Young Professional Considering Job in Horsham (Philadelphia, Chester: leasing, college, wage)

[KingSpring85]

Good morning/afternoon/night,

I am a 23 year old single white male who is considering taking a position in Horsham (north of Philly, roughly 30 miles). I know little about Philly/the area in general and that is why I am seeking your expertise.

I want to live in the best environment possible to achieve social success as a post-graduate single but also do not want to spend my entire life in the car commuting.

Do I need to man up and make the commute from Downtown Philly/U Penn area everyday or is there another option which requires a shorter commute to work and also offers the ability to interact with other young professionals on a daily basis?

Thanks a lot

[nuhusky11]

king, you've posted this same question in NYC, Denver, Florida, Charleston and god knows where else as I can't be bothered to read through the rest of your posts. In each thread you have a job offer and planning a move in the next month. Whats the deal, are you really moving or just like posting the same question in multiple cities?

[FindingZen]

There are not many young professional oases in the Philly suburbs. Arguably the best one - West Chester - is further than downtown.

Conshohocken's scene is pretty popular although between the relatively high rent (due to its location relative to job/retail center King of Prussia and Philly) and daily tolls on the PA Turnpike, one would have to be truly dedicated to maintaining a daily social scene from that distance.

Your best options may be Ambler or Glenside. Their nightlife options are concentrated and subdued but it would get you by during the week until you hit Center City and points thereabouts on the weekends. Even Horsham itself isn't too bad; its downtown area is quaint and you'll find a few resto-bars around.

[KingSpring85]

Very observant. I work for a national marketing and leasing company and relocate anytime between 2 months and a year. We have choices for where to move and I find this site to be the best tool on the internet to learn about prospective locations. As for Tone509, thank you. I heard Conshohocken may be good because of the train access to downtown and Ambler as well. I will look further into those options

[nuhusky11]

fair answer. In that case I'd suggest you look at chestnut hill. Its got a very nice and walk-able main street with tons of shops, restaurants and bars. Its also a half decent drive to horsham. 309 up to the turnpike never has traffic and you can either jump onto the turnpike at ft washington or take side roads. 15-20 min commute.

another option although not my first choice is abington

[Snwmn5]

I have a couple friends who work in Horsham and commute from Chestnut Hill and Manayunk. Because of 309 being there even the commute from Manayunk is pretty painless (Henry Ave then cut over to Bell's Mill to 309 ends up being about 35 or 40 mins to get to Horsham in the morning). It adds another ten or fifteen minutes to the commute (vs Chestnut Hill) and you'd be paying city wage tax (you wouldn't in Ambler or Conshy or anywhere else in the suburbs), but Manayunk is a good compromise to be around other young professionals and night life without going to Center City, especially with the commute to Horsham. Theres a higher concentration of young, early 20's post grads in Manayunk than Ambler or Conshohocken if thats your concern. Also rent in Manayunk is pretty reasonable.

[NJhighlands87]

New Hope is a bit alternative, but certainly has a bar/restaurant scene. Google Maps says 35 minute drive. Rent is a bit steeper than it is in Manayunk. Just throwing out an idea.

[NovaDragon]

As someone who does the reverse commute to what you are thinking of, your best bets would be (in no particular order) Manayunk, Conshohocken, Chestnut Hill/Mt. Airy, East Falls. East Falls is the farthest and depending on where you live in Chestnut Hill or either East or West Mt. Airy, you could be looking at high Upper-Crust or lower middle class/run down blocks. Manayunk & Conshohocken would be your best bets as they are other recent college grads like yourself.

As a young professional living in Horsham, I wouldn't really suggest living here if you want to socialize with other people your age. Most people here are older or have families. Ambler & Glenside have nice areas, but it it doesn't draw the crowd it sounds like you're looking for.

[oppsattract]

Originally Posted by Snwmn5

I have a couple friends who work in Horsham and commute from Chestnut Hill and Manayunk. Because of 309 being there even the commute from Manayunk is pretty painless. It adds another ten or fifteen minutes to the commute (vs Chestnut Hill) and you'd be paying city wage tax (you wouldn't in Ambler or Conshohocken or anywhere else in the suburbs), but Manayunk is a good compromise to be around other young professionals and night life without going to Center City, especially with the commute to Horsham. Theres a higher concentration of young, early 20's post grads in Manayunk than Ambler or Conshohocken if thats your concern.

WOW! This is VERY helpful. Glad I found this forum. I'm a single, childless, late 40's professional possibly relocating to Horsham area, and I desire a quiet, yet quaint or metropolitan environment (e.g. lounges, jazz venues, good assortment of restaurants, metropolitan walkability, etc) reside. Sounds like I can remove Manayunk and Conshohocken from consideration. Any suggestions for someone in my situation in terms of reasonable rents ($1,200 or less), close proximity to Horsham without crazy commute (25 mins. or less), adult scene with minimal children? So far, it sounds like Chestnut Hill, Ambler and Glenside are better candidates.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by oppsattract

WOW! This is VERY helpful. Glad I found this forum. I'm a single, childless, late 40's professional possibly relocating to Horsham area, and I desire a quiet, yet quaint or metropolitan environment (e.g. lounges, jazz venues, good assortment of restaurants, metropolitan walkability, etc) reside. Sounds like I can remove Manayunk and Conshohocken from consideration. Any suggestions for someone in my situation in terms of reasonable rents ($1,200 or less), close proximity to Horsham without crazy commute (25 mins. or less), adult scene with minimal children? So far, it sounds like Chestnut Hill, Ambler and Glenside are better candidates.

With Chestnut Hill you will pay city wage tax. Also, it is relatively expensive. Ambler or maybe Doylestown may be a good options but you aren't going to get a tremendous amount of lounges, clubs, etc outside of Philadelphia Proper.

But if I was in your situation, I'd probably live in Chestnut Hill and suck it up on the wage tax.