Philadelphia Moms!

[annasmom]

There is a real possibility that we may move to the Philly area in a few years - right now we are in central NJ. I really do not know anything about Philly, or the surrounding suburbs - either NJ or PA, so I want to start getting some information so we can assess whether this would be a good move.

I was hoping someone could suggest some good places to live?? My dh's job would be in the City of Philly, so a good commute is really important.
Can you tell me a bit about the area? Where are the good neighborhoods, schools? What are the demographics? Is there diversity? How is the housing market?

Thanks so much!!

[Jen841]

I am not much help, but I feel I need to give my two cents.

We moved to the FAR suburbs almost 3 years ago after city living in Chicago. We live in the Exton/Downingtown/Lionville area. DH works down by Lima, and I am in Wayne, so it was pretty much equal distance for the two of us. Where we are would not be the best for Center City, but it is feasible.

We are not good about utilizing the city as we did in Chicago, but we do remain active and outgoing. All around Philly there are many great outdoor options of things to do, and it is easy enough to get around.

We really appreaciate how centrally located Philly is to NYC, the shores (NJ and DE), DC,... everything is a short car or train ride.

We have a lot convenient to us shopping wise, and can be at many kids attractions in about an hour... as well as a few outlet malls : )

[beachmoms]

I live in an awesome area...Malvern. The train to the city is just down the street. If you pick the right side of Malvern you will be able to walk to the train or drive to train and easily park and hop the train to the city. Since parking and driving is awful in Philly I highly recommend it. The savings in parking fees alone are incredible. The school district here is Great Valley. Very good school district. So much local shopping, 10 min ride to the largest east coast mall-King of Prussia Mall, if you cant find it here they dont make it. Tons of local restaurants from 1-5 stars. Close to parks-Valley Forge is a favorite to walk and bike. Many other activities indoors and out. Nice drive to Poconos, NYC, the beaches, Washington DC, Hersheypark, Dorneypark....let me know if I can help you out, there is so much to talk about....ask questions I will see if I can get or already have the answers.

[Nyfeara]

We live in the Lansdale area. You can still catch SEPTA into the city, which would be about a 40 minute train ride. We really like this area. There's a good mix of new and older homes, lots of parks and we still have the conveniences we love.

With the activities our township offers (community pool, parks, events), we actually feel like our taxes go toward something, as opposed to where I grew up in NJ. North Penn school district includes us, it is supposed to be a pretty good system.

The area is located about halfway between Philly & Allentown. Allentown has a small airport that can be quite convenient if you do not need to fly out of Philly. DH has used it several times for work trips. We are about a 20-30 min drive from the King of Prussia Mall, Montgomeryville Mall is about 10 mins away. We have chain restaurants galore along Rt 309, but there are also lots of non-chain choices that are quite good.

[npace19147]

We live in Center City Philadelphia, so a different perspective! We love living in town - DH has a 20 minute walk to work (or an 8 minute cab ride if I'm feeling desperate... ;) ).

We are out and about constantly, we live in our stroller rather than the car, which I much prefer! Traffic in and around the city can be really bad which is not good for my blood pressure, I am not a patient driver.

DD1 is in preschool right now which is a 15 minute walk from our house and will be going to private school next year which is about a 25 minute walk.

The schools are definitely a downside - there are a few public schools that are decent but they are hard to get into if you don't live in their catchment area. Of course, what you pay in private school is made up for in real estate taxes and commuting costs.

I feel like we are good city users - we took DDs to the art museum on Sunday, we live at our neighborhood parks during nice weather, library storytimes, music venues (Kimmel Center, World Cafe Live kids performances), the zoo, take the ferry over the river to the aquarium in Camden...there's tons to do here and lots of families!

But of course it's not for everyone, so I'll stop now, but ask if you're interested and have more questions!

[lmintzer]

We moved to the Philly area from Chicago 3 years ago. We're on the Main Line (just 20-25 mins. from Center City) in a decidedly unpretentious neighborhood with some diversity (some economic, some religious, and just a little racial diversity). We love our neighborhood. We are walking distance from a wonderful elementary school, and dh walks to the train to go to work. He chooses this over driving.

The neighborhoods out here differ a lot, so if you would like to PM me, I'd be happy to give you more info. or answer specific questions.

It's a good time to buy out here--the market is in a slump. A lot of people born out here consider housing prices pretty high. While they are not cheap by any stretch, it was significantly less expensive here to buy than in a similar Chicago suburb neighborhood we moved from. Real Estate taxes are pretty rough, so you'll have to factor that in.

So far, we are really liking Philly. I miss Chicago a ton, but that's more because of the people (and the job) I left behind.

ETA: Hi Jen--another Chicago transplant! : )

If you want to make use of the city, consider distance to the city. Personally, I think our 20-25 drive in is perfect. If we were any further out on the Main Line, we wouldn't go in as much.
We have been enjoying the proximity of Philly to other cities (so different from Chicago). So far, we've been to NYC a bunch of times (we have family there), the Jersey Shore, D.C., Baltimore, and also Delaware for various things.

[jjordan]

I think you will be pleasantly surprised by housing costs as they are low compared to other East coast cities/suburbs. Anywhere near a train station will be a reasonable commute. We live a ways out, Chester County, but we don't work in the city either. If I were you I'd probably start looking along the main line (a series of towns along US Rt 30) or maybe in Bucks County.

Jill

[maestramommy]

My ILs live in Media, which is within commuting distance to Philly. BIL takes takes the streetcar to the local train line. The town is pretty awesome. Depending on where you live, you can walk to the library, grocery, school, etc. MIL keeps wanting us to move there, but there're no jobs for Dh there:)

[Ceepa]

I hear you can get your 8 yo a bikini wax there. ;)

*grrrrr*

[clc053103]

Checking in from the other side of the city- in Bucks Co. We are right on the NJ border, which is great for access not only to center city, but also to PRinceton. excellent schools out here- we live in Council Rock, most of the top ten highest paying school districts are in Bucks Co so it attracts great teachers.

There are boro areas (NEwtown, Doylestown) where you don't have drive everywhere, but most other areas you do- I don't mind, as it's a small price to pay for what we do enjoy- lots of parks, backyards, farmland....all still so close to I95 and the turnpike.

Commute to Phila can be tough in the AM if you don't leave early, but the Septa lines do come out here so train is another option.

As for price, depending on the town (we live in one of the more expensive townships) it can get pretty pricey but the real estate taxes are much cheaper than NJ so you may pay more for a house, but less in taxes and it all evens out.

Please- fire away with questions! I didn't realize so many people on this board were in the phila area.

[annasmom]

Ugh, I just lost me entire response!!

Anyway, thank you all so much! I think in order of preference, the things that are most important to us are: (1) good schools; (2) good commute into Philly (preferably within 30 minutes); (3) good home values; (4) ethnic/racial diversity.

We love our town right now, but the one thing that bothers me is the size. It is BIG - without any town center. I would love to live in a town again that had a downtown with some shops, restaurants, etc. Nothing fancy, just something.

I did a quick realtor dot com search of some of the towns mentioned, and it seems as though the prices are comparable to my area. I was wondering if anyone could give me some perspective on property taxes though. We own a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath mid-size colonial (nothing huge) on .75 acres, with really excellent schools and pay 15-16k a year in property taxes. Are we going to find comparable taxes in Pa??

Thanks again!!

[lmintzer]

ET delete personal info. (OP has already read.)

[Jeanne]

I'm also in the Northern burbs - Montgomery County just below Doylestown. It's a good 40 minutes into Center City. It's a great area for schools - all are blue ribbon around here. There are also excellent choices for religious and private schools as well. But it's car land no doubt and complete urban sprawl. The conveniences are tremendous though. There are business parks out this way with a ton of big companies to choose from. There is multiples of every store you can think of all within a 6 mile radius. You can easily get to any major highway to take you to NY, the Jersey Shore, DC, etc... There are several big amusement attractions outside the city as well parks and historical attractions. It is a good area to be in and isn't lacking in much.

The RE taxes are varied however and dependent on the rules of your township. Some townships offer lower taxes on existing homes with sky high taxes on brand new big houses. The market has never really been in much of a slump here because people tend to be more conservative. We did not suffer the severity of the bubble and the foreclosure rate of other markets. It's pretty stable and has been. And it's also not as expensive as other markets. The rail line is decent but not as cheap as other cities.

Where you choose to live is entirely dependent on your lifestyle, IMO. There are smaller towns closer to the city that offer more in the way of walking but some of these do border unsafe neighborhoods and there are hassles associated with that - car insurance is higher, theft is higher, crime is closer, etc.. But they are charming! Going further out in all directions, you get into sprawl with mixed neighborhoods of older and new houses, well funded schools, tons of shopping, etc...

Know that whether you decide to live or just work in town, you will pay a city wage tax that can be as high as 5.6%! That is in addition to your state and federal taxes. The amount varies (goes lower) depending on whether you just live, work, or live and work there. But going into the city to work will beget you that tax on those days. It's archaic for sure. The burbs also tax at 1% but it’s more palatable than the city’s tax.

The city itself offers a ton of good things from shopping, art, museums, history, cultural diversity, etc... Just be aware that it's a city full of crime as well and you will not want to use the public school system as it's not good at all. You would have to go private and if you factor in the wage tax and cost of living in the city, it's not always cheaper to be there.

If your DH will be working in Center City, stay out of NJ. The RE taxes are sky high as is the car insurance -it's indisputably corrupt. The schools aren't very good either so you will do better to be on the PA side. There are a few good districts but they are in areas with taxes upwards of 13k per year. Ridiculous.

Honestly, being here my whole life, with the exception of a brief 7 year stint in other cities, this is a decent place to live. You won't be bored. Of course if we had California's weather, I'd be a lot happier. But overall, I can't complain. There are plenty of companies to choose from, plenty of places to go to keep you busy, plenty of shopping in all price points, the beach a short 1-2 hour drive, and plenty of good eats.

[clc053103]

[QUOTE=annasmom]
I did a quick realtor dot com search of some of the towns mentioned, and it seems as though the prices are comparable to my area. I was wondering if anyone could give me some perspective on property taxes though. We own a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath mid-size colonial (nothing huge) on .75 acres, with really excellent schools and pay 15-16k a year in property taxes. Are we going to find comparable taxes in Pa??
QUOTE]

I think you will find real estate taxes are much lower in PA. If you want more specific info feel free to PM me (I'm the one in Bucks Co). we live in a higher tax township, reside in a 4 BR 2 1/2 bA home of medium to large size on about the same property as you have- we pay about $7000 in taxes.

[Drag0nflygirl]

Taxes will seem a bargain to you. It's doubtful you would pay more than 2 to 5k a year in any of the places mentioned. If you want a cute downtown area Bryn Mawr, Narberth, or Media would be excellent. Bryn Mawr and Narberth are on the "Main Line", where a lot of older Philadelpia area families live. The school district there, Lower Merion, is excellent. I used to live in Bryn Mawr, and it's just lovely. Cute Main street, great restauraunts. Commute on the express was a very pleasant 20 minutes.
I now live in Havertown, which is a little more diverse and affordable. It's in the Haverford school district which is also excellent. My biggest beef with Havertown is you don't get any property with your home.
The Radnor area would also be a good call - that's the Upper Merion School district. I think they have the highest per student budget around. This is also the Main Line - so a quick commute. A PP metioned Malvern, which is also nice. I'm not sure if it's part of the same school district, but it may be.
Media has an adorable downtown area, complete with live theater and the prettiest Trader Joes ever! It has lots of charming old stone buildings and homes. Again, the school district is excellent, and I think it may be a bit more diverse than some of the others.
I used to live in Rockford and would make frequent trips to Woodfield, and let me tell you, King of Prussia is better! The only thing it lacks is a Hanna store. There are lots of parks around. We also belong to this huge indoor playland called Please Touch Museum. It's moving in October and will be four times the size it is now, and easier to get too from the suburbs. Not a lot more I can add right now - so HTH.