Moving to Philly - considering East Oak Lane or Mount Airy (Philadelphia: house, neighborhoods)

[Ribuja]

Hi all,

I recently moved to Philadelphia and I am looking to purchase a home in the city. I like being close to an urban area to take advantage of restaurants, museums, and theater. But, I am originally from the south, so I also desire a house with some grass and trees. A few people have recommended East Oak Lane or Mount Airy. Any advice on pros and cons of either area? Is one area preferable to the other? Are there other areas that I should consider as well?

FYI , my budget is around $250-$275K and I view diversity as a plus. I am not a fan of rowhomes and would prefer a single or a twin. Neighborhood schools are somewhat important, though my hubby and I are looking to send our kids to private school if need be. Also, neighborhood stability (both home value and residents) is important. I would like to be able to walk our dog after work without having to carry mace. LOL Finally, my hubby is handy, so we are not afraid of slight renovations.

Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts!

[pman]

both are nice leafy neighborhoods. EOL is very quiet and not a lot of restaurants outside of Under The Oak...though you are very close to Koreatown over there. There's also the diner on broad near cheltenham, though the name escapes me. Mt. Airy has more of a cutesy, walkable downtown that has been revived over the past few years. It's name for being liberal in the extreme and being proud of it (in contrast to neighboring, moderate chestnut hill which also has a cutesy downtown area). EOL, AFAIK, isn't known for anything in particular. singles are tough to come by in Philly but there are more in EOL than anywhere else outside the northeast that I've seen. Mt. Airy is mainly twins and rows.

[Century 21 Scott]

I would recommend Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Mt Airy, Cedarbrook and parts of East Oak Lane. These all fall in the Northwest section of the city. They are close enough to major access routes so that you can get downtown if you have too. I have personally lived in Roxborough for the past couple years and have really enjoyed it. There are some great parks in the area as well as shopping and schools nearby. The home values have remained stable and you should be able to find a nice single or twin in that range. Mod cut - Advertising

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by pman

There's also the diner on broad near cheltenham, though the name escapes me.

The diner is the Oaklane Diner on Broad & 66th Avenue. I think the owners are (or used to be) the same that owned Alexander's in Abington (now KitchenBar). At one point I think they also owned the Drake Tavern in Jenkintown, but I could be wrong.

I grew up in East Oaklane and love the neighborhood. That said, I also love Mt. Airy, so they're both good choices. Oaklane's pretty quiet and has a good number of large, older single homes. I've noticed several getting fixed up in recent years, and many of them are beautiful. No, you won't have to walk your dog with mace in hand (we never did). The area around Ogontz has been redeveloping over the past few years and seems to be getting better. They had a jazz festival a few weeks ago that my parents enjoyed.

Regarding schools, I went to private (Norwood Fontbonne and Saint Basil). However, Ellwood Elementary isn't bad (East Oaklane), and neither is Jenks (Chestnut Hill/Mt. Airy). I considered going to Central or Girls High for high school, which are both nearby.

[Ribuja]

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. I truly appreciate it. I am still torn between both areas as they both sound great. I guess I will just have to check them both out!

[gypsy152001]

My husband and two kids moved to East Oak Lane last year and we are very happy here. The area where we live is east of 11th Street and north of Chelten ave. There are large single homes here with grass, trees, driveways and very community -minded neighbors. We bought a single home with a fantastic wraparound porch for a very reasonale price. The neighborhood is quiet and that's a plus for me because I grew up in the crowd and noise of Center City. I did a lot of research before we selected EOL and, although I love MT. Airy also, the housing prices were high for a twin with only 3 bedrooms. We have 5 bedrooms and with new paint and some minor upgrades, the house is a gem! There is a lot of public transportation and just a short bus ride or car ride to malls in Mont. County. Do a walking tour and you'll see what I mean!

[akorosdc]

Originally Posted by gypsy152001

Do a walking tour and you'll see what I mean!

If you do a walking tour, stop by Under the Oak and mention that you're thinking of moving to the neighborhood. The owner grew up there and is very involved with the community. She could tell you all sorts of random stuff about the neighborhood.

A few years ago PECO was fixing the gas lines in the street and when an executive stopped by to check up on it she started a conversation all about the history of the gas lines and the neighborhood. He ended up bringing back a film crew to interview her as part of a PECO promo or something (when we came in for lunch).