My Impressions

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Hawaii4evr

What did Elkins Park used to be like? How was it not the place to be? Was it a bad neighborhood, or just bland?

I'm saying that Elkins Park isn't currently the "place to be" it once was. As you well know, it's still quite nice, but public school quality and property values/appreciation rates have slipped somewhat over the years, though neither are by any mean bad, and they've probably stabilized at this point.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

I'm saying that Elkins Park isn't currently the "place to be" it once was. As you well know, it's still quite nice, but public school quality and property values/appreciation rates have slipped somewhat over the years, though neither are by any mean bad, and they've probably stabilized at this point.

I think inner-suburbs like EP lost a little bit of their luster as people saw appeal of far-flung suburbs in the 90s/00s, but I definitely think that trend, for the most part, is over.

Stable, relatively walkable and transit-accessible inner-suburbs have much more appeal now, and I see towns like EP becoming much more valuable in the years ahead (particularly among Millenials who see access to the city as a major plus and are priced-out of areas around the Main Line, for example).

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Duderino

I think inner-suburbs like EP lost a little bit of their luster as people saw appeal of far-flung suburbs in the 90s/00s, but I definitely think that trend, for the most part, is over.

Stable, relatively walkable and transit-accessible inner-suburbs have much more appeal now, and I see towns like EP becoming much more valuable in the years ahead (particularly among Millenials who see access to the city as a major plus and are priced-out of areas around the Main Line, for example).

The inner Main Line didn't lose its luster during that period, but I'll concede that over on the PA side, it's the exception to the rule, due more to the power of perception and reputation than inherent differences in quality. There are more "grand" homes in the eastern third of Lower Merion, but the bulk of the housing stock in that vicinity is on par with Cheltenham's (though I'll add that being more convenient by both rail and car to Center City and emerging job centers further west undoubtedly helped as well).

Cheltenham Township's biggest stumbling blocks are very high property taxes and low home appreciation rates, in conjunction with a school district that's "good," but not "great" (and which some, who IMO are alarmists and/or closet racists, might tell you is crumbling). Glenside is a great village center and has the same potential a la Ardmore and Bryn Mawr to become more appealing to millenials if the right planning choices are made in the pursuit of more fully embracing their urbanist sides. Glenside is isolated in the far western corner of Cheltenham, however, and the rest of the Township would require more retrofitting in order to expand (or quite frankly, simply build) village centers that create the icing on the walkable, inner railroad suburb cake.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Hawaii4evr

What did Elkins Park used to be like? How was it not the place to be? Was it a bad neighborhood, or just bland?

Not answering your questions exactly but have you done any research about the Widener and Elkins families? Your town was named after the latter.

George Widener was one of the richest people in the country at the time of his death in 1912 on Titanic. There's the Widener Bldg in CC. Widener University. And the trolley network they created in the city was how both families became so wealthy.