Neighborhood recommendations for potential move (Media: for sale, basements, build)

[Hedonism]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

There’s some nice new construction in that price range in the Borough of Ambler, which has a similar amount of diversity and fairly easy train access to Center City.

The Ardmore section of Lower Merion could also work out well if they’re open to new construction condos. There aren’t many new construction single family homes, but they can definitely find something nicely rehabbed in that price range.

Lower Merion is a friggin' awesome town!

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Hedonism

Lower Merion is a friggin' awesome town!

I don’t live there now, but it was a good place to grow up and, while not a bastion of diversity, is far from monolithic (especially when it comes to religious diversity). It has historically Black communities dating back to the Great Migration and newer-arrived, but fast-growing, Asian communities (especially the Chinese community).

[txrosegirl]

Thanks again everyone! Great point about the diversity question.

I am Asian American and my fiancée is white and Jewish. What I thought diversity was referring to was racial, religious, cultural, etc which we would like. The kind of place where people do not stare at a interracial couple.

We would prefer an area where the socioeconomic factor is gearing towards professional, middle aged people.

There was this area called Montrose in Houston which we looked at. The city of Houston has no zoning laws so one house we were looking at ($775k +) sat next to a really scary looking junkyard and across the street from a house that looked like it had been abandoned for decades. The no zoning also meant a bar could be built right next to you and you could not do anything about it lol. We are NOT looking for that kind of diversity.

Thanks again for the ideas! We are looking at all the suggestions you have provided.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by txrosegirl

Thanks again everyone! Great point about the diversity question.

I am Asain American and my fiancée is white and Jewish. What I thought diversity was referring to was racial, religious, cultural, etc which we would like. The kind of place where people do not stare at a interracial couple.

We would prefer an area where the socioeconomic factor is gearing towards professional, middle aged people.

There was this area of Montrose in Houston which we looked at. The city of Houston has no zoning laws so one house we were looking at ($775k +) sat next to a really scary looking junkyard and across the street from a house that looked like it had been abandoned for decades. The no zoning also meant a bar could be built right next to you and you could not do anything about it lol. We are NOT looking for that kind of diversity.

Thanks again for the ideas! We are looking at all the suggestions you have provided.

Lower Merion has lots of Jews and a relatively high number of Chinese-Americans. There’s a smattering of representation from other East (as well as South) Asian groups, but people of Chinese background are the largest in number by a significant margin. LM may fit you well, actually.

[Angus215]

Lower Merion is not somewhere I think of when I think of new or newer construction. Pretty much the opposite, really. You need to go further out for new construction housing developments, if that’s what the OP is looking for.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Angus215

Lower Merion is not somewhere I think of when I think of new or newer construction. Pretty much the opposite, really. You need to go further out for new construction housing developments, if that’s what the OP is looking for.

I mentioned Lower Merion because there are a decent number of new construction condos. And the OP also mentioned fully rehabbed homes being acceptable (which LM has a lot of). If only new, new construction will do, you are correct that LM would be difficult.

[txrosegirl]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

I mentioned Lower Merion because there are a decent number of new construction condos. And the OP also mentioned fully rehabbed homes being acceptable (which LM has a lot of). If only new, new construction will do, you are correct that LM would be difficult.

Yes a renovated, older home would be fantastic actually! You get the good bones of older built houses (when they built houses to last generations) with modern heating, AC systems, etc. We would love an older home that has been fully updated but did not think we would find much in our price range this close to Center City.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by txrosegirl

Hi everyone, finance’ here…hope it is okay we each have an account. Thank you for the responses so far. We found this forum when we moved to Houston and found it so helpful. We found the best insurance agent ever due to forum recommendations!

Yes, I would be commuting into downtown, center city, whatever the correct terminology is.

I am okay with an hour (even a bit longer if necessary) commute since I am looking at public transportation. If I were driving it would be a different story lol.

We are interested in the suburbs that have convenient access to public transportation. No kids and no plans to so schools are not a factor. We tried urban living in Houston and moved to the suburbs recently so we know what we prefer. Our first house in Houston was a 3-story townhouse-style home but was detached from the neighbors. We want no more than 2 stories (plus a finished basement which we have missed living in Texas!) since we are already in our 40s and neither getting younger nor more mobile We had an elevator in our 3-story Houston townhouse-style home but are not seeing a lot of those in Philadelphia so we prefer no more than 2 stories.

We are looking for newer build or older homes that have been updated. We are willing to go higher than the $850k if move in ready and completely updated or new.

We are very excited about the possibility of moving to Philadelphia and really hope this is our last move for work!

Generally speaking, $850k is about the lowest price you would pay for a house with an elevator here. They don't become common until you hit $1M.

But you will find many Toll Brothers mass-customized houses in that price range. I don't think they have any communities along the Paoli/Thorndale Line itself, but there are some a short drive away. But let me second the endorsement of Ardmore particularly; more on it below.

Originally Posted by huitrecouture

When the phone company moved a particular office out of downtown to Levittown all the employees were transferred. They were "city people" and happened to be 90% black. ICYMI, the phone company was ALSO high percentage black employees historically. Probably about 50-50.

They were all furious. Because :Levittown. OMG OMG white people white neighborhood!!

It wasn't just that. Do you know or recall what happened to the first black family to move into Levittown, Pa., in the late 1950s?

Harrassment. Bricks thrown through windows. Death threats. Angry street protests.

Granted, that was more than 60 years ago, but some reputations die hard. Add to that the fact that the locals rioted over gas prices in the 1970s and you might conclude that people in this community are somewhat lacking in class. (And your comments about that street in Bensalem suggest to me that you are at least somewhat class-conscious. Bensalem isn't affluent, but it's not poor either, and as for diversity, it has a large South Asian (particularly Indian) population.)

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

I don’t live there now, but it was a good place to grow up and, while not a bastion of diversity, is far from monolithic (especially when it comes to religious diversity). It has historically Black communities dating back to the Great Migration and newer-arrived, but fast-growing, Asian communities (especially the Chinese community).

Which Great Migration?

It's my understanding that South Ardmore's Black community — the Main Line's oldest and largest — dates to the first one, after the Civil War.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Which Great Migration?

It's my understanding that South Ardmore's Black community — the Main Line's oldest and largest — dates to the first one, after the Civil War.

I thought it was the 1920s, but I could easily be wrong. Very neat if the community dates all the way back to the 19th century.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by txrosegirl

Thanks again everyone! Great point about the diversity question.

I am Asian American and my fiancée is white and Jewish. What I thought diversity was referring to was racial, religious, cultural, etc which we would like. The kind of place where people do not stare at a interracial couple.

We would prefer an area where the socioeconomic factor is gearing towards professional, middle aged people.

There was this area called Montrose in Houston which we looked at. The city of Houston has no zoning laws so one house we were looking at ($775k +) sat next to a really scary looking junkyard and across the street from a house that looked like it had been abandoned for decades. The no zoning also meant a bar could be built right next to you and you could not do anything about it lol. We are NOT looking for that kind of diversity.

Thanks again for the ideas! We are looking at all the suggestions you have provided.

I think we see this sort of response semi-regularly from people moving from the South. In general, in the suburban Philly area, you will not have an issue with the sort of discrimination (or even just "evil stares") that you are concerned about. There are pockets of it historically (Levittown is an example, although that is much more diverse now than in the 50's...), but Levittown is more blue collar and gritty, and the "professional, middle aged" suburbs with an $850k budget will generally not have any issue with that sort of discrimination.

I live in Newtown in Bucks County, which offers everything you are looking for except the commute to Center City is quite long. In Newtown, there is little "diversity" in terms of black population, but there is certainly religious diversity, significant Asian (both Chinese and Indian) population, and tolerance/acceptance of anyone. I'm just speaking from familiarity about Newtown, not necessarily recommending it, but those same qualities will apply to almost any suburb around here. In my area, Yardley might be a better choice because of the proximity to the train station, but also consider the Main Line (Lower Merion is a good recommendation - although it's pricier than other areas, you should be able to find a solution well within your budget).