Relocating to the Philadelphia Area: Malvern

Are you considering relocating the the Philadelphia suburb of Malvern? If the western Main Line isn’t too far of a commute for you, this town truly offers “something for everyone”. From its quaint borough to its most rural edges, there are some historic old buildings as well as plenty of brand new homes and shopping centers. There are townhouses, ranches, split level, colonials and even some old farmhouses. Malvern is usually considered the western edge of the Main Line, so, while still being part of that desirable location, it is the also the gateway to more rural areas. It only about 45 minutes to drive to Lancaster County, for example.

To read more about Malvern, click here. If you are interested in learning about other Main Line Philadelphia towns, please see my Main Line Neighborhood Guide.

Please contact me for more information at 610 308-5973 or jen@jenniferlebow.com.

Malvern Overview

Geographically, Malvern is one of the largest of the Main Line towns. The small borough has some old buildings and independent businesses as well as the train station. The northern section, above route 202 tends to be more rural and while there are some small developments, there are few sidewalks and little retail/dining.  That northwestern area draws people who are looking for privacy, larger lots and an “away from the hub-bub” kind of feeling. The central portion feels more like the Main Line and the neighborhoods are more suburban. As you move south, the rolling hills offer a totally different lifestyle. Many estates, several with horses, can be found in the this part of Malvern. Fittingly, Malvern Hunt (the oldest foxhunt in the country) sits on 100 acres here.

As the Main Line has spread west, the services to support the increase in residents have followed suit. In Malvern, lots of new retail and service establishments have sprung up recently and residents generally tout the combination of a relaxed, country kind of lifestyle and convenient access to desirable shopping as the perfect blend. Another benefit of living in Malvern is that all three of the school districts that its children attend are very highly rated.

Malvern: What it’s like to live here

Many people who relocate to the Main Line are looking for fairly new homes with modern layouts including two-story family rooms adjacent to the kitchen, large master bedrooms with sitting areas and walk-in closets, home offices and first floor laundry rooms. This kind of layout is difficult to find on the Main Line, but is most prevalent in Malvern. Since it’s the farthest west town, it was developed most recently, so it’s not all that surprising that the newest homes are found here. There are many townhouse/carriage house communities including Malvern Walk, Pickering Crossing and Applebrook and Charlestown Oaks. Some other new neighborhoods offer a combination of single family homes and townhouses. These include Spring Oak and Atwater.

If you are looking for a strictly single family home neighborhood, in addition to Malvern Crossing, which is currently under construction (2018), some established communities include Applebrook, Reserve at Spring Meadow and Deerfield. Rossmore, Tunbridge and Minden also offer fairly modern homes. Slightly older homes can be found on Valley Forge Mountain, which, as the name suggests, is on the mountain and has incredible views. One of the most desirable areas is Radnor Hunt, which is a community of about 275 homes, but of all different vintages and sizes. Some are very old, some are brand new and there are modest sized ones as well as palatial estates on 50 acres!

There are, of course, plenty of homes in Malvern that are not in “named” developments. While those located closest to route 30 are most likely to have a neighborhood feel, the outer reaches of this large town are much more remote and less suburban in flavor. It spreads over a very large area and the variety of housing options (from age to size to style to neighborhood personality) is quite wide. It might be a great place to begin your search because there are so many different choices.

Read more about Malvern on Wikipedia.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973