Relocating to philly, looking for a good suburb outside of city for families (Indiana: house prices, neighborhood)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

What's your housing budget? I think your best bet would be southern chester county but they lack public transit. You will have to prioritize between
- acreage
- good schools
- reasonable commute

You can't have them all. I suspect you'll have to give up acreage or spend a lot of $$$$ to make all the 3 possible.

Yes, definitely more....property/school taxes which are going to be a LOT more than what they paid in AL.

[BR Valentine]

Originally Posted by maddieb226

Thank you for the feedback. His job is at the Army Corp of Engineers which I believe is near City Hall, but either way it seems like it's in the same general area. It's good to know that it would be one straight ride from Downington.

You are correct on this. The Corps office is across the street from City Hall.

[selhars]

and unlike some of the Main Line suburbs, it doesn't have a "wrong side of the tracks" less-expensive district.

And where on the Main Line would that be, pray tell?

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by selhars

And where on the Main Line would that be, pray tell?

Ardmore would certainly fit the bill.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Ardmore would certainly fit the bill.

Bryn Mawr ditto.

Even Radnor Township has a working-class district, Garrett Hill. (Though I don't know whether you can still find moderately priced houses there the way you can in either Ardmore or Bryn Mawr south of Lancaster Avenue.)

[selhars]

Perhaps we have different thoughts about what the other side of the tracks brings to mind.
MY first thought of "the other side of the tracks" brings to mind places like the Badlands in Philly -- heck or even Darby or Sharon Hill. And IMO no part of Ardmore nor Bryn Mawr would I consider "the other side of the tracks."

But perhaps what you meant here is one area is just not as exclusive as the other......but to me all of Ardmore or Bryn Mawr is fairly exclusive....compared to non Main Line areas. So "other side of the tracks is not how I personally would refer to any part of those two areas.

Not arguing. Just explaining myself.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by selhars

And where on the Main Line would that be, pray tell?

Where black people still kinda are, although that has changed over the last 15- 20 years. The black Boomer generation ,who grew up on the Main Line like I did, started leaving once many went to college in the late 60s/70s. That started the AA out-migration. The street I grew up on, in Haverford, is almost all white now. It was all black when I was a kid.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Bryn Mawr ditto.

Even Radnor Township has a working-class district, Garrett Hill. (Though I don't know whether you can still find moderately priced houses there the way you can in either Ardmore or Bryn Mawr south of Lancaster Avenue.)

Bryn Mawr still has small section of row houses. They're east of the intersection of Haverford Rd and Bryn Mawr Ave.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by selhars

Perhaps we have different thoughts about what the other side of the tracks brings to mind.
MY first thought of "the other side of the tracks" brings to mind places like the Badlands in Philly -- heck or even Darby or Sharon Hill. And IMO no part of Ardmore nor Bryn Mawr would I consider "the other side of the tracks."

But perhaps what you meant here is one area is just not as exclusive as the other......but to me all of Ardmore or Bryn Mawr is fairly exclusive....compared to non Main Line areas. So "other side of the tracks is not how I personally would refer to any part of those two areas.

Not arguing. Just explaining myself.

There were very specific working class parts of the Main Line along with street name changes that were " borders". One funny one to me is crossing Lancaster Ave in Bryn Mawr, northbound, where there's an Acme on one corner( there has been an Acme there for over 60 years). The south of Lancaster Ave the cross street is Penn St. The north side of Lancaster Ave. the same exact street becomes Pennswood Rd, lol. "Pennswood" sounds more elitist.

The working class areas were all south of Lancaster Ave. When I was a kid the ethnicities were Italians, Irish and AA. Many of these people were in service jobs for rich people.

[mslhu]

Originally Posted by selhars

but to me all of Ardmore or Bryn Mawr is fairly exclusive....compared to non Main Line areas. So "other side of the tracks is not how I personally would refer to any part of those two areas.

An exclusive street in elitist Ardmore: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0043...7i16384!8i8192


How do these Ardmore-ites live in such poshness? https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0005...7i16384!8i8192