Relocating to Coatesville?? (Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg: renting, high crime, how much)

[DMBFireDancer3441]

We are trying to find a city in Southern Pennsylvania with a good school district and affordable housing. We are both teachers, so our salary is not much, meaning we can probably only afford up to $250,000. I keep getting a lot of results when searching for a home in Coatesville. What is this area like? The review on Wikipedia doesn't sound so great. It seems this is a pretty run-down area with some rough areas and high crime. Can anyone add anything more? Is this true? What are the schools like? Some of the new communities seem nice, but if it isn't a safe area and it is run down, I might want to avoid it.

Also, anyone with other suggestion in the Chester County area would be great. We really wanted West Chester or Malvern, but so far nothing there seems even remotely close to our price range. Where do the teachers in this county live??

[toobusytoday]

Did you check out SchoolMatters - Home ? I hear what you are saying about the high cost of living. If you are a young couple, I would suggest just getting an affordable small house or town house in an area known for good appreciation, save your money and build up your equity. There's no reason to think that your first house has to be your last.

If you do a search on this site you will see that Coatesville does not have a good reputation but due to the onward push of sprawl, houses are selling. Hopefully, the more people move in, the better the schools will become. But, right now, Coatesville schools are pretty much the bottom of the pile in Chester County.

[ScottyG]

My wife and I are in the same predicament, within the same price range ($250k). We have been looking for over 18 months. As far as singles in that price range, Downingtown and the Coatesville area are the most affordable. However the Coatesville area school district is terrible, if you have children, definitely factor in the cost of sending your children to private schools. You will have a harder time with resale; the house will appreciate slower and take longer to sale. The city of Coatesville is pretty run down and its better days are long gone, also if you live within the city limits, they add on extra income tax (I think it’s at 2.5%, whereas most other areas it’s 1%). Crime is relatively high and there is no real good reason to live there, as far as shopping, attractions, or convenience. The newer homes outside the city of Coatesville are nice, but generally have a higher property tax. Look for houses in Caln, East Caln Township in the Coatesville school district or anywhere within the Downingtown School District. Personally I think these areas are safe, convenient, close to Septa (the R5), and you can find a really nice house that is reasonably priced compared to the rest of the Northern Chester County.

Have you looked into Southern Chester County, there are plenty of affordable houses in that price range, Kennett Square, Avondale, West Grove, etc…?

[KristyLiz]

We looked in Coatesville a few years back and found the area to be not so nice. And, for what the taxes were on a new construction, I would want a nicer area with better schools. Keep looking.

[CHIP72]

I agree with everyone else that Coatesville itself is probably not the best location to be in that part of Chester County (it is an old manufacturing town that is an anomaly in southeastern PA in that it hasn't recovered well from the decline of manufacturing), but some nearby areas are considerably nicer and (I'd guess) have better schools, if they aren't in the Coatesville School District. I can't really speak to areas north or south of Coatesville, but Parkesburg to the west and Thorndale and Downingtown to the east are solid, decent areas.

FWIW, all of the towns mentioned above, including Coatesville, have decent public transit access into Philadelphia, if that is a consideration. Both Thorndale and Downingtown are served by the SEPTA R5, which has fairly frequent service to Center City Philadelphia, while Parkesburg, Coatesville, and Downingtown have Amtrak Keystone Service to Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and New York. The Amtrak service is considerably less frequent than SEPTA but not too infrequent (trains about every 1-2 hours on weekdays and every 2-3 hours on weekends).

[orrmobl]

I live in Coatesville, well the post office anyway, this area is more like Thorndale or Caln. And it is great as far as being wooded and pretty and all the amenities nearby. That being said, we're moving this year so our son can go to a better school district...We're renting currently and have been pleasantly surprised by the area but we can't stay because of the schools.

I would recommend looking at Downingtown SD or in closer to the city like Springfield, Havertown, Broomall, Newtown Square, West Chester and the like. You may end up in a large row home but it will appreciate in those areas and you can buy your dream house a few years down the road.

Also depending how much money you want to spend, you may be able to get a bargain new home out this way in the Downingtown school district....just make sure you ask about redistricting as it is currently underway and some folks who are in Downingtown will be pushed to Coatesville, wreaking havoc on their families and property value, I'm sure...

[bkofer]

I just relocated to W. Caln Township (Coatesville School District). I love the area ...and I looked all over Chester County but like everyone else has stated...I heard that Coatesville itself is a dump...though I have never been through it. I've also heard the school district is not all that great. The 2 most important things for me when I was looking were...the neighborhood...and I wanted a nice chunk of land. I was able to get both (1.5 acres) in a very quiet, country-like neighborhood. It's not new construction but a very nice home in your prince range. Good luck.

[nogglefish]

I have lived in West Caln Twp for just under 10 years. Purchased new construction in 1999. Decided to build our "dream home" in West Caln in 2006.

If we had children, and if we could not afford to send them to private school, I would most likely pick a different area.

But as far as everything else goes - I love it. We take the train to Center City Philadelphia each morning, and have since 1999. The express trains are great, and a fair value vs. driving and parking.

Living in the country and working in the city - at these prices - you can't beat it. This area also allows you to work in Delaware, Lancaster, or even Harrisburg due to Amtrak.

I would not live in downtown Coatesville, but I have never been afraid. That might be because I work in an even larger city, or that I tutored at a very rough high school during college. But Coatesville is not nearly as dangerous as many people think. I have a number of friends in law enforcement - and while they would not suggest you walk around past midnight on a few blocks, they are not warning me to stay out of town.

Good luck with your move.

[orrmobl]

Originally Posted by nogglefish

I have lived in West Caln Twp for just under 10 years. Purchased new construction in 1999. Decided to build our "dream home" in West Caln in 2006.

If we had children, and if we could not afford to send them to private school, I would most likely pick a different area.

But as far as everything else goes - I love it. We take the train to Center City Philadelphia each morning, and have since 1999. The express trains are great, and a fair value vs. driving and parking.

Living in the country and working in the city - at these prices - you can't beat it. This area also allows you to work in Delaware, Lancaster, or even Harrisburg due to Amtrak.

I would not live in downtown Coatesville, but I have never been afraid. That might be because I work in an even larger city, or that I tutored at a very rough high school during college. But Coatesville is not nearly as dangerous as many people think. I have a number of friends in law enforcement - and while they would not suggest you walk around past midnight on a few blocks, they are not warning me to stay out of town.

Good luck with your move.

Exactly how I feel about the area. Any private school suggestions in case we end up staying longer?

[abbmac]

Originally Posted by ScottyG

Have you looked into Southern Chester County, there are plenty of affordable houses in that price range, Kennett Square, Avondale, West Grove, etc…?

I assure you this is not true. Trust me, if there were single family homes in this area for that price, I would have snapped one up.