How's Delaware County? Any Good Cities There? (Philadelphia, Chester: real estate, apartments)

[8Kids1Cat]

Husband being relocated to Philadelphia...We went to PA yesterday and checked out Pottstown area....Don't care for it. Was looking online at some areas in Delaware county such as Marcus Hook, Aldan???? Anybody know if these areas are decent, affordable with good schools? I'm pretty much open to any county, within 40-45 miles from Philly as long as it's a good place to live.

Thanks for ANY advice!!

[lititzman2003]

Havertown, Springfield, Broomall and towns around the Media area are nice with good school districts. Aldan, Marcus Hook, the Darbys have some issues.

[SXMGirl]

Stay away from the Hook, Chester, Darby, Sharon Hill, etc. Media and the surrounding areas are very nice. Check out Swarthmore.

[knitwit]

Does anyone know anything about apartments in Lansdowne, PA ?
Thanks!

[soulsurv]

Lived in Delaware County my entire life Some neighborhoods have changed a good deal. I grew up in Springfield which, though quite nice in many areas, is now jammed packed with traffic.

Delco is a very old county and therefore has some beautiful sights and buildings. I would stay away from the waterfront and refinery areas such as Marcus Hook, Chester, Lester, Linwood,Essington etc. And Ridley Park, though quite beautiful in parts is going to be part of the "new" air traffic pattern.

I now teach Homebound students in several areas. Based upon my experience and from my general knowledge as a teacher for the last 25 years, here's what I think of the school districts (and the "productrs" they produce).

Radnor: Excellent

Wallingford/Swarthmore (where I now live): Excellent but with OBSCENE school taxes and 8% hikes this year.

Ridley: ( Ridley Park, Folsom, Parts of Morton and Secane )Average, but with great sports programs and huge team spirit.

Penn-Delco (Aston, Brookhaven, Parkside) Similar to Ridley. Average schools with nice community tightness for such a large township.

Springfield: Above Average

Marple-NewtownBroomall, Newtown Square) Very Good

Rose Tree-Media: VG to Excellent

Haverford: Very Good

Upper Darby: Tough call. Recieved some awards in the 90s, but very crowded with a city feel to it. Drexel Hill, part of the UDSD, has some GORGEOUS homes, though. OBSCENE Taxes.

Chester: Run as fast as you can. Has one of the lowest academic rates in the COUNTRY and has been plagued by politics.

UNCERTAIN: Chichester, Southeast Delco, Interborough. Can't really address these, as I've never taught in them.

[soulsurv]

I've also been watching our real estate very closely. The best sight to really dig into real estate is (broken link) . A simple registration with no obligation will give you the listings of your choice, many with photos and all with tax rates, a big issue in our county. Those homes which give a street address can be mapped, and the maps are interactive, giving you precise locations to Philly and other townships and counties. Check it out!

[knitwit]

My daughter is moving into a apartment building(one of four in the complex) and I am a little concerned about the property and wondering if the neighborhood is safe, etc. Would like to hear any pros and cons from former or present tenants of this complex. They are large Tudor type buildings. If anyone can give me some input I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

[williamter]

I live in Chadds Ford, PA for 18 months, and enjoyed my time there. I am however retired so I can't comment on the schools although I understood them to be excellent. It is about 35 miles southeast of Philly and on the border with the State of Delaware which is a tax free shopping state. I left to return to work full time in NYC.

[William shivers]

best places to live in delco are Chadds ford, Radnor, havertown, newtown square, broomall. Broomall and newtown square have the lowest taxes but the housing isn't cheap. Good schools, havertown and radnor are the best.

[cloudsillusions]

I have lived in Delaware County my entire life. People always forget to mention the Glen Mills/Concord township area. That is where I live, and it's really nice with a great school district (Garnet Valley). People always say how great Radnor is, but I think it's pretty much out of the realms of reality unless you're a millionaire. The best in my opinion are Springfield, Media/Rose Tree, Wallingford Swarthmore.

Lansdowne is a nice area if you don't mind sending your kids to private school.