Moving from Denver to Chester Springs area (Philadelphia, Pottstown: homes, find a job)

[LavFam]

Hi, My husband has a job offer in Chester Springs so I am looking for a town/area that is a close commute but also has many of the amenities and outdoor activities/down to earth feel of Denver (currently we live in Lakewood, CO which is just west of Downtown denver).

We have two small kids so schools, shopping, outdoor parks and kids activities, as well as neighborhoods versus rural area is what we are looking for.

I am a counselor and would like to find a job too. I know there are many options for me in Phili but think the commute there would be too far from chester springs area? any info on commuting into city would help. I have searched and it also seems Radnor twp has some job opportunities for my field.

So far, Pottstown and Downingtown seem like areas that have homes in our price range (about $300,000, but possibly higher- since it seems to find what we have in denver would be a lot more expensive).

How are the pottstown school districts? Owen J Roberts and Pottsgrove?

All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[toobusytoday]

Chester Springs itself is in a good school district - Downingtown. Why not just look there? As someone that is a bit familiar with Denver (my in-laws live in Loveland) and has also lived in the Downingtown school district, I think you might be pleasantly surprised with Chester Springs. The areas from Chester County and East are quite congested (not to mention more expensive or old with small lots) and the less commuting you or your husband have to do, the better. I would rule out Pottstown, the schools are not nearly as good as Downingtown's.

Two sites to help you compare schools - SchoolMatters (http://www.schoolmatters.com/ - broken link) and Pennsylvania Schools - Find a Public or Private Pennsylvania School - SchoolDigger.com

[GinaMomof4]

Chester Springs is a wonderful area. I have 4 kids and we are in the Downingtown School district. You are close enough to West Chester which has great nightlife and there are areas where you feel like you are in the country. It's a great place to raise a family. I wish you lot's of luck!

[BarryK123]

I moved the other way - from the Phila area to Lakewood. You're going to hate the weather, especially summers. The areas you're looking at are considerably more distant from Phila than Lakewood is from downtown Denver.

[frankgn87]

sure, summers are gonna be hotter then Denver, but thats a great area... I think you will be happy there..

[Shino306]

I can't comment about the specific suburbs you're looking at, as I currently live in Center City Philadelphia and spent one horrible year (in my opinion) living in another suburb of Philly, however I'm from Denver (went from 4th grade to graduating from High School there and then spending summers in college at home in Denver) and agree with @BarryK123.

You said you wanted something with the "down to earth feel like Denver"? I'd stay where you are or move to a different Western state. Comparing the "outdoor amenities" reachable in CO from Denver to those available Philly metro area is laughable, unless you're into "going down the shore," i.e. go to the beach in NJ.
You like all the sunshine Denver has? Get ready for some Seasonal Depression. Like the low-humidity in the summer? I'd buy a dehumidifer and invest in some "de-frizzing" hair products. Plus, as you've already found your money will not go nearly as far here as it does in Denver. Prepare yourself for that, especially with housing.
Also, as @BarryK123 mentioned, Philly is A LOT more spread out than Denver, so the where you're looking at is a lot farther than the distance from Denver to Lakewood.

Sorry for being so negative with my post. There are things I like about Philly: 100% of it concerns the amentities of the actual city, which you won't be enjoying on a daily/regular basis because of where you'll be living...restaurants, culture, etc. However, I've lived a wide variety of other places, due to school and work (Chicago, Southern California, in the South) as well and Philly, and have to say, I've liked Philly the least of EVERY place I've lived and only stay because my DH is doing his residency in the city or I wouldn't have stayed as long as I have.

I hope you have a better experience here than I have had.

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by Shino306

I can't comment about the specific suburbs you're looking at, as I currently live in Center City Philadelphia and spent one horrible year (in my opinion) living in another suburb of Philly, however I'm from Denver (went from 4th grade to graduating from High School there and then spending summers in college at home in Denver) and agree with @BarryK123.

You said you wanted something with the "down to earth feel like Denver"? I'd stay where you are or move to a different Western state. Comparing the "outdoor amenities" reachable in CO from Denver to those available Philly metro area is laughable

Sorry for being so negative with my post. There are things I like about Philly: 100% of it concerns the amentities of the actual city, which you won't be enjoying on a daily/regular basis because of where you'll be living...restaurants, culture, etc.

I can understand people being homesick,being miserable, having culture shock etc. and yes the winters are rather dreary here but I'm not sure if you are describing the Philadlephia suburbs or Hell?


There are alot of beautiful recreational areas in the Chester Springs area.
Valley Forge, French Creek State Park,Marsh Creek Lake,Skippack,Ridley Creek State Park.

Is it Pikes Peak? No.

Is Chester Springs and the vast majority of the Philly suburbs a nice place to live? Yes

Chester Springs

[frankgn87]

excellent post rainrock. Beautiful area....

[Gerania]

There's also that little trail through the hills

Home - Appalachian Trail Conservancy (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805859/k.BFA3/Home.htm - broken link)

[toobusytoday]

The AT trail has to be at least an hour from Chester County.

Pennsylvania is quite a bit different then Colorado but I think it compares very favorably as far as amenities go. For one thing it has a great public transportation system and lots of cultural activities. The schools are first rate and unlike many of the Colorado suburbs are not over-crowded and are not year round. (I guess the latter could be a positive or negative) There are nice parks in every town and nearby state parks for boating, swimming and hiking. I won't compare the skiing - you'll have to go back to Colorado for the good stuff!

Another thing that I think we forget about that that the West is lacking is historical sites. A couple of summers ago I took my youngest son and his cousin from Arizona into Philadelphia and we had a day jam-packed with Colonial American history. Don't get me wrong, I really like Denver, in fact we're going to Colorado for a family reunion in July, but Philadelphia and the Southeast part of Pennsylvania has a lot to offer.

Warning though, if you come out to visit before Spring, it won't look nearly as nice as it will in May!