant Scene in Philadelphia. There are several apartment complexes around the border of Rittenhouse Park and around the area (high-rises).

In Fitler Square (more residential area), you can get more of a walk-up experience and rent individual townhomes (usually no parking) and there are a few apartment complexes on the river of Filter Square (mid-rises). Fitler Square is a quiet and well-kept residential area. Another benefit of Fitler Square is you have easy access to the Schuylkill River Trail.

Pros:

• Great access to Restaurants and Shopping
• Near By 30^th Street Station (especially if in Fitler Square)
• Popular Residential Area

Considerations:

• Higher Rent (maybe a little higher or equal to University City, depending on type of housing)
• Not as much of “outdoor lifestyle” near parks, but you do have Schuylkill River Trail (SRT)
• No Train to get to 30^th Street Station, and likely too far to walk, so need car share or cab to get there.

Art Museum/Fairmount

There’s several options around the art museum. The Art Museum / Fairmount area does have restaurants in it, albeit limited compared to rest of Center City. 

Pros:

• More affordable than neighborhoods mentioned above (although new buildings are probably similar rates)
• Easy access to highway, but can be traffic
• A lot of Museums and culture near-by, as well as access to Schuylkill River Trail (SRT)
• Close to Fairmount Park

Considerations:

• No Train to take you to 30^th Street Station, and too far to walk, so need car share or cab to get there.
• Hard to access rest of Center City (can be a little further removed from “action”) of the city, other than the Museums

Manayunk

Just a 30-minute train ride away, Manayunk can offer more affordable living, yet close to 30^th street, and has its own downtown Main Street (with restaurants, shops, and more).

Choose from townhomes for rent, and a variety of apartments in Manayunk. Manayunk was rated best small town food scene by USA Today, and one of America’s most loved neighborhoods by Zillow.

Pros:

• Most affordable rent & parking of neighborhoods mentioned, generally speaking
• Train to 30^th Street Station (about 30 minutes)
• Has its own quaint Main Street with restaurants, shops
• More local feel
• Lots of Parks and Trails

Considerations:

• A little further away (but if 30 minutes is okay with you), can be great option
• If need a car, be sure to rent from Manayunk apartment with on-site parking (as parking at some complexes can be limited).

Looking for Manayunk Apartments for Rent with parking, check us out: The Roe at Manayunk

Looking for other neighborhoods, check out this Philadelphia Neighborhood Guide.