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Hi there - looking for advice on neighborhoods, schools, etc. for family of five potentially moving to Philly in the next few months.
When are you moving? couple of months Where are you coming from? Kansas City Why are you moving? Job Where will you be working? Comcast Have you been here yet? no
Will you buy or rent? Hope to rent a house
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married, three kids Do you prefer public or private schools? public Do you have pets? one dog (Black lab) Do you want or need a yard? yes, see above... Are you keeping a car? yes Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? in between
What do you want to be closest to? Work
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? More similar than not would be nice.
burbs: wayne, jenkintown, bryn mawr, ardmore, glenside..easy train access, good schools
city neighborhoods: queen village, mt. airy
google inquirer school report card. city schools aren't the greatest but there are some good options
Since there are thousands of choices, I suggest looking on a map and selecting a few towns that sound nice and are close to a freeway. Tell us what you found and we will let you know if it's good or bad. As a general rule the most low class areas are closest to the Delaware river and get increasingly upscale as you move west. Also read all the other threads here for clues. Most public school districts with a few rare exceptions are good to excellent. (outside the city that is)
Forget looking at a map and looking for a place close to a freeway. Look at Septa map and find a place close to a train. Driving does not do you much good if there is nowhere to park.
Comcast is pretty big here - are you working in Center City at the Comcast Building? At the Navy Yard? Center Square? the 'burbs somewhere?
If you're in the Comcast Tower the easiest way to get to work is via regional rail. All the lines pass through Suburban Station. The concourse of the station is connected to the Comcast Bldg so if it's raining you don't even have to go outside to catch your train. If you're working in Center City driving to work is not advisable. The traffic is bad, parking is expensive and employers don't normally pay for it.
I would second all of pman's suggestions and add Abington, Plymouth/Whitemarsh, and Erdenheim/Springfield. You should also look into Cherry Hill, Westmont, Haddon Heights and Haddonfield in NJ - they all have great schools and are much closer to Center City than a lot of the suburbs on the Pennsylvania side.
You should let us know how much you're looking to spend - that makes a big difference.
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