Researching Chester Co from Downington to West Chester (Lancaster, Pottstown: real estate market, apartment)

[Bonnie710]

(Thanks to solibs for "borrowing" this from another forum.)


When are you moving? Spring/Summer 2016
Where are you coming from? Richmond, VA
Why are you moving? Move closer to family and find better area for family
Where will you be working? Husband, in IT, me in retail pharmacy
Have you been here yet? Yes

Will you buy or rent? Rent at first, then buy down the road
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? Single family home, not sure of price, depends on area.
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? prefer a townhouse or single family to rent.
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? PA doing lots of research on Chester Co.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married, 1 child (11)
Do you prefer public or private schools? Private, Catholic
Do you have pets? 2 cats
Do you want or need a yard? yes
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? a little bit of both. Looking for family friendly area where people are welcoming and are nice to new comers.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work yes, but willing to travel
Shopping yes
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? similar ages, kids, activities.

[cpomp]

Where exactly will you be working?

And what is your budget.

There are a lot of great areas in Chester County, nearby Delaware County may be an option too, but budget and work will help narrow it down a bit.

[DonegalGuy]

Bonnie710,

Chester County is a large area which has both a semi-rural heartland and a suburban aspect interspersed with historic small towns. The eastern part of Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) from the town of Frazer down to Wayne and Bryn Mawr is the classic Main Line area and includes some of the wealthiest parts of the Delaware Valley. These areas can be pricey but the quality of life is high. While you mention that your child will be going to Catholic school, the public schools in these areas are exceptional.

The western part of Route 30 just north of West Chester and going through Downingtown is a very desirable place for young families and is one of the hottest real estate markets in the Philly suburbs. Houses are affordable for middle class to upper middle class but they sell quickly. The corresponding school districts of West Chester, Downingtown and Great Valley are also very highly rated. Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown is very good (the high school band will be playing for the Pope on his visit next month).

West Chester is the county seat so it contains the courthouse and county offices. It also has a dynamic state university with a good number of college students. There are lots of nice restaurants in town and it is close to many amenities.

Downingtown is not as lively but is a nice quiet town. It does not offer as many dining options but is well maintained. The western side of Downingtown through Thorndale and Caln Township until you reach Coatesville is acceptable but not as nice as the West Chester / Downingtown nexus. Any location around West Chester is very desirable as is the area between West Chester and Downingtown up Route 322. If your child will be going to Bishop Shanahan HS you may want to stay on the northwest side of West Chester to be closer to the school. It will also be helpful if you plan on taking the Paoli-Thorndale rail line into the city.

[Sonoma818]

Originally Posted by DonegalGuy

Bonnie710,

Chester County is a large area which has both a semi-rural heartland and a suburban aspect interspersed with historic small towns. The eastern part of Route 30 (Lancaster Avenue) from the town of Frazer down to Wayne and Bryn Mawr is the classic Main Line area and includes some of the wealthiest parts of the Delaware Valley. These areas can be pricey but the quality of life is high. While you mention that your child will be going to Catholic school, the public schools in these areas are exceptional.

The western part of Route 30 just north of West Chester and going through Downingtown is a very desirable place for young families and is one of the hottest real estate markets in the Philly suburbs. Houses are affordable for middle class to upper middle class but they sell quickly. The corresponding school districts of West Chester, Downingtown and Great Valley are also very highly rated. Bishop Shanahan High School in Downingtown is very good (the high school band will be playing for the Pope on his visit next month).

West Chester is the county seat so it contains the courthouse and county offices. It also has a dynamic state university with a good number of college students. There are lots of nice restaurants in town and it is close to many amenities.

Downingtown is not as lively but is a nice quiet town. It does not offer as many dining options but is well maintained. The western side of Downingtown through Thorndale and Caln Township until you reach Coatesville is acceptable but not as nice as the West Chester / Downingtown nexus. Any location around West Chester is very desirable as is the area between West Chester and Downingtown up Route 322. If your child will be going to Bishop Shanahan HS you may want to stay on the northwest side of West Chester to be closer to the school. It will also be helpful if you plan on taking the Paoli-Thorndale rail line into the city.

Where are all the great restaurants in West Chester? Gilmore's is gone. Limoncello? Don't make me laugh. Kildare's? LOL. Name one restaurant that is great is DubC...

[DonegalGuy]

Dear Sonoma818,

Your comment has me quite perplexed. I am hoping you can clarify since it is quite important that I not be misquoted.

You chose to use the word "great" when inquiring about restaurants based upon my previous comment. My confusion arises because I never used that word when describing the restaurants in West Chester. I used the word "nice". I would submit that your snarky and condescending misrepresentation of my description is most inappropriate to my original intent. There are a number of nice restaurants in West Chester compared to the offerings in Downingtown. However, it can also be said that Downingtown has nicer offerings than Chester or Pottstown but not as nice as Media or Phoenixville or Kennett Square.

Thank you.

[Bonnie710]

thank you for the input. We just returned from a long weekend up in that area and are leaning towards the Downington area. Like the area, schools and access to major roads. West Chester seems nice, but I got a more family feel in Downington, Exton area.

[Pezzalini]

Bonnie, we lived in the West Chester borough for a year after moving to PA for the first time from out of state. After shopping for a home to buy throughout that whole year, we found one just outside of the borough...much quieter here, but just a few minutes drive from downtown. We have an 11 year old and a 10 year old, and love it...there are a lot of cool family-focused events in town, that are fun for both the kids and us, and as mentioned by DonelGuy, a lot of NICE restaurants (not the chain variety), pubs and whatnot.

We looked at a lot of homes throughout the area...plenty in Downingtown and Exton - all over the area - and are very happy with where we landed. It could be different for you and your family, but we really enjoy the proximity to downtown West Chester.

And to Sonoma18, have you tried Roots Cafe? Spence 312? The Olive Branch? I also really like the new sushi place on Market St., Tsunami. We're not talking big city, four star dining here, but there are indeed plenty of NICE options. And lots of NICE pub options for eating, too...Ram's Head, The Social, Split Rail Tavern, Iron Hill and plenty more...all within a few minutes walking distance of each other.