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We have searched out various areas around Philly to move, and one of the ones that we have zeroed in on is Ardmore. Primarily for the schools and the commute. Any opinions? I've heard about the snobbery, but not sure how that affects our kids ( 9 and 7). We would prefer a more city environment, not looking for suburban life. There seems to be some diversity in the area, its isn't all vanilla, which is good. Any other pros/cons for the area. tks
Sorry but it absolutely affects your kids...being the relatively poor kids or the new kids is a million times harder in an affluent, faster paced enviroment.
Unless you have the $600+k for a house and loads to spare on clothes, cars and the the like, I would keep looking. Why not just move into the city limits, a place like East Falls or University City may fit the bill.
I lived in Ardmore when I was 6-8 (this was 1994-1996) and went to school in the Lower Merion School District for grades 1-2 (Penn Valley Elementary). Its true, it does affect the kids in schools. I lived in an apartment on Montgomery Ave, across from the high school, and I was nearly one of the only ones I knew who didn't live in a house (and they all lived in huge houses, and their parents had BMWs, etc). My friends gave me their hand-me-down, out of fashion clothes that my parents could never afford on their own. I did have friends, obviously, but when it came to birthday parties, I could never get as "great" a gift as everyone else, and I dressed "weird". I was still friends with most people even after we moved, at least until I was 13, when the party requirements got too out of hand.
I remember they wanted all the girls to go out and buy a dress, not a little girly type of dress, but a designer dress. They also wanted to go around and pick us girls up in a limo and drive us all to Atlantic City. And this was all on a Sunday night, with school the next day. Obviously, my parents said no...which ultimately cut us off from the people there.
We didn't fit in at all there. My dad worked in a restaurant in Ardmore as a chef, riding his bike there. Our apartment was the cheapest we could find. Our car was bought at 11 years old, but my parents gave in and bought a brand new car during the first year. The area itself, we all loved, but the whole aura of keeping up with everyone just got way too out of hand for us. We really moved there so I could go to a good school, since we lived in Queen Village in Philly before, but the schools were not worth it with everything else. We ultimately moved to Hatboro where it was much more affordable, and everyone else was like us.
I'm not sure if it has changed all that much over the years, my family would rarely go back there.
Sorry but it absolutely affects your kids...being the relatively poor kids or the new kids is a million times harder in an affluent, faster paced enviroment.
Unless you have the $600+k for a house and loads to spare on clothes, cars and the the like, I would keep looking. Why not just move into the city limits, a place like East Falls or University City may fit the bill.
Hmm..read both comments.. interesting. This kinda changes some of my thinking. We do pretty well, but we aren't old money..and we really live a non-materialistic lifestyle and are trying to pass this on to the kids. The pace doesn't scare us as we have lived in NYC which is much faster, and the kids have been all over the world and are pretty advanced for their age. But the keeping up with the jones, and having the kids judged for their material possessions, that isn't too cool...hmmm..ok...
What are the other options.. we want really good schools.. that is really what is driving us towards the area..where else is there? good schools where people don't have their head up their ______.
A few charter schools in the city, Catholic schools, or start looking further out.
Tredyffrin Schools is the western end of the Main Line, seems to be more grounded/less materialistic. And the BEST district in the area, despite what others might opine. Conestoga High was 79th last year in the COUNTRY, one of 2 in PA to make the top 100; the other is Masterman charter school in Philly.
Central Bucks schools next but not sure of commute options...great place to live though.
Chadds Ford schools are next after Radnor and Lower Merion, which I'm not even considering. Area seems affluent, more spread out, but the people are welcoming, pretty area, just a bit south if you're working in the city.
Great Valley/Malvern is next but far from the city
Wallingford-Swarthmore, much closer to the city, great liberal small town feel...only downside is the traffic congestion being in Delco and the high property taxes as there is no business district to bring in revenues. This is my favorite as far as lifestyle and nice people and good schools go.
Skip Garnet Valley SD as it seems to be Main Line lite
Rose Tree Media SD is comparable to Wallingford, less liberal, schools are not quite as good but still great
West Chester SD - college town, futher out, no train to city
Downingtown SD- way far out from city, new developments central so declining values in some sections, also covers Chester Springs which is the Main Line West for nouveau riche wannabes
Haverford SD - Havertown has location and amenities, may be a tad lilly white but is close to the city, easy commute, great for families...
Marple Newtown - also a good solid choice, good schools, diverse population, not too far out, no real downtown though
Springfield Delco also has proximity to city, good schools but congested, may be a tad beneath your standards.
If you want more down to earth people (i.e diversity of occupations and incomes) but still overall "good" schools, then focus on Haverford SD, Marple Newtown SD and Springfield SD. All the others will skew to a more affluent income population.
If you want more down to earth people (i.e diversity of occupations and incomes) but still overall "good" schools, then focus on Haverford SD, Marple Newtown SD and Springfield SD. All the others will skew to a more affluent income population.
Wallingford has its less affluent sections too, as does Media, and West Chester, not sure about Malvern....I honestly think Springfield should be last on your list, not first...
A few charter schools in the city, Catholic schools, or start looking further out.
Tredyffrin Schools is the western end of the Main Line, seems to be more grounded/less materialistic. And the BEST district in the area, despite what others might opine. Conestoga High was 79th last year in the COUNTRY, one of 2 in PA to make the top 100; the other is Masterman charter school in Philly.
Central Bucks schools next but not sure of commute options...great place to live though.
Chadds Ford schools are next after Radnor and Lower Merion, which I'm not even considering. Area seems affluent, more spread out, but the people are welcoming, pretty area, just a bit south if you're working in the city.
Great Valley/Malvern is next but far from the city
Wallingford-Swarthmore, much closer to the city, great liberal small town feel...only downside is the traffic congestion being in Delco and the high property taxes as there is no business district to bring in revenues. This is my favorite as far as lifestyle and nice people and good schools go.
Skip Garnet Valley SD as it seems to be Main Line lite
Rose Tree Media SD is comparable to Wallingford, less liberal, schools are not quite as good but still great
West Chester SD - college town, futher out, no train to city
Downingtown SD- way far out from city, new developments central so declining values in some sections, also covers Chester Springs which is the Main Line West for nouveau riche wannabes
Haverford SD - Havertown has location and amenities, may be a tad lilly white but is close to the city, easy commute, great for families...
Marple Newtown - also a good solid choice, good schools, diverse population, not too far out, no real downtown though
Springfield Delco also has proximity to city, good schools but congested, may be a tad beneath your standards.
Ok...Love Paoli/Berwyn/Devon just because of Conestoga.. it is one of the top schools in the country..but the commute just seems a little too much. It's never just the train time, it's all the other little trips inbetween that add up. I need to find out exactly what this commute time is. Do you have to change trains before 30th St station?
Central Bucks...seems to be too congested north of the city. If you aren't living next to train station, there seems to be traffic just getting to train, parking. I like the area.. but doesn't seem to work.
Chadds Ford - too far.
Swarthmore-Wallingford. Might work depending on train time to 30th St.
Rose Tree Media - Media seemed nice, but only if you live in the downtown area, otherwise it is a bit suburban. We actually like urban life ( walking not driving everywhere) and are not really trying to go the suburban route with a white picket fence. So we are trying to find a nice balance. The schools aren't up to the same level as Mainline and others from what I have read. Not bad schools but not at the top.
Haverford - appears to be a decent commute. Haven't researched schools, might be an option.
Marple-Newtown - it's the commute here. Is there a local station that has a fast train into 30th St.
As I understand, riding the local Septa isn't really the best option to commute into city. Nobody has recommended taking the 100/101/102 for the commute. Which seems odd since I lived in NYC and getting into the city from Queens was fast and safe ( and cheap) on the subway. Seems that the high speed lines r3/r5/r6 are the lines to take. Correct me if I'm off on this as it limits where one can live. My wife doesn't want to have to drive everyday and would like to have options.
Ok...Love Paoli/Berwyn/Devon just because of Conestoga.. it is one of the top schools in the country..but the commute just seems a little too much. It's never just the train time, it's all the other little trips inbetween that add up. I need to find out exactly what this commute time is. Do you have to change trains before 30th St station?
No need to change trains as all of those towns are on or near the R5 Regional Rail train. You may even be able to catch an express train during rush hour.
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Marple-Newtown - it's the commute here. Is there a local station that has a fast train into 30th St?
There aren't any light rail or commuter trains that are real close. By the time you would drive to, say, Haverford, you may as well have driven into town.
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As I understand, riding the local Septa isn't really the best option to commute into city. Nobody has recommended taking the 100/101/102 for the commute. Which seems odd since I lived in NYC and getting into the city from Queens was fast and safe ( and cheap) on the subway. Seems that the high speed lines r3/r5/r6 are the lines to take. Correct me if I'm off on this as it limits where one can live. My wife doesn't want to have to drive everyday and would like to have options.
The light rail trains 100-102 feed into 69th Street Terminal. From there, you will have to catch the Market-Frankford El train. That can be a lengthy, less comfortable trip into the city than the Regional Rail trains.
As I may have said in another thread, NYC set the gold standard as far as public transit coverage... but Philly IMO is vying against Chicago and Boston for the silver and bronze. Public transit is popular in the area but as with most places, the options trail off a bit in the 'burbs.
The commute from Berwyn, Wayne, Paoli R5 stops should not be that bad.
There are R3 stations in Swarthmore, Wallingford, and Rose Valley figure about 35 or so minute commute. Media tacks on another 5 or so minutes to that...both of these commutes are far from unreasonable in this area.
To take advantage of the subway you would have to live off the Rt 100 Norristown High Speed Line along the Main Line, but honestly, the quality of the subways and some of its clientele leaves something to be desired...at least now they have air conditioning so the people don't smell as bad in the summer. The stations, however, are still urine-y licious.
The 101 and 102 are trolley lines are slower than dirt...the only people I've heard of using these are the walking locals to get somewhere local or people who live in say Drexel Hill to get to 69th street as its closer than the R3 and cheaper as well...but you pay for that with your time and energy...I don't know if any of these lines have parking lots to speak of...they're really for folks who walk to them.
So, yes, I would recommend looking to either drive or take one of the Regional Rail lines.
I have heard a commute from parts of Bucks isn't so bad.
But again, why don't you look into the city and send your kids to private school or a charter school? Maybe check out Chestnut Hill, Manayunk, East Falls, Jenkintown.
I think you need to pick your #1 priority and stick to it. For us, its the best school in an area in which we can afford and live. Luckily that area also happens to be the closest commute.
I'd say in the burbs Wallingford and Media best meet your needs...and I don't know what you've heard but Media schools are right up there...21st in the state out of around 500 districts is far from mediocre.
Last edited by orrmobl; 05-23-2008 at 08:52 AM..
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