Ancient Anguish Celebrates 20 years!

AAnniversary in Philadelphia - Directions

Public Transit

SEPTA is the local transit authority for Philadelphia and much of the suburbs. You have two options, to take the bus the whole way, or to use the Regional Rail. If you take the regional rail, everything you want is right here: Septa Clickable Map . The three main stations in Philadelphia are 30th Street Station (famous for the train station scene in the Harrison Ford movie with the Amish family, "Witness"), Suburban Station (the first downtown stop for the suburban trains), and Market East (right next to Reading Terminal Market, an excellent place for lunch or dinner).

Most of the trains and buses are relatively clean and safe. However, please be cautious late at night. Talk to the conductors, ticket takers, and transit cops. That cute punk rock girl will almost knock you dead, but if you approach her in the wrong way, she'll finish the job. (Yes, Punk Rock Girl by The Dead Milkmen is about a girl in Philadelphia. Fans can find Zipperhead on South Street.)

You need the Norristown High Speed Line (DO NOT USE THE NORRISTOWN LINE), which branches off the Market - Frankfurt line at the 69th Street transit center. You can catch this train at any of the three major stations listed above. Take this train to the Gulph Mills Station. From here you can request that someone pick you up (it is about 15 minutes away), or you can catch the 125 / 99 buses the whole way out. I do recommend the high speed line, since it will take much less time. The bus stops everywhere.

Be aware that the bus for The Lofts is not a night-owl bus. It does not run 24/7.

The bus that will take you to Phoenixville is the 125 / 99 bus route. The 125 starts from close to the Market East train station at 13th and Market. The stop you will want from the 125 is the transit center at the King of Prussia Mall. If you end up at the National Park, just call. It is about 10 minutes away and someone can pick you up; I do not think you can pick up the 99 from there. The 125 also stops at the Gulph Mills Train Station. At the mall, you will want to change to the 99 bus to Phoenixville, which will go down Gulph Road past the Valley Forge Casino, and on 422 to the stop at Trooper and Audubon Road, which is about a three minute drive, or 15 minute walk from the Lofts Clubhouse. The bus stop is just down the road from the Trooper exit off 422. The bus will likely stop on the right side of the street looking away from the 422 exit. We would be happy to pick you up in a car, or you have two ways to go if you want to walk. Either way, you should start back toward the traffic light at Trooper and Audubon Road. You will be headed toward a Liberty gas station, and a Harley Davidson dealer. Go to the side of the street opposite the gas station, where Audubon Road becomes Parkview Drive.

The safe way is to walk down Audubon Road / Parkview Drive. Go toward Parkview Drive. You are going the wrong way if you are walking on Audubon Road toward the Audubon Market. As you walk down Audubon / Parkview, you will pass St. Teresa of Avila and its school. Parkview will curve around to your left. When you reach Wayfield Drive / Hillside Lane, turn right down Hillside Lane. This again will curve to your left, and will gradually become Hillside Drive. As the road straightens again around the 2300 block, there will be an entrance to your right for the Schuykill River Trail. It is a biking / hiking trail. If you reach Riverview Road, you have gone too far. Go down to the trail, and you should see the back of two apartment complexes. Turn left onto the trail to walk behind the loft apartments and you will see you are walking parallel to a chain link fence and a marginal road along the back of the apartment complex. There will be a path to your right at the opening in the chain link fence to get to the road. The road will turn to the right here at the end of the apartment complex. Walk toward the front of the apartments, turn right on Sentinel Ridge, and you will see the clubhouse to your left.

The dangerous way is to cross the off-ramp for 422. Stay on the side of the road opposite the gas station and Harley Davidson dealer. Please be careful walking past the exit and on-ramp. I suggest crossing on the side of the street opposite the gas station. This requires crossing two lanes of traffic coming off the exit, but there is a center island you can cross to quickly. The other side doesn't really have a way to walk that doesn't involve the middle of the on-ramp. Once you are across, continue to walk down Trooper Road to the T-intersection. You will be facing the river. Turn left under the tunnel, then right to follow the river along the front of the apartments. It is a very nice view. At the end of the road, turn left onto Minutemen Lane, and the clubhouse is on your right.