Opinions on Lansdowne? (Drexel Hill, Mars, Garrett: sale, houses, neighborhood)

[mcpalmer]

I just moved to Lansdowne in May of this year and I love it. It's a vey quiet little town everybody seems to mind there own business. It is minutes from the city and close to public transportation. The taxes are high but the afforadability of the homes balance it out in my opinion. The home that I bought is an older house with a lot of character. Most of the homes in the area seem to be well maintained.

[Ant$]

what part of lansdowne did you move to?

[orrmobl]

As someone who just moved from the Drexel Hill/Lansdowne border, I feel I have to inject some reality into this lovefest. The primary reason we moved was because of the spillover crime from the pit that is West Philly. We have had at least 4 daylight armed robberies on Baltimore Pike, one at the 7-11 a few blocks from my former house, within the past few years. Not to mention the murder of the overnight desk clerk at the hotel on Baltimore Pike about 7+ years ago. These folks came from West Philly, through Lansdowne to the businesses along Baltimore Pike in Clifton and Springfield, though come to think of it, I think the shopping center in Lansdowne on Baltimore Pike was hit as well.

The reason houses are so cheap in Lansdowne is because those who can afford to live elsewhere do so. I would say Lansdowne is in significantly worse shape than UD because while most of UD has a booming Asian and young black professional population, Lansdowne is full of folks that are too poor to leave, a school system that gets about a 1, and ridiculously high taxes. With its poor schools and without the tax base higher income folks bring, Lansdowne will be stagnant at best, in decline at worst.

I loved going to the Lansdowne theater when I was a kid, then it turned into a dollar movie theater with loud and rowdy ghetto kids ruining the show for everyone, then it was just shuttered, and by that time Lansdowne was not a place to go to at night any more. I'm glad to hear things have turned around somewhat but I think anyone who thinks Lansdowne is going through a renaissance of Manayunk or Northern Liberties proportions is naive to put it nicely, Philly Magazine be damned.

Remember, the three most important things to consider when buying real estate: Location, Location, Location

Since West Philly and the 69th street section of UD and Yeadon and Darby are firmly planted in the toilet, I fail to see how Lansdowne can ever hope to be much better than it is today.

Just my $.02

[Ant$]

i just moved to the drexel hill/lansdowne border (maybe i bought your house). where did you live??

[orrmobl]

Nah we sold to a professional single mom in June. We got full asking price and took the money and ran as we knew the market was on the down slide. I lived in Drexel Hill off Burmont Rd...up by St Charles Church...up the windy road behind KMart (is that even still there) and down the street from the Car Wash across from the 7-11 on Baltimore Pike...the 7-11 was daylight arm robbed last spring or so...another reason we left...

[ndjohns]

Our family moved to Lansdowne from the Main Line in August 2005. We bought a great house for about as much as a hole in the wall would have cost in Ardmore or Bryn Mawr. Lansdowne does have high taxes and crappy schools. But I think the positives balance those things out.

Lansdowne has a sense of community, which is unlike most other places I've lived in the area. There is a farmers' market, town-wide yard sales, parades, etc. People walk their neighborhoods. There are lots of young families and couples moving into town, we are one of them.

I have never felt unsafe walking or shopping in this town. My feeling is that the people who think Lansdowne is unsafe or in decline are racist or at least old or intolerant folks who fear change. It is a diverse community. I think this makes it a wonderful place to live and raise our son. Sure we won't be sending our son to public schools, except maybe Kindergarten, but there are lots of great private schools in the area.

I use SEPTA all the time to get to the City. Bus routes, trolley and the R3 all run through town. It's also a breeze to get to the airport or on 95 or 476.

In the last couple of years a zen center has opened, the farmers market started, Regency Cafe has thrived, Mission Burrito has brought some affordable and authentic cuisine, and lots of people have moved into town. I'd say that Lansdowne is well on its way to becoming a thriving young and healthy town. Now we just need to get the theater and bank building developed and we're set.

[orrmobl]

Sorry I just happen to be a local and have seen the decline of Lansdowne over the past 25+ years. And I've seen the sections of Upper Darby and East Lansdowne that I drive through on my way to the city...that stuff ain't gonna change...you may want to secede from it or close your eyes to it but its still there...People move to Lansdowne bc they like the houses and green space and low prices and are thus willing to tolerate the high taxes, blighted areas, horrendous schools, proximity to shady sections of West Philly, increased potential for crime...

You may have great neighbors and Lansdowne may very well be on its way, but I'm guessing your kids will be in Middle or High School before it has arrived...and what about the rest of us who think paying astronomical taxes should get you safe, clean streets, good schools, maybe even a thriving business district?

You guys can have your longshot oasis, I'm betting on the sure thing...

[Ant$]

hey. a family just bought a house on the corner of Owen and Marshall (lansdowne/Drexel Hill border). that's a good thing, right?

[Spot379th]

I used to live in Drexel Hill and might have seen you, orrmobl.

Before they built those apartments on Mary Street & New Abbey Terrace my older brothers & I had a REAL good view of the Family Drive-In movie screen during the winter time; sometimes one could even hear enough of the movies being played because of loud "car" speakers.

On the evening of July 4th, one could watch firework displays from 5 or 6 different boroughs (from the back porch).

Some years before moving to north Texas, Lansdowne's high school covered grades 7th through 12th grades, nearby was Lansdowne Elementary School (K-6th). Can't say much about the area's present affairs seeing how I came South about 29-30 years ago to work in the electronics field. I had thought that I had left the ice behind; nope, just the snow,... RATS!!! I really miss those snowfalls of 18" -- 24", Texas (where I live) just doesn't receive decent blizzards.

That also, may be due to my neighbors sending up prayers that I don't get my wishes answered.

[treeluvr]

Originally Posted by Spot379th

I used to live in Drexel Hill and might have seen you, orrmobl.

I had thought that I had left the ice behind; nope, just the snow,... RATS!!! I really miss those snowfalls of 18" -- 24", Texas (where I live) just doesn't receive decent blizzards.

I think it's been a while since Drexel Hill had 18 to 24 inches of snow. I live in Center City, but it can't be that different and two inches of snow is more like it. I do remember a snow of maybe 6 inches 7 or 8 years ago.