ISO Diverse Suburb with Excellent Schools Near Plymouth Meeting

[JHG722]

Ardmore would be the 'black' section of town, yes.

[FindingZen]

Ardmore is the "black" section of the Main Line? While I'm glad to see more diversity come to that area, has Ardmore truly become a "majority-minority" town?

[thesixth]

RE: Ardmore- no it doesn't have a majority minority population; it simply has more of a concentration of AF-Americans there than the rest of the mostly white ML.

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by Tone509

Ardmore is the "black" section of the Main Line? While I'm glad to see more diversity come to that area, has Ardmore truly become a "majority-minority" town?

There's a for lack of a better word 'ghetto' section in Ardmore, which is predominantly (probably all) black. Ardmore itself is pretty diverse compared to a lot of the other towns in the area.

[JasmineFlower]

Originally Posted by Starchgirl

Hello all,

My family is relocating from Chicago to the Philly suburbs. We're hoping to find a community similar to Hyde Park in Chicago or Ft. Washington, Maryland in the 1980's (community was more balanced with African Americans, Filipinos and Whites then than it is now).

Thanks in advance for the advice!

I thought I would reply since I know all the areas you are talking about. First, I'd say right off the bat, you are not going to find a Hyde Park or Bronzeville in the Philly suburbs. The feel and the vibe is just different.

I personally would stay away from many areas suggested. Like Upper Merion, Chadds Ford, Central Bucks, and Great Valley would be a no go. I don't see those as areas with upwardly mobile black professionals. Many are also outside of the desired driving distance you mentioned wanting for your commute.

There are pockets of black populations in many of the suburbs, some having more than others. Like one that's not mentioned, but for instance, one that I encountered many a Jack & Jill member is Wissahickon SD. Same with Upper Dublin SD. Certainly not a large population, but one nonetheless, that would definitely hit what you are talking about in terms of the professions of the people in the area.

In the Abington SD, I would say, there's a great black community, but it may not be quite as sort of upper black professional as you want. There might be more, I'm talking about for the blacks, teachers or middle managers and less advanced degree professionals. They are good people, working hard to support their families. Are they all doctors, lawyers, and MBAs? No. Are there definitely some in the area? Most definitely. Its a great school district, better than most in the entire area and I would recommend for a good black community, a great school district, and good proximity to the city and Plymouth Meeting.

I would easily say your best bet is the area of Laverock, which is a split area, with most being in the Cheltenham SD and the rest in the Springfield SD. The Cheltenham SD, besides being a very, very good one, is also one of the most diverse for a suburb in the area. The Springfield SD is also a good one but the diversity drops off drastically as compared to Cheltenham. The area of Laverock, it has many of the professions targeted of people you mentioned. I think maybe the highest concentration. Now, there are also other areas in Cheltenham where you can live and still find decent numbers of what you are looking for, but in my experience, the Laverock area could have the highest concentration of what you're looking for. So, if you don't want them just to be in the area, but on your block, this is the area that comes to mind first.

If you have questions about comparing Chicago neighborhoods to Philly let me know, for the most part, I think the comparisons are fairly difficult.

[Starchgirl]

Thanks, JasmineFlower, for the great advice!

[orrmobl]

How bout Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy as well? You may be talking private schools then though. It all depends what you are looking for - more people like yourself or the best schools around. Wissahickon, Abington, Upper Dublin and Cheltenham are all really great districts. Springfield, Montco is futher down the list...

[thesixth]

Honestly, if you are only here for about 2 years, then settling into the Plymouth Whitemarsh school district could make a lot of sense. Your job is there, it is a good school district. It might suit you fine for the short time you plan to be here. Living in the same community in which you work can be great - save time, save $!