Narberth (Ardmore, Bath, Penn: fit in, sale, houses)

[TFZC1922]

Tell me anything and everything about Narberth.

Found a house we think we like there, know nothing about Philly area... Moving from 2 hours north of Philly.

Maybe answering these questions will help me:

You'll like living in Narberth if...
You'll fit in there if...
The kind of people that live in Narberth are...
You'll dislike living in Narberth if...

Housing budget: We want to stay under $1million

[thunderkat59]

I love Narberth! It doesn't feel like any of the other areas around it. It has a real small town feel, for want of a better description. My Son lives in Narberth, close to the library, and its just a neat little neighborhood. Highly walkable, lot of amenities like a farmers market on saturday morning, local business, etc . . . I have no tolerance for cars and car culture, so my only complaint would be the traffic. But, that is anywhere in that area. Narberth tries to keep it down by using weird one-way street pattern. I think you will find something in your price range, but a million to 1.5 are generally the comps around the blocks Im familiar with. Good luck!

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by thunderkat59

I love Narberth! It doesn't feel like any of the other areas around it. It has a real small town feel, for want of a better description. My Son lives in Narberth, close to the library, and its just a neat little neighborhood. Highly walkable, lot of amenities like a farmers market on saturday morning, local business, etc . . . I have no tolerance for cars and car culture, so my only complaint would be the traffic. But, that is anywhere in that area. Narberth tries to keep it down by using weird one-way street pattern. I think you will find something in your price range, but a million to 1.5 are generally the comps around the blocks Im familiar with. Good luck!

That's on the high end even for Penn Valley. Although it's not the "bargain" it once was, $1mm will still get you plenty in Narberth itself.

Narberth is now an interesting split between multi-generational, working to middle class Irish and Italian Catholic townies and upwardly mobile professionals from a broader (though still mostly white) mix of backgrounds that are attracted to Narberth for the reasons stated by Lion-O. It's a fantastic choice.

[eastwestcoast]

Living not to far from Narberth, I can echo what other posters have said. It is a unique town on the Main Line, surrounded by Lower Merion Township but not part of it (although kids do go to Lower Merion schools). The area near downtown feels self-contained, even a little stuck in time (but not in a bad way).

For such a small place, it really has everything you would need on a daily basis within a several-block radius and retains many private businesses and small shops. It also is easy to access more typical suburban amenities in neighboring communities like Wynnewood (Giant, Bed Bath and Beyond, Old Navy, DSW, multiple restaurants) and Ardmore (Suburban Square has many chain retailers and downtown Ardmore has numerous restaurants and shops). Travel into Philly is fast on SEPTA's Regional Rail and driving is not too bad if traffic cooperates.

The one problem I have with Narberth is that more people have recently discovered it and you now often get less house on a smaller lot for your money then you would even in the expensive surrounding communities.

[Droop]

You will like it if you are white and politically liberal and like to socialize with like-minded people. It is a nice community but the housing stock is generally pretty dated. The only serious downside is small yards, aging homes, traffic congestion. Also, there is ZERO racial diversity. IF you are interested in living in a racially diverse area, this is the opposite.

The estimate of houses costing $1m to $1.5m is way off. The average sale price is in the $400ish range. A $1m home would be very much at the high end of the market. Penn Valley (frequently the same post office but average home around $650k) has more expensive houses than Narberth but it has a very different feel (i.e. more wealth and more spread out, newer homes, less walkable, etc.).