Need help, Philly best suburbs, commute University City

[RadNerd]

MarketStEl: Thank you for clarifying the crime situation.
lpranger467: Thanks again. Taxes matter to all, and I'd like to keep them as low as possible.
NewtownBucks: Thanks for your insight about NE region. Looks like I should keep my search confined to the western suburbs.
Redddog: Thanks, for reinforcing my decision toward Media.
Angus215: That is a great insight about the train commute!! Appreciate it. I'd surely explore Chestnut Hill and Mt Airy.

Thank you so much, everyone. This is such a helpful and supportive community.

[MarketStEl]

Since you are adding Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy to the list, a few more comments on these neighborhoods from the resident Germantowner on this forum.

Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill — the three Northwest Philadelphia neighborhoods above the Wissahickon Creek valley — were all part of pre-consolidation Germantown Township; Germantown itself — the second-oldest European settlement in the city of Philadelphia — was a separate borough twice, once from the late 1770s to the late 1790s and again from 1824 until the city-county consolidation of 1854.

Germantown Avenue is the main drag of all three and also serves as the dividing line for east-west street addresses in all three neighborhoods. Both the elevation and the median household incomes rise as you follow the street from Wayne Junction, on the Germantown-Nicetown border, to the highest point in the city, just shy of Chestnut Hill Hospital on Germantown Avenue.

Both Germantown and Mt. Airy have a mix of incomes within them, with Germantown skewing poorer and Mt. Airy richer. Germantown's northwest quadrant (Chelten Avenue to Johnson Street, west of Germantown Avenue) is nearly as affluent as the part of West Mt. Airy that borders it, while Mt. Airy's southeast one (Johnson Street to south of Gorgas Lane, east of Germantown Avenue) is closer in income to the working-class northeast quarter of Germantown to its south. (I live on the east-west street that divides Germantown's north side from its south side, Chelten Avenue.)

In general, the west sides of all three neighborhoods are more affluent than the east sides, though the difference grows smaller in northern Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill. As far as the train commutes go, this part of the city is the only part served by Regional Rail lines feeding both ends of the Commuter Tunnel. The (R7) Chestnut Hill East line was part of the Reading Railroad's commuter system, which feeds the tunnel from the north and heads west through Center City, while the (R8) Chestnut Hill West was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system; 30th Street Station was the PRR's main intercity station, and trains headed for Suburban Station and points east stop there first. Service is less frequent on the CHW than on the CHE, however.

Also, as you head north, the neighborhoods get safer. Crime isn't much of a problem in Chestnut Hill or most of Mt. Airy, but it's not nonexistent; Germantown has more of it, though not as much in its northwest quadrant.

Both Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill have business districts with loads of shopping, dining and drinking options. Three neighborhood institutions worth noting: Earth / Bread + Brewery, the Mt. Airy craft brewpub that specializes in flatbread pizzas (you will find waiters there wearing T-shirts that read "I love the Earth's crust") and puts its menus inside children's books; McMenamin's Pub, just up the block from Earth, a Mt. Airy watering hole since 1936 that draws a mixed-race crowd* and has a great beer selection; and McNally's Tavern in Chestnut Hill, just down from Chestnut Hill West station — this 101-year-old family-owned restaurant is the birthplace of the legendary "Schmitter" sandwich, named not in honor of legendary Phillies player Mike Schmidt (though you can get it at Citizens Bank Park) but because the customer that led Hugh James McNally to create it in the 1970s drank Schmidt's beer.

*Mt. Airy's claim to fame among Philadelphia neighborhoods is as the one whose residents vowed not to succumb to white flight and to resist blockbusting as Black residents started moving into it in the 1950s. It remains integrated to this day: about 65 percent Black and 35 percent white, though Mt. Airy's southeast quadrant, where smaller rowhouses dominate, is nearly all Black.

[RadNerd]

MarketStEl: thank you. That is very informative.

[DXBtoFL]

I suspect you'd be happy in the Radnor or Tredyffrin/Easttown school districts (outer Main Line). Find houses zoned to Radnor or Conestoga HS and take the train into the city.

I would not unduly worry about diversity. The Indian American heritage population around Philadelphia is growing and seemingly everywhere these days. You won't be surprised that the popular areas to live in overlap with the higher-performing schools, so the population is largely concentrated in the suburban towns. King of Prussia, Phoenixville, Malvern, etc. all have notable South Asian heritage populations. Penn Medicine also has many employees of Asian/South Asian heritage. You'll find that many people of South Asian heritages live where they are culturally comfortable, rather than where there's a large population of South Asian people. So there's progressives in Mount Airy, conventional moderate suburbanites on the Main Line (or where they can afford), urbanites in Society Hill and Rittenhouse. The choices are endless.

The advantage (sole?) of living in NJ is that you can apparently deduct the Philadephia wage tax from your NJ state income taxes. This was a tax advantage mainly meant for commuters into NYC but it applies statewide. Haddonfield is a lovely town and you can take Path into the city, then transfer to take the trolley to Penn Medicine. The downside is that NJ property taxes are higher than PA property taxes and Mainline taxes actually aren't that high.

[banjozac]

If you’re looking for a safe & walkable suburb, it’s hard to beat Ardmore, Media, Collingswood, or Haddonfield. There are other walkable options but they’re a bit too far of a commute to University City.

[RadNerd]

DXBtoFL: that was a very useful information. I appreciate your inputs and time.
banjozac: I fully understand your point of view. Thanks.

[AstronomicalTofu]

I think the Main Line suburbs are probably more in line with your aspirations location-wise. Also, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill are very picturesque, active, walkable communities. I've definitely enjoyed visiting them while living a bit further north myself.

A bit further out from 30 min. commute, I think Jenkintown is 35-40 mins to 30th street station by train. It's just immediately north of city limits, relatively diverse, walkable and safe. We're in the Abington side of it, schools are excellent. Jenkintown-Wyncote has 3 Regional Rail lines going through to Center City, so it's a pretty solid commuter hub. If you're strictly by car, I think in no traffic it's generally around 30 mins, but in traffic 40-60mins.

Good luck on the job and search!

[personone]

As others have mentioned, Media is just a great all-around suburb in terms of quality of life, very reasonable COL, very friendly people, and just an inviting area overall. You will be a little farther from the city, but it's worth it IMO. Media also has a good variety of "newer" housing, which many of the Main Line suburbs have much less of. You can also get a nice decent sized home for a much more reasonable price than if you were closer in.

About the only slight negative as a few have alluded to, relative to many of the other major metros, is that (especially in the suburbs) you just don't see the same level of diversity. You just don't see a lot of diversity. Although I am White (so I may not have the best perspective), the Philly suburbs are very friendly in general. I don't think the relative lack of diversity would be something to be worried about.

[RadNerd]

AstronomicalTofu: Thanks for sharing your perspective. I’d surely explore Jenkintown before making a decision. Such a useful information.

personone: thanks for your insight; it’s really reassuring to learn about friendliness of Philly suburbs.

Once again, thank you everyone. You all are very helpful.