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Wallingford- As I understand it, Wallingford has some gorgeous homes with some outrageous taxes to go along with it. I hear the school district is solid. But I've also heard something about Wallingford residents attending Strath Haven? I'm not too sure about the truth behind this, but I was always under the impression that Strath Haven wasn't a model school by any means. All I've really heard about Wallingford is people complaining about the taxes.
The high school for the Wallingford-Swarthmore school district is Strath Haven High School. It is located in the Wallingford section of Nether Providence Township. Public school kids from Nether Providence (including Wallingford), Rose Valley, Swarthmore, and Rutledge go to Strath Haven. It is frequently ranked as one of the top high schools in the state.
I think its Man O War. I am am a member at the Rocky Run Y and occasionally drive by to go to Wolfs and some of the homes on Man O War need some TLC.
I dont see how the traffic could get any worse in the area but I do know that a new road would be constructed where the postal service and Wawa used to be, for drivers from route 1 who want to go south on 452. That would help a lot for the terrible light at route 1 and 452.
So Is that whole scenario with the development kaput now? I remember growing up in Springfield (Delco) and developers had the local council in their pockets. Residents never had a choice. If developers wanted to put up more shopping and strip malls (the old Genuardis now Giant and all those stores), BOOM, it was done, regardless of the wishes of the people, PARTICULARLY in Charlie Sexton's day though taxes continue to skyrocket regardless of all the industry in that township. Heck, they tore up Smedley park for a storage depot!!! So....I'm kind of amazed that the residents of Middletown have been able to put the kabosh on that project.
Looks like even the stalwart Edgemont has lots of building going on - next to the Mostardis. Rather stunned that Middletown residents have that kind of power.
Of course it's not an insult to not be part of the Main Line. There are plenty of areas that have good homes, good school districts, and everything else that most people look for when choosing where to buy a home. The main thing that separates the Main Line from other places like Newtown Square, Media, etc. is exclusivity. If I had a $250k budget I could easily find a suitable home in Newtown Square or Media. $250k will get you pretty much nothing more than a shack on the Main Line. It's exclusive. It costs big bucks to live there. Call it pretension, or whatever you will, but there's a reason why people who make big money choose to call the Main Line home..
REALLY??!!! Don't think so. A condo maybe or a small twin, but no way would you be able to get a decent single in either area, particularly Media, for $250. There are a few neighborhoods in NS that go for slightly under $300 - tiny streets where the houses are practically on top of each other or perhaps a split in need of much repair. I shop the NS and Media markets constantly.
Of course it's not an insult to not be part of the Main Line. There are plenty of areas that have good homes, good school districts, and everything else that most people look for when choosing where to buy a home. The main thing that separates the Main Line from other places like Newtown Square, Media, etc. is exclusivity. If I had a $250k budget I could easily find a suitable home in Newtown Square or Media. $250k will get you pretty much nothing more than a shack on the Main Line. It's exclusive. It costs big bucks to live there. Call it pretension, or whatever you will, but there's a reason why people who make big money choose to call the Main Line home.
That being said, there are plenty of gorgeous properties in both Newtown Square and Media. There's just a bit more socioeconomic disparity in those areas. Media has a lot going for it with State Street and the whole downtown area. Some parts of Newtown Square offer houses that are on huge plots of land. People who are putting those priorities at the top of their list when house hunting might choose those areas over the Main Line. I'm not saying one is better than the other, as it's truly a matter of personal preference and what works for your family and your budget. I'm just saying that there is an element of exclusivity in Main Line living (like it or not) that separates it from other wealthy, suburban areas outside of Philadelphia.
Quote:
Originally Posted by soulsurv
So Is that whole scenario with the development kaput now? I remember growing up in Springfield (Delco) and developers had the local council in their pockets. Residents never had a choice. If developers wanted to put up more shopping and strip malls (the old Genuardis now Giant and all those stores), BOOM, it was done, regardless of the wishes of the people, PARTICULARLY in Charlie Sexton's day though taxes continue to skyrocket regardless of all the industry in that township. Heck, they tore up Smedley park for a storage depot!!! So....I'm kind of amazed that the residents of Middletown have been able to put the kabosh on that project.
Looks like even the stalwart Edgemont has lots of building going on - next to the Mostardis. Rather stunned that Middletown residents have that kind of power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by soulsurv
REALLY??!!! Don't think so. A condo maybe or a small twin, but no way would you be able to get a decent single in either area, particularly Media, for $250. There are a few neighborhoods in NS that go for slightly under $300 - tiny streets where the houses are practically on top of each other or perhaps a split in need of much repair. I shop the NS and Media markets constantly.
I agree with soulsurvYou try to find a nice home on the market right now for 250k in newtown Square. You need to check your facts. There are a few rundown looking apartments right around the 200k range. Even a small ranch in Newtown Square, which there are not many of is 300k+! A townhome in Springton Chase is 600k. Your average Bentley Home is 2million. Newtown Square is not by any means affordable.
Media maybe in the immediate downtown area, you could find a small cape/rowhouse in that range, but 250k will not buy you anything special. A small well kept cape a few blocks from downtown is easily 300k on up. Any new construction in any of these areas is at least 400k on up.
Clearly, Lower Merion is more expensive, but you are talking about 2 other suburbs that can compete with Lower Merion in all aspects, so saying it is easy to find a home at 250k in Media or Newtown Square is a stretch. Heck, its hard to find a really nice house in Aston for 250k.
And soulserv, Middletown residents are difficult. They do not want any further retail development, until current retail is improved (Granite Run Mall). Their biggest fear is further congestion and noise disrupting nearby neighborhoods. I personally think this new development if done right would be great for the town. I do not want another Target, Home Depot setup. But something similar to the promenade at Sagemore in South Jersey, featuring upscale shops and resturants with more hidden/limited parking, surrounded bu homes. But that will likely never fruition... its been argued for over decade now.
REALLY??!!! Don't think so. A condo maybe or a small twin, but no way would you be able to get a decent single in either area, particularly Media, for $250. There are a few neighborhoods in NS that go for slightly under $300 - tiny streets where the houses are practically on top of each other or perhaps a split in need of much repair. I shop the NS and Media markets constantly.
That all depends on what you consider a decent house. I've seen houses in Media borough for under $100K. It's kind of amazing that Media has such cheap houses in parts but it's not surprising given how many people underrate it. Personally, when I think of a fixer-upper, I think of a house that needs a bunch of work just to make it decent, like many of the houses developers renovate in up-and-coming neighborhoods.
I agree with soulsurvYou try to find a nice home on the market right now for 250k in newtown Square. You need to check your facts. There are a few rundown looking apartments right around the 200k range. Even a small ranch in Newtown Square, which there are not many of is 300k+! A townhome in Springton Chase is 600k. Your average Bentley Home is 2million. Newtown Square is not by any means affordable.
Media maybe in the immediate downtown area, you could find a small cape/rowhouse in that range, but 250k will not buy you anything special. A small well kept cape a few blocks from downtown is easily 300k on up. Any new construction in any of these areas is at least 400k on up.
Clearly, Lower Merion is more expensive, but you are talking about 2 other suburbs that can compete with Lower Merion in all aspects, so saying it is easy to find a home at 250k in Media or Newtown Square is a stretch. Heck, its hard to find a really nice house in Aston for 250k.
And soulserv, Middletown residents are difficult. They do not want any further retail development, until current retail is improved (Granite Run Mall). Their biggest fear is further congestion and noise disrupting nearby neighborhoods. I personally think this new development if done right would be great for the town. I do not want another Target, Home Depot setup. But something similar to the promenade at Sagemore in South Jersey, featuring upscale shops and resturants with more hidden/limited parking, surrounded bu homes. But that will likely never fruition... its been argued for over decade now.
Oh, but I've checked my facts. Yeah, of course you won't be moving into a gigantic, newly renovated single family home with that kind of budget. But it's not impossible to find a quaint fixer-upper in those areas with a $250k (or lower) price tag. A quick Zillow search can show you that. You can get a bigger bang for your buck in places like Havertown compares to places like Newtown Square, but if you have a max budget of $250k and had your heart set on Newtown Square or Media, you could definitely find a suitable home in that price range, even if it does need a bit of work. On the other hand, no matter how much you had your heart set on places like Wayne, Bala Cynwyd, Villanova, Bryn Mawr, Devon, Berwyn, etc. it just wouldn't be feasible with that kind of budget.
Oh, but I've checked my facts. Yeah, of course you won't be moving into a gigantic, newly renovated single family home with that kind of budget. But it's not impossible to find a quaint fixer-upper in those areas with a $250k (or lower) price tag. A quick Zillow search can show you that. You can get a bigger bang for your buck in places like Havertown compares to places like Newtown Square, but if you have a max budget of $250k and had your heart set on Newtown Square or Media, you could definitely find a suitable home in that price range, even if it does need a bit of work. On the other hand, no matter how much you had your heart set on places like Wayne, Bala Cynwyd, Villanova, Bryn Mawr, Devon, Berwyn, etc. it just wouldn't be feasible with that kind of budget.
I was responding because a poster said you can easily find a home in Media or Newtown Square at 250k. There is a very limited selection of homes in that range. And a fixer upper would not really be a suitable home?
There are more homes in Bryn Mawr on the market for under 250k than in Media or Newtown Square. There are a quite a few streets in Bryn Mawr that are less than desirable and cheap. 250k in any of these areas will not get you anything special was my point. Media and Newtown Square are not like Exton, they are comparable to most of lower merion.
Lower Merion is expensive, but like I said unless you are looking in Gladwyne or Villanova, there is no bang for your buck standard when you are comparing Newtown Square to any of those areas. Media has alittle more affordability because there are a lot of smaller homes right near downtown. But we are comparing apples to apples here. A family making making the same amount of money with same budget for a home would have pretty much identical results when it comes to living in lower merion or the Media/newtown square area.
I was responding because a poster said you can easily find a home in Media or Newtown Square at 250k. There is a very limited selection of homes in that range. And a fixer upper would not really be a suitable home?
There are more homes in Bryn Mawr on the market for under 250k than in Media or Newtown Square. There are a quite a few streets in Bryn Mawr that are less than desirable and cheap. 250k in any of these areas will not get you anything special was my point. Media and Newtown Square are not like Exton, they are comparable to most of lower merion.
Lower Merion is expensive, but like I said unless you are looking in Gladwyne or Villanova, there is no bang for your buck standard when you are comparing Newtown Square to any of those areas. Media has alittle more affordability because there are a lot of smaller homes right near downtown. But we are comparing apples to apples here. A family making making the same amount of money with same budget for a home would have pretty much identical results when it comes to living in lower merion or the Media/newtown square area.
There's definitely a significant Main Line cost premium. I'll post zip code medians later.
That all depends on what you consider a decent house. I've seen houses in Media borough for under $100K. It's kind of amazing that Media has such cheap houses in parts but it's not surprising given how many people underrate it. Personally, when I think of a fixer-upper, I think of a house that needs a bunch of work just to make it decent, like many of the houses developers renovate in up-and-coming neighborhoods.
Can you describe the house, please? VERY curious. And what I consider decent is a single with a backyard, public water and sewer, even as small as 1200 sf with a bath and a half and all systems in okay shape. Nothing needs to be spanking new. Don't need stainless steel appliances and granite countertops or even a dishwasher. Just a smallish house (1200 - 1500 sf) with a nice, level yard for the dogs to run and for me to plant a few flowers and which I can mow myself.
The trend is unmistakable. Add to this the fact that the median home in most of these Main Line zip codes are smaller and older than their outer DelCo equivalents. Outer DelCo is a better deal. Don't deny it; use it as a selling point.
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but I do know that a new road would be constructed where the postal service and Wawa used to be, for drivers from route 1 who want to go south on 452. That would help a lot for the terrible light at route 1 and 452.
So....I'm kind of amazed that the residents of Middletown have been able to put the kabosh on that project. 
