Follow up on potential move to Chester County, PA (Philadelphia: relocate, travel)

[mordana0]

Last week we posted a message regarding a potential move to Chester County based on my husband receiving a job offer in Kennett Square. We currently live in Fairfax, VA.

Well, we're back. Just wanted to post our impressions of the area after our short trip up there this weekend. Any feedback you might have is definitely appreciated!

We were able to visit pretty much all around Kennett Square in the Unionville S.D. It is beautiful there, but a decidedly rural area except in the town itself. Seems like a nice little town, but for a couple that have lived in Northern VA for 8 years, I think we've become more accustomed (aka we've been spoiled by) the variety of activities, shopping and resources of a larger town. There are some developments there, but we struggled to find one that fit the bill (newer single family homes, close to schools, activities and shopping; community amenities like swimming pools/community center, access to restaurants/things to do).

We had dinner and stayed in West Chester, really a nice town, seems to have a good mix of things to do while keeping its small town charm. We are Penn Staters and it did remind us both of State College, which we still love (though at PSU, students seemed to dominate the town much more than WC, we saw a variety of people of different age groups and many families - a good thing!). However, in our drive around the surrounding suburbs, we again struggled to find a development that met the criteria above, mostly with regard to newer homes within our price range ($550K max) with the amenities listed above. However, the charm of the town and the feedback we've received from the people who live there have us considering WC as a top choice considering my husband's potential commute to Kennett Square.

We also saw quite a bit of the Downingtown area. A nice inventory of homes out there in our price range, good shopping and we would still have fairly easy access to West Chester for things to do. The commute would be a bit longer, but I understand that traffic wouldn't be an issue. I also understand that there are tons of families like us (early thirties, small children) and the community is welcoming. However, the town itself doesn't seem to have much to offer, but again, its close proximity to WC make that sort of moot.

Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the areas in the Garnet Valley and Great Valley SDs, nor did we get to Media (which I hear is great as well for many of the same reasons as WC). I think those areas would be acceptable from a commute perspective, so long as my husband can avoid 202. We'll be looking at those areas a bit more online, but since we have little time (like until tomorrow) to make our decision on whether to move to the general area, we won't get to see those local areas until after we've committed. God bless the internet!

So, now we are struggling with whether our quality of life will increase if leaving Northern VA (cons: high cost of living, long commutes though my husband's is manageable, little community feeling/transient area, big city problems; pros: more jobs, many things to do, great schools, access to DC, still close to our families in PA). Anyway, enough rambling, any other comments are appreciated, it is now crunch time for us!

[ananyasavur]

Nice to know that you enjoyed PA - WC is a very nice place to stay, and distance wise, is great for Kennett square. I love the kind of activities that happen here - its full of energy and there is always something to do...
I have friends who come down to WC from Downingtown/Exton/Malvern/Chaddsford over weekends - as they dont have such a great downtown.
We saw Media before we moved here - We liked it, but not as much as WC - Plus dont be fooled by the low price homes in Media - their taxes are very high. Chester county has apparently, the lowest tax in the area - you get more for the money.
All the Best!!

[rainrock]

The only thing I can add is that we tried to warn you that Kennett Square although very nice and peaceful, is rural and a huge adjustment from No Va.

For whats it worth West Chester/Chadds Ford/ 202 is about the western edge of Philly metro.Kennett is technically part of the metro but it really isnt. Sounds like you did not get a chance to to travel eastward towards Media,Garnet Valley,Main Line,King of Prussia etc where most of the activity is and much more comparable to NO.VA.. Most of the area doesnt resemble Kennett Square, its much more vibrant as you head east/northeast/ southeastward from Chadds Ford.. Garnet Valley imo would probably be your best match of newer housing around $500k, newer shopping,newer schools- and it too is only 10-15 minutes to West Chester. If in fact you choose to relocate. Garnet Valley puts you midway between West Chester and Media.


Good luck with your decision.

[Pilot1]

If you want more traffic, shopping, hustle and bustle check out the Rt. 100 corridor from West Chester through Exton, Lionville to Ludwigs Corner, or the 202 corridor as others have said.

[orrmobl]

As a fellow Penn Stater (my wife as well), please feel free to private message me with any questions regarding comparable areas.

I have family down in West Grove and making that drive down Route 1 from SE Delaware County was brutal IMO.

I would move as close to Kennett as you can stand, as I have to wonder if the roads won't get more and more congested as time goes on, more developments are built, and more people move to the burbs for schools/quality of life and/or work...

Media is not State College charming but it is charming in its own right and you can actually stroll down town to shop at Trader Joe's.

If you are going to drive into West Chester anyway, I would pick Chadds Ford, Great Valley, Garnet Valley or Downingtown (slightly) schools as they are better - just find something on the border there or with a WC post office...

Moderator Cut: Competing site.

[twinmma]

We moved from the West CHester area to Northern Virginia (Ashburn) so we are kind of reverse. I love NOVA! But, I really enjoyed Chester COunty. You should look into CHester Springs. If Exton is in the middle, Downingtown is on one side of Exton and then Chester Springs is on the other side. (know what I mean?)
I know what you mean about the amenities...NoVa is great for that, but you should find some things in the new area as well.
Good luck. (Oh and we went to Penn State too, so we have very similar lives, lol!)

[bhill20]

How long does it take to get from Media to Kennett Square via Rte 1 during rush hour? If longer than 30-40 minutes, are there alternatives?

[orrmobl]

It really depends on where in Kennett and Media you are...I went to school with a girl who drove from Avondale to the Penn State Delco (up 352 from the Granite Run Mall) campus in half an hour in the 7-8 am timeframe.

But that was 20 years ago. So now I would estimate that that commute will take you about 40 minutes.

And there aren't any alternatives that I'm aware of.

[solibs]

Is there a reason you aren't looking into New Castle Co. in Delaware? I have in-laws who live in the Arden/Brandywine area. It's a little bit closer to K Square than Media, more for your money, and a lot more familiar to someone from NoVa.

Keep in mind that, while there has been a lot of filling in of the gaps over the years, the bones of the suburbs of Philadelphia are much older than in NoVa. I think the closest you'll get to a Fairfax is something like the area around Plymouth Meeting or King of Prussia (but those are too far from K2 and the traffic is terrible).

I would say go for New Castle or Delaware Co if you're looking for a suburban but close to town location (as opposed to rural). You should be able to find something just north or west of Media that satisfies your needs. The area north and west of Wilmington, DE is also a place to look.

I can't imagine the drive from Media or one of the surrounding towns to Kennett Square taking more than 40 minutes. It's only 18 miles and you'd be reverse commuting. Most people are headed in the other direction and once you get a few miles out from Media there really aren't that many lights.

A bonus to living in the Media area is that it's a half hour drive to Center City on the weekends (longer during the week/rush hour) and the train ride is always 35 minutes - there are stations in Swarthmore, Wallingford, Media and Elwyn.

[sbhubbell]

I don't think there are really any alternatives to Rt 1, depends on where in Media, but I don't think it would take more than 30ish minutes. Like the PP said, you're reverse commuting. There are a ton of traffic lights though! I personally would highly recommend the Glen Mills/Garnet Valley/Concordville area. Loads of shopping, still some good sized yards.