Need Relocation Advice! (Philadelphia, Reading, Lancaster: motels, house, safe area)

[knicksin8]

I have secured a pediatrician position within Lancaster, PA.

I will be moving my wife and 2 kids (both under age 5) out in September of this year. I am considering housing in the following school districts:

Manheim Township (Lancaster County)
Hempfield (Lancaster County)
Lampeter-Strasburg (Lancaster County)
Wilson (Berks County)
Cornwall-Lebanon (Lebanon County)
Derry Township (Dauphin County)

I am trying to juggle several different factors: safe area to raise my kids, quality public school education, availability of a new construction single-family house under $400,000, a reasonable commute to work and (least important) relatively easy access to an airport.

I have not completely ruled out living in Lancaster County, but I would prefer living in an area without Amish or less Amish people (no offense to anyone).

I am not familiar at all with Harrisburg, Reading or Lebanon, but have read many negative aspects of these cities, including crime. I obviously have concern as these other school districts are in close proximity to one of these cities.

I realize that none of these choices will be 100% perfect. However, I would greatly appreciate any helpful feedback on which school districts would best satisfy my criteria (listed above) to raise my family. Thank you in advance.

[chikitta]

For schools, forget Harrisburg or Reading (also stay away from Lancaster City Schools). No offense to anyone with children in these schools. There are some great things about them. But graduation rates are not great for these schools and clearly do not meet this person's criteria. I would say stick with Manheim Twp. or Hempfield. Less Amish population than LS (still some) and good schools. But any way you cut it, in Central PA (including areas outside of Lancaster) you need to be able to pass a horse and buggy. Good luck.

[BevoInPA]

Derry Township is a fantastic school district that was ranked by US News and World Reports last year (for whatever that is worth). I think the commute might be a burden.

[knicksin8]

thanks for the comments, chikitta and BevoInPA.

bump

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by BevoInPA

Derry Township is a fantastic school district that was ranked by US News and World Reports last year (for whatever that is worth). I think the commute might be a burden.

To Lancaster is 45 min to 1 hr one way in rush hour from Derry Twp locations. However Derry Twp is also home to Penn State Hershey - Home Medical Center. You won't have the only doctors' kids in school for sure. Most of the Hershey [Chocolate] Co. workers commute from outside the township anymore.

[knicksin8]

are all of the schools districts that I listed above situated in rural settings?

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by knicksin8

are all of the schools districts that I listed above situated in rural settings?

I really don't mean to be flip but that would really depend on your own definition of "rural". My wife who grew up 16 miles from the post office home to that zip code would call them all suburban. I'm not sure about Wilson but there would be an appreciable number of farm families left in Lampeter-Strasburg and Cornwall-Lebanon. However the Plain Sect folks especially notable in L-S largely wouldn't be attending the public school. Derry Twp has almost no farm families left, the ag fields one sees driving around Hershey is nearly all owned by one of the corporate entities (usually the Milton Hershey School Trust).

[molax21]

Hi-

My husband and I are also looking to relocate to the Bucks County area. We are both 30 and have a 19 month old and 10 week old. We aren't the fixer upper type, and all we seem to be finding under $550,000.00 price range is older construction which needs a fair amount of work to update it. We found a new construction community call Bedminster Square in Fountainville PA, we think due to market trends we can get a gorgeous house for a great price but we are concerned about resale, primarily because we would like to move into the Newtown or Doylestown area in a few years when our children start school. Can anyone give me any info on this development and area, just want to make a smart decision as we bought a town home new construction in Stamford CT and lost a lot of money on it

[teachbeach]

Originally Posted by knicksin8

I have secured a pediatrician position within Lancaster, PA.

I will be moving my wife and 2 kids (both under age 5) out in September of this year. I am considering housing in the following school districts:

Manheim Township (Lancaster County)
Hempfield (Lancaster County)
Lampeter-Strasburg (Lancaster County)
Wilson (Berks County)
Cornwall-Lebanon (Lebanon County)
Derry Township (Dauphin County)

I am trying to juggle several different factors: safe area to raise my kids, quality public school education, availability of a new construction single-family house under $400,000, a reasonable commute to work and (least important) relatively easy access to an airport.

I have not completely ruled out living in Lancaster County, but I would prefer living in an area without Amish or less Amish people (no offense to anyone).

I am not familiar at all with Harrisburg, Reading or Lebanon, but have read many negative aspects of these cities, including crime. I obviously have concern as these other school districts are in close proximity to one of these cities.

I realize that none of these choices will be 100% perfect. However, I would greatly appreciate any helpful feedback on which school districts would best satisfy my criteria (listed above) to raise my family. Thank you in advance.

The first 2 would be my first pick for good school systems. You'll find great developments/suburbs/neighborhoods in either of these areas within your price range and above. A good mix of people, all the amenities, close to malls, hospitals and within an easy drive to Harrisburg airport (under an hour) and there is a puddle jumper from Lancaster to Baltimore that operates several times daily. Lancaster airport does run flights to a few other cities, but they would be to major airports for connections. The areas you are choosing are more developed and being west of Lancaster city would not have as much farmland as the areas east of Lancaster and north of Route 30.
The other counties will lengthen your commute time, and Lampeter Strasburg tends to be more rural, and to get to Lancaster itself you'd have to fight the endless traffic on Route 30 of tourists, bus traffic and traffic lights, motels etc. that all support the tourism business. The areas you mentioned (Hempfield and Manheim Township) have north/south access roads and shortcuts to avoid some of the congestion.

[LibraGirl123]

Originally Posted by molax21

Hi-

My husband and I are also looking to relocate to the Bucks County area. We are both 30 and have a 19 month old and 10 week old. We aren't the fixer upper type, and all we seem to be finding under $550,000.00 price range is older construction which needs a fair amount of work to update it. We found a new construction community call Bedminster Square in Fountainville PA, we think due to market trends we can get a gorgeous house for a great price but we are concerned about resale, primarily because we would like to move into the Newtown or Doylestown area in a few years when our children start school. Can anyone give me any info on this development and area, just want to make a smart decision as we bought a town home new construction in Stamford CT and lost a lot of money on it

May I suggest that you start a new thread in the Philadelphia forum? Both of your posts are piggybacking on threads started by other posters that have nothing to do with Bucks County.