Living suggestions while working in Malvern? (Philadelphia, Lancaster: apartments, for rent, limousine)

[orcsoul]

I'm currently entertaining an offer in Malvern... and having never been to PA or anywhere in that region before I'm at a bit of a loss where to start looking for a place to stay.

One thing I would require is a feeling of safety... as a member of the LGBTQ crowd I would rather live in a more progressive/inclusive area so I don't feel I have to constantly watch my back for malicious types.

I'd be looking to rent for the first year while searching for a place to buy after. I'd probably be budgeting $2,000/mo for rent, though more could be afforded.

Up to a 30 minute commute by vehicle is a non issue, much more than that might take some convincing.

While it would be nice to be near things to do, I'm not so young (late 30s) that I need constant activity in the form of bars, or concerts, etc... So suburb life would probably be perfect for me.

[Flyers Girl]

Generally, anywhere along the Main Line (Malvern being the western end of the Main Line) is going to be fine for you, from a safety perspective and otherwise. I work in Malvern and there are a fair amount of short-term living options for folks who relocate (as this area has many corporate headquarters, relocations happen quite often). There's the AVE apartments on Lancaster Avenue and Royal Worthington on Matthews Road, just to name two off the top of my head. The nice thing about these types of places is that they are furnished so you can really just focus on getting settled in your new job and familiar with the area.

[chessimprov]

I'm willing to bank on Phoenixville being reasonably safe for lgbtq since I have an lgbt friend who lives out that way and the Chester County Equality Alliance is out there. Kennett Square might be okay too. West Chester is probably okay because of the college crowd being there and the area not being too, too rural per se.

Outside of these little notches can get "sketchy" (for lack of a better word) as many older people will live on the outskirts and show their prejudice. I've heard two stories of such in this county.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

Generally, anywhere along the Main Line (Malvern being the western end of the Main Line) is going to be fine for you, from a safety perspective and otherwise. I work in Malvern and there are a fair amount of short-term living options for folks who relocate (as this area has many corporate headquarters, relocations happen quite often). There's the AVE apartments on Lancaster Avenue and Royal Worthington on Matthews Road, just to name two off the top of my head. The nice thing about these types of places is that they are furnished so you can really just focus on getting settled in your new job and familiar with the area.

I'll second this. The Main Line, especially right along Lancaster Ave, from Malvern in towards Philadelphia has a lot of colleges and is a pretty progressive area (and lots of bars, music, theater, etc.). The further west you go from Malvern, the more rural it gets, and the further off Lancaster Ave itself, especially in the Malvern area, the more ultra-rich & conservative it gets. The Haverford-Bryn Mawr area, especially in the apartments in that area, are probably a pretty good bet. Haverford & Bryn Mawr colleges are both very progressive (both the students and professors). In general, the whole area is very safe (& wealthy), and any sort of anti-LGBTQ stuff you might encounter would likely be annoying harassment as opposed to dangerous or violent, but even that is probably unlikely.

[orcsoul]

Thanks for the suggestions... given me a fair bit of geography to comb through, how far north and south respectively of Lancaster Ave do you all think would be acceptable before getting a bit too far off the beaten path? 5-10miles?

[chessimprov]

Originally Posted by orcsoul

Thanks for the suggestions... given me a fair bit of geography to comb through, how far north and south respectively of Lancaster Ave do you all think would be acceptable before getting a bit too far off the beaten path? 5-10miles?

I'd guess Bryn Mawr should be your "limit".
Not that you couldn't live further north per se, but more people will be older or and also established economically, but not necessarily as open-minded. It starts to get more rural as you go further north, so probably more conservative overall with a few pockets of exceptions here and there.

South of Lancaster is probably okay until you hit the Philadelphia border (City Line Ave.) as a good rough estimate.

[Patmcpsu]

Originally Posted by orcsoul

Thanks for the suggestions... given me a fair bit of geography to comb through, how far north and south respectively of Lancaster Ave do you all think would be acceptable before getting a bit too far off the beaten path? 5-10miles?

Anything north of Route 3 would be fine for you, even a little south of it but for simplicity, consider Route 3 your southern limit. And likewise, for simplicity's sake, consider the PA Turnpike (I-76) your northern limit.

The Main Line goes along Route 30, and is a stretch of well-to-do suburban towns. I consider it to be somewhat of a "limousine liberal" scene.

Center City Philadelphia has a gayborhood that's obviously gay-friendly, but it sounds like you want something quieter and closer to work. Alternatively, as others have mentioned, West Chester would be perfectly fine. Phoenixville is accepting/diverse but, at the same time, a little rough around the edges. Kennett Square would be welcoming, but it's more vanilla and would be an annoying commute for you (driving through/around West Chester sucks).

In short, I would recommend anywhere along the Main Line. Paoli and even Malvern-itself are great places for 30-somethings.

[TLC1957]

You may want to consider West Chester Borough it is about 20 mins to Malvern home of West Chester University. Our neighbors are gay and I do not recall them saying anything negative about West Chester. A lot going on in the Borough besides bars! Live theater, many shops, restaurants, concerts, etc.

[rowhomecity]

I would honestly suggest King of Prussia. You have access to Philadelphia and Malvern (sort of a halfway point).

I think the picture is painted slightly more conservative than they actually are. All these areas yes have extremely affluent (we are talking about the 1% of the 1%) who economically are very conservative, but overall Southeast PA is not LGBT-unfriendly in any mass on a scale.

For example Bucks County, PA and New Hope, PA are a LGBT enclave since the 60s.

If I were you I would stick with King of Prussia. You could even stretch it to Conshohocken. Your commute will be about 40 minutes but worth it. Since Conshy is a bit closer to Philadelphia.

[Patmcpsu]

Originally Posted by rowhomecity

I would honestly suggest King of Prussia. You have access to Philadelphia and Malvern (sort of a halfway point).

I think the picture is painted slightly more conservative than they actually are. All these areas yes have extremely affluent (we are talking about the 1% of the 1%) who economically are very conservative, but overall Southeast PA is not LGBT-unfriendly in any mass on a scale.
.

It’s funny that you consider that part to be conservative - I would say they’re liberal. But the Philly suburbs are the purple part of a purple state; most people there refrain from putting their heart on their sleeve as far as politics are concerned. Regardless of who voted for who, this stretch is accepting of gay people.