Media vs. Wayne vs. Conshohocken (Chester, West Chester: appointed, apartment complexes, townhome)

[kamg23]

Hello,
Looking for advice on where to move in the Philly suburbs ... I recently received a job in Paoli, PA and will be relocating in the next month. I am a 33 year old single woman and recently relocated from Chicago where I have lived for the last 10 years. I am coming to the area to begin my second career and I do not really knowing anyone in the area (all of my family is in Northeast PA).
Here's what I'm looking for: an area with a small downtown with a few walkable restaurants, bars, coffee shops and more importantly an area that will have some young professionals not just married couples and families. I will need to keep a car and looking for a 1 BDRM around $1200. I have done a lot of research and have visited a bunch of areas, I think I have narrowed it down to either Media, Wayne, or Conshohocken area.

Media I drove through the main st and loved it and all the cute shops/restaurants/bars but Im not sure what it is like there on weekends or if there is any kind of nightlife or if the places are open after 6. I know Media has been mentioned on here as being family oriented which is okay, but will I be one of 5 single young professionals among families here?
Wayne also seems quaint but a bit more expensive and maybe out of my price range. Its is also closer to where I will be working (Paoli).
Conshohocken is a bit of a hike but has been recommended by many as the hip place for young professionals. I drove through the main part of Conshohocken once and was very disappointed at how little it had to offer. It also was not so aesthetically pleasing/appeared very run down.

I realize that coming from Chicago many are probably thinking I should live in center city but to be honest I am kind of tired of being in the center of the craziness of a city but still want to have access. Plus, I need to have a car for this job and don't want to deal with traffic/parking in the city. I like that all three of these areas Im considering are a 45 minute or less train into Philly. Any advice or thoughts on my situation would be appreciated!!! Thanks

[Hockeyskillz]

Media and Wayne are both GREAT choices, but they are more geared towards families than what you're looking for. If these 3 towns are your only suburban choices, I would lean towards Conshohocken Borough, or even West Conshohocken (over the bridge). Despite what it looks like, Conshohocken isn't really run down at all, and offers great value and access to Philly. Moreover, it is filled with young/younger singles, so you'll see lots of familiar faces in your demographic. You'll also be really close to Manayunk, a city neighborhood that's a regional destination for shopping, bars, clubs that young singles gravitate to.

Having said that, have you considered Ardmore? Besides actually having a nightlife, this town boasts great access to Center City (the Main Line train is the most frequent of all Regional Rail lines) and a great bar/restaurant scene. I really think you'll be happiest there.

Besides Conshohocken and Ardmore, West Chester Borough really offers everything you're looking for, with the exception of easy access to Philly.

[cpomp]

As the other poster suggested, you may want to take a tour of West Chester. Out of all 4 options I would vote West Chester for your needs. For Media, many of the restaurants and bars are open until the midnight hour or later and remain crowded to that point on the weekends, so the town does not become sleepy after 6. But its more of a dining and relaxing with a drink atmosphere, not exactly exciting as it would be in Center City. Wayne I consider very sleepy and quiet, not the most exciting place of a single young person, and expensive.

Keep in mind not every neighborhood in Philly is crazy hustle and bustle, I would still keep the option open for living in the city because I think it would suite you well.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by cpomp

As the other poster suggested, you may want to take a tour of West Chester. Out of all 4 options I would vote West Chester for your needs. For Media, many of the restaurants and bars are open until the midnight hour or later and remain crowded to that point on the weekends, so the town does not become sleepy after 6. But its more of a dining and relaxing with a drink atmosphere, not exactly exciting as it would be in Center City. Wayne I consider very sleepy and quiet, not the most exciting place of a single young person, and expensive.

Keep in mind not every neighborhood in Philly is crazy hustle and bustle, I would still keep the option open for living in the city because I think it would suite you well.

Expensive, yes. Very sleepy and quiet, not so much. Wayne Avenue is pretty active on weekends--not just with families, but some young professionals as well. That said, I agree that somewhere else would probably better serve the OP's needs.

I echo Hockeyskillz' recommendation of Ardmore. Easy car/rail access to both Paoli and Center City, plus a fairly active bar/nightlife scene as well, by virtue of the several nearby colleges and universities (active by suburban standards, of course). Media would be good too. West Chester is nice, but much further away from the city.

[Duderino]

Welcome to the Philly area.

I think you've narrowed down your choices pretty well, based on what you're looking for. If you want more of a young professional vibe versus a more family-oriented atmosphere, I'd rank these options as:

1. Conshohocken (locally known as "Conshy")
2. Media
3. Wayne

That's not to say you would not find young professional communities in any of them, but -- outside of the city -- Conshy is definitely the next major hub of young professionals in the metro region.

In terms of your price range, you shouldn't have a hard time finding something within your budget.

I'm also pretty surprised to hear that your perception of Conshy is that it is "run down" and does not have much to offer. Certainly, it is a little bit rough around the edges in some parts (it is still, in some part, transitioning from a blue-collar mill town to a very successful high-tech/white-collar hub) -- but that is changing very quickly. It has an ever-increasing amount of restaurants/businesses on its main street (Fayette Street, which is already pretty charming and revitalized), and there are lots of apartments/townhome projects in the works, meaning the town is in pretty high demand for people in your demographic.

I personally had lived in Conshohocken for about a year and half and definitely enjoyed my time there. It has a great, close-knit small town vibe, and there is a lot of optimism about its future. I'd definitely give it another look.

Good luck!

[kamg23]

Thank you all so much for your input and advice on my search. I really appreciate your help and value the opinions of those who know the area best!

I spent all of today driving to the areas mentioned above and also spent some time in Ardmore and West Chester. It was interesting to me that most people consistently recommend Conshy - I have also had friends and friends of friends that recommended this area as well. I spent quite a bit of time there today and while it was not as run down as I remember it - the area is definitely changing in a positive direction... I just cant quite understand the draw. There appears to be maybe between 4-5 restaurants/bars and what I thought was a minimal walkable area of the 2 blocks of Fayette St. Not sure if Im missing something? After visiting Conshy again, I went to Media and can understand how many say it is quaint and family oriented but it appeared to have so much more to offer in the one long block of State St. than that of Conshy. Unless many are referring primarily to the demographics in Media.

I liked Ardmore and West Chester (which was bigger than I expected). My biggest concern with West Chester was the distance from the city and fear that the downtown area (Market/High/Gay) attracts a lot of students since the university is so close...is this the case? Overall it seemed slightly isolated with no transit to the city.

If anyone has any other recommendations of suburbs to check out, please pass them along. I am very open to ideas and not set on those three alone. Also, if anyone knows of any good apartment complexes in these areas that are reliable/clean/affordable I would love to hear! Thank you all again Excited to be in the area!

[dab13]

Aspects of Media are definitely family oriented, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do for young professionals too, especially up a down State St in the evening hours. I still think it would be a really good option, it's also so easily connected to the city via train or trolley to make it that much more appealing.

Based on what I read in this thread , I agree West Chester would be a great option if your willing to be that far from the city. That being said, you are also correct in assuming downtown WC will typically be flooded with college kids.

[egolise]

I think Conshy is a great place to live, has a large (and growing) community of young professionals and their families, but it is not a hip place to live. If that is what you are looking for you will likely be disappointed. It certainly has some nice restaurants and amenities that can be walkable, but is mostly a sleepy town.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by kamg23

I spent all of today driving to the areas mentioned above and also spent some time in Ardmore and West Chester. It was interesting to me that most people consistently recommend Conshy - I have also had friends and friends of friends that recommended this area as well. I spent quite a bit of time there today and while it was not as run down as I remember it - the area is definitely changing in a positive direction... I just cant quite understand the draw. There appears to be maybe between 4-5 restaurants/bars and what I thought was a minimal walkable area of the 2 blocks of Fayette St. Not sure if Im missing something? After visiting Conshy again, I went to Media and can understand how many say it is quaint and family oriented but it appeared to have so much more to offer in the one long block of State St. than that of Conshy. Unless many are referring primarily to the demographics in Media.

If your perception is drawing you more towards Media, then that's completely understandable. I will just reiterate that many do find Conshy to be appealing for its regional rail/highway access, proximity to the city, restaurant/bars/stores (which you do find in places other than Fayette Street) all in a "close-knit," walkable neighborhood. I also find the hilly topography to add an interesting dynamic to the town. I will acknowledge that its main street is not quite as robust as your other options, though.

At any rate, to each their own. Good luck!

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by egolise

I think Conshy is a great place to live, has a large (and growing) community of young professionals and their families, but it is not a hip place to live. If that is what you are looking for you will likely be disappointed. It certainly has some nice restaurants and amenities that can be walkable, but is mostly a sleepy town.

Eh, I would be reluctant to call any suburb outside of Philly to be "hip." Certainly there are many nice towns with vibrant main streets and nice amenities, but for a "hip" or "edgy" vibe, no suburban area would really come close to Philly.