Seattle native moving to work in Wilmington – seeking relocation advice (Philadelphia: condo, how much)

[SeaNative]

When are you moving? March – June 2009
Where are you coming from? Seattle, WA
Why are you moving? Job
Where will you be working? Wilmington, DE
Have you been here yet? No, other than a couple business trips to NYC I’ve never spent time on the east coast.

Will you buy or rent?Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? House, 400-475K

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married, Kids are 1 and 2 years old.
Do you prefer public or private schools? Public
Do you have pets? Yes, dog and cats
Do you want or need a yard? Yes
Are you keeping a car? Yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? My wife prefers bustling activity, I can go either way.

What do you want to be closest to? Good schools, other families with kids, job opportunities for my wife (health care field), work (prefer 20-30min commute times but could work with up to 40min commute), transportation services, basic services, shopping, and nightlife in that order.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Similar age and income range. Race, religion or lifestyle doesn’t matter if the income range is the same.

Coke or Pepsi? What’s on sale?

[EllaGirl]

Welcome!

I also moved to PA from Seattle (earlier this year). I frequently take the Amtrack from the Willmington station, and I live in West Chester (it is an easy drive 30 min - give or take). Although West Chester is a college town, not in a "one-note" kind of way. It has a walkable downtown, restaurants, retail, etc. (compare to Market street in Ballard). It might offer some of the "activity," but you could still have a house with a yard. And, West Chester is about 45 minutes outside of Philly - so still accessible. I have not spent much time in Willmington, but the few people that I do know that live there - are somewhat apathetic about it (not the biggest fans, but don't hate it either).

Best of luck!

[lititzman2003]

You may want to contact realtors in Camden, DE. Friends of our moved there a few years ago and everything sounds like it's a good fit for you.

[toobusytoday]

While they may get much more house for their money in Camden, schools in that area are not going to be nearly as good as they are in West Chester. Actually, I think that's about the only thing Camden has going for it - housing prices.

[SeaNative]

Thanks for the quick responses. I should add that I’m not a big fan of living near Military bases, airports, or speedways so the Camden/Dover area wouldn’t be a good fit for me.

Just looking at a map of the area between the King of Prussia to Downingtown to West Chester looks promising for the Southern PA area.

Should I also expand my search to Southern NJ – still easy access to Wilmington and Philadelphia? Does MD make sense as well (Elk Mills or Elkton)? It looks like MD would open up Baltimore for job opportunities for my wife.

[lititzman2003]

Originally Posted by lititzman2003

You may want to contact realtors in Camden, DE. Friends of our moved there a few years ago and everything sounds like it's a good fit for you.

I'm just going by what I was told.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by SeaNative

Should I also expand my search to Southern NJ – still easy access to Wilmington and Philadelphia? Does MD make sense as well (Elk Mills or Elkton)? It looks like MD would open up Baltimore for job opportunities for my wife.

Some South Jersey communities are an easy commute to Wilmington via the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Elkton would be a lengthy commute to B-more but I imagine you would not be alone. You may also want to post on the NJ, DE and MD forums as well.