Where should we look? (Lancaster, Chester: houses, buying, elementary school)

[norm]

We would like to live in Eastern PA.. We are retired with no kids. Our needs are:

House price $250K or less
Near a major hospital
Near a large supermarket
Convenient to a major shopping mall
Good library available
Would prefer where the houses aren't one on top of another but not too rural.
A safe town.
A reasonable amount of winter snow fall.
Around a 3 hour drive to Long Island.

Could someone suggest towns that might be suitable for us?

[orrmobl]

Not sure about a major hospital or how close but I currently live 5 minutes from Brandywine hospital in Thorndale/Caln Twp/Coatesville post office Chester County and love it here. Also Downingtown is worth a look as it has lots of new senior housing, if you have any interest in that...

Otherwise you may want to check out the Souderton/Montgomeryville area, although I really love Downingtown and vicinity because it is so close to all the amenities, and Lancaster as well...

[carolinajack]

Ardleigh Ave in Chestnut Hill, there is a house for $229K we looked at on Saturday, though we are not interested in buying in philly, and we just got a new rental

check out
The Chestnut Hill Local google it and check out the housing. CH is mainly upscale and middle class professional families-with a real english style country shopping district, good groceries and the best public elementary school in the city-Jenks (if you're into Public run schools), and awesome private ones adn right on the forested park and an excellent library

[norm]

Thanks for the replies, I will certainly check those places out.

Orr,

We aren't interested in senior housing.

Carolina,

We both will be retired when we move so obviously we have no school aged kids. We also do not want to live in a city, just not too far from one and it doesn't have to be a big city.

Thanks again.