Moving to Philly - Help
We are thinking of a move to Philly, or the Main Line, next summer when our son graduates. He will most likely be attending college in NY or Boston.
I would love to hear from those who have lived there or are from there. I went to St. Joe's for two years, so know the area a bit, and my brother went to Villanova and lived in Haverford. I am used to snow (don't love it) as I from the East Coast, but don't recall the winters being very dreary, snow seemed moderate.
My husband will be semi-retired at that point and I will need to look for work in the non-profit sector.
Ideally looking for a nice (diverse place) near public transport (walking distance to train). I like Chestnut Hill (who doesn't), and on the ML, I like Ardmore and Wynnewood. Does anyone know about Elkins Park? Mt. Airy in Philly seems like a good spot, but don't have first-hand knowledge.
Would enjoy hearing about the area and if it a good place for empty nesters who are artsy (not into sports - I know, kind of a sin in Philly).
We are looking for a new adventure and being close to family.
Although we love the Bay Area, we are moving due to the wildfires. I am in the North Bay and I am not going to go through another fire season.
Thanks!
Parent Replies
A thumbs up forArdmore or Narberth! Both very walkable, safe, good food and access to culture and the R5 train that will take you downtown, connect to airport trains, NYC and DC bound trains. Ardmore has a world class music venue (Ardmore Music Hall) which a lot of Intl touring acts play over Philly-based venues.
I grew up in Wynnewood and know the mainline well. Feel free to contact me.
Ellen
I grew up just inside the city limits from Elkins Park, and my parents and my brother and his family now live in that area (Elkins Park/Cheltenham/Jenkintown). There's easy train access to downtown Philadelphia, and it's somewhat more racially and socioeconomically diverse than it was when I was growing up. The Cheltenham Arts Center offers arts classes, and there are parks and arboretums for nature. One thing I don't like is that there aren't a lot of sidewalks, which can make walking (and running) a challenge, if not dangerous. I think also that property taxes are quite high, though I'm not sure how they compare to California. They've had trees fall and power outages over the past few years, but no fires.
I have good friends who live in Mount Airy pretty diverse, wonderful neighborhood, all of the resources of Chestnut Hill but not as white and wealthy.
I have an older relative who lives in Chester Springs, on the Mainline I think. I heard via his grandson who did a semester School exchange program living with his grandfather that the school was homogeneous and boring, compared to his much more diverse school at home. FWIW. Best of luck with your move.