Schools and kids the most important - DE, NJ, or PA (Wilmington: mortgage, houses)

[pjesson]

I am probably starting a job in Wilmington soon. After 6 months of try-and-buy I have the option of going permanent. If I choose to do this where would I relocate to?

Here's the deal. We have 2 girls 8 and almost 10. The elder is into sports and friends. The younger is into reading and animals. They are both bright but the younger one is getting accelerated a year at school and still going into the gifted program for the kids a year older than her. We found a school where we are now that makes a special effort to have individualized attention and that is really important to us because if she has to work at the pace of her classmates she'll get bored easily.

School will be our prime selection criteria. That said, we are also firm believers in public school for several reasons. If you go to private school then your buds could live a long way from you. In public school the neighbor is in your school.

We currently live in Charlotte, NC. We've only been here a year but we do like certain aspects. We have a 3 acre lot in an area of very nice houses. We don't need 3 acres or 6000sf but it would be nice to have space and privacy at the same time as a neighborhood feel. We currently have horses next door and the girls get to ride them regularly. On most any free day they head for the barn to feed the horses and barn-cats. But we are also within walking distance to the middle and high schools and the elem is only a 5 min bus ride.

We would love to find a place with fantastic schools, rural but close to schools and with nice housing. I'm willing to take a longer commute if it provides a better housing opportunity. We can spend up to about $700K for our house.

Where should we live? DE, PA, NJ? And more specifically?

Thanks!

[doctorjef]

You're probably better off living in Westchester PA or thereabouts, given your schools priority and your available mortgage funds. I'll let others explain further. SE PA will put you close to your job, provide good public schools for your kids, and involve significantly lower property taxes than NJ. Chadds Ford might be another possibility, and I understand from a friend that the schools around Unionville are quite good. Others here can tell you more than I.

[Summering]

Chadds Ford, PA would be a good place for horses and good schools......charm and the like.
Doylestown PA is another quaint and charming town outside of that area is more rural also.
Good schools and nice friendlly families also.......Newtown if that is close to your commuting timeframe.

[virgode]

Originally Posted by pjesson

I am probably starting a job in Wilmington soon. After 6 months of try-and-buy I have the option of going permanent. If I choose to do this where would I relocate to?

Here's the deal. We have 2 girls 8 and almost 10. The elder is into sports and friends. The younger is into reading and animals. They are both bright but the younger one is getting accelerated a year at school and still going into the gifted program for the kids a year older than her. We found a school where we are now that makes a special effort to have individualized attention and that is really important to us because if she has to work at the pace of her classmates she'll get bored easily.

School will be our prime selection criteria. That said, we are also firm believers in public school for several reasons. If you go to private school then your buds could live a long way from you. In public school the neighbor is in your school.

We currently live in Charlotte, NC. We've only been here a year but we do like certain aspects. We have a 3 acre lot in an area of very nice houses. We don't need 3 acres or 6000sf but it would be nice to have space and privacy at the same time as a neighborhood feel. We currently have horses next door and the girls get to ride them regularly. On most any free day they head for the barn to feed the horses and barn-cats. But we are also within walking distance to the middle and high schools and the elem is only a 5 min bus ride.

We would love to find a place with fantastic schools, rural but close to schools and with nice housing. I'm willing to take a longer commute if it provides a better housing opportunity. We can spend up to about $700K for our house.

Where should we live? DE, PA, NJ? And more specifically?

Thanks!

Agree
If you like rural, girls like horses, perhaps Chadds Ford, Unionville in PA.
Public schools.... excellent. Also, Newtown Square, PA
I attended school all 12 yrs. / Marple-Newtown district, outstanding.

[toobusytoday]

Doylestown is out of commuting distance from Wilmington, but I agree with the other suggestions. If you choose to post in PA, go to the Philadelphia forum as the districts being suggested are considered to be in the Philadelphia suburbs.

[jskirwin]

I live in Delaware with a 12 year old who has spent all of his school years in public schools here. I heartily recommend Pennsylvania - West Chester, Kennett Square, Chadds Ford, and Glen Mills in particular. I do not recommend Delaware public schools - although our private schools are some of the best.

[from PA]

Originally Posted by Summering

Chadds Ford, PA would be a good place for horses and good schools......charm and the like.
Doylestown PA is another quaint and charming town outside of that area is more rural also.
Good schools and nice friendlly families also.......Newtown if that is close to your commuting timeframe.

Chads Ford in PA would be an easy commute to Wilmington but Doylestown and Newtown are in Bucks County and would be +/- 1 1/4 hours each way to Wilmington. Newtown Square in Delaware County, PA would be approx. 35 minutes.

[Sandee1213]

I would stay clear of NJ, great schools but taxes are really high.

[pjesson]

Thanks for all responses!

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Doylestown is out of commuting distance from Wilmington, but I agree with the other suggestions. If you choose to post in PA, go to the Philadelphia forum as the districts being suggested are considered to be in the Philadelphia suburbs.

I may post to the PA forum too. But given that the work location is Wilmington I thought I'd start here.

But it seems unanimous that people are recommending living/schools "over the line".

Are there any implications of living in one state while working in another? Any other differences between the states that are worth discussing at this time? I know that PA has pretty antiquated blue laws regarding alcohol. It is annoying not to be able to buy beer/wine at the grocery store...and it means Trader Joe's is less likely to open a store nearby if they can't sell alcohol although they do have stores in PA.

Thanks!

[Sandee1213]

We are moving to Delaware tomorrow from Jersey and I am really excited about the schools my kids will be attending. I heard great things about the district. This forum has gotten me a little worried about the schools, but before I came on here I was really excited. The numbers are all in the 90%. We looked at going to Cecil County in Md and their numbers were not close to the numbers that De. had.