Small Family relocating from NYC to Philly

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by Ms_Christina

The only reason we go to Upper Darby is to go to the tower theatre. I always thought is was a pretty crappy town to live in. High crime and such. Cheltenham is actually pretty nice. I was at Cheltenham HS on 9/11 taking school portraits. Up until they closed the school the day was going pretty well. The kids were very well behaved and seemed to listen to their teachers.

Good luck. I loved NYC but really it wasn't a place I wanted to live for too long.

take a 2 bedroom, save up and you can really get a feel of where you want to buy and will have more money when you do.

Most suburban schools in the Philly area are pretty decent.

Good for you but your sheltered opinion holds no weight so stop giving it until you become more informed. I've been in this township my whole life, grew up in a working class section of it that had lost its industry, and even that part of Upper Darby isn't even remotely "crappy" or "high crime", let alone the nicer parts of the township stretching from Drexel Park all the way to Pilgrim Gardens (the majority of the township in size). The only part that could even remotely be considered that is the part nearest the downtown of Upper Darby.

Maybe you thought it was a "crappy town" because it isn't a town and never has been. It's a township that if it adopted a city charter would be not only one of the largest cities in PA after the big 2 of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh but also one of the most dense out of all of them. Unlike a place like Cheltenham, it actually has the infrastructure and features that make it much more like a city than a "town".

[Lenses & Lights.]

Originally Posted by UDResident

Good for you but your sheltered opinion holds no weight so stop giving it until you become more informed. I've been in this township my whole life, grew up in a working class section of it that had lost its industry, and even that part of Upper Darby isn't even remotely "crappy" or "high crime", let alone the nicer parts of the township stretching from Drexel Park all the way to Pilgrim Gardens (the majority of the township in size). The only part that could even remotely be considered that is the part nearest the downtown of Upper Darby.

Maybe you thought it was a "crappy town" because it isn't a town and never has been. It's a township that if it adopted a city charter would be not only one of the largest cities in PA after the big 2 of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh but also one of the most dense out of all of them. Unlike a place like Cheltenham, it actually has the infrastructure and features that make it much more like a city than a "town".

So Upper Darby's a Township? I've always thought of it as a small city. I didn't know that. I thought there were a few places named Darby like Darby Township, Darby Borough, & Upper Darby and the Upper being a city. What's the population of UD? Last time I've visited the area was probably in '03 and it looked a lot better and more vibrant up 69th St. than it did in the late 80's and early 90's.

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by BillyJacc

So Upper Darby's a Township? I've always thought of it as a small city. I didn't know that. I thought there were a few places named Darby like Darby Township, Darby Borough, & Upper Darby and the Upper being a city. What's the population of UD? Last time I've visited the area was probably in '03 and it looked a lot better and more vibrant up 69th St. than it did in the late 80's and early 90's.

Upper Darby is technically a home rule municipality but its official name is township because it's always been. Upper Darby and many, many other municipalities in that part of Delco broke off of Darby township back in the 18th Century I believe. Darby borough is the very dense and very tiny borough right next to Yeadon, and it's the worst part of Delco outside of Chester hands down. It used to be not necessarily nice but typical working class stable and safe before it first lost a lot of its industry and then got absolutely hammered by Floyd. Darby township stretches from Folcroft to Sharon Hill and Colwyn in one part and the other part is in between Holmes and Collingdale. Here's a map of it click Here's a helpful link that lists the municipalities of Delaware County. Delaware County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Upper Darby's population is about 83,000 officially according to the Census. You're right about 69th street. The immigrants really saved a lot of the neighborhoods around there and even UD, and whether people like him or not Chitwood also has done a lot to go after the dealers who plague certain neighborhoods. The major influx of people who aren't working class or middle class whites is what's really saved UD so far, similarly to the way it's saving other parts of Delco, parts of the Northeast, and even possibly places like Eastwick.

What doesn't help is when people who don't know the area speak lies about it constantly. Anybody who's seen Drexel Park or Aronimink or Pilgrim Gardens or even Beverly Hills and Highland Park wouldn't think Upper Darby is anything but a great place with some amazing houses. You can get a house there for well under $500,000 in Upper Darby (including Drexel Hill) that in Havertown or another more upscale area would cost over that.

[pgm123]

Originally Posted by UDResident

What doesn't help is when people who don't know the area speak lies about it constantly. Anybody who's seen Drexel Park or Aronimink or Pilgrim Gardens or even Beverly Hills and Highland Park wouldn't think Upper Darby is anything but a great place with some amazing houses. You can get a house there for well under $500,000 in Upper Darby (including Drexel Hill) that in Havertown or another more upscale area would cost over that.

Drexel Hill is a pretty nice area.

Btw, as someone who grew up in Havertown, I wouldn't say that it's upscale. Let's not confuse it with Haverford or Ardmore. Havertown doesn't even have a movie theater, if memory serves me correctly.

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by pgm123

Drexel Hill is a pretty nice area.

Btw, as someone who grew up in Havertown, I wouldn't say that it's upscale. Let's not confuse it with Haverford or Ardmore. Havertown doesn't even have a movie theater, if memory serves me correctly.

I said upscale because I didn't want to say "nicer" as I think that tends to give off the wrong impression that Upper Darby isn't a nice area or a great place to live. I find that when it comes to the way you word things to a prospective newcomer, it's better to be safe than sorry. Obviously there's a reason why the same houses are more in Havertown and that's in part because Havertown is in a much better school district thanks to it being a part of Haverford township.

Personally I'd say Havertown is middle to upper-middle class but it's a lot more varied than most middle to upper-middle class areas as it has parts that are even possibly lower-middle class to working class. I like Havertown a lot. It reminds me of Upper Darby given its access to the city, great public transportation by bus, and its housing stock that varies from typical smaller homes similar to those found in parts of Upper Darby (including the more working and middle class parts of Drexel Hill) to the amazing estate-like homes that can be found in Drexel Park, Aronimink, and Pilgrim Gardens as well as Beverly Hills and Highland Park. I think Havertown needs to do more with West Chester Pike and embrace the easternmost part's proximity to the city a bit more by building up that thoroughfare starting around the Manoa Shopping Center and going to the part where West Chester Pike becomes a part of Upper Darby. I personally feel Havertown's starting to really have something special that it didn't so much a decade or two ago when it seemed a lot less accessible to people who were different.

[pgm123]

Originally Posted by UDResident

I said upscale because I didn't want to say "nicer" as I think that tends to give off the wrong impression that Upper Darby isn't a nice area or a great place to live. I find that when it comes to the way you word things to a prospective newcomer, it's better to be safe than sorry. Obviously there's a reason why the same houses are more in Havertown and that's in part because Havertown is in a much better school district thanks to it being a part of Haverford township.

Personally I'd say Havertown is middle to upper-middle class but it's a lot more varied than most middle to upper-middle class areas as it has parts that are even possibly lower-middle class to working class. I like Havertown a lot. It reminds me of Upper Darby given its access to the city, great public transportation by bus, and its housing stock that varies from typical smaller homes similar to those found in parts of Upper Darby (including the more working and middle class parts of Drexel Hill) to the amazing estate-like homes that can be found in Drexel Park, Aronimink, and Pilgrim Gardens as well as Beverly Hills and Highland Park. I think Havertown needs to do more with West Chester Pike and embrace the easternmost part's proximity to the city a bit more by building up that thoroughfare starting around the Manoa Shopping Center and going to the part where West Chester Pike becomes a part of Upper Darby. I personally feel Havertown's starting to really have something special that it didn't so much a decade or two ago when it seemed a lot less accessible to people who were different.

I should probably say that I moved about seven or eight years ago, so that is a pretty lasting impression. My mom always hated it there (she's from northeast Philly), but I thought it was a good place to grow up. I'll also add that I was within walking distance to the Norristown high speed line, so that was a convenient way to get to Philly.

[Lenses & Lights.]

Originally Posted by UDResident

Upper Darby is technically a home rule municipality but its official name is township because it's always been. Upper Darby and many, many other municipalities in that part of Delco broke off of Darby township back in the 18th Century I believe. Darby borough is the very dense and very tiny borough right next to Yeadon, and it's the worst part of Delco outside of Chester hands down. It used to be not necessarily nice but typical working class stable and safe before it first lost a lot of its industry and then got absolutely hammered by Floyd. Darby township stretches from Folcroft to Sharon Hill and Colwyn in one part and the other part is in between Holmes and Collingdale. Here's a map of it click Here's a helpful link that lists the municipalities of Delaware County. Delaware County, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Upper Darby's population is about 83,000 officially according to the Census. You're right about 69th street. The immigrants really saved a lot of the neighborhoods around there and even UD, and whether people like him or not Chitwood also has done a lot to go after the dealers who plague certain neighborhoods. The major influx of people who aren't working class or middle class whites is what's really saved UD so far, similarly to the way it's saving other parts of Delco, parts of the Northeast, and even possibly places like Eastwick.

What doesn't help is when people who don't know the area speak lies about it constantly. Anybody who's seen Drexel Park or Aronimink or Pilgrim Gardens or even Beverly Hills and Highland Park wouldn't think Upper Darby is anything but a great place with some amazing houses. You can get a house there for well under $500,000 in Upper Darby (including Drexel Hill) that in Havertown or another more upscale area would cost over that.

Thanks for the info... Next time I'm in the city I'll have to make a trip to UD.

[tom_567]

Try Collingswood, NJ. You can rent a 3 bed rowhouse for $1300 near the train or back by Cooper River Park. Walkable, family-oriented town, walking distance to the PATCO train for 24/7 transit access. No Jersey property taxes because you'd be renting.

[UDResident]

Originally Posted by tom_567

Try Collingswood, NJ. You can rent a 3 bed rowhouse for $1300 near the train or back by Cooper River Park. Walkable, family-oriented town, walking distance to the PATCO train for 24/7 transit access. No Jersey property taxes because you'd be renting.

I'm not sure Collingswood would fit her criteria.