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Philadelphia- can it be "done" without a car?



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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 12:00 am
I'm thinking of taking my kids to Philadelphia using public transportation from Brooklyn. Some attractions we're considering are the Ride the Ducks, Philadelphia Zoo, Smith Playground, Franklin Institute, and the Camden Aquarium. Does Philly have a good public transportation system? What about car service? How far is the frum community? Are kosher shops easily accessible? Hotels? Tips and suggestions greatly appreciated, and hotel recommendations. Thanks!
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little_mage




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 7:39 am
I live in Philadelphia with out a car, so yes it can be done. www.septa.org From center city, take the 44 bus to the Lower Marion community; there's a couple of restaurants and a store with a kosher deli on the route. The main shul is also on that route, but there's a currently a detour, so you'd have to walk a bit. There aren't really hotels in this area, though, although my parents have had good luck with airbnb. For getting around to all the tourist sites, look into the Plash bus. I've never used it, but it goes on a circuit around most of the major attractions (not sure about Smith or the aquarium), some of which are a little more complicated to get to on the main system.
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 12:10 pm
Thanks for your detailed reply! Would you suggest we stay in the city center, or near the kosher area? Also, we're pretty makpid with hechsherim, for example, we don't use much OU or OK. What kosher stores would fit our standards? What pizza stores are available?
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 12:11 pm
Also, do you think we can take an Uber to Camden, and would it be expensive? Would you mind if I PM you for more info about the public transportation system?
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sky




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 12:28 pm
The local hechsher is the Vaad of Philadelphia. There is a falafel place downtown under it (just sells falafel). http://www.mamasvegetarian.com/index.html nOt sure how transportation there works.
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amother
Olive


 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 1:07 pm
Have fun! We went to PHilly last year. As far as Smith Playground, there is one day (I forget which) that doesn't have school groups coming to play. My advice would be to go on that day or get there immediately when it opens, otherwise it gets really crowded.
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esther09




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 1:29 pm
Just keep in mind a few things:
1. There are unsafe parts of Philadelphia and especially of Camden. I don't know the exact routes of the attractions you mentioned but public transportation to and from can be tricky and should be used cautiously (similar to NY!)
2. One of the posters made it sound like Merion (where the kosher food is) is super close to the city center. It's not. It's a 20 minute drive and a similar bus or train ride, if not longer. It's like being in midtown and taking a train out to the suburbs.
3. The only thing really kosher in the city center is the falafel place mentioned above. And it's delicious.

To sum up, better to take a car but if you can't, public transportation is most likely doable but just make sure you know where you're going.
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little_mage




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 6:57 pm
Sure, feel free to PM me. The local stores are under Keystone-K, so I don't know where that fits on your standards, sorry! I think Shalom Pizza has a chalov yisroel option, but that's a lot harder to get to on public transit, and delivery isn't reliable. There is another dairy restaurant, called rather simply "the dairy" (http://thedairyatbala.com/). Also, while Mama's is delicious, and you should certainly go at least once, be aware that they only accept cash.

I've never used Uber, so I can't comment on that. As for the person who said that you have to use public transit catiously, of course you do! That's true of everything. However, I've lived in Philadelphia for almost seven years now, none of them with a car, and I've never felt unsafe on the bus or train. And yes, it is about a 20 minute drive or so from Center City to the religious area. I may just be so used to not having a car, that I just automatically allow a lot of time to go anywhere.

As for staying, my instinct would be to stay in Lower Marion. However, there really aren't many commercial places to stay in the area. My parents have had luck with airbnb, although the people they stayed with haven't been frum. Furthermore, my understanding is that you don't know exactly where an airbnb house is until you've confirmed, so it might not be anywhere near a bus route. Other then the food issue, it's probably easier to be down in center city.
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amother
Wine


 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 7:02 pm
Are you planning on using Uber within the city--then you might need the carseats.
Otherwise, you can get to Philly from Penn Station using NJ Transit and then SEPTA (just switch trains by crossing over to a different track at Trenton). If you are not going during rush hour, then the train trip can be part of the fun. Amtrak is swankier and faster of course, but NJ Transit has children's fares and definitely keeps the costs down.
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Amelia Bedelia




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Jun 17 2016, 7:54 pm
little_mage wrote:
Sure, feel free to PM me. The local stores are under Keystone-K, so I don't know where that fits on your standards, sorry! I think Shalom Pizza has a chalov yisroel option, but that's a larder to get to on public transit, and delivery isn't reliable. There is another dairy restaurant, called rather simply "the dairy" (http://thedairyatbala.com/). Also, while Mama's is delicious, and you should certainly go at least once, be aware that they only accept cash.

I've never used Uber, so I can't comment on that. As for the person who said that you have to use public transit catiously, of course you do! That's true of everything. However, I've lived in Philadelphia for almost seven years now, none of them with a car, and I've never felt unsafe on the bus or train. And yes, it is about a 20 minute drive or so from Center City to the religious area. I may just be so used to not having a car, that I just automatically allow a lot of time to go anywhere.

As for staying, my instinct would be to stay in Lower Marion. However, there really aren't many commercial places to stay in the area. My parents have had luck with airbnb, although the people they stayed with haven't been frum. Furthermore, my understanding is that you don't know exactly where an airbnb house is until you've confirmed, so it might not be anywhere near a bus route. Other then the food issue, it's probably easier to be down in center city.

We only eat chalav Yisroel.

Never mind, I don't think traveling between the two neighborhoods is a practical option. I think we will stay at a hotel in Center City and bring along basic foods and a George Foreman and sandwich maker. Maybe we'll take a taxi once or twice to get to the frum neighborhood. Are the attractions walkable in Center City?
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