Camden (New Jersey)

Camden is a city in Camden County, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Camden is a former industrial boom-town that has fallen onto hard times.

Decades of disinvestment and government mismanagement have contributed to Camden's sky-high crime rate, and many of the city's neighborhoods are hotbeds of gang- and drug-related violence. However, the government has begun developing the Delaware River waterfront, which is now a popular and well-traveled tourist destination offering grand views of the Philadelphia skyline and a multitude of activities for adults and children. Headlines about violence and crime in Camden may dissuade many tourists to the Philadelphia area from visiting, but a one-day trip to the waterfront may be well worth the trip.

Understand
Nearly all attractions in Camden are found along the Camden waterfront, which offers family-friendly activities and scenic views of Philadelphia across the Delaware River. The downtown area contains the Rutgers University-Camden campus and the city's small central business district. The Camden waterfront and downtown areas are considered safe and are patrolled by police. Although the rest of Camden is plagued by urban blight, poverty, and gang-related drug violence, you will be safe as long as you stay in the waterfront and downtown areas and take sensible precautions.

By bus

 * New Jersey Transit handles bus routes into the city.
 * Megabus. Direct service to Camden from Pittsburgh, State College, and Harrisburg. Many more cities have service to Philadelphia just across the river.

By car

 * From Philadelphia, take the Ben Franklin Bridge or Walt Whitman Bridge to New Jersey. Camden is directly across from Philadelphia.
 * From New York and Northern New Jersey, take the Turnpike to Route 73 North (Exit 4). Take I-295 South to Exit 26. Follow the signs for I-676 and Camden.
 * From Delaware, take the Delaware Memorial Bridge to New Jersey. Take I-295 North to Exit 26. Follow the directions from New York and Northern New Jersey.

By plane

 * The nearest major airport is the Philadelphia International Airport, which is about 20 minutes away. From the airport, you may either take a cab (which will be costly), or use public transportation. By train, take the SEPTA Airport Line to the Jefferson Station, then travel five blocks to the 8th and Market PATCO station. From there, take the PATCO Hi-Speed Line into Camden.

By train

 * The PATCO Hi-Speed Line is a rail line that operates between Center City Philadelphia and Lindenwold, New Jersey. The train operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, albeit with very infrequent trips between about 2AM and 6AM. Fares to downtown Camden (City Hall and Broadway stations) are $1.40 from Philadelphia and $1.60 from other stations in South Jersey.
 * The River Line is a light rail line serving 20 stations between Trenton and Camden, following the Delaware River in New Jersey. Trains run every 15 minutes during rush hour, every half hour at other times. Trains run until 1AM on Saturday and 10PM (very early!) on other days. The line connects with the PATCO Hi-Speed Line at Camden's Walter Rand Transportation Center. One-way fare between Trenton and Camden is $1.50. There are discounts for senior citizens, children and families. Monthly passes are available.

By car
This is the easiest way to get around Camden. There is ample parking in the waterfront area, which is where all of the day time attractions are found.

By foot
Most of the worthwhile attractions in Camden are clustered in the Riverfront and Rutgers University areas, so walking is an option, once parked and decided on where you will visit. It is very nice to walk around the waterfront, especially on a beautiful day.

By taxi

 * Fortuna Taxi Service, 1435 River Ave, #B, +1 856-757-9590
 * Fortuna Taxi Service, 2817 Sherman Ave, +1 856-365-8373
 * Independent Cab, 1437 Haddon Ave, +1 856-966-3233
 * Gonzalez Cab Incorporated, 792 N 30th St +1 856 338-1743

By public transportation
There are bus lines operated by New Jersey Transit that run throughout Camden. The NJ Transit RiverLine runs near the waterfront. The Walter Rand Transportation Center is a big transit hub, from where you can get the PATCO train to Philadelphia, as well as the RiverLine. The closest PATCO station to the waterfront attractions is at City Hall (at the intersection of 5th and Market Streets), but it is a good 10 minutes' walk down Market from the aquarium and further still from the music hall; if you do not want to walk, a better bet for a visitor from Philadelphia would be to disembark at PATCO's Broadway stop (which is part of the Walter Rand complex) and catch the RiverLine to the Aquarium or Waterfront Entertainment Center stop.

Eat
There is food available at the Aquarium and at the BB&T Pavilion. Some other places are the following:



Sleep
There is a hotel by the waterfront area called Hilton Garden Inn. The hotel is luxurious and provides paid parking. It was built c. 2020, with a restaurant inside that serves breakfast and lunch.

Stay safe
Camden has a national reputation for its violent crime rates, which once ranked as the highest in the country, although there has been a significant drop in violent crime, with 2017 seeing the fewest homicides in three decades. Real estate analytics company NeighborhoodScout has named it within the top 5 "most dangerous" cities in the United States every year since it has compiled the list. In addition, since the FBI began uniformly reporting crime data in the mid 1980s, Camden has never seen its yearly violent crime rate drop below 2 per 100 residents. In comparison, the national rate is about 0.37 per 100 residents.

Don't wander past the riverfront and Rutgers areas along with the block of the Susquehanna Bank Center. During the day, the riverfront and downtown areas are safe, provided that you don't flash your valuables. The Rutgers and Camden police are also highly present. Approach them if you have any concerns. However, do not wander around alone at night. It is dangerous. The downtown area is nearly empty after the Court House, Rutgers University, and other major businesses close down for the evenings. Keep in mind that the drug trade fuels a lot of Camden's crime. Even if you don't experience violent crime at night, the police will be curious about why a tourist is wandering alone on the streets and you may be subjected to questioning.

The city is one of the poorest in the country. In June 2018, the unemployment rate was 9.8%, compared to 4.7% for the state, and in 2015, over 30% of households were living in poverty, compared to 10% for the state.

Go next
The historic, large city of Philadelphia is right across the river from Camden. Just take the Ben Franklin bridge or the PATCO high-speed line to get into Philadelphia.