Chester v Bucks County or something else? (Philadelphia, Lancaster: rent, condo)

[Brazilhome]

Hi there,

I currently live in Ashland, OR with my husband, 1yo, and another on the way. My husband loves it out here, but I feel VERY isolated. Considering we will have two little guys, I would like to be closer to family and move back east. My family is in NJ (Monmouth County), but I think I've had too much of a good thing, and taxes are too high. I would be working in Philly, at least for a few years.

Here's what we like:

Walkable downtown, lots of restaurants, Main Street with town activities
Nature, open spaces, a house with land
Nearby College
Safe (duh) activities for kiddos
Commute- ideally 45m or less to Philly



When are you moving? Within 1 year
Where are you coming from? Ashland, OR
Why are you moving? Be closer to family, diversity, close to a city
Where will you be working? In Philly
Have you been here yet? Only Doylestown. Hoping to visit some more areas in the next few months.

Will you buy or rent? Rent first, buy shortly after
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? House 300,000

Do you prefer public or private schools? Public

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Live calm, nearby to amenities (short drive or bike ride), shopping

[Wells5]

Lots of thread on this topic in the Philly sub-forum. Example below.


http://www.city-data.com/forum/phila...wn-philly.html

[Mike from back east]

Moved to Philly forum, thank you.

[elipisk123]

I think that the towns of Wynnewood, Ardmore, and Haverford on the Main Line (string of suburbs, west of Philadelphia) seem like a perfect place for you!

Haverford College, a nationally ranked, top 50 liberal arts college with a fantastic 2.5 mile walking trail, beautiful observatory and arboretum, are nearby. It’s in Haverford, but is about 5-10 mins away from the towns of Ardmore and Wynnewood, and there are definitely town activities including numerous festivals in Bryn Mawr (which is 5 mins away from Haverford) or the next town over, has numerous festivals.

There is a wonderful downtown with numerous shops and restaurants in Ardmore and Haverford and the main street is known as Lancaster Avenue. On this street, there are numerous shops, and great restaurants. In fact in Downtown Ardmore, there is a revitalization and it is becoming more urban than ever before! There is a promenade shopping center, known as Suburban Square, that includes numerous shops and restaurants, including a wonderfully stocked Trader Joe’s, and other boutique stores, including chains.

Down Lancaster Avenue, you reach the wonderful town of Wynnewood. There are some regional and national chains, including a brand new Whole Foods, and the local grocery store, GIANT. In the shopping center, there are some delicious restaurants. Also, there is another main street in Wynnewood, known as City Avenue, with many chain restaurants and shops!

In fact, the downtowns of Narberth and Bala Cynwyd nearby as well, with cute artsy shops and restaurants, as well, and they are only 5 mins away!

In fact, the largest mall in terms of leasable retail space in this country, is the King of Prussia Mall! In fact, it is only 20 minutes away with all of the national store chains that you can think of under one roof, with fantastic restaurants. Also, about 5 mins away from the King of Prussia Mall, there is a new shopping center (town center) with a fantastic grocery store, Wegmans, and brand new restaurants and shops! It’s great!


But, how is the commute to Center City (downtown) Philadelphia? The commute is not long at all! In Haverford, Ardmore, and Wynnewood, the commute only takes about 20-30 minutes by car! Also, all 3 towns have an easy commute by train, and have a train station that takes about 25 mins, or by light rail that takes about 30 mins!

But, is it quiet? Yes, it is very quiet. Haverford is really quiet, and is near a gorgeous country club with pretty views, and is very scenic! Ardmore is a little scenic, and Wynnewood is a “tad” scenic.

But, how are the schools? Lower Merion schools are ranked to be some of the best in the state, and yes, even in the country! Haverford Township (the other township) which includes these towns is not bad, and still is top caliber! Taxes are a little high in Lower Merion, but the quality of education makes it worth it!

Please PM me with any concerns, as I live 10 minutes away from these towns, and know the area very well!

[Brazilhome]

Thank you so much for this! I will do some digging this evening and may reach out with some questions for you.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by elipisk123

Haverford College, a nationally ranked, top 50 liberal arts college

Top 10, thank you.

The biggest issue with the Main Line is going to be finding a single family home in the 300k budget. Otherwise, I agree with everything you said.

[phillytransplant13]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

Top 10, thank you.

The biggest issue with the Main Line is going to be finding a single family home in the 300k budget. Otherwise, I agree with everything you said.

Yep, agreed.

To the OP: If you're looking near the Main Line, I would recommend Haverford Township over Lower Merion Township. LM has an extremely competitive housing market and it's hard to find anything less than 300k, and what is available within budget would be small and/or outdated. You'll get more bang for your buck in Havertown and the surrounding area, and the schools are still highly ranked (maybe not in the top 5, but I've seen Havertown SD rated between 12-20 depending on the year and reporting website). Both districts are considered "top tier" in my mind.

[Brazilhome]

Originally Posted by phillytransplant13

Yep, agreed.

To the OP: If you're looking near the Main Line, I would recommend Haverford Township over Lower Merion Township. LM has an extremely competitive housing market and it's hard to find anything less than 300k, and what is available within budget would be small and/or outdated. You'll get more bang for your buck in Havertown and the surrounding area, and the schools are still highly ranked (maybe not in the top 5, but I've seen Havertown SD rated between 12-20 depending on the year and reporting website). Both districts are considered "top tier" in my mind.

Thank you. Yes, housing price is pretty important. Not looking to be house poor. I'll check out the schools in the area.

[Droop]

Forget the main line. A $300 house there will be a dump. Also, there is very little open space in the areas suggested and you said that is a priority. If the commute is tolerable, try West Chester or Doylestown. New Hope / Makefield would be worth checking out too but prices are higher.

Havertown has little open space but you could get a pretty nice house there for $300k to $350.

[Brazilhome]

Originally Posted by Droop

Forget the main line. A $300 house there will be a dump. Also, there is very little open space in the areas suggested and you said that is a priority. If the commute is tolerable, try West Chester or Doylestown. New Hope / Makefield would be worth checking out too but prices are higher.

Havertown has little open space but you could get a pretty nice house there for $300k to $350.

Thank you! That is what I am finding in my search as well. Glad to hear I am on the right track.