Living possibilites between Philly and Reading (Chester, Pottstown: apartment, to rent, townhome)

[MountainDewGuy]

I currently work in Reading. My wife is searching for employment. We are looking to move by the end of June (not much time I know). Without knowing where my wife will be working yet, we would like to find a place that would work for the both of us whether she finds a job in Philly, Reading or some place in between (more then likely she will find employment closer to Philly). Here are our needs:

Apartment (or townhome) to rent

I would like to drive to Reading within one hour or less for work in the morning.

My wife would prefer to take the Septa train into Philly IF that is where she is working.

We would prefer to live in an area where we can walk safely on sidewalks and perhaps walk to the grocery store or other shops. A bonus would be a park nearby that is within walking distance or a short drive away. We do not want to live somewhere that requires a drive anytime we feel like doing something or going shopping.

Prefer rent to be $1000 or less for one or two bedrooms, but we might be able to go above that if no other good options exists.

Some places that we think could be possibilities are Phoenixville/Collegeville, Glenside, and Exton. However, as we have not been living in the area for that long, we really don't know enough about other possibilities, so any help is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Tone509]

Glenside is in a completely different area than the rest of your choices and would make for a much lengthier commute for you.

The other towns you picked and virtually every surrounding town (except perhaps Coatesville) are comfortable places to live. Others may have more details about the walkability.

You may want to consider living within "kiss-and-ride" distance of the Paoli-Thorndale Regional Rail train. The string of generally affluent towns along this train route is known as the "Main Line". Not only would it be easier for your wife to commute into the city - assuming she does indeed acquire a job there - but it would be walkable to a major extent. Your budget should easily accommodate a 1BR apt. 2BRs may tough unless you find it through a private owner.

[pman]

Phoenixville and glenside are the only two walkable places on your list. Not sure if there's a grocery store in phoenixville but plenty of restaurants and some nice shops.

[Jeanie Beanie]

Yeah, there's an Acme on Starr Street a couple of blocks from Phoenixville Hospital on 23. Quite adequate.

Thumbs up to Phoenixville. Very nice town. (It's a quick drive to Regional Rail, though, which was mentioned previously)

[RockJock1729]

I've lived in Exton for a decade. The train makes commuting into Philly easy, and there are two stations in/immediately around Exton. But the rents will almost certainly be more than $1000/mo if you rent here, unless you live in a rat's nest or somebody's basement. If you expand your search to include Rt. 202 between West Chester and King of Prussia, you might find something that meets your rent budget, isn't too inconvenient to a SEPTA station, and still gives you adequate access to the highways for your commute to Reading.

And you're likely to be stuck driving a lot of places. Many of the little towns out here aren't as walker-friendly as one would like.

[Road_Warrior]

Phoenixville... I personally like Pottstown.. tons of Potential there. Still rough around the edges, though.