Which suburb is (relatively) the most friendly, down-to-earth?

[mom9410]

Everyone on the board has been so helpful, so I think it is only fair that I give you adequate warning and time to evacuate because... we are coming to town!

We'll be there tomorrow to just start driving through some of the areas that all of you recommended and try to get a feel for them.

To sweeten the deal for the kids, I thought we would also stop by Central Park because it looks like they had a really cool playground. So, if anyone is in Doylestown tomorrow and sees a stressed-out mom telling her son "No, I don't want to watch you jump from the top of an eight-story castle!!" that will be me!

Oh, and about Jersey, I am not exactly sure what I am talking about either! Before posting, I tried to gather some information from previous threads. There was a couple threads that discussed the taxes in NJ vs. PA. I can be way off on this, but my interpretation was that the taxes might be higher in NJ, but to offset it, there is some kind of Philadelphia locality agreement that would give a break to NJ residents who worked in the city. Since we will get a NY paycheck, I thought NJ taxes would be higher for us than PA. Did I misinterpret this?

And, I want to thank you again for all your help. It is really appreciated!

[ooodsie]

Taxes are definitely much much higher in NJ than in PA. NJ residents do get a small percentage break when they work in Phila because not only are they paying high NJ taxes but also Phila city wage tax. But like you said, you work in NY not Phila.. so this really has nothing to do with you.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by ooodsie

Taxes are definitely much much higher in NJ than in PA. NJ residents do get a small percentage break when they work in Phila because not only are they paying high NJ taxes but also Phila city wage tax. But like you said, you work in NY not Phila.. so this really has nothing to do with you.

I was a homeowner in NJ before moving to PA. Had I moved to the Bucks or MontCo rather than the city my tax-burden would've increased substantially.

Property taxes in PA, Bucks especially, are not significantly cheaper, if at all, from those in South Jersey. NJ has the same agreement with NYC wage tax payers as it does with Philly wage tax payers. When I lived in South Jersey and worked in Philly I paid next to nothing on my NJ income tax.

I would really research it some more with a tax specialist. If fear of taxes is the only thing keeping you from NJ I would do a lot more research before dismissing it entirely. There's a lot of misinfo out there.

[ooodsie]

How did your visit go today? Yell at your son much not to jump off high things?? LOL

[bobsmith]

I don't know if anywhere in Bucks County could exactly be described as "down to earth", but you can't beat it for being close to both Philly and NYC.

[te622993]

Originally Posted by orrmobl

Wallingford and Swarthmore are the friendliest places I've house hunted. Next would be Media and Chadds Ford, specifically the Red Bridge Farms development...

I am biased, but I completely agree. I have lived in Chadds Ford/Unionville, and currently live in Media. I would love to live in Wallingford/Swarthmore (too pricey), and absolutely love Media. Everything from the Trolley down State Street to the tiny corner library to the Wednesday evening "Dining under the Stars" summer event (they shut down State street and the restaurants wait on tables in the middle of the street).