Moving from Florida to Philly (burbs) in late summer - need advice!

[Aimewitue]

Originally Posted by jacothedog

Hello there, Philadelphians! My family and I will be moving to the area from Florida late this summer (July / August). We are moving due to a new job, which will be a small office - I will decide on location, so commute won't be an issue. I'm originally from PA and love all of the Philly teams and the city and we are truly looking forward to being there.

We have 2 kids - 11 and 13 and a couple of lazy dogs.

We will likely be renting at first, but would like to rent in an area where we feel we will eventually buy. Looking to rent in the 2k max range and eventually buy in the $400k range. We are not looking at NJ.

The most important factor is good schools. After that, we would like walkability, train station nearby would be nice and do not want to be too far from the city.

A few intangibles: Movie theatres nearby (my wife is a movie blogger) and one question that may seem odd, but we would like an area that has an artistic / creative vibe. Is this possible in the 'burbs?

I look forward to your responses.

- J

Im Originally from florida and moved to Philly for a job relocation three summers ago. Since you're originally from PA you might already know what to expect.

If schools are your priority Maybe Upper Dublin school district in Ambler,PA

Ambler,PA its Walkable,Train station nearby and not too far from the city at all.Abington,Glenside areas as well.

But why not live in center city there are good schools there as well depending on where your job is center city might be a great fit.

[Angus215]

Originally Posted by Aimewitue

Im Originally from florida and moved to Philly for a job relocation three summers ago. Since you're originally from PA you might already know what to expect.

If schools are your priority Maybe Upper Dublin school district in Ambler,PA

Ambler,PA its Walkable,Train station nearby and not too far from the city at all.Abington,Glenside areas as well.

But why not live in center city there are good schools there as well depending on where your job is center city might be a great fit.

Ambler is in Wissahickon School District. Upper Dublin school district generally consists of cookie-cutter housing developments from the 60s and 70s (in addition to some large estates in the Ft Washington Area). Both are very good school districts, and Ambler is a pretty nice small town.

[kimrocktherealtor]

How far from Center City do you want to be? If you're okay with 30-40 min I always recommend Yardley/Newtown - cute downtown areas, quiet normal rockwell-esque areas, amazing schools, and quick access to the train to the city or I-95 for a quick drive.

[jacothedog]

Great responses by all. What is the deal with City Wage tax? Is it for residents of the city, people who work in the city or both?

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by jacothedog

Great responses by all. What is the deal with City Wage tax? Is it for residents of the city, people who work in the city or both?

Everyone who lives in the city regardless of where they work and everyone who works in the city regardless of where they live. If you don't live or work in the city then obviously you don't pay. Residents pay a very slightly higher rate then non residents who only work in the city. It is about 4%, don't remember exactly these days. At one time the city had very low Real Estate tax's to compensate but that is changing now.

[jacothedog]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

This sounds like another candidate for Jenkintown/Abington Township and for 400k you could actually slip in to some of the more desirable neighborhoods as long as you don't object to a remodeled older home. www.trulia.com and 19046

Bryson - We actually would prefer and old home. You also mentioned office location in another post. I will actually be able to decide where the office will be, so that is not a factor.

[jacothedog]

Originally Posted by Summersm343

To be fair, there are great schools in the city as well, no doubt. Masterman, Central, Meredith, Penn Alexander, are some of the best public schools in the country. Then you have all the great private schools and charcters like Germantown Friends, etc. etc.

You could try the Media. Nice walkable downtown area with good restaurants and nightlife. There is an AMC movie theater right down Route 1 in Lima. You have good access to highways to get to the Sports Complex and SEPTA serves the area via the Media/Elwyn Regional Rail line which will take you right into Center City.

Summer, regarding living in the city, it will be tough to offset the wage tax and to find a place large enough for our family within our budget, but we will look into Media. Thank you for the response.

[cjmmm]

How far from the city can you be? There are many great districts but I need to know this first. I am a teacher and I consistently check the PA ratings. Consider taxes, local transportation to city etc. Email me if you are interested.