Birdsboro (Philadelphia, Reading, Norristown: for sale, insurance, houses)

[silkhair1]

Could you tell me about Birdsboro? I would like to know about the community, taxes, schools, geneeral things like that. We are relocating from the Chicago area and would like some information. Where is the closest train (town it is in) that goes into Philly?

Thank You!!!!

[Jeanie Beanie]

It's a kinda cute small town. It was formerly home to Birdsboro Steel Corporation, and the western end of town is repurposing the steel mill property into light industrial and warehouse business instead of unused blight. (but it's still a work in progress.)

The school district, Daniel Boone, is pretty well regarded. They've recently expanded the high school and a middle school in the district and the cherry on the top is a synthetic turf football field with super duper seats, lights, and landscaping that will increase taxes yet again. <Sigh> (My school district, so I'm entitled to sigh.)

Birdsboro is becoming a bedroom community of Philadelphia. My brother commuted to work in Philly for years - leaving at 5am got him to work before 7. Grueling. But the cost of living is MUCH better in Berks County. Taxes, all in all aren't THAT bad, houses cost less, auto insurance is less, and there's a slower tempo of life than closer in to the city.

Now, as to rail travel - we've been waiting for that for years. Pottstown had a rail station that closed in the mid '70's; the closest station now is Norristown.

The town of Birdsboro is kinda cute, like I said. It has a walkable downtown with a terrific library, a nice community center with a gym and dance/exercise classes, Alpha/Omega Players theatre group, three parks with playgrounds including two with Hay Creek flowing through for fishing. It's like a Norman Rockwell painting watching the kids on bicycles carrying their fishing poles to go fishin'. (Stream is stocked with trout in the spring.) Public tennis courts. Maple Springs Swiming Association pool is hopping in the summer. Legion baseball in the summer.

Six or 8 churches, two gas stations, a couple of banks, let's see: 4 pizza restaurants (none of which is a chain - heavy Italian immigrant population 100 years ago flavors the town to this day).

Housing in the center of town is heavily Victorian and generally very well taken care of. I LOVE the homes on Spruce Street and Walnut Street especially. Up Chestnut Street toward the high school (also walkable) are newer '70's and '80's homes and there are a few newer developments on the western end maybe 10 years old. You are a 5-minute drive to French Creek State Park - nearly 8,000 acres of wonderful forest and lake. You are on the Schuylkill River/Thun Trail - a rails to trails project that's this close to being completed so you can bicycle from Philadelphia to Hamburg, PA. Lots of deer, turkeys, foxes, possums, raccoons, and a hot spot for birds, migrating and otherwise.

Shopping nearby is a series of strip malls along route 422 that has just about whatever chain restaurant or store you could desire.

Birdsboro is great. A commute to Philadelphia, however, would be a bugger. Doable, but tough.

[silkhair1]

Thank you for all your help! I have no idea about the area (at all) and it is hard trying to find an area to focus on.

[Icy Tea]

Its a decent small town that still has some landmark remnants of the steel industry that was the backbone of the town for over a hundred years. The only bad thing I can say about it is that its prone to flooding and the water system can get knocked out in really heavy rains. There was a mansion in town for sale for a few million dollars recently if you have the money. It would be a great setting for a ghost story/ horror movie. Train service to Philly ended from the Reading area in the early 1980s but may or may not get started up again in 10 years or so.