Oak Lane-East Oak Lane - Philadelphia, PA Area Guide

The area of Philadelphia now occupied by Oak Lane was settled as William Penn’s first neighborhood. William Penn referred to the neighborhood as his first “Green Country Town,” part of his vision to create a pastoral oasis for city dwellers.

The first settlers in the neighborhood arrived in the late 1600s, when Griffith Miles settled the area as farmland. The area became known as Milestown in 1711 and continued to successfully develop as farmland. Later the creeks in the area fueled successful mill operations, and more concentrated development started in the late 1800s when the North Penn Rail Road and York Road Trolley were built in the area.

Oak Lane was named after a very large oak tree on Hall W. Mercer’s land off Martin’s Mill Road. A big storm blew down the beloved tree in 1860, after which Mercer changed the name of the road to Oak Lane.

The East Oak Lane neighborhood touts a fantastic variety of Korean restaurants along with Caribbean and Cantonese cuisines, pizza places and diners. The best bets for finding eats are along Cheltenham Avenue or West Godfrey Avenue.

Diners at Cafe Soho order plates of KFC while they lounge in the edgy red dining room. The kitchen prepares a variety of Korean and Japanese dishes, but regulars swear by the Korean Fried Chicken, or KFC for short, a super-crispy, succulent rendition of American-style fried chicken wings. Twice-fried to achieve that magic crust, the chicken wings and boneless chicken tenders come in a variety of flavors, including soy garlic and spicy. K-pop blasts through the restaurant, which is decorated in black, red and mirrored decor. Bring a friend along for happy hour, when Cafe Soho bartenders mix up cocktails, such as honey dew bubble tea and fresh watermelon soju, or get your wings to go and devour them at home.

Pennsylvania Route 611 provides arterial access from the Oak Lane neighborhood to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and downtown Philadelphia, connecting directly to City Hall.

You can get around the Oak Lane area easily by subway, regional rail, bus and car. Most areas of the neighborhood provide ample sidewalks, and some bike lanes for those traveling on foot or by bike.

Two major regional public transportation hubs provide convenient options around Oak Lane. The Melrose Park SEPTA Regional Rail train station, which was originally named the Oak Park Station, provides service on three different Regional Rail lines. The Fern Rock Transportation Center provides Regional Rail service, bus service and subway service on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line, also known as the Orange Line. Several bus lines run through the East Oak Lane neighborhood as well.

Hailing cabs on the street in Oak Lane doesn't prove easy, but you can call almost any of Philadelphia’s taxi companies to request a pick up. Uber also provides ride-share services throughout the Philadelphia region, including North/Northwest Philadelphia. The neighborhood also hosts a Zipcar location, and Enterprise Car Share hosts a location only a few blocks away.

Traveling to and from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), about 20 miles away, usually only takes around 30 minutes by car.

Part of the Tacony Creek Park, a narrow strip of 300 acres of parkland surrounding the Tacony Creek streambed, lies at the eastern edge of the East Oak Lane neighborhood. As part of the Fairmount Park Commission’s Natural Lands Restoration and Environmental Education Program (NLREEP), a restoration of the natural lands removes invasive species, and repopulates native trees and shrubs in Tocony Creek Park

Fisher Park, located only one block from the southern boundary of the East Oak Lane neighborhood, encompasses 23 acres of public park area that hosts a football field, basketball courts and tennis courts. In addition to several gardens and picnic areas, the park also hosts wooded hiking trails and hills for sledding in the winter. Newer playground equipment makes the park’s playground a favorite for local children. In 1908, Fisher Park was given to the city of Philadelphia as a “Christmas gift” by Joseph Wharton, founder of Swarthmore College and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Olney Park and Recreation Center on Godfrey Ave. sits on 2.3 acres with sports fields, baseball fields, tennis courts, basketball courts and playground equipment for children.

The average rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment in Oak Lane hovers around $804 per month. The typical price for a pint of beer ranges from $3 to $4.

Average gas prices in the Oak Lane area cost approximately 18 percent higher than the national average. A ride on public transportation in to Center City Philadelphia costs a flat fee of $2.25 in cash or $1.80 with a SEPTA token.

Predominantly a residential area, shopping options concentrate mostly around Broad Street and Cheltenham Avenue. Stores such as Family Dollar, CVS and Rite Aid provide the basics, and Melrose Hardware provides a local True Value location.

Grocery stores lie around the perimeter of the Oak Lane/East Oak Lane neighborhood. A Save-A-Lot location in the Melrose Shopping Center on Cheltenham Ave. provides a large grocery store, and several independent food markets lie around Broad Street and W. Godfrey Ave.

The closest farmers market, the West Oak Lane Farmers’ Market at Ogantz and 71st Avenue, provides a seasonal open-air, weekly market from May through November.

The Willow Grove Mall, located seven miles away from East Oak Lane, provides the closest indoor mall option, and Philadelphia’s famous downtown shopping district remains easily accessible via public transport.