Possible transfer to PA/my questions (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: fit in, apartment complexes, rental)

[venusv]

Hello Philadelphians! I've been reading the boards the past few days, and now I'm ready to ask for your input. I have the usual "where should we live" question, as well as some "dumb outsider" questions. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!

Background (you can skip this part if you want):

We found out a few days ago that my husband is being heavily considered for a transfer/promotion within his company. We live in a mountain state out west, and we thought the new opportunity would be in the Phoenix branch, which would not be too different than what we are used to, just warmer! Instead, it turns out we may be relocating to Souderton, PA. Wow, this would be a big move for us, to an area I am not at all familiar with.

He has two days of interviews/meet-the-plant type stuff next week. The offer is not a sure thing at this point, but he is corporate's chosen candidate for this position. I am hoping to accompany him on the trip so I can check out the area and we can make an informed decision together if he does get the offer.

Here are my outsider questions:

-Is it normal to have two cars in the suburbs?
-Is it normal/possible for a mom to take two little kids into the city by train?
-How long does it take to take the train into the city from, say, North Wales?
-Do people know their neighbors? Like, where we live now, people drop by with cookies to welcome new neighbors. Is it the same out there?
-Are people nice/cordial to strangers? Is it okay to strike up a conversation while waiting for a table at a restaurant, or while waiting in line at the grocery store? There is a common (mis?)perception out here that people on the East Coast are aggressive or rude. However, when I was in NYC a few years ago, I did not find this to be the case.
-Is traffic awful? I was noticing when I asked for distances/directions on Google Maps between a potential rental and my husband's workplace, that it would sometimes say it would take a half hour to drive five miles. Out here you can hop on the freeway and be almost 40 miles away a half hour later.
-Does mail get delivered to houses, or do you have to use a P.O. Box at the post office?
-We are ages 28 and 31 with two kids under age two...will we fit in demographically?

And here are my answers to the questions in the sticky thread above. Based on my answers, what communities do you think might be a good fit for us?

When are you moving?

Probably within a month, if he gets the position.

Where are you coming from?

Mountain state in a college town/metro area of 100,000 people, 80 miles from our state's largest metro area.

Why are you moving?

Job transfer/promotion. And because we have always wanted to try living somewhere besides our home state, where we have been all our lives.

Where will you be working?

Souderton/Franconia - We would like to be within 30 minutes of my husband's workplace, and closer is probably better. I currently stay at home with our two kids (two-year-old and six-month-old), but I may choose to return to work as a copywriter. I assume most of my potential employers would be closer to the city, so we may need a location that somewhat "splits the difference".

Have you been here yet?

No. The place we have been that I think might be most similar is Washington DC and its Maryland suburbs (Bethesda/Rockville). Is Philadelphia (and its burbs) somewhat similar?

Will you buy or rent?

We will rent. Having no idea that a transfer was an imminent possibility, we purchased a home here last summer. We will need to rent out our home, and rent in our new location. This is one big reason we might not take the transfer.

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?

We currently live in a townhouse end-unit, and would consider the same again. A single family home with a fenced backyard would be great. I don't much care for the large suburban apartment complexes that tout all their amenities (clubhouse! gym! pool!). I love lofts and factory conversions and that sort of thing, but I assume those aren't too common out in the suburbs. We are coming from a place with a very low cost of living. We own a 3-bedroom townhouse with 1400 sq. ft. and a 1-car garage that would rent for between $700 and $900 here. What's the range for a similar thing in the Souderton area? I don't have an exact answer on how much we can spend in PA, because we don't know the exact salary yet. I think about $1800 is our max, unless I do return to work.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? - We are married and have two very young sons (two and under). We are not too concerned about school districts because we can move again in the area (or may possibly move away for another transfer or more school) before our oldest starts school.

Do you have pets?

No.

Do you want or need a yard?

We would like a yard, but we are open to different types of housing without yards.

Are you keeping a car?

We would like to keep two cars. Is this normal in the suburbs?

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?

I prefer bustling activity, my husband prefers calm and quiet. (city mouse/country mouse)

What do you want to be closest to?

-Train for access into the city (I realize that Souderton and immediately surrounding areas are not particularly close to the train).
-Good library
-Good bookstore
-Lots of independent restaurants with different cuisines
-Good grocery stores, maybe Costco, Whole Foods
-Ethnic grocery stores
-A farmer's market in the summer
-Movie theater that plays independent films
-I'm a big bargain hunter and appreciator of "old" things. I like to shop at second-hand stores, consignment shops, and also at discount retailers like Ross. At the same time, I like to be not too far from the nicer stores.
-Good preschools and child care options
-There are congregations of our church in Doylestown, Coopersburg, Dresher and Norristown, but we don't necessarily need to be close to those.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?

Either. Where we live, there is very little diversity of any kind, but it seems that may also be the case in the suburbs around Souderton.

Coke or Pepsi?

Hahahaha. My husband has been known to get up and leave a restaurant if it doesn't serve Coke.

Congratulations and many thank-yous if you read all the way to the bottom of this! You deserve a Major Award!

[maf763]

I won't go point for point, but I would recommend Ambler as a good locale between Souderton and access to the city (probably a 40-45 minute train ride). It has a number of the things you are looking for, is close to Dresher, and has a small-scale urban feel in the borough (there's Ambler borough and the wider area which is more suburban and expensive) - look at listings in 19002. As far as demographics, cookies from neighbors, etc., you should find people who are like-minded and some who aren't, but I can say that about any community.

[FindingZen]

.

Originally Posted by venusv

Here are my outsider questions:

-Is it normal to have two cars in the suburbs? Yes
-Is it normal/possible for a mom to take two little kids into the city by train? Yes. Check out SEPTA | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for fares.
-How long does it take to take the train into the city from, say, North Wales?About 45 minutes to Center City (aka downtown)
-Do people know their neighbors? Like, where we live now, people drop by with cookies to welcome new neighbors. Is it the same out there?It depends. Certainly more likely in the suburban area you're considering compared to the city.

-Are people nice/cordial to strangers? Is it okay to strike up a conversation while waiting for a table at a restaurant, or while waiting in line at the grocery store? There is a common (mis?)perception out here that people on the East Coast are aggressive or rude. However, when I was in NYC a few years ago, I did not find this to be the case. Again, people are more likely to be easygoing in the 'burbs. In the city, outside some of the touristy areas or upscale retail, some people may be abrupt. It's nothing personal.

-Is traffic awful? Depends on your reference point.We're certainly better than NYC or DC but probably worse than Pittsburgh. Philly doesn't show up on the "worst" traffic lists. A North Wales to Souderton trip would be a "reverse commute" up Route 309. There are tougher suburban/city commutes in the area

-Does mail get delivered to houses, or do you have to use a P.O. Box at the post office?99% chance you'll have a mailbox. Philadelphia is fairly sprawled out.

-We are ages 28 and 31 with two kids under age two...will we fit in demographically?As long you don't expect to find a lot of nearby "hotspots" in Souderton for on Date Night.

[FindingZen]

The closest thing to DC 'burbs like Bethesda/Rockville would be Abington/Jenkintown north of the city or perhaps the Main Line area in the western burbs (e.g. Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Wayne, Paoli). Each would be on a somewhat smaller scale. They're also a fairly significant commute over to Souderton.

[Avalon08]

Hi Venus, good luck with the promotion! Just a couple points: I'm from Philly (suburbs) but have also lived in Southern Calif., and I definitely noticed a difference in the "friendliness" factor. For example, I was at a marina restaurant in SoCal, waiting for friends, and asked the people at the next table a question. They ended up chatting with me and then invited me to join them! Once, I was holding up a line at a store, fumbling around for a receipt, and turned around to apologize to the dozen or so people behind me....they all said, "no problem, take your time". Supermarket cashiers regularly kibbitzed with the customers. Being from Philly where people are more reserved, I was surprised by these experiences. So my point being, you might find a difference here....but don't take it personally. Souderton is still considered "country", so the folks and lifestyle are probably friendlier and more laid-back. Ambler is a great in-between location, or maybe the Lansdale area. I do think you'll be on the upper range of your rent budget though, depending how close you are to the city. Traffic can be a mess during rush-hour, depending where you are, but that would be the case in any metropolitan area. It's certainly not as nightmarish as DC or LA. Cookies from neighbors is definitely a possibility, but depends on your neighborhood.

Let us know if the job comes through, and whether you have any questions about specific areas...and good luck!

[baseballlluftwaffe]

I highly recommend looking into the Harlyesville or Skippack area. Harleysville is a closer to Souderton and it is a great place to raise a family. You are about 20 min from train access to the city. Skippack is a little farther from Souderton but you are closer to Collegeville, Norristown, and King of Prussia the biggest shopping mall on the east coast. There are all sorts of restaurants in King of Prussia as well and every shop you can imagine. Skippack isn't very far from Phoenixville which has a restored theatre that shows independent movies and has a great array of restaurants. Norristown is 20 min away and offers train service as well and it is a shorter ride then Lansdale or North Wales on the train. Both are located in good school districts with plenty of youth leagues for kids etc. I live very close to Skippack and work in Harleysville and if I were you I would highly recommend either one. You cannot really go wrong with any of the towns near Souderton but I would say that it is easier and better to raise a family in a place like Harleysville or Skippack compared to a place like Lansdale because there are a lot more young families like yourself in Skippack and Harleysville.

[thekish]

Doylestown, Ambler or Lansdale.

[frankgn87]

like everyone already said.. too far for a city commute.. Harleysville, Ambler, Landsdale, Franconia are al great areas to raise a family.

[pman]

first, I ahve to say I haven't had the same experiences as Tone. In fact, I find people friendlier in city neighborhoods than either center city or many burbs. that said, you're not looking at the city...also remember it's a different culture here....so sometimes it may seem people are unfriendly when they really aren't.
[quote=venusv;12814215]
-Is it normal to have two cars in the suburbs? yes, though not absolutely necessary depending on where you live/work.
-Is it normal/possible for a mom to take two little kids into the city by train? yep. there's something called a family fare as well in case all four of you do it...more applicable when they are older and no longer ride free.
-How long does it take to take the train into the city from, say, North Wales? note that it's about 30 min from souderton to conshohocken and from conshohocken to center city is also 30 min by train. some day the quakertown extension may bring service to souderton but I wouldn't hold my breath.
-Do people know their neighbors? Like, where we live now, people drop by with cookies to welcome new neighbors. Is it the same out there? yes, I find especially in boroughs like jenkintown.
-Are people nice/cordial to strangers? Is it okay to strike up a conversation while waiting for a table at a restaurant, or while waiting in line at the grocery store? There is a common (mis?)perception out here that people on the East Coast are aggressive or rude. However, when I was in NYC a few years ago, I did not find this to be the case.if you're in center city sometimes people will be taken aback. often times people ignore others talking to them because they're asking for money (not unheard of in Denver either) so it takes a minute to realize someone is asking for directions. as for restaurants, it depends. some places are, someplaces aren't.
-Is traffic awful? I was noticing when I asked for distances/directions on Google Maps between a potential rental and my husband's workplace, that it would sometimes say it would take a half hour to drive five miles. Out here you can hop on the freeway and be almost 40 miles away a half hour later. yes, it's worse. there are more people. Philadelphia is a big city. Denver metro is 2.5 million, Philly metro is 5.9 million. according to wikipedia, Denver is 3900 per sq mile, Philly is 11400. Personally, I like the density, you don't have to go nearly as far for things which makes up for longer travel times. It's also why things like train service are important.

-We are ages 28 and 31 with two kids under age two...will we fit in demographically?will vary based on where you live but I don't see why not.


I'm gonna vote Jenkintown, Conshocken, ambler, and Lansdale. I have seen lofts advertised, i believe it was in ambler. I can't remember their name though

[FindingZen]

pman, I didn't mean to peg the city as a whole as being abrupt or unfriendly, only in the Center City area. And even then, it's not like they would bare their fangs at you LOL but don't expect a whole lot of chit-chat in line and things like that. Certainly on a weekend when the OP may be likely to visit with her kids, people would be generally more mellow than the middle of a weekday.

I'm glad that we both agree that it's a different culture here - and in much of the Northeast - than might be found in the Mountain West.