Opinions on Lansdowne? (Philadelphia, Lancaster, Drexel Hill: for sale, apartment, city hall)

[jazz88guy]

I'm curious about Lansdowne. I've thought of moving there. I live in Mt. Airy now. I'd like some opinions about the area from people who live there now as well as people who used to live there. I'm a single guy with no kids, so schools are not an issue right now. I'm self employed and drive to jobs over a wide area - center city, Wilmington, Lancaster, Chadds Ford, New Jersey occasionally.... you get the idea. I'm concerned that Landsdowne is not very convienient to any major highways and my drives will be longer. Also, the drive into Center City is right through West Philly is it not? Is there any West Philly crime "overflowing" into Lansdowne? How about restaurants? Got any favorites? What else do you like to do in the area? Live music? Movies? I drove through the area once or twice but don't have much of an opinion about it yet. I'm hoping you guys can give me something to go on.



Also, does anyone have any information about the "Essex House Condominiums" at Essex and Lansdowne ave? There are several available there. I haven't seen them yet. They are listed at relatively low prices but the taxes seem high. Is this a high tax area?

Thanks!

[William shivers]

well lansdowne is not what it once was. crime is high in that area, taxes are high in that area, many properties are not well maintained there, also traffic is a bit heavy. you should live closer to the 476 blue route area. Take a look at brookhaven, taxes are better, little nicer area, prices for condos not to bad, just sold a 1 bedroom for 70,000, get a nice 1 bedroom for around 80-150. good access to the highways also.

[gigibell214]

I spent my High School years in Yeadon which is the neighbor to Lansdowne. I am not trying to write anything negative which is why I didn't respond to your post before. Since only one other person responded, I figured I'd help you out.

I am not saying that Lansdowne is a bad place or anything but you definitely won't find any cool cafes or restaurants. If you move their, you would probably hang out out on Baltimore Pike or cut thru Upper Darby to go to City Ave. No live music, no movies in the area. Just "round the way bars" and Wawa.

You don't have to drive thru West Philly to get Downtown. You can go thru Yeadon and head towards the Airport to get on 76. Don't know much about the condos.

[PA1]

Lansdowne is a jewel in the rough -
as older retirees are leaving the town is certainly changing but is also what makes it interesting. We have been here for nine years and even though we are near Philly enjoy the small town feel of Lansdowne.

The location is ideal for someone that travels - I travel about three weeks out of a month - Lansdowne is minutes from the airport , I-95 and the blue route. We can be in center city in no time at all (15-20 minutes). While there are many ways to get into Philly going through west Philly is an easy straight shot with no problems.

Within 5 minutes of Lansdowne there are Korean and Indian food shops where you can get groceries and prepared food that is often cheaper than the average chain supermarket. These stores also allow you to expand your food choices and have a little adventure. There is also a new farmers market (Saturday AM) just starung this year and seems to be getting established.

Downtown Lansdowne is small but there is a train station to take you into Philly , A very good mexican resteraunt and a coffee shop that has excellent pastries.

There are three or four Chinese resteraunts in the area - my favorite is the Pearl on Lansdowne Ave (perhaps officially not a Lansdowne business but it is just across the line).

Lansdowne is an old neighborhood but we have noticed that the new families moving in are fixing and upgrading the houses making this a good neihborhood to walk the dog.

What we see is a town that at one time perhaps was sedentary and now is beginning to come back to life. A good time (the houses are a great value) to move here.

[knitwit]

Our daughter has been renting a cute apartment in Lansdowne for almost a year now and is really enjoying the town and everything she needs is close by, she hasn't had any problems with the neighborhood.

[fleur101]

I love living in landsdowne. We moved here 7 years ago and it's getting better and better. I can get to West Philly in minutes, CC, City line Ave & airport. I'm not really sure why the negative attitude. I do not have kids, Am Single. I travel most days to CC via train. I travel overseas quite often and love the fact I do not need to get on the the dreaded 476 freeway - which is always congested. Landsdowne is diverse and has some very cool places - Regency Cafe, Farmers Mkt, Thrift Shop, We go the the Harlem Cafe in Yeadon for Fantastic Music and Great EATS.

[passdoubt]

Lansdowne is a good deal. The schools aren't very good, but if you don't have kids I'd say it's a good inner ring suburb for your money.

[Mr. Opinion]

Lansdowne is a small town surrounded by Darby, Upper Darby and Sharon Hill.

If you ever visited Brooklyn, NY it reminds me of Flat Bush. You'll have a choice of many shops, malls, and a very close proximity to Philadelphia.

[mariamaria]

I am wondering if those who responded negatively actually live in Lansdowne. I’ve been here for decades and it is a great place. I live about six miles from City Hall, so I drive down Chestnut St. (the lights are even timed) and it takes no time at all. I am in and out of the city a lot and if you drive on Chestnut in and Walnut out, there really aren’t any safety concerns. There is a beautiful historic train station and using the train to get to work is a pleasure and fast (since there aren’t many stops.)

This is an old fashioned borough with tree lined streets and some of the finest period architecture available in the greater Philadelphia region. The prices for these homes is astonishing relative to other areas. The school district struggles and suffers the consequences of inequitable school funding. It really disturbs me when I read about fabulous new schools being built in wealthy districts. There isn’t much of a business tax base here and the needs of the student population have increased. Property taxes are a political hot potato, but hopefully this will be addressed in the future. Advocates and political leaders in the community have been working at this a long time.

I can’t imagine living anyplace else. The Essex House is a lovely turn of the century building and those condos are sooooooooooo inexpensive. Just be sure to have an engineer check things out since it is over a hundred years old. Another great place is the Wildman Arms condos. You can also buy a nice single home for as little as $150K. There are Victorian twins that are just extraordinary and singles in almost every architectural style. If you enjoy the arts, there is a Symphony, a Folk Club, music at the Regency Cafe on Thursdays, house concerts, etc. The town seems to be filled with writers, artists, dancers, and musicians and there is an annual Arts Festival in September. There are other annual events like the July 4th parade and fireworks, a town-wide yard sale, etc. Besides the Regency Cafe (a wonderful new cafe with excellent coffee and food) there is a new Mexican Restaurant (very authentic) and several other hometown favorites that have been here for years. Hopefully, the movie theater in the center of town will be restored and utilized for film and concerts. I would definitely much prefer that to any multiplex.

It is very walkable here and I have noticed a lot more people with dogs in the past ten years. This is definitely a town of animal lovers. The population here is diverse so only the open minded need apply. Personally, I like a place that isn’t “cookie cutter” and Lansdowne has a great mix of people. It is a “No Place For Hate” community so I think people try to be sensitive and accepting towards each other. I find that most people here are very good, very genuine people. I have noticed that a new wave of young professionals seem to be moving here because they love the proximity to the city. It only takes minutes to get to the Tower Theater, city restaurants and bars, the Mainline, Media and the airport. There are also new businesses coming in.

Lansdowne has the best web-site of any small town I’ve ever seen and there is a ton of information and links. I would suggest that you look at the site for additional info. The taxes are high, but that seems to be the case in many of the Phila surrounds (except the wealthiest ones with the best school districts.) You can buy three times as nice a home here as in Lower Merion for the same money though. A lot of people who have objections about the public school district choose private or parochial for their kids. So do many in Lower Merion; so there you go. Kids in this district can do very well despite the obstacles, but it does take a lot of parental involvement. There are youth groups and organizations for kids in town and excellent music instructors. We also have some great nursery schools, parks and a recreation department with lots of activities.

Lansdowne has all the small town amenities that people of all ages are seeking these days. You can be near the city and cultural events, but not have to deal with the parking issues on a daily basis. You can walk everywhere and there are plenty of ways to get involved in the town if you wish to.

[Ant$]

i actually wrote this in another lansdowne thread...

We just moved into Lansdowne in July. Actually, it's considered Drexel Hill (something abuot zoning...but i still have a lansdowne zip code). Our public high school is considered Upper Darby High, as opposed to Penn Wood. I actually like it here. My neighbors are Caucasian, Caribbean, Asian, and Asian Indian.

I do notice a few homes with white families in the surrounding areas with FOR SALE signs on their property. We were actually concerned that this was a sign of white flight, but the homes are beautiful and affordable. The particular home that we bought was just flipped, so the fiancée fell in love with the house.

I guess we would be a classified as a typical yuppie couple who would have moved into Fishtown/Northern Liberties. However, our jobs brought us here and we don't regret it...so far.

ask us again in 5 years.