I lived in Bryn Mawr during the Summer of 2002--it was cute, safe, right down the road from Villanova and Haverford and home to Bryn Mawr College, of course. Upscale college towns. Anywhere on the Main Line is nice, but tends to be a little pricey. I also found SEPTA to be just OK--not the most efficient commuter rail, but it works and is comparably priced to the Metro North, LIRR, and the MARC. I guess it depends on whether or not you want to live in the city or in the burbs--76 (blue route) and 476 (PA turnpike) are really busy roads all the time and they're the main roads to bring you north or west of the city. Manyunk seems to be a nice compromise--it's a suburb, but it's an older suburb and it's right outside the city lines--has it's own brew pub (my fave micro-brew is the Schuykill Punch) and is an area that attracts a lot of young people. Chestnut Hill is also a really pretty area of Philly--historic too. Hope that helps!! I left DC in May and I miss it a lot. Albany just doesn't have the same flair...