Gay couple relocating, looking for advice on western 'burbs (Philadelphia: condos, credit)

[relo-worries]

Hi, we are a gay couple being relocated with partner's job. His office is in Wilmington, DE area, so somewhere between Philly and Wilmington is ideal, we are looking more at PA though for living. We are in our 40's and do not go out partying all the time but like easy access to gay night life if the mood strikes or friends visit...

We are looking to buy a home around $600k or less and would love to be able to have a pool. We are coming from Texas and enjoy our outdoor space. Our current neighborhood is very mixed with straight and LGBT couples. We have cars and are not dependent on public trans but love using the trains. We do not want to be too close to trains though as we are not sure of the noise factor, if there is one. We have visited open houses in Newtown Square and Media areas and like it there, just not sure of friendliness.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated, I have looked through several posts and it seems like most suggestions outside of city itself are East of 476 and also North of city. I have seen Media mentioned as well and we actually visited there, enjoyed the Trader Joes and Ironhill Brewery.

Thank you

[FindingZen]

Nearby to Media, Swarthmore may well be the most socially progressive town in your preferred commuting range. My take on the PA 'burbs is a general "live and let live" attitude in terms of fellow LGBT residents. Both Media and Swarthmore are on the same Regional Rail train heading into town. BTW, unless your home happens to be within a few blocks of the train, odds are it won't bother you much.

If there are social clubs gatherings in the western 'burbs, they are most likely advertised on sources like the Philadelphia Gay News or perhaps through sites like meetup.com. The mecca of suburban acceptance, as you may already know, would be in New Hope though that is not within reason of your commutes. You will probably be spending a fair amount of time heading into Center City's Washington Square West neighborhood which, while becoming more popular with straight residents, is still "the" nexus for LGBT-friendly/owned businesses and nightlife.

[ElijahAstin]

Media and Swarthmore are your best bets for sure--the boroughs proper if you want a charming town at your fingertips. Since you don't seem to mind a more car-dependent area, Upper Providence, Middletown, and Nether Providence would work as well.

Chadds Ford is pretty nice as well, although it's a bit of a trek to the city proper.

[relo-worries]

Thank you both for the input. We will keep looking, we have a little time before deciding on a place but will be in temporary housing for a couple of months starting in August and that will give us time to check out these areas.

[douknowjack]

I just sold a house in Gladstone Manor - A unique neighborhood located in Landsdowne, Pennsylvania and it was very gay friendly, in fact my partner and I considered moving there (well, he did) for a hot second. I did not see any pools although some of the properties would accommodate such; the prices are way below what you are looking for....there is a growing lgbt population there, coffee shops, theater.....

[acenturi]

Unless you've already done so, with your budget, and lifestyle, I would very much suggest that you at least spend a few days of your research trip looking in and around center city/adjacent at townhomes, condos, etc.., before deciding on a relatively segregated suburban community. It may be quite difficult for a newcomer to establish and maintain new friendships in this area without living within the general environs of their lifestyle. Just hop on I95 South and you're in Wilmington in a flash - well almost a flash. You'd be doing a reverse commute most of the way. All I'm really suggesting is that you may be doing yourself a disservice by restricting a Philly search to neighborhoods similar to where you now live.

[Ms_Christina]

I will also throw West Chester in the mix. Very quaint college town, diverse lots of shops and restaurants. Politics and lifestyles are more progressive thanks to the younger generations. And if you are going to start a family, the schools are awesome. There is no direct train from WC to the city but the R5 is a short drive away. You would think SEPTA would reopen the WC line because of the university but it seems to be a lost cause.

[tom_567]

You may want to consider the Collingswood area over in Southern NJ. It has probably the biggest LGBT population in Southern NJ. I know you said you prefer the western burbs, but Collingswood is way closer to Wilmington (straight shot down 295 to the Commodore Barry Bridge/Del Mem Bridge), close to Philly by transit (PATCO), and all things being equal, your taxes could be comparable, especially if one of you is working in Philadelphia (NJ will credit your city wage tax against your state income tax). You may want to check it out before completely write off the area.

[Clark Park]

In southern New Jersey, both Haddonfield and Collingswood are historic, charming and gay-friendly ... in fact a lot of LGBT folks choose to live there. However, New Jersey is a further commute for you and the down-side of NJ is that the property taxes are so high they are the highest in the nation. Example, I visited a friend who lived in an attached newer townhouse in Hamilton, NJ (closer to Atlantic City) in an attractive gated community. He paid $199K for that home and he is paying $5-$6K a year just in property taxes! I live in a 3 story 6 bedroom Victorian with a porch here in Philly - current market value mid to upper $400's -and I pay less than $1,700 a year.

Swarthmore is absolutely beautiful and I think you would love living there, and Media comes a close second. Charming, historic, leafy, tidy, and safe communities. Beautiful varied architecture. These towns are not cheap, though ... not as expensive as the affluent "Main Line" towns like Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Radnor, etc. but you indicated you can afford over half a million dollars so in these areas you'll find something nice but not exceptional. There are million dollar + homes in Swarthmore. Best of all you will be very close to both Philly and Wilmington; with all the big city attractions - museums, galleries, restaurants, night life, etc.

One more suggestion: move into my neighborhood ... University City. You will be in the city limits of Philadelphia and this is NOT the suburbs. But I live in a registered historic district of Victorian homes and this is extremely LGBT friendly, and I joke that University City is actually "ruled" by middle-aged gay people ... who control all the local community organizations like UC Green (Mike Hardy and his partner Barry), University City District (Mark Christman), University City Historical Society (headed by Roy Harker and his partner Bob and 2/3 all the members are LGBT), in fact the official walking tour guide of this area is Mark Silber, who started one of the largest LGBT libraries and archives in the nation down in Fort Lauderdale. The Rabbi of the neighborhood synagogue, Kol Tzedek, was formally the rabbi of the gay synagogue in NYC.



corner of Spruce and 42nd St.



near the corner of Pine St. and 42nd Street.

Let us know how you make out!

[Clark Park]

Landsdowne is also quite pretty, but be aware there are a few "sketchy" blocks there, so inquire locally about the better parts of that town (I think the west side is the preferred area).