living in Philly suburbs and work in Bear DE (New Castle: rental, condo)

[mohshaker]

Hi all,
I might get an offer to work in Bear DE and i have been told its better to live near Philly suburbs , i am looking for the best elementary schools and commute to work within 30 minutes’ drive, I have 3 years old and 6 years old.
Schools are most important and of course safe nice suburbs for me and family.
so where and what are my best choices "city, county, community" ???? looking to rent 3Br appt or condo/house from owner, so what range i am looking at in the suburbs 1400-2000 USD monthly ???

your input and help is highly appreciated.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by mohshaker

Hi all,
I might get an offer to work in Bear DE and i have been told its better to live near Philly suburbs , i am looking for the best elementary schools and commute to work within 30 minutes’ drive, I have 3 years old and 6 years old.
Schools are most important and of course safe nice suburbs for me and family.
so where and what are my best choices "city, county, community" ???? looking to rent 3Br appt or condo/house from owner, so what range i am looking at in the suburbs 1400-2000 USD monthly ???

Kennett Square (aka "The Mushroom Capital of the World") might meet your needs. About 1/2 hour from Bear, and schools look decent: Kennett Square Schools - Kennett Square Pennsylvania School Ratings - Public and Private
Can't say anything about housing, but I'd guess you should be able to get something in your price range (3BR might be a stretch, though. Again, just guessing).

[FindingZen]

I don't know if New Castle County (DE) schools are necessarily bad. Perhaps ask the folks over on the Delaware forum about it.

[cpomp]

Aston, Garnet Valley.

[mohshaker]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Aston, Garnet Valley.

Look like nice suburb and good schools ... is it safe suburb , is it much rural what is the closest city , shopping centers and recreation ?

[cpomp]

Aston township is in penn delco school district, which is a pretty good school district. Aston is very suburban, lots of homes ranging from old to new, some super markets drug stores and restaurants. Not really a walkable downtown, however, everything is close.

Garnet valley is in pa right on the delaware border. Garnet Valley is in the garnet valley school district which is a very good district. Garnet valley area is very new and more upscale than most of aston.

Both areas are a reasonably easy commute to philadelphia, wilmington, the shores, etc. I dont know where a lot of recreational areas are in delaware, but the ridley creek state park, and tyler arboretum are in media pa, which is about 10 minutes from aston, and 15-20 from garnet valley. I know that garnet valley has a large walking trail and huge wonderland playground for kids near the schools and library.

[Pine to Vine]

Suggest you look just south to the Appoquinimick School District in Middletown, DE. It would be a much easier commute. As Tone suggests, folks on the Delaware forum would be very helpful.

[UndergoingMitosis]

I grew up in Kennett and my parents both worked in north Delaware--I even did a similar commute last summer for an internship. It was totally doable from that respect, and I would like to put in a good word for Kennett as a school district and as a town to grow up in. It's a funny little town (we hold a Mushroom Festival once a year and like to call ourselves the Mushroom Capital of the World. The jury is still out on the validity of our claim).

I also went through Kennett school district all the way from first grade through 12th grade (I was a New Garden Elementary kid, but Greenwood has a good reputation, too. They also just built a brand new elementary school, and they closed Mary D. Lang, which I know people used to avoid). I feel like one of the best things you get with a Kennett education is diversity--the district is about 35% hispanic, and there's a really big range of incomes in the district. I want to say about a third of the students qualify for reduced or free lunches, but there really is a sampling of all kinds of people in Kennett, from people working in the mushroom farms to cardiologists and investment bankers and everything in between. That kind of diversity of is really a unique thing, and I think people are afraid that it causes conflict. In practice, I can tell you that Kennett is a really tolerant place that embraces all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds, and that's a really great thing to give to your kids.

That being said, I really don't know a lot about rental prices in the area, but it would surprise me if you couldn't find anything in your price range. Hope that helped!

[OptimusPrime69]

well, you'll have to take 95 south everyday and Bear, DC is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!! I mean, honestly.

there is a lot of road constructiong going on at Christiana exit on 95 and can back up for miles, omg, it's horriffic, but once it's complete Bear, DE will be a modern 21st century city of the future indeed!

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

well, you'll have to take 95 south everyday and Bear, DC is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!! I mean, honestly.

there is a lot of road constructiong going on at Christiana exit on 95 and can back up for miles, omg, it's horriffic, but once it's complete Bear, DE will be a modern 21st century city of the future indeed!

Bear and New Castle are the most bland and trashy suburban areas in that county. He's being sarcastic. Look at North Wilmington, Aston, Chadds Ford, Kennett, and Middletown