6 New Jersey Towns That Are An Easy Commute To Philadelphia

Do you work in Philadelphia, but you're done living in the city? We get it. In the city you’ll often find homes that are short of living space, have small backyards (or maybe no yard at all), and that parking situation can be so stressful.

The JFKLiving Team has had many Philadelphia-based clients who want to move to the New Jersey suburbs... and their biggest complaint was having to spend 30 minutes every night trying to find a parking spot when they get home from work! 😫

If you're seeking an escape from the urban hustle without sacrificing convenience, we've got the ultimate solution for you. Many of our clients have found their homes on the New Jersey side of the Delaware, moving to towns that offer an easy commute into the city, whether via car or train. So let’s chat about our clients’ favorite South Jersey towns that have an easy commute into Philadelphia:

If you're a food enthusiast, Collingswood might be the dream destination for you. This quaint South Jersey suburb town boasts an award-winning restaurant scene with so many different options to suit all tastes.

Not only that, Collingswood has many outdoor spaces and parks, including Knight Park and Cooper River Park, so you can really live within nature and enjoy many walks and bike rides if that’s your thing 🌳🚲

Collingswood also offers a thriving and walkable downtown with many cafes, markets and stores, offering a city vibe in a suburban setting. You’ll especially love Haddon Culinary for its grocery shopping convenience, Dulce for its incredible pastries and baked goods, and Occasionette (also found in Philadelphia).

But the PATCO speedline is probably the main thing you’re interested in: within 10-15 minutes you can be in Center City Philadelphia for only a few dollars, making your commute super easy. If you’d rather use the car, Collingswood is just a few minutes’ drive away from the Ben Franklin or Walt Whitman Bridges.

Just minutes down the road from Collingswood and still offering similar convenience is Haddon Township (where the JFKLiving office is!). Haddon Township’s downtown is called Westmont, and you’ll find another PATCO station along the main road through Westmont.

You can get to Center City Philadelphia within 15 minutes, and you also have super easy access to the bridges into the city, making Haddon Township a desirable destination for Philadelphia-workers.

You’ll find many cafes and stores in Haddon Township, such as Alysian (formerly Jagged Edge) clothing store, the European-themed Koupa Espresso Bar, and The Refill Market for sustainability-lovers. And the restaurants… wow! Our favorites are Que Ricas, Dar’s Steaks, Giumarello’s, and Bricco Pizza... but there's so many more.

Haddonfield is a highly rated town in the South Jersey suburbs, frequently being ranked as one of NJ’s Best Places To Live.

Haddonfield is just a couple more stops on the PATCO from Collingswood, meaning you still have incredibly easy access into the city. And if you love history, Haddonfield might be the town for you; adorned with grand historic homes and estates, the Haddonfield as we know it dates back to 1721, when English Quaker family the Haddons came to occupy the area.

This notoriously wealthy neighborhood features a highly coveted school system, rated by Niche.com. This is why so many of our clients with young children look to move to this area, while still having the conveniences of having Philadelphia just a 15 minutes’ drive away.

Haddonfield offers many outdoor spaces and parks, including Crows Woods, Pennypacker Park, and the elusive Tavistock County Club.

Walkable downtown Haddonfield offers some incredible stores including Meraki Market plant store, luxury Mecha Chocolate Store, Inkwood Books, and Maison Marcelle for when you need a pampered French shopping experience! 🇫🇷🥂 And you’re not short of food & drink in town. Despite being a dry town, some businesses have found loopholes so you can enjoy the beverages at William Heritage Winery, Kings Road Brewing, and Wildfether Distillery.

And that’s not all… some of the finest restaurants can be found in town! Cross Culture, Zaffron Mediterranean, El Nopalito, Gouldburgers, new brunch spot Cafe Lift... and so much more.

Merchantville is an incredibly charming small borough in the heart of South Jersey. With some beautiful historic homes, outdoor spaces, convenience to the city and great restaurants, you won’t want to miss this one.

Merchantville is a few minutes’ drive to the Betsy Ross Bridge, meaning you can be in North Philly very quickly, and get to Center City in 15 minutes. And, should you crave the trendier corners of the city, Fishtown is just a 10 minute jaunt away, putting you so close to Suraya and Middle Child.

But Merchantville itself offers a harmony of history and modernity, with some gorgeous Victorian homes (just take a virtual wander down Chestnut Ave for some examples!). The Merchantville Bike Path, which runs alongside the old train tracks, is super close to downtown and offers a mile-long pleasant walk or bike ride parallel to leafy streets 🍂🍁

In downtown, you’ll find the amazing Blue Monkey Tavern, Eclipse Brewing, the highly-rated Station Cafe, and coveted Park Place. Merchantville offers a small-town ambiance with easy city proximity.

Head a little further north than the previous towns we’ve discussed, and you’ll arrive at Cinnaminson. Many of JFKLiving's clients say they looked to Cinnaminson for “more affordability and convenience”.

Cinnaminson’s charm is epitomized by homes from the 60s and 70s nestled on spacious lots, offering easy commuting access to Rt130, Rt73, and Rt90 that takes you to the Betsy Ross Bridge. Cinnaminson is a 15 minute drive to Fishtown, and a 20 minute drive to Center City Philadelphia.

You’re also incredibly close the Riverline, which heads down the river to the Camden Waterfront where you can hop off and visit Adventure Aquarium, Battleship New Jersey, Freedom Mortgage Ampitheater and Camden Children's Garden, and you can also head into Philadelphia.

Audubon, or nearby Oaklyn, are two towns that JFKLiving clients have been looking at when they find themselves priced out of coveted Collingswood, Haddon Township and Haddonfield. For those who want easy connectivity and a busy suburban feel, Audubon and Oaklyn both offer thriving downtowns with breweries, cafes, sweet treats and restaurants.

In Audubon and Oaklyn, you’ll find many bungalow and Cape Cod-style homes dating back to the 1920s and 1940s respectively.

With the Collingswood PATCO station only a few minutes’ drive away from both towns, you'll find ease of access to Center City Philadelphia. Not only that, but the Walt Whitman Bridge is SUPER close, and you can be at Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and Wells Fargo Center in less than 10 minutes. This also creates convenient access to the Navy Yard and Philadelphia International Airport.

Watch Pip Haxby-Thompson’s 3 minute 40 second video here for all the info you need on NJ’s towns that are an easy commute to Philadelphia:

If you’re thinking of buying or selling in South Jersey, you can message The JFKLiving Team here.

Go Birds! 🦅