Can anyone provide information about Drexel Hill?

[RSign]

When we were looking at houses, there were a couple of nice ones with huge yards in the Scenic Hill section of springfield. Really cute, quiet neighborhood too.

[templeu]

Thanks for all the replies. We actually hadn't thought about Springfield. I just looked and there may be a house or two that match our criteria.

We originally looked broadly and considered places like Jenkintown/Elkins park, but the commute + property taxes resulted in us crossing them off the list. (Elkins Park to Camden wouldn't be all that fun). We live in the NW section of Phila now (Chestnut Hill). The inventory is pretty low at the moment. We really like the vibe of West Mount Airy - but because my husband's job is in NJ, he wouldn't have to pay the wage tax if we moved out of the city (I pay it regardless least 9 months out of the year being a Temple Prof). Moving to the burbs is a bit appealing so we can get his 4% back. Plus, the property taxes in WMA aren't all that much different from places like Media and Marple.

I do agree, Middletown...especially near Linvilla is cute and peaceful. We aren't pressed for time, so we may just wait out and see if a few of the houses there that we like (the one in particular has a gunite pool!) come down in price before sacrificing on acreage and looking at Drexel Hill. We're finding every neighborhood as drawbacks and benefits. I think we'll be going out next week to see properties in Drexel Hill and Springfield to see how we feel about them in comparison to how we felt about a few of the Media homes. If we could just get an acre downtown life would be perfect.

[templeu]

We visited Aronimink. It was nice, but probably not the right fit. The house we put an offer in in Middletown just isn't panning out.

As someone suggested here, we're heading over to NJ at the end of the week to check out Westmont as well as Haddon Heights. We're particularly interested in the former neighborhood as it has homes that are walkable to Collingswood's town area. 15 minutes to work wouldn't be bad either.

[AKR27540]

I'd take another look at Springfield, it's a large area with many older homes that are at great prices with decent size lots. With your budget, you could easily buy what you're looking for and have money left over to upgrade if needed. The school district is more than decent and you're convenient to everything you could possibly need.

[templeu]

It looks like we'll be purchasing a home in the Haddon Township (near Haddonfield) section of NJ. We compromised some on taxes (although, Drexel Hill taxes were actually higher, and Media taxes were only about $2K lower) and lot size, but the community is great, lots of shops and restaurants in Haddonfield (< 1 mile from our soon to be house) and Collingswood (about 1.5 miles from the home). Also should be a much easier commute to both our jobs, and a quick drive/patco ride over to downtown Phila.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by templeu

It looks like we'll be purchasing a home in the Haddon Township (near Haddonfield) section of NJ. We compromised some on taxes (although, Drexel Hill taxes were actually higher, and Media taxes were only about $2K lower) and lot size, but the community is great, lots of shops and restaurants in Haddonfield (< 1 mile from our soon to be house) and Collingswood (about 1.5 miles from the home). Also should be a much easier commute to both our jobs, and a quick drive/patco ride over to downtown Phila.

Congrats templeu and thanks for coming back to share your decision with us. Welcome to the Philly metro!

[chessimprov]

Originally Posted by Tone509

I use to live in Upper Darby, just blocks away from Drexel Hill from the mid-90's to about 2002.. . .

From my observation, Upper Darby High School was as socioeconomically diverse as any suburban high school that I've seen. Whether or not you see that as a positive, it does seem like a fair amount of neighborhood parents choose to invest in sending their kids to the parochial schools down the street. Visiting with the UDHS principal would probably help you in your decision.

I say if the price is right and you're prepared to pay the taxes, then Drexel Hill would be a good choice.

Maybe you're much older than me, but I'm under the impression that UDHS is average, and that safety can be somewhat concerning. It doesn't seem horrible, but it seems like it would be overpopulated now and always a chip or something to watch your back on. 69th St.'s growth is definitely at a standstill if not going down a bit with the crime and economy.

[Tone509]

Originally Posted by chessimprov

Maybe you're much older than me, but I'm under the impression that UDHS is average, and that safety can be somewhat concerning. It doesn't seem horrible, but it seems like it would be overpopulated now and always a chip or something to watch your back on. 69th St.'s growth is definitely at a standstill if not going down a bit with the crime and economy.

I would not disagree with your assessment as UDHS as "average". The considerable enrollment in the Catholic schools around the corner that I mentioned would seem to attest to that.

It depends on where you're coming from or aspiring to. Compared to Media and Broomall, where the OP was once looking, Upper Darby High School may not fare so well.

I'm not surprised to hear that the 69th Street district is still far from reaching its potential.

FWIW, I'm an elder statesmen of Generation X.