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My husband and I are looking to relocate to Philadelphia in the next three years. Hopefully within two years. I am doing some research early on, before I make a decision on where to settle.
We currently live in New York City. We would be relocating for my husband’s job. We cannot wait to get out of the city. The issue here, is me. I cannot drive. Being a New Yorker, I am just TOO used to public transportation. Even if I wasn’t, I am not interested in driving. I understand that I could gain a sense of freedom if I did learn, but I just don’t want to. And that’s okay -– some people never learn.
So, here’s the thing. We want the best of both worlds, I guess you could say. By the way, my husband can drive. Which means we will have a car at home. I would love to live in a (VERY SAFE) suburban neighborhood that has everything I need – within walking distance or via Septa. And with access to the center city, if I really wanted to venture out for the day. But also because my husband will be working down there.
*** I would say less than a 45 minute drive (don’t want my husband to drive too far each day), and an hour or less via Septa. ***
And I think I found a place that “has it all”!!! Springfield, PA (Delaware County). If I found a home relatively close to the trolley (reasonable walking distance), I could EASILY get to all of the schools (elementary, middle, high school), hospital, dentist, the mall, etc. They are all literally along the trolley line. The neighborhood has multiple trolley stations – nice!!
Yes, it isn’t like NYC, where I can walk out the door and everything I need is across the street … but it seems doable, right? I wouldn’t feel “stuck” is what I am saying.
Is the area safe? I know it is surrounded by not the best areas, or so some have said. Clifton Heights for example. Only worried because I have a child.
This is also what made me feel as though I found “the one”, the place to possibly move to (unless there are similar options). I will be referring to this post from January of this year. LINK: //www.city-data.com/forum/phila...gfield-pa.html
In post #3, DonegalGuy states:
“The township is a strong knit community that grew rapidly in the '50s,'60s and '70s. It has since stabilized and is comprised primarily of middle to upper-middle income households. It also serves as the retail hub for southern and southeastern Delco as it has the trolley line running through it and is easily accessible from the Blue Route, State Road and Baltimore Pike. The Springfield Mall has succeeded in large part because of the transportation access (compared to Granite Run which did not have the same advantages).
The township continues to be attractive as it is fairly walkable and has a well-established community which supports families and children.”
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SORRY I WROTE SO MUCH. THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE MORE YOU CAN HELP Thank you!!!
If Springfield, PA seems like the perfect match, my husband and I will be visiting the community very soon. We want to get a feel for the area.
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When are you moving? Flexible. Possibly three years or sooner.
Where are you coming from? New York City.
Why are you moving? Work Opportunity.
Where will you be working? Husband will be working in various places in center city. Depends on where/when he is needed for his service.
Have you been here yet? Several times in center city. But not in the surrounding areas.
Will you buy or rent? Buy.
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? SFH up to 350k.
Do you have a preference of living in a NJ or PA suburb? PA suburb with access to center city via Septa services.
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married with one child.
Do you prefer public or private schools? Public.
Do you have pets? No, we do not.
Do you want or need a yard? Definitely a yard.
Are you keeping a car? Yes, one car. My husband drives. I do not.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm and quiet.
What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations
^^^ ALL. Having options to take any form of Septa service.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Diverse neighborhood, but one that is great for families.
Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water? I do love some wine, but I can’t resist a frozen margarita.
I would be getting a Septa Key Card (monthly pass) when I relocate. So, it would make sense to be located near transit. I know that Springfield is also near a regional line (media/elwyn), which is great if I really needed to use it.
I’m not an expert on the burbs and there’s nothing wrong with Springfield but based on your transit requirements, it’s far from unique. I’m sure some other people can make suggestions of similarly situated areas.
I’m not an expert on the burbs and there’s nothing wrong with Springfield but based on your transit requirements, it’s far from unique. I’m sure some other people can make suggestions of similarly situated areas.
That's great to hear! Looking forward to hearing some suggestions. Thanks
Springfield (Delaware County) is fine, but very suburban and rather congested on the main roadways.
I would look one town over in Media. Media has a walkable downtown and several transit options to Philadelphia and a trolley. The only possible issue with Media is that housing in the borough itself is in high demand and usually consists of townhomes/rowhomes, any updated single home would push you north of $500k.
The greater Media area is also lovely (Middletown, Upper Providence, Edgemont, and neighboring Newtown Square and Springfield, but you need a car for your needed amenities).
Yes of course you meant the Springfield in Delaware County—you said so in your first post!
Springfield is nice and would probably be a good choice, although people generally heap the “eureka—I found the perfect town” praise on Media, which is next door. (Biases acknowledged: I live here.) Springfield definitely has an edge in terms of suburban amenities: You’re not going to find a Target, Kohls, or Chuck-E-Cheese in Media. (Springfield has all three.) Springfield does feel much more like a suburb while Media feels more like a town or one of Philadelphia’s far-flung neighborhoods (like Chestnut Hill). That doesn’t necessarily make one superior to the other, but they offer different flavors that appeal to different tastes.
Media offers a more concentrated pedestrian-oriented town center (State Street), and the same trolley line that passes through Springfield runs down the center of that main street. Within walking distance are two grocery stores, a general store, several restaurants and coffee shops, a public library, parks, doctors and dentists, hairstylists, banks—most of what you likely need on a daily basis. And if you do want to go to the Springfield Mall, it’s just a short trolley ride away.
All of the reports I’ve seen suggest that Springfield schools are decent, but Media’s schools consistently rank significantly higher. The elementary school is near the center of the borough and easily walkable from anywhere, though the middle and high schools are less centrally located. (However, you can get to either via a SEPTA bus and a bit of a walk.) Springfield has an edge there in that the middle and high schools are closely clustered and near trolley stops, but on balance, I think Media is friendlier to the non-driver than Springfield is.
Another Media advantage for living the car-free lifestyle is the presence of regional rail (the Media/Elwyn line). That line largely bypasses Springfield, and the closest stations (Swarthmore, Morton) would be quite a hike from most Springfield residences. Media has a station that’s a short walk from most of the borough, and that allows a faster and easier route to Center City. The alternative would be to ride the trolley to 69th Street, then transfer to the Market-Frankford line (a subway) to continue the trip.
The main challenge with Media is that since it is so compact (and therefore walkable), the supply of homes is quite limited and they sell very quickly. Within your budget, you’d probably be looking at a rowhouse or twin (duplex). You’ll find other homes in the Media ZIP code outside of the borough limits, but walkability is just about nil once you cross the border. You can certainly get more for your money in Springfield (probably a three-bedroom colonial or split-level), but there are some tradeoffs as I mentioned (quality of schools, walkability)
If I had to make a decision largely based on the fact that I wouldn’t be driving, I’d easily take Media, even if that means getting less house for my money. And I’m “walking the walk” in this case: Even though I actually enjoy driving, I rarely start my car from one week to the next. I walk everywhere or use transit.
But by all means, pay a visit to the area and get a feel for Media, Springfield...and other transit connected towns like Glenside, Ambler, etc. I think you’ll find, though, that Springfield is a bit more stereotypically suburban and more challenging to navigate without a car than you might be assuming.
Yes of course you meant the Springfield in Delaware County—you said so in your first post!
Springfield is nice and would probably be a good choice, although people generally heap the “eureka—I found the perfect town” praise on Media, which is next door. (Biases acknowledged: I live here.) Springfield definitely has an edge in terms of suburban amenities: You’re not going to find a Target, Kohls, or Chuck-E-Cheese in Media. (Springfield has all three.) Springfield does feel much more like a suburb while Media feels more like a town or one of Philadelphia’s far-flung neighborhoods (like Chestnut Hill). That doesn’t necessarily make one superior to the other, but they offer different flavors that appeal to different tastes.
Media offers a more concentrated pedestrian-oriented town center (State Street), and the same trolley line that passes through Springfield runs down the center of that main street. Within walking distance are two grocery stores, a general store, several restaurants and coffee shops, a public library, parks, doctors and dentists, hairstylists, banks—most of what you likely need on a daily basis. And if you do want to go to the Springfield Mall, it’s just a short trolley ride away.
All of the reports I’ve seen suggest that Springfield schools are decent, but Media’s schools consistently rank significantly higher. The elementary school is near the center of the borough and easily walkable from anywhere, though the middle and high schools are less centrally located. (However, you can get to either via a SEPTA bus and a bit of a walk.) Springfield has an edge there in that the middle and high schools are closely clustered and near trolley stops, but on balance, I think Media is friendlier to the non-driver than Springfield is.
Another Media advantage for living the car-free lifestyle is the presence of regional rail (the Media/Elwyn line). That line largely bypasses Springfield, and the closest stations (Swarthmore, Morton) would be quite a hike from most Springfield residences. Media has a station that’s a short walk from most of the borough, and that allows a faster and easier route to Center City. The alternative would be to ride the trolley to 69th Street, then transfer to the Market-Frankford line (a subway) to continue the trip.
The main challenge with Media is that since it is so compact (and therefore walkable), the supply of homes is quite limited and they sell very quickly. Within your budget, you’d probably be looking at a rowhouse or twin (duplex). You’ll find other homes in the Media ZIP code outside of the borough limits, but walkability is just about nil once you cross the border. You can certainly get more for your money in Springfield (probably a three-bedroom colonial or split-level), but there are some tradeoffs as I mentioned (quality of schools, walkability)
If I had to make a decision largely based on the fact that I wouldn’t be driving, I’d easily take Media, even if that means getting less house for my money. And I’m “walking the walk” in this case: Even though I actually enjoy driving, I rarely start my car from one week to the next. I walk everywhere or use transit.
But by all means, pay a visit to the area and get a feel for Media, Springfield...and other transit connected towns like Glenside, Ambler, etc. I think you’ll find, though, that Springfield is a bit more stereotypically suburban and more challenging to navigate without a car than you might be assuming.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpomp
Springfield (Delaware County) is fine, but very suburban and rather congested on the main roadways.
I would look one town over in Media. Media has a walkable downtown and several transit options to Philadelphia and a trolley. The only possible issue with Media is that housing in the borough itself is in high demand and usually consists of townhomes/rowhomes, any updated single home would push you north of $500k.
The greater Media area is also lovely (Middletown, Upper Providence, Edgemont, and neighboring Newtown Square and Springfield, but you need a car for your needed amenities).
Schools are excellent in all of the listed towns.
Thank you cpomp and briantoutman for your replies! Very much appreciated
Both of you mentioned that Media homes are high in demand - - And with my budget of up to 350k, my family and I probably won’t be getting a single family home. We probably could, if we are lucky, but on a smaller lot, compared to Springfield.
Having a single family home (more for our money) with our budget is what we would like to stick to. I am sick of apartment living. My husband and I would love to give our child the suburban lifestyle, but with a taste of city living (transit options, easy access to center city). Looking very suburban is a plus!
briantoutman - - Though Springfield may be more challenging to navigate, do you think it would still be possible for me to get to where I need to go on a daily basis? Schools, Doctor, Mall, etc. Providing I live near a trolley station (up to a 10 minute walk). That’s all that matters to our family. For other matters, weekend trips/adventures, my husband would drive us around.
I am wondering if Springfield is a good balance.
School wise: I know Media has higher ranking schools, but Springfield schools look good enough, as they are also high ranking. The schools in Springfield are centrally located. All grade levels. All along the trolley line. One elementary school is further down, toward Baltimore Pike. In Media, only one is centrally located. The fact that the schools in Springfield are centrally located, gives me a piece of mind. I don't have to worry about going here and there, and everywhere when enrolling in different schools.
In my perfect little world, I would have a Springfield home (budget, size) right in Media. I do love that Media is much more pedestrian family (for my sake, being without a car). However, I love the suburban look more, compared to the small town look.
It would make sense to compromise and just stick with a smaller lot, but if I am going to buy something and make a big change, it would be nice kind of, “get what I want”, so to speak. I am not entirely, “getting what I want”. I am compromising on less walkability. As long as I am not stuck in a place with no transit options whatsoever.
Again, I am assuming. Never been there. Will navigate and get a feel for it when the time comes. But am I on the right track? Does this seem like an okay fit for our family?
OP, unless it's in your original post and I missed it, you didn't mention where your husband's job is going to be.
That would help with what options might work for you wrt his commute.
Springfield(DelCo) is okay but coming from NYC(where are you now in NYC?), you might get quickly bored.
Look at the Media too. Media is the terminus of the Rt102 trolley which is the trolley you mentioned). It's charming, is walkable and has nice restaurants.
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