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Old 07-02-2018, 01:34 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,643 times
Reputation: 10

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We are a family of 4 with two kids in elementary school and are looking at a possible job transfer to the Philly area. THANK YOU in advance for your help. (My head is spinning and I need a little insight from some locals)

When are you moving? hopefully before school starts
Where are you coming from? MA
Why are you moving? job transfer
Where will you be working? Telford
Have you been here yet? no

Will you buy or rent? buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? house under $700K
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? PA
(If you answered NJ - post your answers here: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-j...-philadelphia/)

Are you married or single? Do you have children? married 2 kids in elementary school
Do you prefer public or private schools? open to both - Kids are currently in private, but it's more about finding the right fit for us
Do you have pets? yes - 2 dogs & a cat
Do you want or need a yard? yes
Are you keeping a car? yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? calm, but with somewhat reasonable (~1hour)access to the city

What do you want to be closest to?
Work 2
Shopping 3
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) 1
Nightlife 5
Train or subway stations 4

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Yes??? It would be nice to have other kids around to play with

Favorite Beverage - Craft Beer, wine, water? Water
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Old 07-02-2018, 02:33 PM
 
1,393 posts, read 913,271 times
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The whole area of Telford, Souderton, Sellersville is very nice upper middle class suburban area with very good public schools (Souderton or Pennridge districts). I'd probably recommend starting your search in that area to keep your work commute short. With a $700k budget, you should be able to find something that more than suits your needs. If you like more towny feel, look towards Sellersville. If not, then the surrounding areas are suburban to ex-urban in certain areas. Travel to Philly is probably about 45 mins to an hour depending on traffic and where in Philly you're going (would be a little over an hour if you're commuting at rush hour, but if you're working in Telford, then that shouldn't be the case). 309 and I-476 (turnpike NE extension) are both close-by highways. There is also a Septa commuter rail station in Lansdale maybe 5-10 miles away, and the trip to Philly by train is probably about 45 from there.
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Old 07-05-2018, 09:01 PM
 
10 posts, read 10,345 times
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There is a very nice area around Valley Forge Rd between Morris Rd and Germantown Pike you may like, extending back towards a beautiful park called Fischer’s Park in Towemencin Township. Nice budget for the area. Very kid friendly. Be sure to check out Skippack Village! Your kids will probably like Parkside Playground, too. Really can’t go wrong in this area. Lucky you!
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Old 07-08-2018, 04:39 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia
2,539 posts, read 2,314,343 times
Reputation: 2696
Check out:

Berwyn/Chesterbook - Treddyriffin Twp.
King of Prussia - Upper Merion Twp.

Your price point you can definitely find a nicely updated townhouse in an excellent school district, close to MANY culture and family activities that will give you that bustling feel.

Commute to collegeville is probably about 35-40 mins with traffic.
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Old 07-08-2018, 04:57 PM
 
13,254 posts, read 33,523,221 times
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I would look at Phoenixville or maybe North Wales. I would actually avoid rowhomecities choices because 1) there is no town in King of Prussia - it's pretty much the definition of suburbia - tons of houses, traffic and shopping. No town center at all but lots of roads. Second choice of Berwyn is a nice town but commuting would be a bear and you wouldn't get as much house for your money. If you are looking for MORE space, I don't think you will find it by going closer to Philadelphia.

Phoenixville is a nice town that has gone through some revitalization. https://www.visitphilly.com/areas/ch.../phoenixville/ My two cents is to stay north of routes 276/76/202
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Old 07-09-2018, 05:46 PM
 
71 posts, read 69,677 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rowhomecity View Post
Check out:

Berwyn/Chesterbook - Treddyriffin Twp.
King of Prussia - Upper Merion Twp.

Your price point you can definitely find a nicely updated townhouse in an excellent school district, close to MANY culture and family activities that will give you that bustling feel.

Commute to collegeville is probably about 35-40 mins with traffic.
Thank you - your thoughts on Malvern, Devon and Wayne?

Regarding updated, is it better to go for a new construction or updated? Since at those areas, it is v expensive to find a new construction plus honestly I wasn’t a fan of NV homes Atwater crowd even though the property were modern and in a great shape. What are the pros/cons for updated vs new construction. Other thing is I think we need another car before making this kind of investment.

So if I am going for renting a townhouse, where and how much is the average around those areas or there is no chance? Or best would rent to own? Any new constructions around the upper merion tsp? What about conschy? And Chesterbrook?
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Old 07-09-2018, 09:17 PM
 
71 posts, read 69,677 times
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Forgot to mention, my work is in Collegeville where I currently rent an apt.

I think after looking at the map, best spots will be any of the mainline cities: Malvern, Devon, Berwyn, Wayne, Stratford and Chesterbrook. Do you have any recommendation regarding the latter in terms of new constructions.

What about Conschocken too? Will I be able to afford any townhouses for the spots mentioned with my current budget? If there are any neighborhoods that I missed, please let me know so I can start looking.

Oh and it will be a plus if the area is walkable and have some kinda of shopping strip if at all possible with events or stuff to do for my kids and wife.

Last edited by Everglore; 07-09-2018 at 09:34 PM..
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Old 07-09-2018, 09:18 PM
 
71 posts, read 69,677 times
Reputation: 32
Quote:
Originally Posted by toobusytoday View Post
I would look at Phoenixville or maybe North Wales. I would actually avoid rowhomecities choices because 1) there is no town in King of Prussia - it's pretty much the definition of suburbia - tons of houses, traffic and shopping. No town center at all but lots of roads. Second choice of Berwyn is a nice town but commuting would be a bear and you wouldn't get as much house for your money. If you are looking for MORE space, I don't think you will find it by going closer to Philadelphia.

Phoenixville is a nice town that has gone through some revitalization. https://www.visitphilly.com/areas/ch.../phoenixville/ My two cents is to stay north of routes 276/76/202
Don’t like Phoenixville. It is kinda rowdy and college town for me. Plus Collegeville is more upscale.
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Old 07-10-2018, 04:56 PM
 
13,254 posts, read 33,523,221 times
Reputation: 8103
Quote:
Originally Posted by Everglore View Post
Don’t like Phoenixville. It is kinda rowdy and college town for me. Plus Collegeville is more upscale.
To each his own, but your comment is interesting. Collegeville actually HAS a college within it's borders, Phoenixville does not.
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Old 07-20-2018, 10:23 PM
 
Location: Montgomery County, PA
6 posts, read 5,857 times
Reputation: 22
There's new construction in Chester Springs and of course all around Collegeville. Collegeville is definitely less "rowdy" than Phoenixville. The college there is pretty sedate and the nightlife in Phoenixville is hoppin'.

Phoenixville has a lot of community events - Firebird Festival - , Blob Fest just happened last weekend - ]Colonial Theatre's Blobfest and more, etc. and it trends toward a younger crowd. It's a vibrant community and there are great restaurants and bars, too.

It's going to be difficult to find rent-to-own homes.

Last edited by toobusytoday; 07-22-2018 at 12:22 PM.. Reason: new poster cannot post links
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