Finding New England in Montgomery or Bucks counties (Philadelphia, Chester: 2009, houses)

[clapboard]

Does anybody know of certain towns in either Montgomery county or Bucks county that have a 'New England charm'? (Small town feel, colonial or cape houses, etc.) Thanks in advance.

[john_starks]

there are tons. i grew up in CT and immediately noticed that parts of the main line look exactly like new england. more like the classic colonial manors or ivy league town settings. i'm sure others will clue you in on the actual towns.

as for cape houses, you should head closer to the jersey shore. plenty of those too.

[carolinajack]

Doylestown, and Just NOrth of New Hope, along the river has that feel. not many though, it seems to be just spawl and bad urban planning in most places.

you will have to go to Princeton, Lambertville and Frenchtown NJ to find anything like back in New England.

I went to University in Rhode Island so i know what you mean

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by carolinajack

Doylestown, and Just NOrth of New Hope, along the river has that feel. not many though, it seems to be just spawl and bad urban planning in most places.

you will have to go to Princeton, Lambertville and Frenchtown NJ to find anything like back in New England.

I went to University in Rhode Island so i know what you mean

While I admit that there is a significant amount of sprawl in the area, there are also a large amount of denser, traditional towns that are more akin to New England towns.

I visit suburban Boston relatively frequently, and -- like john starks noted -- there is definitely an old world, colonial vibe on the Main Line that is very similar to New England.

Other areas that would qualify are Jenkintown, Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and Wyncote, along with plenty of others I am missing. In my travels around Boston, I have found that the suburbs within a 15-20 miles radius north and west of Philadelphia have a very similar vibe with relatively similar demographics.

The primary difference in the Philadelphia area is that there tends to be a lot more exurban development, which may skew the perceptions of outsiders not familiar with the inner-suburbs.

Don't give up hope.

[ooodsie]

Check out downtown Newtown, main street area of Yardley (Yardley Borough only, not lower makefield township part of Yardley), state street in Doylestown or New Hope downtown.. They are all great homes, older neighborhoods, walking distance to shops, cute corner stores, etc.

[bryson662001]

West Chester feels a little New England to me, particularly on the edge of town where newer colonial style houses have been built. I am not aware of anyplace in Bucks or Montomery unless maybe in the northern parts of those countys. Nothing on the main line reminds me of New England except maybe very urban places like Brookline or Chestnut Hill near Boston, although again Chester County near Great Valley has a little of that Conneticut woods thing going on.

[Sassygirl18]

Newtown, Yardley, Doylestown, New Hope as well as much of the Main Line.

[clapboard]

Thank you for your replies! There seem to be differing opinions about whether the Main Line. As a follow-up question: What specific Main Line towns are most reminiscent of New England? (walkable, similar housing styles, etc.)

Thanks, again.

Originally Posted by Duderino

While I admit that there is a significant amount of sprawl in the area, there are also a large amount of denser, traditional towns that are more akin to New England towns.

I visit suburban Boston relatively frequently, and -- like john starks noted -- there is definitely an old world, colonial vibe on the Main Line that is very similar to New England.

Other areas that would qualify are Jenkintown, Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and Wyncote, along with plenty of others I am missing. In my travels around Boston, I have found that the suburbs within a 15-20 miles radius north and west of Philadelphia have a very similar vibe with relatively similar demographics.

The primary difference in the Philadelphia area is that there tends to be a lot more exurban development, which may skew the perceptions of outsiders not familiar with the inner-suburbs.

Don't give up hope.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by clapboard

Thank you for your replies! There seem to be differing opinions about whether the Main Line. As a follow-up question: What specific Main Line towns are most reminiscent of New England? (walkable, similar housing styles, etc.)

Thanks, again.

Specifically, I would say most of Radnor and Lower Merion Townships, which encompasses a ton of smaller towns.

Here is a few pictures in both areas that I believe have similar feels -- primarily more affluent areas. These may not be the best pictorial comparisons, but I think they get the idea across.

Main Line





The Most Expensive Suburbs to Live In Now 2009: Pennsylvania - BusinessWeek



http://suburbanphiladelphiarealestat...23064537622405



http://www.mainlinevideoguide.com/images/ardmore-sign

Suburban Boston (Lexington & Concord, Mass.)



Picture of Traffic, Concord, Massachusetts - Free Pictures - FreeFoto.com



Alcott, Amos Bronson



File:Buckman Tavern, Lexington, Massachusetts.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

[momma said no]

Great posts and great advise everyone.