Suburbs: Malvern vs. West Chester vs. Chadds Ford (Philadelphia, Radnor Township: apartment, renting)

[aliw730]

It looks like our family will be relocating to the Philly area for work. The area seems nice but I really don't know anything about it. I'm interested in knowing how the towns of Malvern, West Chester and Chadds Ford compare. My husband and I have 3 children all under 6 years old. When we move I will no longer be working and would be interested in finding activities and playgroups for my young kids. My husband will split his time between working in Center City and traveling via the airport - so both commutes are important.

When are you moving? 3-12 months
Where are you coming from? Boston Suburbs
Why are you moving? Job relocation
Where will you be working? My husband will split his time between working in Center City and travel. So accessibility to airport and city are important
Have you been here yet? Not really, some extended family live in West Chester

Will you buy or rent? Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? A house, 4+ bedrooms (ideally would have in law suite). 700K+
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? N/A
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? N/A

Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married, 3 young children under 6 yo.
Do you prefer public or private schools? Public school are much preferred and the above suburbs were chosen for that reason.
Do you have pets? Yes. A large dog so a large private yard is one of our biggest requirements
Do you want or need a yard? Yes. See above
Are you keeping a car? Yes, my husband and I will both have cars
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm and quiet. Neighborhoods with children.

What do you want to be closest to?
Rail stations and airport.
Shopping and basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Activities for kids
I'd like some place close to a cute little downtown, but this is more of a want than a need.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Would prefer to be part of a large Catholic Parish

Would we find what we are looking for in Malvern, West Chester or Chadds Ford? What are they known for? What is the difference between them? Would commutes into the city and airport be dramatically different in one vs the other?

[cpomp]

To start all three areas are very nice, wealthy, safe communities with excellent schools. 700k will for the most part buy you a very nice home in these communities.

Just some simple comparison. Chadds ford is a part of the Chadds Ford-Unionville school district, Malvern is in Great Valley School District and West Chester is in the West Chester Area school district.

All 3 are excellent, Chadds Ford and Great Valley are among the best in the state, West Chester not far behind. All 3 are similiarly priced, Chadds Ford is probably the most expensive area.

All 3 are close to plenty of shopping and recreational destinations. West Chester is the only area that has an actual downtown, which is pretty vibrant with dining and shopping and some college students. All 3 are a bit of a commute to Center City. Malvern does have a regional rail stop that will take you to Center City, the others do not, driving would be in 45 minute range.

Some other suggestions that may make the commute easier is Glen Mills/Garnet Valley. This is next set of towns over from Chadds Ford, slightly closer to the airport. Falls in the same boat as the other mentioned towns, with a very large shopping corridor on Route 1.

May also want to check out the Media area (19063 zipcode) and Lower Merion, much easier commute to Philly, schools on par with the other towns.

Overall I think Media area offers a lot more recreational activities and there is a downtown.

But you can't go wrong with any of your choices.
Good Luck

[pman]

45 minutes outside rush hour

[eastwestcoast]

You might consider Wayne as well. Nice downtown and a bit closer to Center City on regional rail than Malvern, but still many houses in the area have a moderate amount of land especially a bit outside of town. It is in Radnor Township, which also has excellent schools and is close to King of Prussia for shopping and intersected by I-476 (aka the "Blue Route"), which takes you toward the airport.

[thesixth]

All these areas will have Catholic parishes, but be aware that many are getting smaller and there have been some closings of parishes within Philadelphia and nearest suburbs. West Chester area will have the largest of the group you are considering, and Chadds Ford will be smaller(est).

[Pocopsonite]

Chadds Ford is not really a town. It's a tiny village. At the intersection of Routes 1 and 100, there's a cluster of maybe a dozen businesses, including the post office and a few restaurants. Otherwise, it's simply not a town. Some parts of the area included in the 19317 Chadds Ford zip code are in the Unionville/Chadds Ford School District, which is one of the best in the state, and located mostly in Chester County. Other parts of 19317 are in school districts in Delaware County.

West Chester is a lovely small town ("borough" in PA parlance) that is the county seat, so there's lots of government buildings and associated business like law offices. It's also the site of Chester County Hospital and lots of medical offices, as well as the home of West Chester University. Thanks to the relatively affluent population, there are many outstanding restaurants. Again, though, the zip code includes huge areas that are nowhere near the borough town limits. A house in your price range would be outside the borough unless you want to live in an old gorgeous victorian or turn-of-the-century stone house. My mailing address is West Chester, and the center of town is 25 minutes away. A West Chester mailing address could put you in one of several school districts. We're in Unionionville/CF.

I don't know much about Malvern, except that it has a cute little downtown area.

How does your husband plan to commute? Car? Train? Coming from Boston, you may already be prepared for a long commute. I spent the most miserable 3 years of my life commuting from my West Chester address to Center City Philly. Three hours a day at best, often longer.

If you think you'll be here for 20 years, that's one thing, and you should maybe choose your house according to the school district you want to be in. But if you're here for 3-5 years, it probably doesn't matter; in your price range you'll definitely be in one of the best school districts. So get as close as possible to the airport and his office.

Honestly, I think West Chester and Chadds Ford are both too far from Center City and too far from the airport. Think about Garnet Valley School District, also very well respected, in Delaware County. Shorter commute and closer to the airport.

[Philly246]

Chadds Ford too far from the airport? At a somewhat off hour (not the middle of the rush), the airport is no more than 25-30 minutes from the intersection of 1 and 100. Now Center City, that's a different story. I know people that do that commute every day...not my idea of fun.