Potential Move to Philadelphia (Drexel Hill, Indiana: apartment, renting, condo)

[bender2007]

I have been approached about a potential move for work. The role would take me to DC, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and Southern NJ and from what I've read the Philadelphia region seems like a good fit. I will be working from home and would need to reside within or near that area so that really opens up my search so I need some help narrowing it down, see answers below.



When are you maoving? This is flexible
Where are you coming from? Indianapolis, IN area
Why are you moving?Work
Where will you be working?From home but between DC and Philly essentially, access to highways and trains would be a plus but not a necessity
Have you been here yet? No, working on a recon trip

Will you buy or rent?Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? HouseHow much can you spend? Ideally less than $500K
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? No, but it seems Philly would allow better travel to DC
(If you answered NJ - post your answers here: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...-philadelphia/)

Are you married or single? MarriedDo you have children? Yes
Do you prefer public or private schools? I'd like to send the kids to catholic schools if it is affordable, otherwise would like to join a good parish
Do you have pets? no
Do you want or need a yard?Want, would prefer a fenced in yard or area for kids to play, near parks, jogging and biking trails a plus
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? With a family quiet is good but a somewhat walkable area would be nice.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations
Also parks, trails,

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, good neighbors are a plus and being able to walk around the neighborhood is also a plus

Coke or Pepsi? Neither

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by bender2007

I have been approached about a potential move for work. The role would take me to DC, Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and Southern NJ and from what I've read the Philadelphia region seems like a good fit. I will be working from home and would need to reside within or near that area so that really opens up my search so I need some help narrowing it down, see answers below.



When are you maoving? This is flexible
Where are you coming from? Indianapolis, IN area
Why are you moving?Work
Where will you be working?From home but between DC and Philly essentially, access to highways and trains would be a plus but not a necessity
Have you been here yet? No, working on a recon trip

Will you buy or rent?Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? HouseHow much can you spend? Ideally less than $500K
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? No, but it seems Philly would allow better travel to DC
(If you answered NJ - post your answers here: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...-philadelphia/)

Are you married or single? MarriedDo you have children? Yes
Do you prefer public or private schools? I'd like to send the kids to catholic schools if it is affordable, otherwise would like to join a good parish
Do you have pets? no
Do you want or need a yard?Want, would prefer a fenced in yard or area for kids to play, near parks, jogging and biking trails a plus
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? With a family quiet is good but a somewhat walkable area would be nice.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations
Also parks, trails,

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, good neighbors are a plus and being able to walk around the neighborhood is also a plus

Coke or Pepsi? Neither

You should firstly look at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Wilmington(DE) for schools and/or parishes. You can google both. In Phila the archdiocese involves the city and suburbs.

[rainrock]

The N + W suburbs of Philadelphia have a strong catholic presence.There has been some consolidation of parishes but I believe there are still over 220 parishes in the archdiocese. You cant go too far around here without being in range of a catholic parish.

Maybe research Media,Swarthmore,Upper Providence,Nether Providence,Middletown Township. These are nice towns in Delaware County Pa which is wsw of Philadelphia. Close to I-95 and the train line is nearby that takes you into 30th Street Station Philadelphia. Great public schools but keep an eye on the taxes, can be on the high side depending on exact location.

[Flyers Girl]

Havertown might work for you. Some parishes that serve Haverford Township are St. Denis (my parish), Sacred Heart, St. John Neumann. Each area within Haverford Township has a civic organization (I live within the Oakmont Civic Association area) and some are more active than others. St. Denis has the St. Denis Fun Fair every year (coming up the first two weekends of May), with rides, games of chance, and a beer garden and casino for the adults.


Great parks for the kids - Paddock, Grasslyn, and Merry Place, just to name a few. We also have an award-winning facility called the CREC (Community Recreation and Environmental Center) that has a lot going on. Darby Road and Brookline Boulevard are both fairly walkable, with restaurants and businesses lining them both. We also have Haverford Township Day in the fall, Haverford Spring Fest in the (you guessed it) spring, and the Music Fest as well (don't remember when that is, lol).


You didn't mention how many children you have, but I think you could find something well within your price range here.


If you can't tell, I love Havertown and really can't say much of anything bad about it. Some links to check out:


The Township of Haverford, Pennsylvania / Homepage
The Township of Haverford, Pennsylvania / Haverford Township Civic Associations
Welcome to St. Denis Fun Fair!


Parochial schools:
Home | Cardinal John Foley Regional Catholic School
Sacred Heart school
Home

[bender2007]

Great suggestions by all and @rainrock wasn't kidding about property taxes. How do property taxes in Pennsylvania? They are capped in Indiana to a percentage of assessed value but can be increased (up to another cap) by vote. My potential boss mentioned Exton, PA to me which is further out and more suburban (which I am not necessarily opposed to).

[Avalon08]

If I were going to be traveling to Jersey, Baltimore, DC, etc., I would not choose Exton. I would want to be as close as possible to 95. Exton is near the PA Turnpike but then it's still a hike to 95. I think the Delaware County towns mentioned above would be more convenient, and you should certainly be able to get a nice home in your price range. I don't know exactly how the property taxes are calculated, but Delaware County is known for its high property taxes in most areas.

[bender2007]

Exton looked enticing because it was on a rail line and the thinking was I could take Amtrak into main station into Philly and then from there to DC for my trips there but I see your point about wanting to be close to I-95. I am still verifying if my travels will take me to downtown locations in those cities (better for rail transit) or suburban (better for car) or mix.

Are there any areas to avoid? I was investigating Drexel Hill and surroundings and there are some nice well-priced homes there and according to a stroll using Google Street view seemed fairly safe and well kept. Also, how are the highways and commutes for when I do travel to the different cities?

[usernameunavailable]

I would think somewhere along I-95 in DELCO. Marcus Hook?

[Avalon08]

Originally Posted by bender2007

Exton looked enticing because it was on a rail line and the thinking was I could take Amtrak into main station into Philly and then from there to DC for my trips there but I see your point about wanting to be close to I-95. I am still verifying if my travels will take me to downtown locations in those cities (better for rail transit) or suburban (better for car) or mix.

Are there any areas to avoid? I was investigating Drexel Hill and surroundings and there are some nice well-priced homes there and according to a stroll using Google Street view seemed fairly safe and well kept. Also, how are the highways and commutes for when I do travel to the different cities?

There are plenty of other places besides Exton that are on rail routes into the city, AND are closer to 95 if you have to drive. I would not say there's anything so enticing about Exton that it overrides the other, more convenient places. And since you're sending your kids to Catholic school, you don't have the dreaded school system issue.

Which brings me to Drexel Hill. There are probably tons of other posts about it, if you do a search. It has some beautiful old homes, but the taxes are super-high and it's in a less than desirable school district, which is why you'll find the homes "well-priced". However, you've got some strong Catholic parishes there. Personally, I'd probably choose Media area as it's closer to 476, which takes you right down to 95 if you're driving. The Main Line towns are great (Google if not familiar) but you probably won't find they fit your budget.

As for the highways, I don't think you'll have any problems other than the usual rush-hour madness that you'd find anywhere. Philadelphia is super-centrally-located for commuting to the cities on the Eastern corridor.

P.S. Ignore the Marcus Hook comment.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by bender2007

Exton looked enticing because it was on a rail line and the thinking was I could take Amtrak into main station into Philly and then from there to DC for my trips there but I see your point about wanting to be close to I-95. I am still verifying if my travels will take me to downtown locations in those cities (better for rail transit) or suburban (better for car) or mix.

Are there any areas to avoid? I was investigating Drexel Hill and surroundings and there are some nice well-priced homes there and according to a stroll using Google Street view seemed fairly safe and well kept. Also, how are the highways and commutes for when I do travel to the different cities?

I second Flyers Girl's adviceabout looking in Havertown. It's adjacent to Drexel Hill so travel issues will be about the same.