possible relocation to Philly (Philadelphia, Doylestown: renting, houses, neighborhoods)

[valentinb13]

Hi - I've been lurking and searching for a while - and finally decided to post.

My wife and I are thinking of relocating to Philly next summer (2009) - we live in Oklahoma now but are originally from NY (Long Island) - I've been researching Philly and some other areas - just not sure about the schools and safety. We have 2 young children and I am a school counselor and my wife is a registered nurse. My priorities for a place to live are:

1 (a). schools and jobs (for my children to attend and for me to work in) - I don't know much about Philly Public Schools. My wife is a nurse and a large hospital would be preferable to her.
1 (b). walkability - I really want to be able to walk to all or most necessities or wants. We still have our cars but we would really like to find a town that has amenities close enough that you can walk to. I know from reading the posts there are areas in Philly this way - I would really like to be able to walk to work (if I get a job in a school in town/neighborhood), walk for a coffee, the paper, some basic groceries maybe, have a park walking distance and mass transit stations nearby.
2. affordable housing. we plan on renting first then deciding after a couple of years - but I'm not sure what the housing costs are and if they are affordable. I've done searches on craigslist and other realty sites and it seems expensive - but I also don't know for certain what type of salaries educators and nurses make. Also, I like the old houses, with large porches and small properties or with a detached garage in the back (I think they are victorian style - but I don't know enough about architecture)
3. proximity to universities - I would like to be near colleges and universities - plus, culture which I assume Philly has plenty of (museums, historic landmarks, etc...)


Please - steer me in some directions. From what I've read some of the neighborhoods seem nice - just not sure how affordable (Media for example) and family-friendly (such as most of the Philly urban areas) they are.

Thank you

[ajb842]

I would assume, in general, that Philadelphia housing will be more expensive than where you live in Oklahoma. With the exception of some very undesirable places to live, or some place that are too far from Philadelphia, I think that we are on the higher end of the spectrum in many areas. While it is possible to get a small ranch in an ok suburb for 215-225K, you have to look. In general, Housing here seems to run closer to the 275K-325K range and above, especially if you want to be choosy about your location. As for jobs, I think Philadelphia has plenty of nursing jobs, I am a nurse myself, and as for education positions, the Philadelphia school system seems to always have openings. A few years ago they introduced a fast track program to becoming a teacher so I know they need them. Nurses salaries range, depending on experience and specialty. In GENERAL, myself included and all my nurse friends(we range from 24-30yrs) make 42-55K. This depends on shift, experience, location, etc. Nurses here are well paid and receive good benefits with strong incentive to return to school by their institutions. As for educators, while Philadelphia is always hiring, other school districts are not. I have a friend who is a math teacher in a Bucks County school and he makes roughly 65K. He has a Master's and is 29 so he has been teaching for about 5 years. I would assume a school guidance counselor would make more, if you can get hired by a suburban school district, which I am told is difficult.

For what you want, to walk around and have things nearby, you will have to pay for. However, if your'e willing to compromise, you could still have a home in very short driving distance to things, and maybe able to walk to a small grocery store and park. It completely depends on where you are. I would suggest, for walking purposes, a place in Philadelphia, maybe Manayunk, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, East Falls, W.Mount Airy. Out of Philly, check out Flourtown, Doylestown, Newtown, Jenkintown/Abington(some places). In these areas you can easily spend 275K-450k and above in Newtown, Doylestown and parts of Jenkintown and Flourtown.