Need some info about West Chester, PA (Philadelphia, King of Prussia: cul-de-sac, for sale)

[orrmobl]

Center city is dirty, sometimes smelly, crowded and you have an element of danger that is heightened these days and never quite goes away. You pay wage taxes for the privilege of living there and more if you work there as well. Schools are mostly bad. People tend to keep to themselves at first and there is plenty of racism and classism to go around. I don't think this is what you are looking for anyway.

Wallingford/Swarthmore/Nether Providence is great, friendly, walkable, but no real downtown to speak of - you have to go to Media to find that and the Trader Joe's enables you to walk to the grocery store. Heck you could even walk a mile or less from Trader Joe's to the Acme at Rt 252 and Baltimore Ave. People in all of these towns are friendly and welcoming but I would say Media has a much older population while Wallingford and the like have more young families with a liberal, college town attitude. I really miss that atmosphere post college. Taxes in Wallingford are pretty high, due to the lack of a business district. That and its proximity to places like Chester, Woodlyn and other struggling SE Delaware County towns are the only real downsides. These surrounding areas are not as friendly or progressive so you will have to deal with poor treatment or the somewhat seedier elements in stores, fast food, the mall, etc...

West Chester is great, but it is so popular and booming that I think it has lost its small town charm, much like when middle class city neighborhoods are invaded by yuppies - the buildings might stay but the soul leaves...

[Pilot1]

West Chester and the areas in Chester County surrounding WC are great. Some of the best areas IMHO. There are small enclaves like Kimberton, and Yellow Springs just to the north near Phoenixville that are very nice. Like other posters have said the area has boomed and has lost some of its charm, but its still nice.

[pennylove76]

Originally Posted by orrmobl

Center city is dirty, sometimes smelly, crowded and you have an element of danger that is heightened these days and never quite goes away. You pay wage taxes for the privilege of living there and more if you work there as well. Schools are mostly bad. People tend to keep to themselves at first and there is plenty of racism and classism to go around. I don't think this is what you are looking for anyway.

Wallingford/Swarthmore/Nether Providence is great, friendly, walkable, but no real downtown to speak of - you have to go to Media to find that and the Trader Joe's enables you to walk to the grocery store. Heck you could even walk a mile or less from Trader Joe's to the Acme at Rt 252 and Baltimore Ave. People in all of these towns are friendly and welcoming but I would say Media has a much older population while Wallingford and the like have more young families with a liberal, college town attitude. I really miss that atmosphere post college. Taxes in Wallingford are pretty high, due to the lack of a business district. That and its proximity to places like Chester, Woodlyn and other struggling SE Delaware County towns are the only real downsides. These surrounding areas are not as friendly or progressive so you will have to deal with poor treatment or the somewhat seedier elements in stores, fast food, the mall, etc...

West Chester is great, but it is so popular and booming that I think it has lost its small town charm, much like when middle class city neighborhoods are invaded by yuppies - the buildings might stay but the soul leaves...

I have heard people say this multiple times about WC. I don't agree or disagree with that statement as I believe it depends on a person's perspective of a small town.

I personally grew up in a small town. Chicago was the closest big city & it was well over an hour away. In this town everyone knew everyone and everything about each other. I was not fond of being so far away from entertainment and the culture that a "downtown" atmosphere can bring. In WC, you won't find that everyone knows everyone. However, you will find that you see familiar faces at the local stores and your neighbors ask about your children. The downtown area is nice because you can go out without having to drive all the way to the city. It gives a closer alternative to Philly. Which is nice since my Hubby works in Philly so most of the time he does not want to come home, just to go all the way back to Philadelphia.

Now I must say I do love Philadelphia. However, it has made me sad to see how grimey it has gotten in the last 10 years or so. As one of the posters said, it can be so smelly, dirty and crowded....and that's in the great neighborhoods. You go into some of the "nicer" restaurants or even some of the "upscale" shopping areas and if you have a need to go to the bathroom be prepared to be grossed out. For me if a restaurant has a gross bathroom then I am done. I always think there is no way the workers are washing their hands & getting them clean in a bathroom that makes you feel dirtier after you have left it. Whereas, if you go to NYC or DC or Chicago in their nicer neighborhoods it is much better. I know those cities also have their problems. However, I am talking about the areas of the these cities that are supposed to be the big draws...i.e. Michigan Ave, Georgetown, etc.

[NomadGirl27]

It sounds like West Chester might be what we are looking for. Nice, walkable downtown, safe, good schools, CLEAN, access to parks, things to do around town, decent nightlife, etc. I guess we'll have to deal with having to drive to the grocery store

I do have some other questions about it:

My friend lives in Hershey, PA and she was telling me about some tax that she has to pay every year just for living in Hershey. It's at least $500 a year to be paid during tax time. Does anyone know if West Chester residents have to pay this?

Also, does anyone know where the best place is to find a place to rent in West Chester borough? We aren't going to buy immediately and we would like to rent a 2-3 bedroom in the downtown area. We've looked on places like craigslist (kind of expensive) and rent.com and it seems like it's just apartment communities that are located on the outskirts of town. We'd like something with a little more character and we want to be in the borough so that we can walk to the downtown shops/restaurants. Is there a realtor/locator/local paper anyone can refer us to?

Thanks!

[pennylove76]

I can't really answer your question about renting as I have never done that in WC. I can say that there is not a $500 tax that we pay. We pay just the regular taxes for the schoold district.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by orrmobl

Center city is dirty, sometimes smelly

????

Downtown Philadephia is one of the most livable urban enviornments in the country.Small sections could use improvement but the majority is absolutely flawless.I like West Chester but it gets gets completely annihilated in comparison to Center City.Its not for everybody but to define it as dirty + smelly? Thats woefully incorrect, take that from someone who is in Center City on a daily basis. Nothing else in the area remotely compares in categories of walkability and vibrancy.

Originally Posted by oormobl

Wallingford/Swarthmore/Nether Providence is great, friendly, walkable

Sorry but Wallingford +Nether Providence are not walkable communities they are auto oriented suburbs with two car garages + huge driveways sitting on a 1/2 acre of land. Even if they were walkable where are you going to walk to? The mail box? How about the train station that takes you to Center City where there are 750 retail/restaurant establishments in a 3 sq. mile area? The only retail establishment I remember seeing in Nether Providence was a Wawa on 252 past Brookhaven Road. Media + Swarthmore are very walkable but small and family oriented. Nether Providence/ Wallingford are Incredible family communities but leave alot to desire for young people looking for vibrancy and walkability.


Center City

[Morale Officer]

Originally Posted by NomadGirl27

My friend lives in Hershey, PA and she was telling me about some tax that she has to pay every year just for living in Hershey. It's at least $500 a year to be paid during tax time. Does anyone know if West Chester residents have to pay this?

Also, does anyone know where the best place is to find a place to rent in West Chester borough? We aren't going to buy immediately and we would like to rent a 2-3 bedroom in the downtown area. We've looked on places like craigslist (kind of expensive) and rent.com and it seems like it's just apartment communities that are located on the outskirts of town. We'd like something with a little more character and we want to be in the borough so that we can walk to the downtown shops/restaurants. Is there a realtor/locator/local paper anyone can refer us to?

Thanks!

I don't know about the tax, but I do know there are several places that you can rent. There's one apartment complex back to the south west of the college (I looked at a 2 bedroom a good number of years ago) and I do know that if you go a little farther out of town (south on 202 has a good bunch), there are a number of areas that have apartments and condos. As far as Real Estate agents, that I'm not sure about. I used a site similar to apartmentfinder.com (or something to that effect) when I was doing the searches. If you want a local paper, it's the Daily Local. Hope that helps.

[kelb]

pennylove, that is a great take on WC. We have a daughter at the university, so we have just discovered the town in the past year. It is one of the coolest towns we have seen, anywhere. We always have fun when we go there, and never run out of things to do. The downtown area along Gay Street is amazing, we just keep discovering cool new places. There is a coffee house a half block off Gay that is a throwback to the 60's, right down to the long table full of young Socialists smoking and talking politics up front. There are a dozen restaurants right along Gay with laid back outdoor dining. The housing prices are among the most desirable in the Philly metro, so that is a big bonus to those considering relocation to Philly. Do not overlook this jewel of a community.

[orrmobl]

Originally Posted by rainrock

????

Downtown Philadephia is one of the most livable urban enviornments in the country.Small sections could use improvement but the majority is absolutely flawless. Its not for everybody but to define it as dirty + smelly? Thats woefully incorrect, take that from someone who is in Center City on a daily basis. Nothing else in the area remotely compares in categories of walkability and vibrancy.




Sorry but Wallingford +Nether Providence are not walkable communities they are auto oriented suburbs with two car garages + huge driveways sitting on a 1/2 acre of land. Even if they were walkable where are you going to walk to? Media + Swarthmore are very walkable but small and family oriented. Nether Providence/ Wallingford are Incredible family communities but leave alot to desire for young people looking for vibrancy and walkability.

Here you go again. As someone who worked in the city for 8 years and has walked a good part of downtown, it IS dirty and smelly. The sewer smell coming from steam grates is overwhelming in the winter. The smell of urine in the train stations and L tunnels is also. And how about rotting garbage as you pass each alley? Give me a break. You probably visit the city by car and walk from the garage into an office building.

And isn't walkability and livability also determined by safety? If you can't walk the streets alone at night, doesn't that significantly curtail your options?

And, sorry, for me a town has to have sidewalks to be walkable, and Wallingford and Swarthmore do. I can walk from my house to the train. I can walk to the neighbors. My kids can ride bikes without being in the street or on a highway. This is what I mean by walkable. And Media is totally walkable and has some cool shops, bars and restaurants, Trader Joe's, Iron Hill Brewing.

And since when are small or family oriented bad things? Seems to me a good number of people on here are looking for just that.

I don't understand your posts - when I poke fun at Delco, you defend it to the hilt, now you're doing the same thing about the city. Contrarian is the word that comes to mind. But keep in mind, this isn't about winning arguments, it's about informing people as accurately as possible.

[NomadGirl27]

Thank you for all of your replies!

We are planning on visiting next month again to get a better feel for the area. Are there any other towns in the area that anyone can recommend that we take a look at? We are looking for the same type of place as West Chester.....walkability is a must, things going on in town (doesn't shut down after 8 or 9pm), farmer's markets, etc.

Also, is it common for people to work in West Chester borough or do most end up commuting to Philly and surrounding areas? I'd love to be able to live and work in the borough (and walk to work )!