Pottstown, PA Info Needed, Thanks! (Lancaster, Norristown: real estate, crime, buying a house)

[jewels8]

My husband and I are curious about Pottstown as we are looking into buying a house. We can't believe how affordable the prices in Pottstown are (makes me wonder why)! We are not familiar with the area. We appreciate any help and info such as crime, safety, schools, neighborhoods, restaurants, things to do, etc. Thanks so much!

[KoZmiC NinJa]

There is a reason why real estate is so cheap
and abundant in Pottstown.
You dont say where you are moving from but there is
a good chance statistically, Pottstown would be a step
down from where you are coming from. Not trying to be
overly negative, just realistic.

[Will Kelly]

In one simple statement:

You get what you pay for!

[curious_rob]

Hey jewels8 let me really tell you what pottstown is like being that I'm from here. I'd say its pretty small I'd say but we have surrounding towns that have diffrent names like pottsgrove, Coventry Stowe but are considerd pottstown which make it a lil bigger but the crime is low not too many killings about 4 to 6 a year its usally drug related which all goes on in one spot of town which is the middle. Where there is nothing anyway the schooling is not the best if were talking about pottstown high but pottsgrove Owen j Roberts and St pius which is a private school are all good schools the safety is great you don't have to worry about being bothered or nothing like that if your not involved with the middle of town the houses you may see as cheap may be a house that is in a bad spot but if your looking at the north side its peace and quiet along with the east side the west and south side are not as nice well just mail me if you have any more concerns or questions ill tell all

[TruthBeTold2U]

Hi Jewels *8, I moved to the north end of Pottstown, near New Hanover and Gilbertsville in February of this year, and let me tell yoou, coming from SC I found the housing to be ridiculous in PA, but Pottstown was a bit more realisitc for our purse. There is little to do in Pottstown and I have found that the population is mostly 70 year olds. As for things to do, there are mainly diners to eat at, if you like that sort of thing, but the quality of them is not good. I have been unable to find work within 20 miles and 20 miles seems to be the distance we have to travel to shop, eat, or sight see. If peace and quiet country life is what you are searching for, then this is the place to come. For a family who likes to be near restaurants or the movies, or wants entertainment of most sorts, this is not where you want to be. If it had not been for the price of homes in this area, we would have gone elsewhere, and once I find a job nearby, I hope to move closer in near King of Prussia, perhaps. PA is expensive on a while when you come from the south, so be prepared and if you have any gold bars, bring them along,,,as you will need them!

[oliver0729]

yes the housing is incredibly reasonable and taxes are better then moving west into berks county with the outrageous douglassville area however as someone before said, there is not much in pottstown to do. the other problem is the closer to KOP you move, the more money you will pay. there are some restraunts (chains) going in limerick (5-10 minutes) and more in collegeville (10-15 minutes). the location is nice because you can go to exton or kop for shopping, both are nice and not much difference between drives.

the schools in pottstown are ok, not great at all. pottsgrove is better, but somehow makes the news because of stupid kids calling in bomb threats. there are a few good private schools in the area and i heard catholic schools around here and good as well (have not looked into these)

[tjs41973]

Pottstown is a decent place to live in that it is affordable. We have been here 5 years and have made many neighborly friends. We have joined Historic Pottstown Neighborhood Assoc, and The Elks Club. They are trying to revitalize the downtown, which has beautiful architecture. There are some urban issues, due to slum lords, and the flux of temporary residents=transient types coming from Norristown and Philly. However, The key is to be involved in your neighborhood, and the schools, and it will all be fine.

[DESGNRDIVA]

I live in the North End of Pottstown and I agree that it is the nicer and quieter side of town. We do have a mall and movie theater, downtown is trying to revitalize and has an art gallery (real art, not Thomas Kincaid-ish mass produced schlock) some antique stores and a farmer's market. A lot of the industry is gone and nowadays the biggest employer is the Medical Center. THe elementary schools are excellent and I have been satisfied with the middle school and so far, the high school. My child is even a special needs student and has had no problems with other children. If you are involved, the teachers will bend over backwards for you. The schools enforce a no tolerance for bullying policy. The Hill School, which is a private school also hosts activites in their art gallery and theater. There are also alot of historic buildings and sites in the area. Valley Forge Park is about 1/2 hour away, but in Pottstown is Pottsgrove Manor, up the highway a bit is Daniel Boone Homestead, Peter Wentz Homestead is further east, and Lancaster is about an hour's drive. THere are things to do here if you are ambitious enough to search them out.

[BPP1999]

Believe it or not, 3 of Donald Trump's kids went to the Hill School.

[leighland]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

Believe it or not, 3 of Donald Trump's kids went to the Hill School.

Thats weird. With Trumps personality, I'm surprised he didn't ship them to a boarding school in Switzerland!