It's an average train station. Not the best in the city but it gets the job done. Very dirty and run down. Most stores are closed. Smells like urine. There was an older woman working at the station by the restrooms who was incredibly friendly and helpful. Confusing when you come up from the train. Be careful or you can scan out before getting where you need to be and end up having to pay again to get back into the train section. It's a hike to get to the broad street line and a bit confusing. read more

See all

Suburban station is a train station in the center of the city. It's convenient in that it connects to the Broad Street and Market Street lines. The Regional Rail, which goes to Philadelphia and further counties, runs through this station, and there are many kiosks for payment, etc. It's basically an underground way of traveling in the downtown area. The only downside is that it can sometimes be homeless central, and it could have more stores and updates. Overall, though, great for what it is...transportation. read more

Suburban Station - Regional rail track 1A - Train Stations Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

All things considered Suburban Station has improved over the years. It is no longer dark and smell of human waste. The walkways are very well lit with clean walls. Septa should more clearly post signs or announce tracks. Customers shouldn't have to walk to each track/stairwell to determine where to board the train. A small 'board' or LED banner is needed. Finally with the recent increase in crime and in the interest in public safety there should be police walking this underground station. At the very least within earshot if someone screams. Two of us waited upstairs 25 minutes no security or workers at 10pm. Not a good look! read more

Suburban Station - Train Stations Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ive been checking in here a lot lately since having to train for a job downtown, but I'm honestly liking it more than I thought I would. I'm not one for crowds and the hustle and bustle of people everywhere commuting to where they need to go, but this train station isn't that bad. I mean it took me some time to get used to where I was going, and after missing a few trains, I finally know where I need to catch the regional rail to go home. After some navigation, I have found that this station has so many little shops like Dunkin Donuts, Philly Soft Pretzel bakery and also have some coffee shop, that I have yet to go to, because Im not a huge coffee drinker. There are some areas of the station that reek of urine from the homeless, but overall they do a nice job with keeping it clean. read more

Suburban Station was near our hotel (Le Meredian), perfect as we turned in our rental car yet needed to head up to Penllyn to meet family. EXPERIENCE: As I was rushed through the station due to running late, I didn't get to explore much but did notice a few shops and eateries along the way. This is a station that handles the city's SEPTA train lines. It's not a big station so accessing the tracks was easy with a short walk to boot. Tickets to Penllyn were a mere $6.75/person which we purchased online. Crowds were minimal, even on a weekday at around 8am. Signage were plentiful and easy to read, along with clear announcements. Staff were visible and helpful. We felt very safe as there weren't any shady characters loitering inside or outside. We returned later in the evening to a calm station again. OVERALL: Worked like clockwork with nothing to complain about! read more

Suburban Station - Tracks - VN - Train Stations Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Information booths are incompetent and unprofessional. One person just kept repeating the towns I'm going to which I know myself. I asked her which train to take and where that is. She kept repeating the towns I gave her. I went to a different information and don't get up from laziness and I couldn't hear them. Finally a person directed me where A1 is located. This shouldn't be hard to explain to travelers! Spent 30 minutes finding someone to help and tell me I take A1 and where that is located. Gross place. Smells terrible. read more

Terrible experience trying to find the entrance to Suburban Station. No signs anywhere. Building with big signage in front was NOT Suburban Station. Missed my train trying to just find the bloody station!!! read more

We mainly used this station to travel. The lady at the ticket counter was so nice., she helped us get to where we needed to go... told us what track to take and when the train would be arriving. Took away 1 star because the exit kept blocking me and hubby from leaving after we swiped our cards. Trains were clean and quick. read more

[470] Taking this train all the time I have mixed reviews. The station and platforms are always free of debris and I don't see mice/rats (like I do in NYC). The pillars could use a touch up as the paint is peeling off BAD. They always have the fans on to help keep the heat out so that is great. Plenty of benches to sit on by the platform. Trains times are clearly displayed. On the main station there are plenty of places to eat. Bathrooms are recently renovated. The line to buy tickets moves really fast. There are tons of benches but there are TONS of homeless people especially in the winter. I mean tons! This train has great/easy access to a ton of the areas main stops/attractions. They run food drives during the holidays which is really nice. Tons of staff and police officers around. Prices are fair. I'll definitely be back. read more

I would say this is better than Jefferson, but not nearly as good as 30th St. First off, unlike Jefferson, you do not see homeless people sleeping in the stairwells. Also, the people who work at Suburban are much nicer and seem to appreciate the foot traffic that comes in and out of the station. From a railfan's perspective, it is unique to see trains (SEPTA only) coming in and out of the station like clockwork, as it connects to the other two stations I just mentioned. I also liked that you get to see railroading in it's truest form, as Suburban is a major crew change point for conductors and engineers. So go ahead, railfan it up! read more

Not my favorite SEPTA station. It's accessible, with access to the local regional rail system. It's moderately clean. There's lots of ticket booths. Unfortunately, it's a magnet for vagrants. Luckily that hasn't been a total problem, as the homeless I've seen tend to sleep, or talk to themselves - but I'd rather travel to/from Market East station instead. Less sketch. read more

Suburban Station - Train platform - Train Stations Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

So we didn't get to visit this station until the night before we were about to leave as we wanted to pre-purchase our tickets for the train to the airport (BIG TIP: buy your tickets a day before and save a couple bucks! Versus paying on the train). One thing I didn't know was that there was this whole underground walk way. Make sure you do explore! On a very cold day, you can see a lot of homeless folks underground keeping warm. It's nice to see that they're able to stay there cause it's frigid outside! Also grab a Dunkin' Donut from the many many stores underground. I didn't get a chance to eat one so I'm bummed. read more

Suburban Station - Ticketing area. Buy tickets here to save at least $1.50. - Train Stations Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

As a former commuter during my years at Moore I am or rather was very familiar with this station and how to swiftly get in and out. The additions of the turnstiles for the metro cards confused the hell out of me when I got off and on my trains today. In fact even though I was pushing it to make my train back home the Septa lady stopped me for my ticket. Oh no, I thought as I dug through my handbag precious seconds tickking by. I produced it and she then asks where I'm going and all I can muster is over there, over there pointing to the stairwell as I see the top of my train pulling in. Maybe I have a chance. Sad face as my train pulls away without me. Im left with an hour to kill so I write a Yelp review (not this one). read more

A decade later and Suburban station has improved a wee bit. A few more restaurants to choose from and better lighting on the track level. Still a bunch of creepy characters and the restroom is awful. We need to invest in our public transportation in America. So grateful from SEPTA, AMTRAK, MTA, LIRR and the worst of the lot? NJ Transit. You think SEPTA is bad? It is terrific compared to NJT. read more

I know a lot of people are going to be completely surprised by my 4 star rating BUT here's my personal review : It is a train station in the middle of large city. You are going to see lots of homeless people in a large public place it's part of the territory. I've lived in NY and it's the same thing. If you're genuinely that bothered by it Uber's and private/personal cars exist. For a person who is using this to get to work (I refuse to pay to park in the city) it's ideal. You have several exits that will put you on different streets. I am able to get my morning coffee from the multiples of shops in the station. Those complaining about Dunkin' Donuts should learn to appreciate the mass amounts in a small area because if not you'd have just one with an incredibly long line (and we don't want that right?). Also, it's a TRAIN station, want gourmet food? Go above ground. One thing I will agree with and I deducted a star for it, is that they could do a bit better keeping it clean. I don't expect for it to be spotless but sometimes the urine smell and trash can be overwhelming. During busy hours there are plenty of police officers/transit officers in the stations (some in plain clothing too, if you look carefully). They've done better recently with having enough staff their to keep some order in the station. Also they keep plenty of brochures on hand of schedule and different lines in case you want to venture off from your normal line one day. They will keep you informed on if your train is delayed or not and I think it serves its purpose as a train station. read more

If you can get past the stink in the stairwells, the lack of free or clean benches, and the general incompetence of SEPTA, it's not a terrible station. But I've been going to Suburban Station since I was a kid and it hasn't changed at all. I finally told my fiancé he was a true Philadelphian when he saw someone peeing in one of the entrance stairs. I generally avoid walking through the concourse if I can. read more

Dear Suburban Station - Why in the world do you have 5-7 Dunkin Donuts tucked within your cavernous bowels? throw in the one McDonald's, 2(3?) Churches, Pizza Hut, Rita's, and Taco Bell and your image just might be in the dictionary under the term Fast Food Hell. grant it you do have a semi decent juice bar. and you hook people up with Juan Valdez during the morning commute. the newsstands can be pretty handy two, and I like the fact that one randomly hooks up neck ties. And although it's a very crappy one, the post office can be fairly useful. But you could vastly improve upon your image, selection of vendors, and attitude of your workers. You get two stars though solely based on the fact that during the winter time your street musician central. And I can't go wrong with anywhere that lets my friend Xcoamine play percussion alongside a troop of break dancers. The random street vendors like the Avon Lady are pretty cool too. But it shows that it's only the outside factors that help you. But as long as I get the 13 trolley back home after 2 AM your still destined so see me. -McThrill read more

This place is filthy, and dirty but that's OK! The smell of urine I expect - this is center city Philadelphia, you accept that's going to be part of the experience. The place is filthy but it's cheap, so long as it works as a train service to get me to the airport who cares? Problem is the whole "working as a train service" thing. This is bad even by the standards of American rail. SEPTA and their flagship station are simply the most pathetic rail outfit I've ever seen. What is unconscionable is a complete lack of self serve kiosks. You have to stand in line to buy tickets. This is fine, but when they have two windows open and 50 people in line there is a Problem. I'm not a novice traveler. I did my research. I tried to get my tickets in advance online but - I cannot make this up- you need to do so 10 days in advance so they can MAIL YOU THE TICKET. In 2019 their online ticketing involves charging postage for physical mail. That's fine, I thought. The website says I can purchase tickets at the self serve kiosks. They weren't turned on yet when I moved here a year ago, they must be turned on now right? Nope! They are all still "coming soon". That's still OK, the website says I can buy a ticket on the train. But no- not during certain hours I am told when I try to get to the track. No mention on the website! The only way to purchase a ticket for a train is to stand in line behind 50 or 69 other people waiting for a spot at the two windows that are open. Pathetic. That sums it all up. read more

So simple. $7 fare, take Regional Rail from airport, and get off here. Start walking n shaking the booty, because wind factor and chill will be upon you in seconds!! Lots of goodies to drink and eat at this train hub and Penn Center right there. Handy and sooo convenient... 27 minutes from terminal to center city. I accessed the rail via Terminal C/D. CASH ONLY. Pay aboard the train. PS though i have been many times in the past, I dont remember waiting outside for the train. COOOOOOOLD!!!! read more

Well first off, let me say this station is a public station that anyone can roam in so seriously what are you going to expect? Moving forward with the review. Yes, descending down into the steps it smells horrid, just like any other openly public space in Philadelphia. But I can assure you when you are actually in the station the smell gets better. In the daytime with the abundance of people, and the shops its lively and isn't so bad. For the most part its easy to get around. Just follow the signs, and if you are still not sure where to go just ask a cop. They are literally everywhere and can assist. When its night time, you can actually see the floors and observe the station and its not a bad looking place. If you are hungry Dunkin Donuts is open until about 11 pm I believe, and there are police scattered around the station to keep the peace. Tip: Down where the train tracks are, is really really hot! I suggest staying up top, and sitting down on the bench close to the stairs of your train and wait until you hear it being called on the microphone. Then make your way to the tracks. Tip 2: The trains either come on time, or late. So if your train was suppose to come at 5:30 and its 5:45. Don't worry you didn't miss the train. its just late. read more

Ugh. Just ugh. I'm here every day because this is the closest SEPTA station to my job and it's just not good. It could use a facelift, especially the underground section where the trains pass through. It looks very 70's ish. All of the stairwells leading down into the station smell like pee and I hate walking down them. You will see more begging and homeless people gather within the station as the weather gets colder as they use the station to keep warm. Only two stars from me because I did see police officers walking through the station yesterday, which made me feel pretty safe. Also, there are shops and places to grab something to eat within the concourse which is convenient. read more

The major hub for regional rail trains, trolleys, and subways in Philly. Some places to grab a quick bite to eat but nothing nice. Its underground near city hall. Unfortunately the place is disgusting. It smells horrible year round. Major homeless problem with people washing clothes and bathing in the restrooms. Trash and grafitti common. Just pure filth. Septas and the people it serves deserve so much better. read more

I've always wanted to be one of those people that others look up to. Some things in life are just impressive - like getting really yolked and taking your shirt off at the beach or being the loudest person at Quizzo. But, nothing inspires a jealous awe in others like having the self-confidence to review a train station. Sure, there are a lot of Dunkin Donuts in this train station. Homeless people galore. I once even stumbled upon a diner that allows patrons to drinks 40's of malt liquor inside. Neat! But, the really amazing thing about going to Suburban Station is taking a look around at all the people inside and thinking, "Man, I can't believe a few people in here think I care about their opinion of this train station." Wonderful place. They have trains. Five stars. read more

In an environment where Septa doesn't have a lot of prized stations to show off, Suburban still manages to fall well short of expectations. The place is just not well-kept or maintained. A majority of the shopping or eating options don't stay open that late, and neither does the ticket booth - which conveniently pads Septa's pockets thanks to higher on train ticket prices. Even finding an entrance that is kept open for the later trains can sometimes be a challenge. On the flip side, it isn't the worst location in the city to be dropped off at, especially if you are willing to walk. That's about all I've got for "the flip side". read more

I like it because it's practical. I get off the train and if it's raining, I can walk straight to my building without having to get wet. It's also my connection to Comcast center food court too in bad weather. The bad, I think it needs to have other eats/ drink places. There's DD and DD and more DD. I guess it's a good thing I work on the city cause there are other options above ground, or walk through and head to the food court area at Comcast or at the Liberty mall (a block away) read more

Average for a northeastern train station. The cleanliness about the same as most NE stations as it js littered with homeless throughout. Also the station used to be less complicated but now is becoming more complicated with the turnstiles at each major point. Otherwise, the train station is easy to navigate and takes you to many places in philly. There are some places to grab a snack but not a large restaurant variety. Ambience- 3/5 eh...typical NE train station experience. Better than local stations though Trains- many trains going in many different locations. Timetable- good for work day commute with trains every 30mins to the burbs Bottom line..fine place to catch the train. Not like grand central station but has the basics. The speakers could be upgraded to better hear when trains are coming read more

Well, this station always seems to be under construction. Bus, SEPTA train, and three subway/rail street lines (Blue, Green, Orange) intersect here, below the traffic that goes around the City Hall. Long, thin corridors underground, there's some light but it almost feels like running through the background of Penn Station underground in NYC. Lots of random little shops that line the corridors, though. read more

The thing that I enjoy about Suburban Station is that there are a few useful restaurants and stores in the station. Similarly to Market East. If I need something, I can generally get it while waiting for a train. The station's layout is easy enough to get a grasp on and I feel secure due to the large number of police officers present. I've been around the world and seen underground stations and I think if any money does go into this station (though in not saying it should), it should be to make it feel less like a dungeon. In Seoul, Korea, the entire underground system somehow still feels cheery and useful. I think it comes down to cleanliness and not abandoning a transit area to just restaurants and quick stops. Some bright lights and some clever business could really make this station something. read more

It is just a train station and honestly Did not even really need to take this train. It was $4.25 for off peak on a Sunday and I literally went one stop as I just got off the bus to try to head to Made in America festival. I guess the short train ride was acting as a cool transition from spending two hours on the bus and then the search to find this music festival Made in America. At least I did get to check the SEPTA train system again. It had honestly been years since I rode one. So it was one stop to get to festival and then a walk back at end of night through the streets to find N.11 th. read more

Out of the three SEPTA regional rail stations in Center City (Jefferson, Suburban, and 30th) - suburban station is definitely the commuter hub with connections to the Trolley Line, Broad Street Line, and Market-Frankford Line. This station feels old and tired, although there does seem to be construction projects to bring more shops to the station. The station itself is pretty much all underground and there are tons of entrances/exits along the surrounding streets. All the major offices and high rises are in this area. As the main commuter hub, at least once a week there are delay problems entering/exiting suburban station. The trains also rest here for a few minutes to switch train crews. read more

Definitely a lot going on in this place. There are a bunch of restaurants and places to shop which is nice. Overall, I feel very dirty and sometimes unsafe walking through this place. Like every train station, it is usually filled with homeless people begging for money and your daily commuters. read more

You can get where you need to go here, but nothing is as clearly marked as it is in other stations. It's a maze smelling of pee, feces, over-cologned businessmen, and Dunkin' Donuts. Unlike the homeless in the historic district, the homeless living here do sometimes yell back. Sadly, most won't accept food and will only accept money, so I don't bother trying to help anymore. You'll occasionally see a pigeon kicked to death here. Great place to go if you want to write a bleak poem, think about how your job is meaningless, or contemplate death. If Poe were alive today, he'd write poems about people he saw here. read more

Rather nice - gilded deco exterior on 16th impresses, hints at the former grandeur of the Pennsylvania Railroad (and perhaps Pennsylvania itself) Inside is very clean for Philadelphia, seems newly remodeled - lots of TV screens - R THIS/that line schedules, system maps, kiosks pushing unhealthy choices, etc Dreamy and eager to use pub transport when feasible - (overfed me loves it when convenient) - I hoped to catch the initial public offering (426AM to Trentown - and NYC) Parked under city hall. Shadowy, empty. I couldn't make out a path into the station, so it was back to the cold street. 405 AM Philly rests from hardscrapple existenz - 1M+ people aren't doing much milling downtown at that hour - and any signs on the ground to proper station entry were nigh impossible to locate. The fancy bronze doors were locked, heavily. One sign taped up there seemed proud: "Doors close at 1 AM". After a few zigzags of the region, near a bluish flame sculpture, facing 7-11, I heard - at last - good news. Those doors, the ones reflecting the bluish flame, get opened at 4 AM (danke schoen, 7-11 guard king). The warm air felt much better. Down & inside, fifty or more people were sleeping, shaking, talking, laughing, mumbling, drooling, quivering, frozen, jagged, extended, compacted, open faced, turned over, mummies, unwrapped. Waiting. How nice for citizens to own a warm place for the night. Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa peace settled among broken glass bottles and plastic shards. Now my 426: I had 15 minutes spare, plenty for a quick DD raid and maybe an extravagance (NY POST or similar). Time also for a circuit on the promenade. A lookie around. then! such profound sadness, dismay. When betrayal drops upon you, how hurtful it also feels. Cruel contemptuous Septaaah - of wicked, corrupt, shameless, putrid disgrace you are ! TVs rastered departures of 630, 700, 730. Ticket windows bolted shut. Kiosks bound by thick metal gates. Track monitors filled in error message hodgepodge Responsible authorities unfindable. Spinning within, I then heard the hum of a far-off cabrio golf cart. A nice chap eased by - managing coherence I asked him about the 426 while walking asunder. He glanced at the R5 screen and repeated what I, too, saw - next train is at 630. I grabbed a very accessible schedule, and proved via natural reason that a train ought to arrive soon. He agreed. We both lamented my misfortune. His idea was to gather the station master.. upon the knowledgeable one's return from, frommmm... The amicable guard puttered on and a few yards away went about his new business of prodding & waking up bench sleepers. I thought it better to immediately rip myself together and regain a little self-control. I descended to Track 4, the stated usual home of R5's - deviant logic had always served me dutifully in past third world, communist or Floridian situations - so why not here as well? well - shortly then on Track 5, Track 6, and 7, three trains rolled and rocked inward. No fanfare greeted them. They sat together for a few moments. Breathing. Exhaling their powerful brakes. Pneumatic Nothing heralded their status - one could think the first arrivals of the day deserved some sort of proper introduction - yet.... The cool info CRT's remained colorfully rich in deep error modes. I raced over to those tracks to figure out where those trains were headed - in a bold bid for human comfort, I ran entire lengths along platform 5, 6, 7 - desperate for social contact. No compassion. not one soul. Doors didn't open - and therefore none would would have to close. Each train barely peeped as it sheepishly continued on its secret route. 445 AM: I ran as quickly as obesity allowed, past the risen mobs, over urea, springing near metal waste, thru a bright rotunda... up a dark, concrete stairwell - and back onto the deserted streets. Loss of $7 was unfortunate - but bully for the PPA. Gasoline. Dollars for OPEC, or Alaska. Pollution. Wear & tear on our roads, cars, hearts, lungs, fellow creatures small & unseen & not yet born I drove fast, for me, along I-95. The Jersey connection forced the foot. I was relieved that the State Police hadn't contributed too much manpower to Philly's highway patrol (as was repeatedly & proudly reported). Speeding, raging, near the Cornwell Heights Park und Ride, I caught up to, then roared past, the very 426 R5 I had yearned for only a short time earlier. Gleeful, one last ghastly thought occurred: Perhaps Suburban Station isn't meant to be a paean to the tired teeming hordes who brave in & out of the city every day. Maybe it's just an advertisement - product placement - for that hideous monster, gas guzzling, stink-belching iconic GM SUV of similar name. Without warning, a headlight in my Honda passed - sans moonlight, wildly diverged from the path of SEPTA, I could barely make out the road I was traveling on. read more

I love chu chu's and like the actual train station. I find it aesthetically pleasing. It reminds me of the BART stations in San Francisco. I am purely commenting on Dunkin Donuts. I was absolutely dumbfounded that you tell the cashier what you want in your coffee. I stood there looking at my BF with a blank stare. I'm pretty sure the cashier thought I was retarded. I'm not retarded, I'm just blonde. *Uhhh, 3 Splenda with cream?* Ya, it came out as a question. I was confused and I had never been to a Dunkin Donuts before. So... 1. How am I supposed to know how strong the coffee is and thus how much sugar and cream to ask for? 2. Do the cashiers really think they can make the coffee they way I like it? While I appreciate this full service mentality, I realized upon taking a sip of my java that I somewhere had momentarily adopted my mother's mentality to do everything herself since it is the only way to guarantee things get done right (i.e. her way). Otherwise you are resentful. I was resentful of the cashier. Dunkin Donuts coffee is terrible. No wonder it is so cheap. It's burnt? I don't even know what is wrong with it, but it's crap. I have no idea why people rant and rave about it. I don't think any amount of Splenda could have saved it. The glazed donut holes, on the other hand, are pretty damn good. I ate all 6 in one sitting. Fine, I stuffed one of them in the BF's mouth. MMMM...donuts! read more

During light hours on weekdays, this station is decent. The building is huge, which confused me the first few times I exited here- there are about 20 different places you can exit from the station, which means you can end up about 3 blocks from where you exited last time. The stands and stores are decent (Dunkin' Donuts, a juice bar, a Pretzel Factory, a magazine stand, etc.)- nothing too exciting. The bathrooms are pretty gross, even though I always see cleaning people in there. In general, Suburban Station does it's job and gets you from place A to place B. My main complaint is that there are always tons of homeless people hanging around. Sitting on crates, sleeping my entryways, etc. Generally they are calm and stick to themselves, but sometimes it's just too much, especially on off-hours or holidays when the station is mostly empty. Last time I was at Suburban Station, commuting on a holiday, I had to use the bathroom. When I walked in, there were about 3 homeless people in there. One had her pants and underwear down and was washing a certain private area in the sink. Another one was just sitting on a crate next to the sinks staring at her. A different day, a woman was taking a crap on a toilet with the door completely open, groaning, so that everybody walking by couldn't help but see her. Another woman likes to stand in front of the hand dryers with her pants pulled down, drying her butt in the hand dryer and alternating between curses and manic laughing. I'm all for having the homeless stay warm and safe, but it's just generally uncomfortable to even go into the bathroom. After hours, some of the entrances close, so you need to pay attention to which ones you can go in. I made the mistake of walking down steps to go into a closed entrance, where a man was standing there yelling about having sex with me (paraphrasing, it was not phrased that politely). The tracks also attract their share of crazies, even during commuting times- one particular incident involved a man walking around screaming at women (generally 15-year-olds) about pierced vaginas and sluts and other words that Yelp wouldn't approve of my using in my review. He also talked about how women were all sluts, not like the old days, and sluts deserved to die. I was almost worried enough to go get security, but the people who were used to the crazies just averted their eyes, ignored him, and waited for their train. Generally, when the station is full and during commuting hours, this station is fine. But when it's empty of commuters and workers, I sometimes feel unsafe. It would be great if they implemented more of a security presence throughout the station (sometimes they do, sometimes they don't). It would also be great if they set up some sort of phone line so that you could text security when there is some sort of incident, such as the man making threatening statements. Overall, it's a great station for the work crowd, but I wouldn't come here alone late at night or on holidays. read more

I had to fly into Philadelphia from Dallas and to the train from the airport to the station. All I can say was I don't want to experience being down in this place again! I went in the middle of March so it was still a bit cold and they were homeless people all over this place. I didn't feel safe. I also didn't know where I was going once I got off the train, there are people walking everywhere it was a frenzy. Luckily I found signs that lead me out to the right direction, but getting out of there was like a maze. Dallas doesn't have places like this, so I really didn't know what to expect. If I would've been down there at night, I don't know what I would've done. I'm not sure you can carry concealed weapons there like you can hear, but I wouldn't have felt safe and less I had my handgun with me. I felt in a giving mood, so after I got off the train from the airport, I gave a homeless guy two dollars. He got up to give me a hug and I could not get him off of me for literally two minutes or so. It was when he started kissing me on the cheek that I physically had to push him away and off of me. I tried handing money to an attractive woman I saw thinking maybe it was just what everyone did in Philadelphia, give kisses for money, but I found out quickly it doesn't work that way! I also found out that every third person in Philadelphia will beg for money. He got very old very quickly that everywhere I went down there, I was being asked for money. That is another thing Dallas doesn't have. People begging for money like that on the streets every few minutes. I enjoyed the inexpensive ride from the airport down there, I felt safe on that ride, but I don't know how safe I would've been getting on another train or subway somewhere. I didn't feel safe at all down there in the train station. And I can only imagine how stinky and smelly it is in the middle of summer down there. I just thank God that I live in Dallas and have a car. That place was an experience for me. read more

Suburban Station holds a special place in my heart. I understand this is an odd statement, but it does. Before I moved to the city I was taking the R5 to and from Suburban everyday and became a huge fan of the musical performers throughout the concourse. Sure it has several underground food stands, a Duncan Donuts and even a Dollar Tree, but what makes it great is the music which echoes throughout the long hallways. On a day I was feeling particularly annoyed at the thought of work, I heard the booming of voice of Lionel Ritchie singing "Easy" with the accompaniment of a Casio keyboard. As I approached the sound, it turned out not to be Lionel, but the voice was still great and it made my day. Take a trip through Suburban someday you have free time and let the music guide you. **Do not miss the guy who plays Johnny Cash through a speaker and occasionally strums a guitar and sings along. I dare you not to smile. read more

Hmm not a lot of love for Suburban Station? I think that being located between the ritzy 30th St. Station and ghetto Market East it draws from both to create an interesting amalgamation of upscale and miserable. Suburban can be dissected into two parts. Part 1: During rush hours. It's a pretty bustling place with mostly suburban (little pun intended) commuters that work in the adjacent financial institutions that will crowd the two Dunkin Donuts stores and the other two convenience stores. Pretty straight forwards, the suburban platforms are mostly crowded but SEPTA ground operators are doing a good job redirecting people to the appropriate platform and informing them on train delays. Part 2: The magical time known as the twilight zone. Take one of the suburban businessmen and make him board the 10pm train, surely he will feel like he is in the aforementioned zone. Full with homeless, mentally ill, and the substance abusers this place becomes quite an experiment in the rejects of society. They are mostly harmless and some police presence is seen (they do have a station at suburban) A noteworthy mention goes to a third kind of patron, the drunk early-mid twenties suburban commuter and the St. Patrick kids. Oh what a joy it is to board the evening train after a long day of work only to find yourself stuck with careless assholes who ventured on their first binge drinking trip to the city. They all seem to suffer from deafness because they always yell. I can also swear that I got tipsy on the fumes one of the times when the train car didn't have air conditioning. For some suburban is unavoidable because of it's proximity to work, for others it's a shelter from the elements, all in all an interesting place to observe people. read more

With the renovations and changes done at Jefferson station (formerly Market East) - Suburban is now the last standing creeper regional rail station in downtown Philly. The signage is atrocious for newbies. There should be kiosks with maps since there are so many tunnels, and when businesses change, you lose your landmarks to help get around. I've lived in the city for years and used the station even longer and even I won't risk walking down a tunnel I'm not familiar with for fear of never finding my way to my destination! The ticketing station needs longer hours. Terrible food options for anyone who doesn't want diabetes (so glad to NOT be a commuter) so don't head there thinking you can grab something before hopping the train... your options are limited. The bathrooms are super scary - and often you'll find homeless people drying their clothes there, so the smell is overpowering. I've seen a person leaving with a cleaning cart and walked in to find the place was a mess, so I'm not sure what they're paid to do exactly... Anyway, if you're coming into town to visit, do yourself the favor of riding to Jefferson instead! read more

Suburban Station does the job and is sprawling enough to allow you to walk underground from 15th to 18th Street. You have to be alert for once in a while they will change tracks and you could miss your train if not paying attention. It's not good for people on a diet who impulse eat. The food selections are pretty fattening except for the sushi stand. I remember one time I got sick and they had closed the bathrooms for cleaning. I was desperate and upset. Passenger Services couldn't help me, but one of the restaurants let me use their bathrooms. Passenger Services was good for a lost cell phone. They recovered it, but I had to go there. Calling didn't help. read more