Looking for Main Line advice - relocating from Dallas (Philadelphia: real estate, apartment)

[gruffster]

Hello.

We may be relocating from Dallas to the Philadelphia area later this spring. We are currently in the Highland Park area of Dallas, an upscale community with awesome schools, close in to the city.

I grew up in St. Davids, went to Radnor, but have not lived in the area since the early 80's. I know things have changed, as have my perspectives on the area.

Job in Center City. Commute time is important - access to train as option also desirable.

Initial research leads me to the Lower Merion school district, or maybe Radnor. I like the closer proximity of Gladwyne and BrynMawr to the city.

Kids are 8 and 11, going into 3rd and 6th grades next fall. Public school is preferred.

We've lived in many places in the country.

Here are some specific answers:


When are you moving? this summer
Where are you coming from? Dallas
Why are you moving? job change
Where will you be working? center city
Have you been here yet? yes, but not everywhere I am considering/

Will you buy or rent? buy/
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
house - up to $2M. Ideally looking for a neighborhood of newer homes - as opposed to a "one off" build. Fenimore in Gladwyne looks ideal on paper.
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?

Are you married or single? Do you have children? married, kids 8 and 11
Do you prefer public or private schools? public
Do you have pets?
Do you want or need a yard? yes, and a pool would be a plus
Are you keeping a car? yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? both

What do you want to be closest to?
Work - 20-30 minute commute.
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations yes

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?

Similar stage of life - focus on kids, upscale.


Again, the neighborhood Fenimore in Gladwyne looks nice, but looking for ideas.

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

And please, don't turn this into a "main liners" are snobs thread.

[bryson662001]

While it isn't the only nice place to live in Philadelphia, I don't think you can do any better than Gladwyne.

[Avalon08]

Wow, nice! A $2M budget. Can I live with you? LOL

I was waiting for the inevitable responses about "why the Main Line, it's not all it's cracked-up to be", etc. Which I totally disagree with...I loved living on the Main Line and wish I could have afforded a house there. That said, I don't like those McMansion-style homes and prefer the older homes in keeping with the character of the Main Line.

[ElijahAstin]

Look no further than Lower Merion/Radnor--particularly Gladwyne, Villanova, Haverford, and Rosemont/Bryn Mawr.

And as you're most certainly aware, the Main Line is a wonderful place to raise a family. Welcome back

[gruffster]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Look no further than Lower Merion/Radnor--particularly Gladwyne, Villanova, Haverford, and Rosemont/Bryn Mawr.

And as you're most certainly aware, the Main Line is a wonderful place to raise a family. Welcome back

Thank you for that. After leaving the area after college, I really didn't think I'd want to go back. Now, after living all over the country - cities and suburbs, it's become so clear what a great area the Main Line is. I will certainly miss the people of the south and the midwest, but I trust there are genuinely great folks on the Main Line as well. Your post helped reassure me of that.

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

I was waiting for the inevitable responses about "why the Main Line, it's not all it's cracked-up to be", etc.

Actually much of the Main Line has it's faults but Gladwyne isn't part of the problem IMO

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

A) Wow, nice! A $2M budget. Can I live with you? LOL

B) I was waiting for the inevitable responses about "why the Main Line, it's not all it's cracked-up to be", etc.

A: A $2M home could be considered one of the 'poorer' homes in certain parts of Glaywyne.

B: There is an opposite group on here that says "the main line is a perfect utopia, and I'm gonna argue with anyone who even remotely suggests otherwise."

To answer a few the many points in the original posters questions:
I've not seen people on here comment on specific neighborhoods in Gladwyne, so I don't think you're going to get any answers on that point.

Commuting: Your choices are 1) I-76, easy access (off Hollow Rd) then congestion and slow moving drive in bound to the city. 2) Septa rail (commuter rail), you have to drive and park (an easy and pleasant drive through lush, tree-lines streets), at any of a few stations, Rosemont, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Adrmore, Wynnewood, Narberth. I looked up Fenimore in Gladwyne, if it's on Fenimore Lane, then another possibility is drive into Conshohocken to use the Norristown line at the station in Conshohocken. 3) Get chauffeured into the city, while you sit in the backseat and read your newspaper. I'm not kidding, we're talking Gladwyne here.

Nightlife: Don't get me started. What that means is, unless you are a college aged kid wanting to revel in how awesome it is to drink beer out of plastic cups and ogle the college-aged girls (Ok, I guess it's not all bad), you're out of luck. Go into the city, or go to downtown Wayne, which has a happening restaurant and bar scene (as much of a scene as one can have with five bars or bar/restaurants in a one-block section). In some ML social circles, going to a different white tablecloth restaurant every weekend constitutes 'nightlife'.

Kids/schools: I don't have kids, but I remember this from a neighbor's friend, who moved his family into the area recently, and looked into private schools for his kids: "Some of the private schools are like country clubs for kids." Advice here: Check them out carefully if you decide to go that route.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by gruffster

Thank you for that. After leaving the area after college, I really didn't think I'd want to go back. Now, after living all over the country - cities and suburbs, it's become so clear what a great area the Main Line is. I will certainly miss the people of the south and the midwest, but I trust there are genuinely great folks on the Main Line as well. Your post helped reassure me of that.

I felt the same way when I went off to undergrad, actually. Attending a large public university in a different city not only broadened my perspective, but it made me more greatly appreciate how special the Main Line really is. I don't know if I'll permanently settle down in Philadelphia, but if Philly ends up being my city, and I have the means to do so, I'll most likely be living in Lower Merion or Radnor.

Originally Posted by bryson662001

Actually much of the Main Line has it's faults but Gladwyne isn't part of the problem IMO

Much of everywhere has its faults. No one's pretending the Main Line is an exception to the rule.

And to answer PeeAye Native, $2 million dollar homes are nowhere near "poor" by Gladwyne standards. Real estate occupied by Gladwyne's "poor" consists of the small Victorians located around the village center, which are mostly valued between ~350-500k. There are a few back-roads where $10 million+ estates are the norm, but the people don't live in such a vacuum that they would consider a nearby $2 million dollar home to be plebeian.

[PeeAye Native]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

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And to answer PeeAye Native, $2 million dollar homes are nowhere near "poor" by Gladwyne standards. Real estate occupied by Gladwyne's "poor" consists of the small Victorians located around the village center, which are mostly valued between ~350-500k. There are a few back-roads where $10 million+ estates are the norm, but the people don't live in such a vacuum that they would consider a nearby $2 million dollar home to be plebeian.

I knew someone who lived in one of those 'original cottages', Righters Mill Rd to the west of the grocery store. I used to keep an eye on prices on that street myself once they moved out. The joke they used to repeat was that was considered the "ghetto" of Galdwyne, whereas the poor lived in the "single-digit" million dollar homes, and the rich lived in the double-digit multi-million dollar homes.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by PeeAye Native

I knew someone who lived in one of those 'original cottages', Righters Mill Rd to the west of the grocery store. I used to keep an eye on prices on that street myself once they moved out. The joke they used to repeat was that was considered the "ghetto" of Galdwyne, whereas the poor lived in the "single-digit" million dollar homes, and the rich lived in the double-digit multi-million dollar homes.

Right, it's a joke. I had friends from all over Gladwyne, and I can assure you, no one was an actual outcast as a result of their home value. There are certain social circles that are caught up in BS like that, and they are definitely a persistently annoying minority, but they are a minority all the same. I would say about 1/5 of Lower Merion/Radnor fit the "snobby Main Line" stereotype. Due to its huge Jewish population and rapidly growing Asian population, much of Lower Merion is actually now "new money" by default. But regardless of how long families have had their wealth, the vast majority of people I've encountered are pretty chill with regard to such things. The Main Line snobs tend to "keep to their own," so it really isn't very hard to avoid them.

As for commuting, you can circumvent a lot of traffic coming from Gladwyne by taking Route 23 to Belmont Avenue and then taking MLK Drive into Center City (another good trick is going a little further down Belmont, cutting through the park, and taking 34th Street to the Spring Garden Street Bridge). With morning traffic, a typical drive into Center City will take 25-30 minutes.