Northwest Philadelphia does not drive like the rest of the city. Germantown Avenue is cobblestone through Chestnut Hill, Manayunk is built on a hill with one-way streets that were never meant for a 12-passenger van, and Lincoln Drive is a two-lane road with bends and no shoulder that is genuinely slower than any map claims. It is also the prettiest corner of the city to get married in. Both of those things are true at once, and planning around the second one is the whole job.
Towns we cover here
- Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
- Mount Airy, Philadelphia
- Manayunk, Philadelphia
- Roxborough, Philadelphia
- Germantown, Philadelphia
- East Falls, Philadelphia
- Wissahickon, Philadelphia
- Andorra, Philadelphia
Venues Across This Territory
A short list of the places our chauffeurs run to regularly. If yours isn't here, it almost certainly still is — call and ask.
Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut HillA 75-acre campus set against the banks of the Wissahickon Creek, ringed by the wooded hills of Fairmount Park.
Chestnut Hill Hotel
Germantown AvenueA 36-room boutique hotel on the Avenue with its own parking — and walking distance to most of the neighborhood's venues.
Portico at Awbury Arboretum
GermantownA Victorian stone mansion on a 55-acre arboretum, seating up to 160.
Manayunk Brewing Company
ManayunkIndustrial-chic space beside the canal, on a stretch of Main Street with almost no room to wait.
Wissahickon Valley Park
Northwest PhiladelphiaThousands of acres of woodland inside the city. Beautiful for a ceremony, and much of it has no vehicle access at all.
The Roads We Actually Take
Lincoln Drive is not the shortcut it looks like
On a map Lincoln Drive is the obvious way in and out of the Northwest. In practice it is two lanes, tightly curved, without a shoulder, and it floods. We use it when it is genuinely quicker and take Ridge Avenue or Henry Avenue when it is not — and we make that call before the day, not at the wheel with a bride in the back.
To PHL
This is the longest airport run of any neighborhood we cover — the Schuylkill Expressway down to I-95, and the Schuylkill is the least predictable road in the region. The practical effect is not that traffic is worse here; it is that the pickup has to be earlier. Give us the flight and we will set the time against it rather than against a rule of thumb.
Kelly Drive and the river
Kelly Drive is the scenic run into Center City and a genuinely good idea for photographs between a ceremony and a reception. It is also slow at rush hour and closed for events more often than people expect. We check it against your date.
Which Car Fits Which Street
The difference between a car that arrives and a car that arrives correctly.
Germantown Avenue is cobblestone
Through Chestnut Hill the Avenue is laid in Belgian block. It is charming, it is in every photograph, and it is a hard surface to walk on in heels and a floor-length gown. We position the car so the walk across it is as short as possible, and we take it slowly with anything in the back that can spill.
Manayunk is built on a hill
The streets climbing away from Main Street are steep, narrow, one-way, and parked solid on both sides. There are blocks up there a Sprinter should not attempt and could not turn around in. The Escalade or the XTS goes instead, and we know which streets those are before we accept the booking.
Main Street has nowhere to wait
Manayunk's Main Street is a single lane each way with active parking. A vehicle sitting outside a venue blocks the street outright. We stage on a side street and time the arrival to the minute rather than idling in a traffic lane.
Wissahickon ceremonies have no road
Many of the park's ceremony spots are reached on foot. The drop-off point and the ceremony point are different places, sometimes by a long walk. We establish exactly where the car can reach and how far the party is walking from there — before the invitations mention shoes.
Angled parking on the Avenue
Chestnut Hill's angled bays mean a full-size vehicle waiting at the curb overhangs into the lane. For anything longer than a sedan we use the hotel's entrance or a side street rather than the Avenue itself.
Cadillac XTS
Cadillac XTS · Up to 3 passengers
The Northwest rewards the car that can get closest to the door. The XTS handles Manayunk's hills and one-ways, sits comfortably in an angled bay on Germantown Avenue, and keeps the walk across cobblestone short. For a full wedding party we bring the Sprinter and plan its approach around the streets it can actually use — which in this neighborhood is a real conversation, not a formality.
View this vehicleServices in Northwest Philadelphia
Weddings & Proms
Arrive in style on the day that matters most. Luxurious vehicles and experienced chauffeurs for weddings and proms.
Learn moreMeetings & Events
Dependable group transportation with meticulous planning and on-site coordination, from small gatherings to large events.
Learn moreAirport & Hotel Transfers
Punctual PHL airport pickups and hotel transfers with flight tracking, meet-and-greet, and luggage assistance.
Learn moreQuestions, Answered
Can a limousine get to our venue in Chestnut Hill?
Almost certainly, but the right vehicle depends on the venue's entrance. Germantown Avenue is cobblestone with angled parking, so we usually stage a larger vehicle off the Avenue and bring the car closest to the door. Tell us the venue and we'll tell you exactly how the arrival will work.
Our street in Manayunk is steep and narrow. Is that a problem?
It's a problem we plan around rather than discover. Some blocks above Main Street will not take a 12-passenger van, and it cannot turn around once it's up there. We check the address when you book and send a vehicle that fits, or stage the larger one nearby and walk you to it.
We're having our ceremony in Wissahickon Valley Park. How does the car reach us?
In most cases it doesn't reach the ceremony itself — much of the park is foot access only. We work out the nearest point a vehicle can legally reach and how far the walk is from there, so nobody is surprised on the day and shoes can be chosen accordingly.
How much earlier should we leave for the airport from up here?
Earlier than from most of the city — this is the longest PHL run we do, and it depends on the Schuylkill, which is the least predictable road in the region. Give us your flight when you book and we'll set the pickup against it. We'd rather have you early than explain a missed cutoff.