What are the public schools like? What's it like in general? Are homes or rent really expensive? Looking at a possible move that's totally up in the air now, but could become a reality faster than I'd like...
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Do you want to live in the city or in the suburbs?
I'm a bit biased because I grew up in the suburbs and loved it. (I'm not a city girl, though)
Though, my hometown is in Chester County and while the schools are good, the housing is and can be really expensive. Though, cost of living and median income is fairly high in that area. I don't think other counties outside of Philadelphia are any better. My sister lives in Montgomery County and housing prices are soaring.
The DH and I would love to move back in that area after we get pregnant and our (future) LO is born. Though my job market (pharmaceuticals) is pretty saturated in that area, so I don't know if I'll ever end up back there.
My sister works and lives in the city. There are some nice areas to buy a house and have good school districts.
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We live in Montgomery county! From what I have heard our school district is great (albeit far bigger than we are used to, as we were both born and raised in upstate ny). As far as cost of buying/renting I guess it's all relative to what you're used to. We love it here!
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@Mama Bird: I grew up in Montgomery County. My DH grew up on the Main Line. Both of our families are still there. We both loved growing up there and continue to love it. We see ourselves moving back one day but DH's job is "here" so I don't know if it is realistic. I think there are tons of good options as far as the suburbs go for good schools and overall good quality of life. I'm also envious of how low taxes are compared to the state I live in. I think it's very affordable...but of course, it's all relative and what you're used to. Happy to help in the future!
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If you live within the city limits you're looking at charter / private school if you want something "good". Not to be offensive as "good" is relative, but like any major city there are areas that don't have enough budget to support it. Philadelphia is surrounded by some very affluent suburbs and every thing in between where you can find amazing school districts that are very close to the city. I work in center city and commute from delaware county and I'm happy with my commute, proximity, and school district. Housing prices vary greatly depending on where you wind up, but you can find nice city row homes for 400k, and single family homes in the burbs for 250k+. If you wind up on the mainline you can easily pay 500k+ it really just depends.
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@bluestriped bee: I'm not sure... we want to live in the suburs but DH barely drives so I don't know if we could!
@Cupcake: That's good to hear! You're right, it's all relative and I hope the housing costs can't be worse than NYC!
@Tidybee: Thanks! I'm glad you like it there! I hope you don't mind if I ask where the good places to live are, if we do end up having to move!
@OpinionsLikeKittens: yikes. Private school is definitely not an option, so if we end up in the city itself that's just trading one place with bad schools for another... definitely food for thought.
Thanks for the advice everyone... we don't know Philadelphia at all. It's scary to consider moving somewhere totally unfamiliar. DH is interviewing for a job there that sounds good on paper, and if he gets it we'll have to make that decision in a hurry!
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@Mama Bird: I looooved Philly. I lived both in the city and at the end of the main line in Chester county when I shacked up with DH. For the better schools, you'll have to live in the burbs. Most places you can take the train into the city, so the commute might not be that bad for your DH. I drove every day down 76. It had its moments of stop and go traffic, but Atlanta was far worse. So many fun things to do, amazing restaurants, etc. I think it us a very livable city and there are pockets of awesome out in the surrounding communities.
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I've lived in or near Philly for most of my life. I love the city and lived downtown for 15 years, but we moved to South Jersey (about a 30-minute drive or train ride) about three years ago.
I can't tell you much about the western suburbs but Jersey might be a good option if your husband doesn't drive. The PATCO speed line runs right into downtown Philly from some nice towns in NJ.
I love the city itself, still work there, and miss living there with a passion, but wouldn't move back unless we could afford a private school. Philly public schools aren't great.
Real estate in the city is very reasonable compared to cities like NYC or SF. Costs run the gamut in the burbs but there are plenty of nice suburbs that won't break the bank.
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@Mama Bird: where the job is located will make a big difference as to where you live, but there are a number of suburbs that are conveniently located to public transportation and very walkable with decent public schools. I'm most familiar with South Jersey because that's where I grew up and where I lived when I first graduated college. When I worked in center city, my PATCO commute was about 15-20 minutes and I walked everywhere.
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@Mama Bird: We just moved here in July! We're on the main line for commuting purposes, DH takes the train and I drive. For us it was worth spending the extra money on a house close to the train and so we didn't have to buy a second car. I didn't want to be right in the city anyway.
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@Espion: that's great! Schools are definitely a big factor, so we might end up in the suburbs if there's a train nearby.
@night cheese: wow, thanks for pointing out that there's a decent commute from south Jersey! We know that area very well and have friends there. I feel much better knowing that we could live there if we had to move!
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@Mama Bird: I have a friend that lives in south jersey and whose husband commutes into Philly---it is *much* cheaper there than northern NJ suburbs of NYC and way, way cheaper than NYC itself. =)
NJmonthly.com just came out with the recent rankings of High schools in NJ, so that will give you some ideas of good school districts. I think any schools in the top 100 are very good, with the top 30-40 being excellent.
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We're in far north Montgomery County as well, but my DH grew up in Bucks County and went to public school. I think like anywhere, there are good school districts and not so good districts. He happened to be in a great one and about a half hour commute into the city. I take SEPTA into the city for work which is the train. It's fairly reliable, and would help your DH's lack of driving if he were working in the city.
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@gilmoregirl: @Anagram: awesome! South Jersey is definitely on my radar now. And I'll check out the school rankings.
@chanzi: we might end up doing the same thing
I drive a lot for work anyway, so it wouldn't be a huge change. Do you drive into the city? How do you deal with parking? It's pretty much impossible to find street parking near my office in NYC!
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We live in Chester County and love it. The schools are good, there is plenty to do and it is a nice place to raise a family. We are currently house shopping and I think it is a little expensive so that's a little bit of a challenge but we're also very picky about the house and location is huge for us. It'll be worth it to be close to our families and I work on the main line so I can't go too far out. You would need to drive most of the time depending on exactly where you lived. It's my impression that the job market is good and active in this area but of course I'm sure it varies by industry.
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@Mama Bird: Driving into the city is more annoying. 76 and 95 are really the only highways so there is definitely traffic. But depending on where you live, you get in on local roads. I never find parking to be an issue. and it is so cheap compared to NYC. Having been in NYC, I find Philly to be cheap, but my sister who lives in Philly has different expectations of what things should cost.
I'll wall you some towns! What are your preferences? more urbanish? more suburban? great restaurants/shopping? things for kids? -
We're also in Montgomery County, and as far as schools go, I hear ours is pretty good, but I would stay away from Philly public schools if you can based on what I hear from both parents in the city and teachers. I agree with a previous poster that going with a charter or private school in the city would be your best bet. That said, a lot of suburbs are really convenient, and there are areas you can live in that are not technically in the city but have regional rail lines into the city, so you still could avoid driving a lot.
Compared to NYC, it's definitely A LOT cheaper, but if you're looking to buy, just be aware the the property taxes in and around Philly vary in a huge way. There are some areas where the property tax might be $10k for a $250k home, where in other areas it would only be $2k. That can really affect your home target price when you're looking.
I personally love the suburbs around Philadelphia, so much history and beauty! Good luck!
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@2PeasinaPod: Great, I'm glad the train is reliable! It's pretty important to us to have that option.
@MOMTOLITTLEB: Thanks, and good luck with the house search! That's such an important decision!
@Tidybee: Thanks! We're leaning toward something more suburban. I don't know if it's a good idea, because DS is very social and needs to be around other kids, but the one time we got him out of the city he was over the moon... we all loved being free to run around without worrying about traffic and nasty things people throw on the street.
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@Mama Bird: I haven't driven into the city at all since my work is actually farther out from the city than we live. :). My husband says parking in center city is a pain but I haven't tried, and this is the biggest city I've ever lived in (or this close to anyway), so I have no basis for comparison.
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@Circusbee: thanks! definitely keeping the taxes in mind.
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