>>1698090SEPTA’s regional rail network is probably the best of any major city, maybe with the exception of Chicago (and even then, Metra can be spotty at times). If it went farther (Quakertown, Coatesville, West Chester, Perryville MD, etc) there would be no discussion here. The CCCC will come in handy as the nation shifts away from cars and back to trains in the future.
The MFL is absolute dogshit but the BSL is one of the finest subways in the country.
We also are one of the last few cities with a functioning trolley system. Anywhere you can’t get to by rail you can pretty much walk.
It’s also incredibly accessible to other cities via Amtrak; 90 minutes to NYC on the Acela, 100 minutes to DC, and 60 minutes to the Jersey Shore via NJT’s best constructed rail line (due in no small part to Amtrak’s help rebuilding it in the 80s).
Philadelphia’s excellent position along the NEC is why it’s beginning to find itself poised as the nation’s biotech capital.