Moving from DC area, seeking 30 min door to door commute to CC, solid schools, artsy, walkable,diverse = pipe dream? (Philadelphia: crime, homes)

[Byrne6]

Hi there - first post!

We're seeking to move closer to my parents who live on Long Island. Trying to keep drive to 2.5/3 hours. Philadelphia's an area we're considering though neither me nor the hubs have lived there before nor do we have friends in the area. Eek! We're still pursuing though because it's closer than DC and appears more affordable than what we're confronting now. We've been perusing this forum though having some difficulty identifying neighborhoods that are the following:

Max 30 min commute door to door to CC (wee bit of flexibility here but here's the goal)
Affordable homes ($350-450k)
Walkable to at least some stuff (coffee, restaurant, park)
Solid schools
W/in 3 hour drive of Long Island
Artsy/progressive

Ardmore, Narbeth have been mentioned - and we'll definitely check out - but the schools seem very, very white and very low FARMS. We're white and middle class, but we're hoping for some more diversity, race and socio-economic, than what these areas seem to reflect. I grew up blue collar but my parents hustled like crazy to send us to private schools. They were doing what they thought was best but I was always keenly aware of the difference between me and the rich kids. while my kiddos will not be coming from the same place, economically, I'm still hoping to find solid public schools (say 5 -7 on Great Schools?) with more economic and racial diversity than what my searches turn up.

Can folks please recommend some neighborhoods that may fit all or some of the above?

Thank you!

Btw - kids are 5 and 18 months old.

Best,
Sarah

[chicagoliz]

Maybe Media or Upper Darby?

Also look in the NJ suburbs.

[Gerania]

not upper darby. the schools rate 2 and 3 and there's more crime than i'd feel comfortable with. check neighborhoodscout for stats.

[BPP1999]

Abington, Jenkintown, Glenside, Ambler maybe. All north/northwest of the city. Not hugely diverse but not as white as the Main Line. Perhaps check out Plymouth Whitemarsh and Upper Dublin School Districts as well. Maybe North Penn, too.

I just googled FARMS and saw different acronyms - what does that stand for?

[ElijahAstin]

Free and Reduced Meal Students, maybe?

Ambler Borough immediately comes to mind as your best bet. Door-to-door commute will be closer to 45-50 minutes, but since you want a relatively racially and socioeconomically diverse area in combination with your other desires, there's nowhere closer that really fits the bil. Collingswood, NJ is a possibility, but the schools aren't the greatest.

If you can find a home in Abington Township that is adjacent to Jenkintown, that can work, too. Jenkintown Borough is less diverse than Lower Merion and is a self-contained school district. Glenside/Keswick Village in Cheltenham and Abington may work too.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Byrne6

Hi there - first post!

We're seeking to move closer to my parents who live on Long Island. Trying to keep drive to 2.5/3 hours. Philadelphia's an area we're considering though neither me nor the hubs have lived there before nor do we have friends in the area. Eek! We're still pursuing though because it's closer than DC and appears more affordable than what we're confronting now. We've been perusing this forum though having some difficulty identifying neighborhoods that are the following:

Max 30 min commute door to door to CC (wee bit of flexibility here but here's the goal)
Affordable homes ($350-450k)
Walkable to at least some stuff (coffee, restaurant, park)
Solid schools
W/in 3 hour drive of Long Island
Artsy/progressive

Ardmore, Narbeth have been mentioned - and we'll definitely check out - but the schools seem very, very white and very low FARMS. We're white and middle class, but we're hoping for some more diversity, race and socio-economic, than what these areas seem to reflect. I grew up blue collar but my parents hustled like crazy to send us to private schools. They were doing what they thought was best but I was always keenly aware of the difference between me and the rich kids. while my kiddos will not be coming from the same place, economically, I'm still hoping to find solid public schools (say 5 -7 on Great Schools?) with more economic and racial diversity than what my searches turn up.

Can folks please recommend some neighborhoods that may fit all or some of the above?

Thank you!

Btw - kids are 5 and 18 months old.

Best,
Sarah

Ardmore is larger and more diverse, economically and demographically, than Narberth. I.e. there have been African-Americans living in Ardmore for at least a century. I'm AA and I grew up in the next town, Haverford, just west of Ardmore. My mother also grew in Haverford.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by chicagoliz

Maybe Media or Upper Darby?

Also look in the NJ suburbs.

The public schools are not that great in Upper Darby but are much better in Media.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by Gerania

not upper darby. the schools rate 2 and 3 and there's more crime than i'd feel comfortable with. check neighborhoodscout for stats.

We have friends in Drexel Hill who are very happy. Many of the schools rank much higher than 2-3. Many are 5-6 and there are even some 9-10s.

[chicagoliz]

Also, Ambler is great, although when I lived there, it was almost an hour commute door to door when I worked in CC. I lived very close to the train (the Ft. Washington stop, although we were in Ambler), and the building I worked in was connected to Suburban Station. Driving also took an hour, since there isn't a great way to get downtown. So, Ambler is beyond that 30 minute parameter set by OP. However, the train ride was very easy, since there are express trains, with Ft. Washington being the first stop after Temple. But if she really wants fast access to CC, Ambler isn't quite there. Although it's better than many other areas.

[narberthster]

We moved from the Arlington, VA and Washington, DC area and looked at similar areas and schools. It is generally more affordable in the Philadelphia area. Lower Merion and Haverford schools are well regarded, and there are more walkable areas near the train stops (Narberth, Ardmore, Haverford, etc.) We also liked Center City, and some schools may meet your needs. We find that the Philadelphia area is more family oriented (i.e., people with existing family in the area), and there is development, but not at the level of the DC area where new construction is everywhere. Good luck and feel free to message.