Looking to relocate to Bucks County area (Philadelphia, Allentown: for sale, houses)

[Chemdad]

I am trying to figure out the town which have the best balance of cost/schools and access to certain amenities and areas.

Simply put:

3 small children (4,5,6) who are entering school ages
Would like a 4 bed house with a reasonable yard and can probably afford up to $400K
Would like good access to a major road (PA turnpike/I-95/NE extension) or other good roads to access areas like Conshohocken and Bristol.

Just not familiar enough with the school districts (which is a high priority). Looking to move in the next 3-6 months and was hoping some local parents might recommend some good areas.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

CD

[bridgewife]

We may be what you're looking for. Great School (Barclay Elementary in Central Bucks). Walk to school without crossing streets. Large, .7 acre fenced yard backing to pond. Four roomy bedrooms, 2.5 baths. Sidewalks in a friendly community. Block parties, Easter egg hunts all hosted by friendly neighbors. Close to new Valley Square with premiere shopping and also Doylestown for cultural events. We've loved it here but will be relocating.



Otherwise I wish you lots of luck with your home hunting. You can't go wrong with Central Bucks schools, though!

[BillyBurrito]

Take a look at Quakertown, PA - it's a great place to raise a family and very affordable. Schools are fantastic and lots of choices for preschoolers. Quakertown School District is A+ (Bucks has an amazing school system!) Really alot to do - Lake Nockamixon, tons of other parks, organized sports (soccer, girls softball, t-Ball, flag football, adult softball...), close to lots of neat shopping and venues (check out the Crayola Factory!) About 20 minutes to Doylestown, New Hope, Allentown and of course a short trip to the Poconos, Philly, King of Prussia, and the Jersey Shore.

Community has a great sense of family values, lots of parks and open spaces, and so many children and great communities are in the area.

Quakertown is right off the PA Turnpike and central to several major areas.

There are plenty of very nice, newer homes with larger yards in your price range (some have almost a half acre!) Some of the newer communities in Quakertown are simply amazing.

[SaraSmile]

We are in the process of selling our home to move to Bucks County for the schools (our son starts Kindy next year) and Quakertown fits every criteria we had. The school system is great - a friend in Quakertown said the public school here beats out the private school she was sending him to in Philadelphia. Plenty of shopping - Target, Walmart, etc and close to "major" shopping either up in the Lehigh Valley or down in Montgomeryville. It is the only area we've been able to find in Bucks County where you can get a half acre lot and a newer home for under 400K. It's a great area for kids - 2 great parks, a brand new pool, new library, great sports, great preschool choices, and again, just way cheaper than central Bucks where the same homes would run you 500K and up on smaller lots.


Who knows when our home will sell in this market, but at least it's a buyer's market when we do sell!

[toobusytoday]

Another alternative is to go Northeast into Lehigh county instead and look at Southern Lehigh School district. Nice small schools, small town and a little more bang for your buck compared to Quakertown. Compare all the districts at SchoolMatters - Home

[MelissaMandy]

I'll chime in and add my vote for Quakertown. We looked all over the area (including Lehigh) and chose Quakertown. Our friends in the neighborhood can't believe the quality of teachers and what the kids are learning. It has grown so much since we moved here and just keeps getting better.

As for homes, I think the newer neighborhoods in Quakertown are outstanding. Too busy - I think if you take a look at the current homes for sale in Quakertown you'll find prices very comparable and you can't beat being 5 minutes from the PA turnpike!

[braylee]

I live in quakertown currently, but we just sold out house and are moving. We are in walnut bank farm division. It is a great place if you have kids, there are tons of kids all over the development. It is quiet and clean. The houses are also very affordable (esp the twins). It is close to a lot of shopping centers and hospitals. As well as the qmart.

[BillyBurrito]

Hey braylee I'm familiar with your division, very nice there. We have a few friends back in your old neighborhood. Ha - we may have crossed paths! Quakertown has so many pockets of kids it's amazing! We love the Qmart... kids have to see the alligator every time...

For ChemDads budget of around $400K In Quakertown he's probably looking at a community like Hunters Crossing or Brayton Gardens. Brayton Gardens II is my favorite in the area - 200 homes, private, safe, LOTS of kids, lots of open space and walking paths, the yards are larger big and homes are spaced apart. You can get a newer (<5 yr old) like a 2500 sq ft home on a half acre for less than $400K. Great quality homes. Amazing.

[braylee]

Very cool BillyBurito. Your for 400k you can def get a very good deal in Quakertown. A lot of the areas you mentioned are great neighborhoods as well. (I actually didnt read the 400k Chemdad said was his budget until AFTER i posted lol)

Hope you find what you need Chemdad, good luck.

[MelissaMandy]

Originally Posted by BillyBurrito

For ChemDads budget of around $400K In Quakertown he's probably looking at a community like Hunters Crossing or Brayton Gardens. Brayton Gardens II is my favorite in the area - 200 homes, private, safe, LOTS of kids, lots of open space and walking paths, the yards are larger big and homes are spaced apart. You can get a newer (<5 yr old) like a 2500 sq ft home on a half acre for less than $400K. Great quality homes. Amazing.

Brayton Gardens 2 and Hunters Crossing are very nice. Would recommend. Brayton Gardens 2 has alot of families with children. Schools are excellent.

One warning if you move to the Philly burbs - you need to learn to say &quot;wooder&quot; for water. Comes with the territory.