New To N. Delaware (interested in Philly) (Philadelphia: school, university)

[EHale]

Hey all!

I'm moving to northern Delaware (Newark) for school this summer, and I'm interested in how getting into Philadelphia works. I'd love to explore the city and check out all it has to offer, but I don't know how to access it. I have a car, but i'm scared to... park in Philadelphia? I mean... call me ignorant but the TV show Parking Wars is set in Philadelphia and it looks expensive and like quite a nightmare to park in the city. Also, the SEPTA line seems expensive and infrequent from Newark, DE to Philly. any suggestions or insights? Thaaaaanks

[frankgn87]

Park in a parking garage. Expensive but much safer then the street on a meter. You will be fine

[rraC ynnaD]

Originally Posted by EHale

Hey all!

I'm moving to northern Delaware (Newark) for school this summer, and I'm interested in how getting into Philadelphia works. I'd love to explore the city and check out all it has to offer, but I don't know how to access it. I have a car, but i'm scared to... park in Philadelphia? I mean... call me ignorant but the TV show Parking Wars is set in Philadelphia and it looks expensive and like quite a nightmare to park in the city. Also, the SEPTA line seems expensive and infrequent from Newark, DE to Philly. any suggestions or insights? Thaaaaanks

I park downtown on the street EVERY (for decades now) weekend (and sometimes during the week) and have never had a problem (and I once left my back windows down for two hours by accident at 11th and Callowhill!). Never. Just don't leave anything of value visible. Plus, if you don't mind walking, there's free 4 hour parking.
As for the parking authority: Use common sense, read the signs and park where you're supposed to and you won't have a problem.

[PA2UK]

Like any city, it probably depends where you park. When my brother lived in Philly, right on the border of Drexel campus (he was a student), it was a nightmare trying to find street parking in walking distance. We would literally have to drive around in circles for up to 20 minutes waiting for a space to appear. One morning my SIL had a smashed egg on her windshield but never any theft. Parking in Philly is probably no different to parking in any other big city.

[Pine to Vine]

You can find street parking, but sometimes it's worth the hassle just to pay to park. Here is a useful site to help you compare locations and costs: Philadelphia Parking Search Engine - Daily/Monthly Philly Parking

[Mimidae]

Hi EHale, welcome to the area!

I also live close to Newark, and spend a lot of time in Philly (and am in the process of moving there). Sometimes it does make more sense to just park in a lot - and they're not all prohibitively expensive. There are lots where you can still park for $10 for an evening out. If you're going to do a little hopping around (maybe a little time for shopping in Rittenhouse or South Philly, dinner in another place, a bar in another place), paying the meters makes more sense. Or, if you find a meter that's 2 hour parking until 6pm, and you get there at 4:15pm, you're golden for the night. That said, just be really careful to read the signs thoroughly. Because you're right, the parking authority are very vigilent. The same goes for when hanging out in the city of Wilmington, which is where a lot of UD students go to hang out on weekends. Especially with Philly signs, it can be easy to overlook where the sign says "handicapped parking" in small print at the bottom of the sign.

But don't be afraid of it. I commend you for wanting to come to Philly during your time in Delaware! There are too many Delawareans, and even temporary-resident students in Delaware, who won't think of hanging out in Philly. I'm lucky that when I moved back to the state after college, I got into a group of friends who thought nothing of going to Philly on a Saturday night, and I've never understood Delawareans who thought the city was a major trip. But you'll enjoy Newark, too - it's a beautiful campus, very diverse. Don't get too drunk at a party and go wandering on the train tracks. Have fun, and good luck!

[Croakers]

Well that is my daughters favorite tv show. She had my Delaware car at Drexel for a while and I am still fighting a stupid $85 ticket for a missing inspection sticker on the windshield. I can't believe they don't know Delaware doesn't have windshield inspection stickers. When i go into the city lately, I like the kiosks because I can pay the max and drive a few blocks if needed. I usually get handicapped spits easily and appreciate it since I don't walk so good anymore. But i prefer taking the r2 in, its cheaper especially with an all day pass. I used to commute from the suburbs to Delaware and if you don't go past 30 th street there is a super cheap monthly cross county pass. Parking at Amtrak area is expensive so i usually park free at the mall and take a bus from Newark to Wilmington. If you plan on night activities check the schedule carefully as the r2 stops I think in Marcus hook on Sundays, so you might want to use the park and ride there or get stranded in pa on a Sunday morning. My main issue is with poor connection timing for busses and r2 lines.

[RightonWalnut]

You could drive, or you could take the SEPTA Regional rail line from the Newark station to Center City. There will be parking at the SEPTA station in Newark, I believe it is on South College ave, just south of the University of Delaware.

SEPTA | Clickable Regional Rail & Rail Transit Map
SEPTA | Wilmington/Newark Line Regional Rail Schedule | Weekday | to Center City Philadelphia

Looks like the line only runs during rush hour, but you could plan your day around that.

On Saturdays and Sundays it does not run. So you would have to drive.
SEPTA | Wilmington/Newark Line Regional Rail Schedule | Saturday | to Center City Philadelphia

[campion]

Certainly there are plenty of parking garages in the Center City area that are $10 or $11 a night after a certain time weekdays and on weekends that would prevent the "parking wars" issues. I guess you could also drive up to another stop on the Wilmington Region Rail line to park since they've got a slightly better schedule than Newark does. But it's still not great (like once an hour after rush hour).

It's totally worth it to go visit Philly. I went to UD for undergrad (I'm from Delaware) and as a music major I loved being close to the Philly Orchestra. Don't forget to go south and check out the Delaware beaches too!