Moving to Philly with 3 kids - Looking for decent school in urban environment (Philadelphia: real estate, apartments)

[chneve]

Hello,

We are about to move to Philly with our 3 kids and can't figure out where to look for/where to go... The most important factor for us is decent elementary schools (public preferred but open to private). We will also need to find daycare for our baby.

So far, here is the dilemna:
- University City sounds great as it is close to upenn; it is an urban environment and there seems to be many families. But schools seem problematic there. Penn Alexander is full for Kindergarten and we have heard not-so-great reviews about the other public schools (we have called the district and they were totally helpless). We have looked at some catholic schools but they won;t consider us if we don't fly there to have our kids tested.
- We have looked at the main line suburbs where public schools are apprently great but have found very few houses/apartments available + and we would actually prefer to live in an urban environment

Here are the details. Any piece of advice would be much appreciated!

When are you moving? end of summer of 2011 but I understand that we might need to start a lease before in order to get into public schools

Where are you coming from? from Belgium but we have lived 4 years in Boston and 5 years in Los Angeles

Why are you moving? Husband will be working at Upenn - I will be working from home

Have you been here yet? not really, just visiting a long time ago

Will you buy or rent? rent

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? either of those - budget is about $2000

Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? either way

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married with 3 children (6, 5, 1)

Do you prefer public or private schools? Prefer public but nothing against private - but I think we are too late for that anyway

Do you have pets? No

Do you want or need a yard? If possible but not neessary - proximity of parks would be nice

Are you keeping a car? probably

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? activity but not too noisy

What do you want to be closest to? not too far to Upenn (commute max 30 minutes) + close to decent schools - some grocery shopping, parks and public transportation would be great too

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? we like diversity but also want to be in a neighborhood with many other families around

Coke or Pepsi? neither, coffee and beer

[frankgn87]

Its simple really. Schools are not as good IN the city as outside the city.. Its that simple. BUT the Elementary schools are better then high schools in the city. Since you are set to living in the city, I wish you luck in finding a good school for your child.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

Its simple really. Schools are not as good IN the city as outside the city.. Its that simple. BUT the Elementary schools are better then high schools in the city. Since you are set to living in the city, I wish you luck in finding a good school for your child.

It's really NOT that simple. Especially not if also considering private schools.

I'm a big fan of Quaker schools, and just off the top of my head: Friends Select in Center City is an excellent school that's K-12. Also Penn Charter is K-12(a private school not a charter school despite the name), Germantown Friends is great and K-12, Greene St Friends is K-8, excellent and somewhat cheaper than the others. All in the city and all as good or better than any school you could find anywhere outside the city.

Also, if your kids can get into them, there are some very good public magnet high schools in the city. But elementary schools are crucial, since if the kids go to good elementary schools (public or private) and do well, getting into the good high schools is much more likely.

[rotodome]

For public elementary schools, the Center City elementary schools (Greenfield & Mccall) are both good, as well as Meredith School, which is a small catchment area just south of Center City in Queen Village. These are also some of the best areas of the city for an urban lifestyle. Be sure to check the catchment area boundaries before looking at real estate.

Also, pay attention to the controversy over full-day kindergarten in PA Schools who are facing some tough cuts in funding thanks to the current PA governor. This is an issue for school districts both inside and outside the city.

[Tangled Threads]

You may want to consider a close suburb for your first year since trying to find a good school situation in Philadelphia at this late date could be futile. If you are also looking for daycare in University City/Center City, you may run into problems there as well (price and availability). Once you are in the area, you will have the proximity and time to find a good longer-term solution.

Good luck.

[Angus215]

I know that moving to the 'burbs sounds painful, but it's a sacrifice that most of us have had to make at some point. does ANYONE really want to live in the suburbs? it's usually done for our kids and our jobs.

given the fact that you are coming from another country and you have 3 kids, it would be a lot simpler, and probably in your children's best interest, to just move to a suburb with good schools where you don't have to worry about figuring out a "system" and you know exactly where they're going to go (for free). almost all of the suburbs have good schools outside of philly. i'm sure you could find something within a reasonable commute.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by Angus215

I know that moving to the 'burbs sounds painful, but it's a sacrifice that most of us have had to make at some point. does ANYONE really want to live in the suburbs? it's usually done for our kids and our jobs.
.

we do!! Safer, cleaner, better schools and peace and quiet.. Who would not want that? seriously.. All the benefits of the city can be had with a short drive to it, if you live in the burbs.... all the benefits of the burbs *cannot* be had (even with a short drive)if you live in the city. We have lived in both and there is no comparison..

[FindingZen]

Perhaps consider Ardmore. It's a relatively high-density/walkable suburb that would be a convenient train commute (~30 minutes including a brief subway transfer) to University City. The train runs frequently enough on the weekends that you can come into the city and explore future options in UC or elsewhere in the city.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

we do!! Safer, cleaner, better schools and peace and quiet.. Who would not want that? seriously.. All the benefits of the city can be had with a short drive to it, if you live in the burbs.... all the benefits of the burbs *cannot* be had (even with a short drive)if you live in the city. We have lived in both and there is no comparison..

I guess i shoudn't have said "anyone". personally, i'd rather live in a place like center city or outside of the suburban ring completely (ie. in a more rural area). suburbs give you the advantage of being somewhat close to both of those and try to replicate aspects of both, yet you're not actually in either of them. unfortunately, neither of those are realistic options for me at this point.

in any event, back to the OP's situation, if you want good schools, suburbs are the place to be, and there is a wide variety within suburban philadelphia.

[orrmobl]

Philly is no Boston or even where you lived in LA most likely. University City is more like Watts than Westwood. Move to a place like Lower Merion (or the school district at least) and your hubby will have a 30 minute commute and everyone will be happier and safer...