50's Looking for small town or community downtown "new urbanism" area (Philadelphia: 2009, home search)

[etc33]

Hello,
My husband and I are relocating back to the Philadelphia area and we are in our early 50's. We are not looking for active adult living but looking for a cute community with a downtown area. Many states offer what they call new urbanism communities with trails, lakes, recreation, and stores all within the development/community. I am going to visit Chester County and look at Eagleview, Weatherstone and I heard that Downingtown and Kennett Square have a cute downtown walking area. Can anyone recommend any other area's. I am also familiar with Collingswood, Haddonfield and Moorestown NJ but would like to stay in PA. Thank you for your thoughts!

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by etc33

Hello,
My husband and I are relocating back to the Philadelphia area and we are in our early 50's. We are not looking for active adult living but looking for a cute community with a downtown area. Many states offer what they call new urbanism communities with trails, lakes, recreation, and stores all within the development/community. I am going to visit Chester County and look at Eagleview, Weatherstone and I heard that Downingtown and Kennett Square have a cute downtown walking area. Can anyone recommend any other area's. I am also familiar with Collingswood, Haddonfield and Moorestown NJ but would like to stay in PA. Thank you for your thoughts!

You also might take a look at Narberth, which is on the Main Line and would be convenient to Center City Philadelphia's cultural offerings via the SEPTA R5 train which stops right in the downtown area. Narberth is very walkable, has a nice downtown and a great sense of community.
Narberth Borough Fast Facts

Media is similar. It too has a train stop downtown (the SEPTA R3) which offers convenient service to Center City Philadelphia. It has a nice walkable downtown also. About Media, Pennsylvania: Media, PA

Both towns are compact and easy to get about. Good luck!

[smith317]

Kennett Square is walkable and has improved greatly over the past 5 years. Art galleries, a nice YMCA, a farmers market, a great gourmet food shop, restaurants, among other things. Any other shopping, however, requires a car (so I definitely wouldn't call it "New Urbanism"). It's also difficult to commute to Philadelphia from there since it's not well connected to the local transportation system (if it ever was, the sprawl that would develop would be horrific!). I commute to Newark, Delaware from there, however, with no problem. Another con: poor public transportation access.

[bobsmith]

Doyelstown is starting to develop in a "New Urbanism" kind of way. It also has train service to Center City Philadelphia. It has one of the best cultural districts in the region, and a shopping district second only to New Hope (which is only a short drive away).

[jbbomba]

If I were moving back to Philly, and wasn't worried about the school district I would choose Chestnut Hill. Just outside of Center City , this quaint town has great shopping and dining and lots of annual activities that bring the residents together. It's on a train line, minutes from the turnpike to get out of town, near grat shopping in King of Prussia..but the best part if it lines on Germantown Avenue, the main street in town where local merchants with fabulous goods keep the small town feeling continuing year after year.

[solibs]

Chestnut Hill, Ambler or Media.

[pman]

Chestnut Hill is old urbanism, which is what new urbanism is trying to copy. It's a wonderful place, IMO. Nearby Mt. Airy also is no slouch.
Phoenixville ahs really come back, there's no train, but I believe they are extending or have extended the schuylkill valley trail there, which runs to Philadelphia...technically, you can get all the way to the alleghenies on a trail from Valley forge. It has a lot of potential and finally seems to be realizing it
I'd add Ardmore, Wayne, Media, Jenkintown, Glenside, and West Chester.

Weatherstone-in Paoli? if so, this place is poorly built. nearby Paoli woods is much higher quality construction. Paoli is a great town but little remains of their old town center as everything shifted to the new suburban style shopping center. that said, google Paoli Transit Center. It, more than any other town perhaps, has the potential to build a new town center but that's still 5-10 years off. there's a new urbanist development in Malvern (Malvern itself is a nice town) on the former worthington steel site...unlike the old urbanists, it's not on a train line, for better or worse.

[templeu]

If you do not plan to work in Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill or Mount Airy may be bad choices as you'll find yourself paying the Philadelphia wage tax (now about 3.9%). I live in Chestnut Hill currently. The trees, park, etc are beautiful. But, I'm not as huge of a fan of the area in general as it seems most folks in the Phila metro are. The restaurants in Chestnut Hill aren't great (though there are a few in Mt. Airy that I do like quite a bit). I lived near Media prior to this and personally preferred that area. I found the amenities, resources, and access to highways, airport, etc to be superior.

[PeeAye Native]

Wayne is well worth a look. Nice downtown, mostly expensive homes, though.

[SXMGirl]

Just spent the day in Chestnut Hill. If I planned to move back to the Philly area, that's probably where I would start my home search. Lots of interesting shops, very walkable, and seems very friendly.