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Dragonchaser,
I live a few towns over from Oxford, its a queit quaint place but is very up and coming. The town is working to revitalize its downtown area quite a bit and trying to draw new businesses. It has a pretty nice center of town and is located pretty close to route 1. As you expand outward of the town there are a lot of new housing developments going up and prices are very fair in the Oxford Area (perhaps because the schools are not rated all that well).
I am not going to discourage you but here is the facts. Our property taxes have gone up ever year and I moved here in 2002. As you can tell from my member name we are leaving. I have had it with Rendell and the property tax insanity. If you live in Oxford proper count on paying more city tax. In June we will have our next tax increase of over 8% in just school tax. The super Walmart which was supposed to come in 2003 has been stalled by a sewer authority run by people who have no sewerage experience. The Lancaster outlets are half hour away. Amish people are in abundance. Their horses leave **** all over and you have to watch not to get it on your shoes. It is a real novelty for about a year. There is good shopping at White Marsh Mall in MD. Christiana Mall in DE. Good shopping in Exton. A Wegmans in Downingtown. Trader Joes in Wilmington. Nothing good to eat is right around the corner. No mall is closer than half hour or better with traffic.
Would I do this again? No. It was a very nice idea but the locals hate us transplants who have the bigger, newer homes and they have started showing us just how much. I would move toward Exton, Downingtown area where yes its busiser but your taxes are worth your tax dollar. This place is a decade away from being worth what we are paying in taxes.
Also if the smell of manure doesn't bother you during planting times then this is your place.
I could not agree with you more and couldn't have said it more eloquently. I would have simply written, "Oxford is the pits!" I purchased property there when I resided in Delaware County in the late 70's thinking I would build a home and expose my children to the "Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm" life. Boy, was I wrong.
As you said, the locals don't want you and they let you know it. My poor children, who were honor students and good kids in Delaware County, were ostrasized by the Oxford kids who were natives. After a year of staying in the house, not having friends and being miserable, my sweet daughter finally fell in with the crowd that accepted her. Guess who that was? The bad guys. The good guys have the cliques, the bad guys take anybody. Ever see the movie "At Close Range"? Yup, the Johnstons. My entire life in Oxford was in misery. Please, if you move to Oxford, watch your children. This little quaint country town houses one of the biggest meth labs in Pa and it's run by the Pagans who are rampant in Chester County. Drugs are easily obtainable and the Oxfordites who have lived in this back woods place forever have never changed, it's like Dogpatch!
As for the smell; it's totally unbearable at times. The farms spread manure, the ground is full of nitrates and the homes that have wells can't pass the water inspection after the runoff from the farms pollutes the wells. Happened to me, no exaggeration.
Nothing is close. I left in 1995 and still had no cable. Cable stopped about three houses away from me; how frustrating. We had a personal property tax that everyone paid for years and years-I didn't, refused to, it was finally declared unconstitutional. Taxes are absurd for the services you get. When I first moved there I called the State Police in Avondale and 45 minutes later they arrived. I could have been dead by then.
The hospital hasn't changed much (in terms of quality) since I left. There are no excellent doctors. no excellent staff, no good health care to be had. You'd be better served to have an ambulance run you to Christiana.
Restaurants? Social events? (well, maybe the fire house) Movies? Shopping? No to all of the above. There is nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to like. Things for kids to do? NO! When my children attended school there I approached the fire house officials and asked for permission to get some volunteers, insurance, police protection and all the things needed to have a dance for them once a month, maybe once every few weeks. I was turned down numerous times. There is NOTHING for kids to do except get in trouble. Nothing has changed on that score since 1995.
You are right Penciltucky. For the taxes one pays in Oxford one can be living in Downingtown, Exton, Chaddsford, Maryland, Delaware. ANYWHERE but Oxford. Pencil, I sure do hope you can sell your home and get away as fast as you can. I doubt anything there will ever change. Good luck!
Yes, I wish to dissuade and discourage anyone from moving to that area. I despised it, never have missed it and wouldn't go back if they gave me a new house there! Buyer Beware!
Well an answer to your question Oxford or not do not do it. I grew up in Oxford and graduated thankfully I got out. First and foremost please dont base your decision on the smell of manure its serisously not that bad (since their is barely any farms left due to developements that are everywhere and every house looks the same now) and the "natives" do not want people moving in their "big expensive homes" they feel these people ruin their beloved farm lane and then look down on them for wanting it to be a farm area..please dont move their and want the farm life if you cant handle it and want a million stores. How else do you people expect to get food honestly it fills me with anger when I read some of your comments about that why did you leave the city??? only to ruin beautiful land and take homes away from animals for your "big nice homes" seriously people are you above food and animals get off your high horses PLEASE!!! Then maybe your kids would fit in!! The reason I say dont move to Oxford is because of the taxes my parents recently moved because of that also it can be a bad place with crime because yes their is nothing to do maybe a movie theater or another rec center would be nice. Its more of an influence of drugs that is taking over the town and its all comming out of Philadelphia, Wilmington, and DELEWARE COUNTY!! This I know from growing up their besides that if you dont mind a somwhat country life....where you do not have to avoid walking in manure whoever said that I serious!!! If you have children it is a terrible school district where they dont care about the kids and theirs way to much overcrowding from everyone who is moving from Deleware county. I remember we had so many kids in class that everyone did not have enough desks its like going to school in the inner city...and its funny alot of the kids who get the drugs and bring violence are from Deleware County, Chichester, Philly,and other areas so can you really point blame?....I know it may seem like I have to veiw points it just kills me how people move to the country and then dont want to deal with it. Hopefully you make a decicion that makes you happy!
Wow, talk about negativity.
I've lived in Lancaster Co 15 years but spend a lot of time in Oxford and the area and I'm just now learning how bad it is. Many friends, both home grown and transplants might beg to differ with some of these comments. I won't say that even now I am completely accepted but I never pushed the fact of where I came from and why are things done this way or that way.
Yes, taxes are up, I wonder why, with the influx of over a thousand new houses in several years and many more to come. Wonder why they had to build a new high school? Not for the locals that's for sure. So there is bound to be some resentment.
I have yet to step in horse****, maybe cause I don't walk in the street.
Anyone who moves out to the area, be it So Chester or Lanc Co has to remember it is basically a rural area, with all that entails, smells, dust, slow moving traffic, no malls and local polititians out of their element trying to contend with an infux of construction and people.
I must say that in 15 years I've never seen a Pagan or any other gang member, in fact I live down the road from the Johnston's property. Nice family living there now.
Personally, I wouldn't live in Oxford Boro either, I prefer a more rural setting. Most of the developments now have a water supply and its only a matter of time until the sewer plant is upgraded and then you can complain about that expense.
Just my two cents.
I am new to Oxford as well. I have been there about two months. It is a beautiful area and it is very quaint. The traffic can be pretty busy coming through town on Fridays and Saturday's. As far as drugs and Pagans, I haven't seen any pagans or drug dealers anywhere. I can tell you that everyone that I have met so far has been very nice and very helpful. There are restaurants in town that we haven't tried yet but everyone seems to have a recommendation so they must be pretty good. We have been to Wesley's and also the country club has good food. As far as taxes, they aren't any higher than anywhere else in Pa. I came from Delaware which has the lowest taxes of any states in the tri-state area. You have to remember that state tax is lower in Pennsylvania but real estate and school taxes are higher. It might not balance completely but it comes pretty close and is worth it. you can get more land up here and more house for less money than in Delaware which is becoming nothing but a suburb of Philadelphia.
We moved to Oxford, PA 2 years ago and in those 2 years I've witness store openings and the start of Sunday hours in many stores. That being said, it is a small country town. I don't understand why a person moves to the countryside and then complains about the manure smell and the lack of shopping- this is rural life.
But it isn't so rural. There is a yoga studio, a small but surprisingly well stocked library, a decent local restaurant (Peppercorns) and 2 supermarkets (one of them is open 24 hours). There is a good amount of infrastructure here- a good lumber yard, a great hardware store, dentists, doctors, hairdressers, etc. I am truly hoping Walmart doesn't come here as I'm not a Walmart shopper (and anyway there are 2 Walmarts within 20 miles if one truly needs Walmart). My husband and I bought a 1880s Victorian house that required many renovations for a little less than $160,000. He is very handy and I believe we've made a great investment, since the rest of our street has many houses that have also been renovated in the 2 years we've lived here.
About taxes- compared to other areas of PA, my taxes are pretty great- I don't have any complaints. Perhaps my taxes are less because I live in the borough of Oxford?
And it occasionally smells like manure, but that's a minor price to pay for the fresh fruits and veggies I can get at the Amish farm stands in town. The manure smell is nothing like the smells in Toughkennemon or West Grove from the mushroom farms- I would absolutely not live there.
The town is an interesting mix of new people from the 'burbs or the city, lifelong residents, Mexican immigrants, and Amish. Like any other place, it has it's seedy side, but I believe it is up and coming. One thing to consider when buying- see if there is a rental property nearby. Most of my neighbors are homeowners like myself, but there is one rental property on the block (a twin, split into 4 apartments) that has somewhat trashy tenants. They are my only complaint in Oxford.
I grew up near oxford, and attended Oxford Area Schools. I used to like Oxford, but now i just want to drive as far away as I can from this dump and never look back. I like the city and the country, but in my opinion you can't have both. It never had much as far as movie theaters or shopping, but thats changing, and it's sad. I didn't mind driving twenty or thirty minutes to go to the movies, and the schools are actually SLOWLY improving. If people want malls and movie theaters in their back yard they should stay in the city! The horse manure and mushrooms smell isn't that bad, and most of the hypocrital amish are okay except when they tie up traffic with their horse drawn buggies, but if you don't like it maybe you should go somewhere else. What I don't like about oxford is how it's been ruined by cheap housing developments, rude stuck up people moving here, that are actually poorer than the locals, yeah, those developments, adjustable rate mortgages, big screen t.v.'s, credit cards, SUV's, and gas aren't cheap. Some of the locals are hillbillie a**holes that are dumber than rocks. But some are nice and they're probably the inhabbitant you would refer to as inbreds that dropped out of high school to fight for this country or to find work which is hard to find around here making more than minimum wage. Most older and NATIVE LOCALS are alright, and just want to see their town saved from a future of becoming a drug infested, spanish speaking suburban s**t hole.
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Reply to Wanna Leave Penciltucky
I could not agree with you more and couldn't have said it more eloquently. I would have simply written, "Oxford is the pits!" I purchased property there when I resided in Delaware County in the late 70's thinking I would build a home and expose my children to the "Rebecca of Sunnybrooke Farm" life. Boy, was I wrong.
I dig Oxford, PA
