Help! Possible Relo to Philly -- need FAMILY friendly area

[Tone509]

Thanks for sharing your honest impressions with us. Good luck with your impending move!

[Sandi Lichtman]

South Jersey is connected to Phila even tho it is across the bridge. The commute is reasonable and you get more house for your money in NJ. Cherry Hill is a bedroom community with great schools, recreation program, shopping - and 2 choices for routes to Phila. You'll find good housing stock - you can find a 4BR house with garage and basement for less than in most Phila burbs. There are other great towns as well - depending on how long a commute you are comfortable with, what housing style you are looking for and what you want your town to offer. You might consider Collingswood, Marlton (aka Evesham), Mt LAurel (farther from Phila). Voorhees. Haddonfield, Barrington, etc. Your housing price will play an important part in determining which towns you should consider. Good luck!

[aristotlenova]

Thanks Sandi, and while we did think about the Jersey burbs, one big factor that you may not have seen at the start of this thread was that I'd be commuting to KoP everyday. So if we're not going to live in the city, being in the western burbs probably makes a ton more sense than the eastern burbs of Jersey.

[oc2nyc]

I might be mistaken but I thought it was better to stay out of NJ due to the high property tax, expensive auto insurance, etc. Is that true? Anytime we mention Jersey as a relo option this gets brought up. Just curious.

[Sandi Lichtman]

Yes - the real estate taxes in NJ are high - but it is not all black and white. I understand there are some fees in PA that are included in our taxes. ALso- if you work in Phila - then you pay City Wage Tax. If you live in NJ - you deduct a large portion of this tax from what you would be paying to the state. If you live in PA you cannot do this. Real estate taxes are a deduction - so the most important item is the monthly payment of your mortgage. It is worth comparing the housing, schools, conveniences and the monthly carrying costs of the various communities. Also - some people choose NJ because they want to be closer to the shore for summer convenience.

[silverspringer]

Glad you liked Narberth. It is cute and in my totally anecdotal experience seems to be a favorite of expat-DC'ers. I've met several who live in Wynnewood within walking distance. The playground is a popular gathering spot.

Since you liked Narberth you owe it to yourselves to check out Media. It's got the same small-town-Americana vibe, but on a larger scale. The restaurants are better too. It'll put you further from the city but since you are commuting to KoP anyway it's worth a look.