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Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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I thought of a couple more things. You didn't say where in Bucks you live, but we were considering moving to Doylestown a few years ago, and one thing I noticed when I looked at demographics is that most of Bucks is very, very white. Places like Doylestown and Newtown are over 90% white. I know there are a few places in Bucks that have more diversity, but they seem to be the exception.
Around here, there is much more ethnic and racial diversity. Most towns that some of us suggested (Hillsborough, Carrboro, Pittsboro) have more in line of 60% white, with blacks, hispanic, and Asians making up the balance. I know it doesn't make a difference to most people, but it can be eye-opening if you are not used to it, so I just wanted to give you a heads up. (Having an Asian daughter, the low percentage of non-whites in Bucks was a negative for us.)
Another thing is the crime is higher here than in some of the small towns in Bucks. Again, you didn't say where you live, so this may not be true for you. Towns like Newtown and Yardley have virtually no crime. Compare that to Hillborough, which has more crime than the national average (and is 4x as high as Doylestown). (Hillsborough and Doylestown are actually similar in many ways. Doylestown is a bit bigger with 8300 population versus 6000 pop. in Hillsborough. Both are the county seat and have old, historic sections of town. Both are walkable towns with restaurants and some nightlife, so that is just something to be aware of.)
Having lived in Bucks County myself, I'm not sure this is what you're looking for. You're not going to find a bunch of quaint areas like downtown Chestnut Hill or Media or Peddlers Village. I think the Triangle will remind you more of Southern Jersey, with big mall areas and everything more spread out. Real estate taxes are much more reasonable. I miss the quaint shopping areas and great restaurants the most, but otherwise we love it here. I definitely recommend visiting and checking things out for a few days before getting your heart set on any particular area.
So funny that so many of you are familiar with Bucks County! I live about 20 minutes north of Doylestown, to be more specific for those of you who know the area. Ethnicity info was helpful - I admit I'm pretty white having grown up in a rural CT town and then moved here 12 years ago. My husband grew up in a black neighborhood in Trenton (and so has had the opposite experience of being the minority as a blond with blue eyes) and so we have had very different ethnic/cultural experiences. I would welcome more diversity and would like my boys to have a more well-rounded experience than I have had. The crime stats were a bummer to hear. Do you think its relative to the unemployment rates that some of you have listed as a concern?
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
9,779 posts, read 15,790,796 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mommalove
The crime stats were a bummer to hear. Do you think its relative to the unemployment rates that some of you have listed as a concern?
I don't think the crime here is bad really. It's just that the crime rate in places like Newtown (PA) and Yardley are so unbelievably good (ironically like Mayberry, which is based on a North Carolina town ). I mean, really, the crime number in Yardley according to City-Data is 47 where the US average is 319. They had 1 assault, 2 burglaries, and 20 thefts in all of 2010, and it's been pretty consistent for the past 10 years. That's almost unreal. Newtown is similar. I think Bucks, although rural, has always been pretty upscale. I think some of the rural towns outside the Triangle cities - such as Hillsborough and Pittsboro are just less upscale, overall.
Also, in Bucks (and in most of Pennsylvania, really) there are so many individucal townships and there is a lot of separation of rich and poor. So places like Bristol get more of the "poorer" residents and more crime, while nearby Yardley has more "richer" residents. And each township is separate including the schools. Here in NC, there are fewer township demarcations, and county children go to school together, so there is more mixing up of different types of residents (socioeconomically). Also, I imagine overall, there is more poverty in Orange and Chatham County than in Bucks.
My wife and I moved here from Buck county (Sellersville area) about four years ago and love it. The people are great, friendly and welcoming,... we've met people from all over as well as a few actually from Raleigh! We especially LOVE the the fact that it's so green here! Buck Co is too but that's not the same for most of the Philly area - it's very nice. Less people, less noise, less everything with all the benefits of the city (expect for maybe the nightlife, but it can be found). The racial diversity is eye opening and pleasant (once you get used to it) and I'm African American used to living in the mostly white PA burbs (although I grow up in South Philly, south of 25th and Tasker, for those familiar). I also don't think that the crime is any worse here than anywhere else - the evening news is a "crime report" no matter where you live.
I think Bucks, although rural, has always been pretty upscale.
And that's putting it mildly! Hence our main reason for getting out of town. We have had to drop our price significantly - by the time we sell, we aren't going to have enough to buy again in this area and get anything that doesn't need a significant overhaul. That's why my jaw dropped when I looked into available real estate in the Durham area - its so affordable compared to Bucks! Everything is seriously way overpriced here. When we were DINKS it was fine, but now with 2 little ones, school loans, and all the other bills... its just too expensive here for us to live without constant financial stress.
With everything that I am reading, considering all the pros and cons that have been shared, I'm still feeling the potential for improved qualify of life in your area. Again, I so appreciate all the feedback that all of you have shared so freely. I feel as though i have a much better idea of what this area is all about...and I can't wait to visit
We love it here mainly for the relationships we've developed, and because we love our jobs. Everywhere we lived in PA and NJ was established, so we rarely had neighbors that were similar to us...young professionals with young kids. So we always had to drive a ways to visit friends. Now we live in an area that is almost entirely new subdivisions with mainly young families. So now most of our friends and our kids' friends are right around the corner. There are a lot more SAHMs in my area than I'm used to, but I have still been able to connect with lots of WOTH moms too. So while I miss strolling through Chestnut Hill and Peddlers Village, and being excited about tons of great food options, I couldn't be happier with our friends and the relationships that we've formed here. There is give and take to everything...I miss being able to fly just about anywhere non-stop from PHL, but I love the lack of lines and friendly police at RDU. I miss being so close to the beach, but I love that the beaches here are free and clean. I miss public transportation and being able to take a train just about anywhere, but I love that the traffic here is so mild.
I have another question for all of you...not sure if I should have posted a new thread or not (honestly I'm a bit confused about how to navigate this site!)
I have also been looking at Ashville. Any thoughts on comparing these two areas????
Thanks in advance:-)
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). I mean, really, the crime number in Yardley according to City-Data is 47 where the US average is 319. They had 1 assault, 2 burglaries, and 20 thefts in all of 2010, and it's been pretty consistent for the past 10 years. That's almost unreal. Newtown is similar. I think Bucks, although rural, has always been pretty upscale. I think some of the rural towns outside the Triangle cities - such as Hillsborough and Pittsboro are just less upscale, overall. 
