Move from Across the State (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: real estate, apartment, rental)

[wmdude]

Hi,

We have narrowed our search to NC or Philly. We like the south for an eventual move, but staying in state may be preferable currently. We have lived in Philly for a short amount of time about 6 years ago and enjoyed it. One of us is in IT and the other Chemical Engineering.

When are you moving? Possibly May/June
Where are you coming from? Pittsburgh Area
Why are you moving? New job, change
Where will you be working? Working on that, other has offers, not sure of exact location yet, commute time isn't as important to us as area/schools is
Have you been here yet? Yes, short term for a few months in the Lansdale area

Will you buy or rent? Rent for now
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? Prefer a townhouse, but apartment is fine. Budget is $800-1400/Month preferrably
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? Either or

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? PA

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married, 3 children – Schools important
Do you prefer public or private schools? Either
Do you have pets? No, would like to get a dog
Do you want or need a yard? Park nearby would be great, but willing to drive or walk, or bike
Are you keeping a car? Yes, 2 cars
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Peace at home

What do you want to be closest to? Nice community, love to be able to walk to shops, parks, etc. – Wish List
Also would be great to be 10-20 minutes from transit

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? No preference

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

[FrankInPhilly]

I'm surprised it's been a couple of days and nobody's offered any suggestions. Although when you consider $1400 as an upper limit for at least 2 (maybe 3?) bedrooms and a good school district and a walkable 'hood ... that winnows down the options pretty quickly. I'm in Philly (love it but, sadly, couldn't recommend it because of schools) and without kids, so I have nothing to suggest. But having moved here from North Carolina, I'm curious: where in NC were you considering? And why aren't you considering NC equally with Philly (that is, why Philly now, then maybe NC)? This is partly just curiosity (always like to see which parts of NC appeal to people) and in part thinking that two moves (Philly, then NC) are both costly and disruptive, even if by the time you head South one or more kids are out of the house and the family "nest" is partially empty.

[wmdude]

Originally Posted by FrankInPhilly

I'm surprised it's been a couple of days and nobody's offered any suggestions. Although when you consider $1400 as an upper limit for at least 2 (maybe 3?) bedrooms and a good school district and a walkable 'hood ... that winnows down the options pretty quickly. I'm in Philly (love it but, sadly, couldn't recommend it because of schools) and without kids, so I have nothing to suggest. But having moved here from North Carolina, I'm curious: where in NC were you considering? And why aren't you considering NC equally with Philly (that is, why Philly now, then maybe NC)? This is partly just curiosity (always like to see which parts of NC appeal to people) and in part thinking that two moves (Philly, then NC) are both costly and disruptive, even if by the time you head South one or more kids are out of the house and the family "nest" is partially empty.

Hi FrankInPhilly,

We have been considering Houston, Raleigh, and Philadelphia. We would like to go south, but it may not be ideal at this time. We can go a bit higher with the rent, as I have looked and rental costs are higher than I thought in Philly. I should know better since it was high when we were there a few years back, but didn't consider the increase a 3 bedroom would have over a 2 bedroom. I should note that we currently are at 2 children, 1 more is the plan within the next year or so.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by wmdude

We have been considering Houston, Raleigh, and Philadelphia. We would like to go south, but it may not be ideal at this time. We can go a bit higher with the rent, as I have looked and rental costs are higher than I thought in Philly. I should know better since it was high when we were there a few years back, but didn't consider the increase a 3 bedroom would have over a 2 bedroom. I should note that we currently are at 2 children, 1 more is the plan within the next year or so.

I lived in Chapel Hill (part of the "Triangle" area consisting of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill - plus they usually include Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and a few others). My information about Raleigh is a bit dated, so you may now or eventually, when you're ready to head South, post to the CD Triangle forum. But ... I think this generalization still holds: 'burbs in the Triangle have, because they were developed much later than those in the older Northeast cities, a very different "look & feel." Most of the Philly suburban locations close to the city - Main Line towns, Jenkintown, Ambler, et al. - are walkable in the way you described in your original post. Plus, they offer the ability to get to Center City without a car. I can't speak to the school quality, but most CD postings (mine included) always seems to generalize to: 'burbs better than Philly public (not counting charter, parochial, or private schools).

Suburban Raleigh's a different animal: car-based, single-family homes on lots that are generally larger than Philly "inner ring" towns, and from what I've heard from my co-workers in the area (I telecommute), school quality in Wake County varies significantly. The area's undergone significant growth in the past 10+ years, and many people would say infrastructure has not kept pace. So as I said before, check w/ the Triangle forum before forming any opinions. One thing's for sure, though: you're going to be much more car dependent in Raleigh. There's been talk for years of bringing light rail to the Triangle, but given how medium/low-density housing is in the area's DNA I don't see how even the greenest and best-intentioned commuter could nod and say "sure, I'll drive to the station, wait for the train, then walk or take a shuttle to my place of work."

I know nothing of Houston other than it's flat and humid

[cpomp]

Just some general info.. It will certainly help to post in here once you have a set location figured out in the Philadelphia area. Unfortunately since you have 3 kids you likely will need 2 to 3 bedrooms, and you will not find that virtually anywhere in a nice area with good schools in Southeastern Pennsylvania at $800-$1400.

Not to deter you from the area, but the cost of living is substantially higher here than NC.

[FrankInPhilly]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Just some general info.. It will certainly help to post in here once you have a set location figured out in the Philadelphia area. Unfortunately since you have 3 kids you likely will need 2 to 3 bedrooms, and you will not find that virtually anywhere in a nice area with good schools in Southeastern Pennsylvania at $800-$1400.

Not to deter you from the area, but the cost of living is substantially higher here than NC.

I always take the cost of living web pages with at least a couple of grains of salt, but ... FWIW, comparing Philly and Wake counties for a $50k income requires about $4,200 more to live in Philly than Wake mod cut - removed competitor site link. I didn't look at the methodology to see if they included state taxes (both are flat rate: NC is 5.75% with a $15k deduction filing married, PA is 3.07% with no deduction). So whether (for $50k) $4,200 is a lot is subjective. Add to the mix in both locations the local real estate tax, the cost of transportation and vehicle maintenance, car insurance (generally higher in PA), etc etc ... and you get [a] more informed and [b] a headache

[1ondoner]

For a young couple with 3 kids, Raleigh may be ideal for you.

I was in Raleigh the entire of last week and I really felt like I had landed in America as I drove from the airport although I was flying from Philadelphia. Raleigh and Philly vary widely in terms of the cost of living. With 3 kids, your money will go further in the South and you will have a higher standard of living. And then you've got the issue of the weather, which to me makes a big deal because I'm an outdoors person. While Philly was in the 20's last week, it was high 40's and 50's in Raleigh last week. And the snow was all gone so I got to do some good runs while I was out there. And with 3 kids, you're better off with a 4 bed house which will be cheaper than a 3 bed in the Philly area.

The other funny thing is that folks in the South are much more friendly and hospitable. In Philly, you get a lot of stiff lipped folks. It seems to be an East Coast thing, in general.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

For a young couple with 3 kids, Raleigh may be ideal for you.

I was in Raleigh the entire of last week and I really felt like I had landed in America as I drove from the airport although I was flying from Philadelphia. Raleigh and Philly vary widely in terms of the cost of living. With 3 kids, your money will go further in the South and you will have a higher standard of living. And then you've got the issue of the weather, which to me makes a big deal because I'm an outdoors person. While Philly was in the 20's last week, it was high 40's and 50's in Raleigh last week. And the snow was all gone so I got to do some good runs while I was out there. And with 3 kids, you're better off with a 4 bed house which will be cheaper than a 3 bed in the Philly area.

The other funny thing is that folks in the South are much more friendly and hospitable. In Philly, you get a lot of stiff lipped folks. It seems to be an East Coast thing, in general.

Money and cost of living are a big factor, but in all regards of amenities, culture, and character, the Philadelphia area far outweighs Raleigh in every category.

Also, the weather is Southeastern PA is not all that different than North Carolina. We have harsher winters, but its not Canada.

[JasmineFlower]

Where are your jobs going to be located? I know it's not set, but you mentioned offers, going off those areas will help people offer suggestions. How far outside of the city are you willing to live? When you say private school is okay, do you mean you are generally okay with the concept? Because if you're willing to pay for private school, maybe the amount you spend on rent can go up if you're in a good public school district.

The area you were in before, Lansdale, is one to consider again since they have a number of townhome communities there. You'll have to go up in your budget though for that area, but that's going to be the case for almost all areas with better school districts.

[thedirtypirate]

As I have said before I lived in Raleigh for a few years. If I was looking for a suburban lifestyle, I would choose lower Montgomery County or Bucks a million times over. Raleigh is basically a large suburb that has the culture of Richmond Va. There isn't much to do and it is so far out in the middle of nowhere. I prefer Charlotte in NC. In my opinion all the small towns with their walk able little areas are quaint and unique in the Delaware valley, unlike pretty every strip mall in Raleigh (I do not count promenades as real towns.. lol). Pizza stinks down there. Italian food in general stinks there. BBQ is good. Idk, nobody could ever talk me into moving there again.

Seriously take a trip out here and visit a place like Peddlar's Village or go to Sesame Place (I do not know how old your kids are) or go to some the botanical gardens around.

I also am from PA and was used to living in the woods, where NC's landscape is much more open. I missed having a real four seasons too.

Raleigh just was not for me.