Schools in Northwest Philly? (York, Horsham: houses, neighborhood, best schools)

[PhillyJob]

I recently accepted a job in Glenside and am looking for a nice neighborhood with good schools in that area. I would like something walkable with older homes, but still in a good school district. What are the best schools in that area?

[FindingZen]

To help you out, since the city is admittedly funny shaped, you're actually referring to the northern suburbs.

You'll basically be in the heart of generally well-maintained older homes in communities that are often walkable, including Glenside itself. The majority of the borough is in Abington Township which features Abington School District. Nearby school districts include Cheltenham, Upper Dublin, Lower Moreland and Hatboro-Horsham. All of those school districts are well-regarded if not quite "top of the heap".

What is your preferred housing budget? Generally speaking in Abington, for example, houses west of Old York Road (Rt 611) will be less expensive than those due east. That's not to say that there are "bad" areas; that said, you may want to do a once-over of the Crestmont and Ardsley communities.

Without knowing where you're coming from, note that in PA, school district boundaries are determined by the town - or groups of towns - rather than by county. That localized control often extends to government as well.

[PhillyJob]

Thanks! This is a huge help. How would you characterize Elkins Park? And how would you say the school districts of Cheltenham and Abington compare? We are coming from DC (actually Takoma Park).

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by PhillyJob

Thanks! This is a huge help. How would you characterize Elkins Park? And how would you say the school districts of Cheltenham and Abington compare? We are coming from DC (actually Takoma Park).

Elkins Park is a moderately upscale neighborhood. As for differences between Cheltenham and Abington School Districts, others may have statistics on test scores and such; I just see them as above-average school districts.

Note that while you won't find the progressive vibe of Takoma Park in the Philly 'burbs (save perhaps rare exceptions like Swarthmore), most 'burbs are mildly conservative and are more concerned about fiscal matters.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by PhillyJob

Thanks! This is a huge help. How would you characterize Elkins Park? And how would you say the school districts of Cheltenham and Abington compare? We are coming from DC (actually Takoma Park).

cheltenham is adjacent to the city, and therefore seems to be more ethinically diverse. i don't think the schools are as good as they once were, but are not bad. if you look at the various rankings, you will probably find that abington is "ranked" higher, which in turn is ranked a little behind districts to the north (upper dublin, wissahickon, hatboro horsham, methacton, north penn, etc).