Moving from Florida to Philly (burbs) in late summer - need advice! (Philadelphia: real estate, to rent)

[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

[stuckinsj]

If you love the city, why not live in it and support it?

[jacothedog]

Well, like I said - schools ae the #1 factor and there are great schools in the suburbs. I understand what you're saying, and that is why I said I don't want to be too far from the city, as we will support it by attending sporting events, going to restaurants there, etc..

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by jacothedog

Well, like I said - schools ae the #1 factor and there are great schools in the suburbs. I understand what you're saying, and that is why I said I don't want to be too far from the city, as we will support it by attending sporting events, going to restaurants there, etc..

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.

[MikeNigh]

Main line route 30?

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

Main line route 30?

There budget is a little bit low for the Main Line IMO, though Bala-Cynwyd, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, or Ardmore could yield some deals. Otherwise, I'd say Swarthmore or Media in the western suburbs (the areas around the Haverford Township stops on the Norristown High Speed Line are good as well); Glenside or Jenkintown to the North. People say good things about Ambler as well (though I'm not familiar with it). It all depends on how far you want your dollar to stretch.

[soulsurv]

I agree with Summersm about Media, but would also look at the burbs outside of the West Chester boro. Both areas have a nice artistic vibe to them, and there's a movie theatre in neighboring Cocordville or a short dive into DE. I grew close to Media and really love that town.

[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

[bryson662001]

What kind of office will you open? Maybe you should decide the best area for that first and then a place to live since your living requirements are available in many parts of the metro.

[Angus215]

There is the usual list of "walkable" towns that seems to get posted in every one of these threads. However, since the vast majority of suburbanites don't actually live in these towns, i guess other factors often take precedent. Here is a link that might help you get you started.

Explore Classic Towns | Classic Towns of Greater Philadelphia

A $400k house in the suburbs close to a train line gives you a tremendous amount of variety in philadelphia. Obviously, depends on exactly what kind of house you are looking for so i would recommend checking out real estate listings to get a sene for that. I think towns like Ambler, Media, Lansdale, North Wales, Ardmore, and Yardley may fit your requirements. Keep in mind, the overwhelming majority of houses with these postal addresses will not actually be located IN the town itself.