Lively towns around Perkasie? (Phoenixville, Montgomeryville: for sale, real estate, apartments)

[perkasiebound]

Hi! My husband is from Perkasie in Bucks Co, and we are seriously considering a move to the area to be around family. We are currently living in Denver, CO, and we really love it here. It's hard to leave, but I think it would be good for my son to be around his extended family.

We're looking for a town with great schools, walkability/biking, and the chance to walk to shops, restaurants, parks, and bars. We joke that we are "looking for flavor" rather than the standard platter restaurant or pizza/hoagie shop. We tend to be more liberal than conservative in our thinking.

My favorite so far is Doylestown. I'm hoping to find a home rental, but it's not easy to find. So, my questions:

1) What towns do you recommend that are near Perkasie? We're hoping to be close enough that we can visit often, but not so close that my mother-in-law is pounding on the door in the early morning. Haha.

2) Where do you recommend I look for home rentals in the area? The only site that seems helpful is hotpads. It has rentals listed with real estate offices, but surely there must be somewhere to find listings from the landlords? Craigslist has been helpful in Denver, but not so much in Bucks.

3) If you live in the Perkasie area, do you find the drive to Doylestown and shopping areas like North Wales to be a pain? We've visited often, and I just get dizzy with all of the windy roads and commuting times. Very different from Colorado.


Thanks, and I really look forward to moving to such a beautiful area!

[loose cannon]

You're better off moving 15-20 miles up the rd to Montgomerville. Tons of restaurants and stores galore.

[JohnZ963]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

You're better off moving 15-20 miles up the rd to Montgomerville. Tons of restaurants and stores galore.

True, but not really "walkable" unless you want to risk getting mowed down by a car on Rt. 309.

[perkasiebound]

Ha! That was my feeling of the North Wales/Montgomeryville area. Great shopping, not so great on the ambiance or quaint feel. I like Costco, but I doubt it's nice to walk to it.

I guess I should clarify. We like to walk to independent shops, restaurants, etc. Not big on the strip malls and chains.

Where would you look for rental homes on the Internet?

Thanks for the input!

[JohnZ963]

Originally Posted by perkasiebound

Where would you look for rental homes on the Internet?

Craigslist may be worth a look, but it Bucks county rentals probably won't be as easily found there as they would in a more urban area. You also can try www.realtor.com which will have rentals that are listed by realtors. I am not familiar enough with that exact area to point you to anything more specific than that.

[toobusytoday]

I think Doylestown is a great walkable town, but pricey. Agree that craiglist craigslist: philadelphia classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events would be your best bet for rentals. Lower priced towns would be Quakertown and Phoenixville, both with revitalized main streets and good schools.

[perkasiebound]

Thanks for the input!

How would you compare Quakertown to Doylestown in terms of availability of restaurants, walkability, and the people?

[toobusytoday]

Doylestown is more quirky, artsy and upscale and Quakertown is more down to earth. Quakertown has several antique and second hand stores. A strange but interesting Farmers Market. If I could afford both, I would choose Doylestown for their unique movie theater, restaurants and stores.. Here's an example. Recently a new shopping center opened up in Quakertown. They could have put in a Wegman's and a Costco. Instead they added an Aldi's and a are going to put in a Sam's Club. There is a very nice park in Quakertown and a great library.