Input about Main Line snob factor? (Chester, Radnor Township: middle-class, renting, how much)

[Hazeltine]

Hi all,

Our family is planning a move back east from CA in about a year. I grew up in Malvern but haven't been back much in the past ten years. I posted previously with general questions about different neighborhoods and received many helpful replies. I'm back with a more specific question as we continue our research and planning.

Basically -- just how snobby is the Main Line these days, really?

We will either be homeschooling (for the early years) or sending the kids to public school, so I know that will filter out some of the competitive/pressure cooker vibes. Our budget is anywhere from 500k up to 900k with a possible stretch to 1M but we really want to be more conservative than that. When I look online I see a lot of lovely, charactered homes in Bryn Mawr that are very pretty and interesting without being ostentatious in the 500-700k range.

Growing up in Malvern the snobbiness was not really a factor but I was always under the impression that things were "worse" in Wayne, Bryn Mawr, etc.

I'm wondering how much of that uppity/Joneses/one-upmanship can be felt in day to day life in Bryn Mawr -- do you encounter it at the grocery store and that kind of thing or are people pretty friendly when you're out and about? Is the snobbiness mostly confined to certain social circles and establishments? I understand that one's particular neighbors are a luck of the draw thing but what about overall friendliness in the neighborhood? Do people get to know each other and help each other out?

Any and all feedback appreciated, as always.

For reference, our top contenders right now are Malvern, West Chester, and Bryn Mawr.

Thanks!

[kyb01]

It's likely someone will answer you in more depth.

But briefly, I grew on the Main Line(Haverford). My family has a very long history on the ML going back to when my maternal grandparents moved there in 1916. Right now one of my cousins lives in Bryn Mawr.

There are extremely rich people who reside in the various Main Line towns which should come as no surprise. But there are also residents who live more modestly whom I would describe as middle-class including enclaves of black people.

Snobbishness? There are certainly folks who could be described that way I'm sure. But, personally speaking, that kind of behavior is something I really have not experienced.

[Xbreeze]

I’ll chime in although I’m sure others will have more experience living on the Main Line. We have lived here for the past two years (one year renting in Wynnewood and bought our house in Bryn Mawr about a year ago) and have really enjoyed the area and our neighbors. Although we are very fortunate to be a two-income professional household with what I consider healthy salaries, I consider us a very laid back and down to earth family. We have made many great friends and have had no issues with snobbiness in our neighborhood. There are certainly very wealthy and pretentious people in this area (not that the two always go hand in hand) but it has been our experience that it is very easy to avoid these types of people. Most of our neighbors are very friendly and approachable people who chose the Main Line for its many amenities, proximity to Center City and excellent schools. We’ve truly enjoyed settling in this part of the area.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Hazeltine

Hi all,

Our family is planning a move back east from CA in about a year. I grew up in Malvern but haven't been back much in the past ten years. I posted previously with general questions about different neighborhoods and received many helpful replies. I'm back with a more specific question as we continue our research and planning.

Basically -- just how snobby is the Main Line these days, really?

We will either be homeschooling (for the early years) or sending the kids to public school, so I know that will filter out some of the competitive/pressure cooker vibes. Our budget is anywhere from 500k up to 900k with a possible stretch to 1M but we really want to be more conservative than that. When I look online I see a lot of lovely, charactered homes in Bryn Mawr that are very pretty and interesting without being ostentatious in the 500-700k range.

Growing up in Malvern the snobbiness was not really a factor but I was always under the impression that things were "worse" in Wayne, Bryn Mawr, etc.

I'm wondering how much of that uppity/Joneses/one-upmanship can be felt in day to day life in Bryn Mawr -- do you encounter it at the grocery store and that kind of thing or are people pretty friendly when you're out and about? Is the snobbiness mostly confined to certain social circles and establishments? I understand that one's particular neighbors are a luck of the draw thing but what about overall friendliness in the neighborhood? Do people get to know each other and help each other out?

Any and all feedback appreciated, as always.

For reference, our top contenders right now are Malvern, West Chester, and Bryn Mawr.

Thanks!

Since West Chester is not part of the Main Line I'm not sure your question even applies to it.

[Hazeltine]

kyb01 -- that's great to hear! And yes, WC is not Main Line but I'm just referencing it and also Malvern to possibly give more of a sense of what we like -- community, character and charm, still a bit of privacy, nice amenities, etc. I feel like I have a good sense of Malvern and WC having grown up on Warren Ave and attending West Chester Friends and Westtown as a kid. Bryn Mawr is a little more of a mystery to me since we mostly only traveled in that direction for dentist appointments and other random errands.

Xbreeze -- I am so happy to hear all of that since it sounds a lot like us and a lot like what we're looking for. My husband and I are both able to work from home so we really want to land in a neighborhood we love, since we won't be dealing with a commute at all.

If I could have my way I might go straight back to where I grew up on the corner of Warren Ave. and Davis Rd., but it's clearly a lot harder to find the kind of house and lot we're looking for in that area in our budget. Plus I do like the coziness of a neighborhood with somewhat smaller lots and an abundance of mature landscaping. Seems like a nice balance for life with growing children.

[Xbreeze]

Hazeltine - Please feel free to PM me with any questions about the area and specifically Bryn Mawr as your move approaches. There are several developments in the Radnor Township portion of Bryn Mawr that have anywhere from 20 to 80ish houses on 1/3 to 1/2 acre lots in the middle of your price range. These include Fox Fields, Cornerstone, Inveray and a few others. This could be a nice balance as a lot of these developments have very tight knit communities with block parties, neighborhood gatherings, etc. They all seem incredibly down to earth and family friendly. Good luck!

[1ondoner]

If you are hypersensitive and prone to peer pressure, main line may get under your skin. West Chester, the borough, is full of uppity, especially in the evenings. Malvern is a little laid back because there is no real commercial hub. Bryn Mawr is typical of main line.

Main line has a lot of Jonesing but it all depends with you. I'm good at ignoring such bullsh*t so it doesn't bother me at all. To some extent my kids have been able to withstand the jonesing in school but I think this is because they also don't suffer from inferiority complex.

Honestly, if you can ignore the sh*t around you, you'll be fine.

[bucks_pilgrimage]

I don't have anything to contribute with the exception of WELCOME BACK! I too spent a decade in CA and getting the chance to move back and live the way I always wanted to live actually came to fruition. Getting my (non native) wife onboard required some serious elbow grease and upping of the budget though.

If you are anything like me, then you will only appreciate it all that much more now. We drove from CA to PA over 6 days time and boy it really hit me hard coming into the AM range and hearing the KYW 1060 jingle for the first time after the long trek... I was home!

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Hazeltine

kyb01 -- that's great to hear! And yes, WC is not Main Line but I'm just referencing it and also Malvern to possibly give more of a sense of what we like -- community, character and charm, still a bit of privacy, nice amenities, etc. I feel like I have a good sense of Malvern and WC having grown up on Warren Ave and attending West Chester Friends and Westtown as a kid. Bryn Mawr is a little more of a mystery to me since we mostly only traveled in that direction for dentist appointments and other random errands.

Xbreeze -- I am so happy to hear all of that since it sounds a lot like us and a lot like what we're looking for. My husband and I are both able to work from home so we really want to land in a neighborhood we love, since we won't be dealing with a commute at all.

If I could have my way I might go straight back to where I grew up on the corner of Warren Ave. and Davis Rd., but it's clearly a lot harder to find the kind of house and lot we're looking for in that area in our budget. Plus I do like the coziness of a neighborhood with somewhat smaller lots and an abundance of mature landscaping. Seems like a nice balance for life with growing children.

The most positive things I can say about Bryn Mawr are that it has a fabulous public library( Luddington Memorial), Bryn Mawr Film Institute(shows mostly art house/ independent films), Bryn Mawr College and Bryn Mawr Hospital. Ardmore has much better shopping and restaurants. You didn't mention Ardmore.

[Pilot1]

I went to Villanova, under grad, and lived in Wayne, Devon, and later worked in Bryn Mawr. I never found it snobby. Yes there are a lot of Volvo, Range Rover, Benz driving soccer mom's, and guys that think they are Mr. Cool in their Beemers, but you have that in a lot of places. Where I live now, the Realtors are calling it the "western main line". They are idiots.

If you find a place that suits you I would not hesitate to live there. I prefer a less congested environment so live where I live in Chester County. No, West Chester is NOT the main line. Malvern, maybe.