Possibly moving to Philly - lots of questions! (Philadelphia, York: fit in, rental)

[AlexisT]

My husband has a possible job offer in West Chester. I'll be honest and say that I am a lifelong New Yorker and were it not for the job market, we probably wouldn't be considering this move. (Although, I am considerably more enthusiastic about Philadelphia than I was about the offer in Mesa.) My knowledge of Philadelphia is from one school field trip and Google.

We're early 30s, 1 child so far (not in school yet). I'm not worried about school districts at this point, partly because we're renting.

The wrinkle is twofold:

1) West Chester looks pretty far out to me--I'm more of an outer urban, inner suburban type of person.

2) We're Jewish, pretty actively so (preference would be for an Orthodox shul, but we're not super-observant) and it seems that the Jewish community in Philly is mainly along the Main Line--Wynnewood, Bala Cynwyd, Narberth. Is this doable, commute-wise? It says it's about 20 miles, but I have no idea what traffic is like, especially reverse-commuting.

3) What are rents for 3 bedroom places like in this area?

4) What's the best way to find a rental, and what are the standards like? (income multiples, credit checks etc). New York can be very tough which is why I ask.

[solibs]

The biggest jewish community, yes, is along the main line. There are other communities in the area, notably Cherry Hill, NJ to the east, and another one north of the city as well.

West Chester can mean a lot of different places. Is it in town or is out in one of the office parks?

I've never commuted to West Chester but i've mad the trip mid day and i've done it on weekends and it seems to me like if you were going from say, Havertown, out to West Chester proper then you should be able to make the trip in 30-40 minutes during rush hour. Avoiding the expressways during rush hour, if possible, can make the difference.

Renting a house is pretty straight forward here. How much they get into your background really depends on who you're renting from but from my experience people usually just run a credit check and only ask to verify your income if the place is really pricey.

[AlexisT]

It's South Matlack Street, right off Rt 322.

I know there's also a community in NE Philly and Elkins Park--but it seemed to me that that would be a commuting nightmare.. much less Cherry Hill. 30-40 minutes sounds fine, though. (by current standards, speedy!)

[solibs]

Yes, Cherry Hill or the Northeast to West Chester would be terrible commutes by Philly standards.

I think if you focus on that area between Broomall and Wynnewood you'll find what you're looking for and you'll be able to keep the commute to under 45 minutes.

[orrmobl]

I would suggest Media if you're committed to finding a community on the Main Line or in the city...there are some fairly large conservative congregations in the Exton/Lionville as well as West Chester, Wilmington, and Berwyn (Main Line close to Media and West Chester). Media has a friendly walkable downtown and you can even walk to Trader Joe's to do grocery shopping.

Just google what you are looking for and plug in West Chester or wherever you are looking to live and see what pops up. I did find PhillyShul- B'nai Abraham Jewish Synagogue Philadelphia Center City Society Hill which looked interesting.

As for which web sites to check, I would try realtor.com under the rental tab, hotpads.com and craigslist.

Good Luck!

[thesixth]

Check the Marple Newtown/Edgemont area along Rte 3, a little south of West Chester proper. I belive there is a decent Jewish population around there as well.

[lititzman2003]

Originally Posted by thesixth

Check the Marple Newtown/Edgemont area along Rte 3, a little south of West Chester proper. I belive there is a decent Jewish population around there as well.

Exactly where I was thinking too, thesixth. Havertown and Haverford as well.

[AlexisT]

OK thanks.

The other feedback I'm getting (from friends) is that Bala Cynwyd/Lower Merion (or near to it) would be the right fit religiously. I'd prioritize that over a shorter commute. So, 2 questions:

1) Exactly what does "Lower Merion" mean? I know it means the township, but it's not on the map, and my friend referred to Bala and Lower Merion separately (she said the latter was more expensive).

2) Are there any major negatives to this area that I should know about? I'm aware that housing stock (when/if we come to buy) is likely to be smaller and older; I don't necessarily regard this as negative. Older amenities and more traffic are the price you pay for being closer in and that's fine. I'm more concerned about crime, community issues, etc.

[orrmobl]

Look in Merion Station and Bala Cynwyd. Lower Merion is the school district and its one of the best in the state.

The only "downside" is the cost of homes and the affluence of the residents...if you don't have the big bucks your kids could grow up feeling like they don't fit in...

[BPP1999]

One magazine recently published a list of the most important (whatever that means) Jewish communities in the USA, and Lower Merion was on the list.