Old Money vs New Money (Philadelphia, Waynesboro: to live in, zip code, club)

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Hopes

That's true because they don't retain wealth by being frivolous.

It's a matter of quantity and degree. More of one thing, less of another. Dad had an expensive car, but mom drove a Toyota; we belonged to a country club but almost never went on vacation; we lived in a nice house but my brother and I went to public school all the way through; etc. etc. More importantly, we did what we wanted to do, and couldn't have cared less about keeping up with some ridiculous, self-imposed benchmark of opulence.

Stereotypical old money activities (like horseback riding) are extremely expensive. Different people set their priorities in different ways.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

It's a matter of quantity and degree. More of one thing, less of another. Dad had an expensive car, but mom drove a Toyota; we belonged to a country club but almost never went on vacation; we lived in a nice house but my brother and I went to public school all the way through; etc. etc. More importantly, we did what we wanted to do, and couldn't have cared less about keeping up with some ridiculous, self-imposed benchmark of opulence.

Your family has the potential to be old money in future generations.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Your family has the potential to be old money in future generations.

Well if we hold onto it for long enough, sure.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by RCdelco

Garnet Valley is a solidly middle class area with some upper middle class families that boost the median income. You don't have to be upper middle class to afford a Mercedes or a Lexus. You need to remember that, until 2006, Garnet Valley was a part of Chichester Township. Since when has any part of Chichester Township ever been wealthy? Face the facts, if these people really had money, they'd be moving the hell out of that area.

Garnet valley is most definitely an upper middle class to upper class suburb. I dont know where you have been. If you can afford a 600k home and buy a mercedes for yourself and your child that is certainly upper middle class if not upper. Also, garnet valley up until a decade ago was mostly farmland, once the area began to get built up, all of the wealthier people did not want to be associated with marcus hook, hence why a movement took place to give garnet valley its own (now prestigious postal code). Parts of Gladywne tried to do the same thing to escape conshohocken a few years back as well.

And what is it with you and people truly having money?! there are dozens of other nice towns and suburban enclaves in addition to the main line that are very well to due. The main line is not everything! Delaware county should be thanking towns like garnet valley and chadds ford for adding increased home values and more wealth to the area. You make the asinine claims about people wanting to leave garnet valley??? That is why they are among the fastest growing municipalities in the area.

Originally Posted by RCdelco

Soulsurv, those are ridiculous things to do. However, you don't necessarily have to be upper middle class/wealthy to do them. People in all different income brackets choose to spend money they don't have or make frivolous purchases such as luxury cars for their teenagers. Think of it this way - those who partake in ostentatious displays of wealth feel that they have something to prove. That is why Garnet Valley and even places in the surrounding areas (Ridley, Glenolden, Prospect park) have people driving Lexus' and BMWs they can't afford. Drive through a truly wealthy neighborhood and you'll see tons of Toyotas, old volvos and Hondas.

First off do not lump garnet valley and Ridley and Glenolden into one category. You seriously have a lack of knowledge for the area minus wanting to jump in bed with lower merion. And I do not see a plethora of luxury cars cruising around glenolden.... A truly wealthy neighborhood ex. Gladwyne, driving through it I saw nothing but luxury cars. Truly wealthy people drive expensive cars, that is most certainly true. And upper middle class people drive expensive cars as well. It is more of the bucolic atmosphere where people may be driving an older volvo.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Also, garnet valley up until a decade ago was mostly farmland, once the area began to get built up, all of the wealthier people did not want to be associated with marcus hook, hence why a movement took place to give garnet valley its own (now prestigious postal code). Parts of Gladywne tried to do the same thing to escape conshohocken a few years back as well.

Really? I don't remember that. There is a tiny (and I mean tiny) sliver of the 19428 zip code that juts over into the Township between I-76 and the Schuylkill River. Except for a small stretch of Woodmont Road, that's pretty much all woods. Such a change would affect 10, maybe 15, households.

Originally Posted by cpomp

First off do not lump garnet valley and Ridley and Glenolden into one category. You seriously have a lack of knowledge for the area minus wanting to jump in bed with lower merion. And I do not see a plethora of luxury cars cruising around glenolden.... A truly wealthy neighborhood ex. Gladwyne, driving through it I saw nothing but luxury cars. Truly wealthy people drive expensive cars, that is most certainly true. And upper middle class people drive expensive cars as well. It is more of the bucolic atmosphere where people may be driving an older volvo.

Or there's the fact that different people are going to spend their money of different things, irrespective of being old money/new money/blue blood/nouveau riche/whatever label you want to throw at them.

[soulsurv]

Originally Posted by Hopes

That's true because they don't retain wealth by being frivolous.

THANK YOU!!!! So we'll give the BRAINS category to the Old Money group

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by soulsurv

THANK YOU!!!! So we'll give the BRAINS category to the Old Money group

The blue bloods call it "good breeding," a quality your Italian genetic markers ostensibly prevented you from having (your persistent cheerleading notwithstanding).

[RCdelco]

I'm not arguing that there aren't any wealthy families in Garnet Valley. I'm arguing that Garnet Valley is not a wealthy area in and of itself. And, for what it's worth, I'm not only in love with the main line (which I do love for it's history above all else). I've expressed my affection for places like Havertown, parts of Springfield, parts of Drexel Hill, the architecture in Lansdowne, Edgemont, State Street in Media, and some of the older, Victorian architecture in Ridley Park. I'm really not too biased. You just seem hellbent, Cpomp, on painting an inaccurate picture of Garnet Valley.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by RCdelco

I'm not arguing that there aren't any wealthy families in Garnet Valley. I'm arguing that Garnet Valley is not a wealthy area in and of itself. And, for what it's worth, I'm not only in love with the main line (which I do love for it's history above all else). I've expressed my affection for places like Havertown, parts of Springfield, parts of Drexel Hill, the architecture in Lansdowne, Edgemont, State Street in Media, and some of the older, Victorian architecture in Ridley Park. I'm really not too biased. You just seem hellbent, Cpomp, on painting an inaccurate picture of Garnet Valley.

Let's take emotions out of it and look strictly at the numbers:

19061
Median Household Income: $117,946
Median Family Income: $122,891
Per Capita Income: 44,284

The per capita income is somewhat low (relative to the medians) so there's far more upper middle class families than super-wealthy ones, but the medians themselves are pretty high.

[RCdelco]

I stand corrected. I never tried to make Garnet Valley out to be some impoverished area, I just think a lot of other close-by areas (excluding the main line, even) are more established and have more to offer.