Do you prefer Wallingford/Media/Swarthmore or the main line? (Chester: real estate, homes)

[gophils09]

Just curious what the general consensus is. While I agree both areas have gorgeous homes, I tend to prefer the main line because it's a continuous string of good neighborhoods as opposed to Wallingford, Swarthmore, & Media which seem to be more isolated communities. What do you guys think?

[mi26]

The main line has bad pockets as well. Every area does. Your best bet is to get a realtor and go look at homes in every area. It never hurts to look. All of the areas you have posted about you won't go wrong in. I think a lot of people put too much stress into the areas. As long as you're not buying in Chester you will be good. Each school is teaching the same things for the most part anyway.

I will tell you the people on the main line are definitely different than everywhere else. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's a different taste.

[mancat100]

I prefer Wallingford/Swarthmore/Media. The residents seem less impressed with themselves.

[gophils09]

Mancat I actually feel the opposite! I respect your opinion but I feel like the main liners are actually less impressed with themselves considering that they are (mostly) surrounded by other wealthy people. Since Swarthmore and Wallingford border fairly average towns (in comparison) I feel that they are more inclined to show off their wealth. Of course, these are very broad generalizations and not meant to offend.

[cpomp]

I agree with gophils09 that there does seem to be just as much I guess pretentious behavior in both areas. But I prefer the Media/Swarthmore area. First, both have great little downtowns especially Media, there just seems to be more a community atmosphere in these areas as well, with parks and recreation and swim clubs everywhere you go. And it just feels more relaxed. The main line for the most part is centered around route 30 which is terrible and overly congested.

But I love both areas a lot, I just pick Media, of course.

[mancat100]

Originally Posted by gophils09

Mancat I actually feel the opposite! I respect your opinion but I feel like the main liners are actually less impressed with themselves considering that they are (mostly) surrounded by other wealthy people. Since Swarthmore and Wallingford border fairly average towns (in comparison) I feel that they are more inclined to show off their wealth. Of course, these are very broad generalizations and not meant to offend.

I'm just going by the people I've personally known from both areas. I've liked the Swarthmore and Media people without exception. The Main Liners can take their noblesse oblige and stick it up their bleached you-know-whats. Plus my experience with the super aggressive shoppers at the Wynnewood Giant doesn't help my impressions of the population.

Perhaps, in aggregate, you're correct.

[LHM]

Originally Posted by gophils09

Just curious what the general consensus is. While I agree both areas have gorgeous homes, I tend to prefer the main line because it's a continuous string of good neighborhoods as opposed to Wallingford, Swarthmore, & Media which seem to be more isolated communities. What do you guys think?

Depends on what part of the mainline you are talking about. The mainline is a huge area, stretching from Bala all the way out to Malvern... and while there are some gorgeous areas there, there are also some dumpy ones.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by gophils09

Just curious what the general consensus is. While I agree both areas have gorgeous homes, I tend to prefer the main line because it's a continuous string of good neighborhoods as opposed to Wallingford, Swarthmore, & Media which seem to be more isolated communities. What do you guys think?

The Main Line is considered more prestigious and comes at a greater cost premium, in some ways justified, in others not so much. As far as my personal opinion goes, while I think the Media-Swarthmore-Wallingford corridor is very nice, I like the fact that the Main Line has a long, more-or-less contiguous string of charming village centers, with post-war suburban infill off to the side (as opposed to three separate charming village centers surrounded by post-war suburban infill at all sides) though the suburban infill in both cases tends to be what I would consider tasteful custom construction.

Originally Posted by mi26

The main line has bad pockets as well. Every area does. Your best bet is to get a realtor and go look at homes in every area. It never hurts to look. All of the areas you have posted about you won't go wrong in. I think a lot of people put too much stress into the areas. As long as you're not buying in Chester you will be good. Each school is teaching the same things for the most part anyway.

If by "bad" you mean "dangerous," I couldn't disagree more. If by "bad" you mean "aesthetically unpleasing," I do agree. Some parts of Ardmore, Route 30 Bryn Mawr, Belmont Hills and a (small) slice of Narberth are a bit worse for the wear, especially given the real estate prices.

Originally Posted by mi26

I will tell you the people on the main line are definitely different than everywhere else. Not that it's a bad thing, but it's a different taste.

I vehemently disagree with this. Correcting for socio-economic background, your typical Main Liner isn't really any different than someone from Media-Swarthmore-Wallingford or any other upwardly mobile suburban corridor, though because the Main Line has a bit more wealth, you will see a bit more wealth-based pretension.

Originally Posted by mancat100

I prefer Wallingford/Swarthmore/Media. The residents seem less impressed with themselves.

See above. Maybe one in five Main Liners embody the negative stereotype--a persistently annoying minority for sure, but a group that never really bothered me because (1) they're easily avoided, and (2) I can laugh it off when I do come across them.

Originally Posted by gophils09

Mancat I actually feel the opposite! I respect your opinion but I feel like the main liners are actually less impressed with themselves considering that they are (mostly) surrounded by other wealthy people. Since Swarthmore and Wallingford border fairly average towns (in comparison) I feel that they are more inclined to show off their wealth. Of course, these are very broad generalizations and not meant to offend.

I don't find your typical wealthy Main Liner any more or less showy than any other group of wealthy people. The Main Line's archetypal "crusty blueblood stereotype" (whether "genuine old money" or "new money wannabe") comes across as ironically pretentious in its bass-ackwards attempt to belie pretension. It's a different breed of annoying from the "flashy, tacky nouveau riche" stereotype (less common on the Main Line though still found to a modest extent), but both are annoying all the same.

Originally Posted by cpomp

I agree with gophils09 that there does seem to be just as much I guess pretentious behavior in both areas. But I prefer the Media/Swarthmore area. First, both have great little downtowns especially Media, there just seems to be more a community atmosphere in these areas as well, with parks and recreation and swim clubs everywhere you go. And it just feels more relaxed. The main line for the most part is centered around route 30 which is terrible and overly congested.

It's a tradeoff. The Main Line has more contiguous charming, walkable village centers, and as a result is more crowded among its main thoroughfares. The Media Area has fewer charming, walkable village centers, but is less congested as a result. I don't see it being any more "relaxed" or having more of a "community atmosphere" though mabye there's something you can point to that I'm missing?

Originally Posted by cpomp

But I love both areas a lot, I just pick Media, of course.

Same, just as I pick the Main Line.

Originally Posted by mancat100

I'm just going by the people I've personally known from both areas. I've liked the Swarthmore and Media people without exception. The Main Liners can take their noblesse oblige and stick it up their bleached you-know-whats.

.....

Originally Posted by mancat100

Plus my experience with the super aggressive shoppers at the Wynnewood Giant doesn't help my impressions of the population.

LOLOLOLOL sounds like your issue is with stereotypical Jews. Cherry Hill-Voorhees, Upper Dublin, Northampton, etc. are just as "bad" in that regard (notice you said the Wynnewood Giant and not the Wayne Giant).

Originally Posted by LHM

Depends on what part of the mainline you are talking about. The mainline is a huge area, stretching from Bala all the way out to Malvern... and while there are some gorgeous areas there, there are also some dumpy ones.

More gorgeous than dumpy, though I agree there are some less attractive parts.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by mancat100

I'm just going by the people I've personally known from both areas. I've liked the Swarthmore and Media people without exception. The Main Liners can take their noblesse oblige and stick it up their bleached you-know-whats. Plus my experience with the super aggressive shoppers at the Wynnewood Giant doesn't help my impressions of the population.

Perhaps, in aggregate, you're correct.

That is hilariously sad. We're probably just upset at how crappy that Giant is.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

It's a tradeoff. The Main Line has more contiguous charming, walkable village centers, and as a result is more crowded among its main thoroughfares. The Media Area has fewer charming, walkable village centers, but is less congested as a result. I don't see it being any more "relaxed" or having more of a "community atmosphere" though mabye there's something you can point to that I'm missing?


Same, just as I pick the Main Line.

I think having the Tyler Aboretum and Ridley Creek State Park and Linvilla Orchards is where I am coming from. It just provides a more low key countryside feel, not every piece of land is developed like in lower merion, there seems to be much more open space in parts of the Media area. And between Media, Swarthmore, Aston, Middletown and surrounding there are so many little festivals and community gatherings and activities for kids and families, it makes for a real nice community atmosphere. Its obviously present in lower merion, just not on the same level. I feel that in much of lower merion many people just happen to live near eachother, whereas much of media/swarthmore people are more than just neighbors.