Relocating to the Philadelphia Area: Havertown

If you are moving to the Philadelphia suburbs but are looking for a very down-to-earth, tight-knit community, Havertown might be for you. Never snooty, always neighborly, Havertown residents often have very strong roots and lots of friends and family members who still live there. Located just to the south of Ardmore, Haverford and Bryn Mawr, it is still fairly central, but not quite in the heart of the Main Line. The vibe, however, is quite different. As a generalization, work and family are more the focus than material possessions,

For more about Havertown, 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.

Havertown Overview

Havertown is not usually considered part of the Main Line, but is just to the south of it. All of Havertown is served by the Haverford School District (except for a few homes that are districted to Upper Darby). Houses in this community are often on smaller lots and many are older, though there are several newer construction homes where others have been razed (beware of high taxes on these). Twins (often known as duplexes elsewhere) are very common. There are also many older, three-story Dutch colonials as well as small brick colonials. The location is very good in terms of access to the airport, University City and downtown Philadelphia by car. While there is a train, the 100 line’s route isn’t particularly direct.  The average home price in Havertown is a bit less than on the Main Line, though taxes, relatively, may be a bit higher.

Havertown: What it’s like to live here

Like the city of Philadelphia, Havertown is comprised of several distinct neighborhoods. Penfield is located very close to the train station and is a heavily treed “storybook” neighborhood with older, mostly stone colonials. Lots here are somewhat on the larger side for Havertown and people of all ages and wide variety of professions live here. The Brookline neighborhood has a lot of Dutch Colonials and residents enjoy the proximity to Darby Rd. shopping, the library and the middle and high schools. Woodmere offers Dutch colonials as well as Capes and a few colonials thrown in, too. The lots are small, there are sidewalks and not as many trees as in some other areas, so it has a bit more of an urban feel. People sit on porches and talk to neighbors.

Oakmont has wide, winding streets and feels a little more like a traditional suburban spot. The houses are not quite as old as in other sections of Havertown and the lots are a bit larger. These homes are mostly Capes. Paddock Farms offers some of the largest homes and biggest lots in Havertown. There is very little traffic here and lots of dog walkers and joggers. Like Oakmont, but even more so, this area feels suburban. In contrast, some of the most urban feeling sections are Chatham Park and Chatham Village which are located very near City Ave.

Marilyn Park has large, split level homes on large lots and all the streets here are named after women. It is fairly hilly and few of the yards are level. Manoa and Lynnewood are neighborhoods separated by Eagle Rd., but similar, with mostly smaller, often brick houses. There are singles as well as twins and the access to shopping on West Chester Pike is a benefit of living here.On the south side of West Chester Pike, you’ll find West Gate Hills and Richland, which deliver a little more house for the money, but are far from the train and the rest of the Main Line. People who live here tout the friendliness of the people and there are book clubs and some seasonal gatherings.

Havertown is a large area, and there are few lots over .3 acres, so the population is fairly dense. Many of its residents were born here and have lots of family in very close proximity. Havertown has a “no nonsense” kind of feeling to it and many people describe it as “real”.

Read more about Havertown 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

Moving to the Philadelphia Area: Glen Mills

Are you relocating to the Philadelphia area? Maybe you’re not a “bustling city” type of person and the Main Line is still a little too crowded and busy for you. If a more relaxed lifestyle is more your speed, but you still want access to shopping and dining, Glen Mills might be a good fit.  From here, you still have the ability to get to the airport and Philadelphia without too long a ride, but everyday life is fairly calm.

To read more about Glen Mills, please 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.

Glen Mills Overview

Glen Mills is south of West Chester and adjacent to Media. The “feel”, in terms of the neighborhoods and home styles is generally more reminiscent of West Chester. There are several new communities and lots of recently built shopping centers with big box stores and popular retail shops. There are, though older, more modest homes, too, in neighborhoods that feel grounded and established. The borough of West Chester is far, though, and Glen Mills residents who are looking for a dose of “downtown” will usually opt for a drive to Media.

Glen Mills: What it’s like to live here

The older section of Glen Mills tends to be clustered around route 252. There are also some larger parcels, many of which were farms at one time, farther out. Now, many of those properties have been subdivided and you’ll find some fairly large houses with contemporary layouts and designs. Avonlea, Garnet Valley Woods and Brookside are examples, as well as the new Locksley Crossing. A bit older are Sharpless Farms and Leopard Run, those are just a few of the communities found within Glen Mills. Among the benefits of living here are that the airport is not hard to get to and you’re never very far from a supermarket, pharmacy or coffee shop.

Read more about Glen Mills 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

Relocating to the Philadelphia Area: Gladwyne

If you are considering moving to the Philadelphia area, you may not know exactly where you’d like to live–what about Gladwyne? If you think the Main Line (the north western suburbs of Philadelphia offering charming architecture, great schools and what many consider a superb quality of life) sounds like a good fit for you, you should definitely explore Gladwyne. It is one of the oldest of the Main Line towns and a little off the beaten track. Because it is not one of the towns built along Lancaster Avenue, it doesn’t have many retail or dining options, but it offers a completely non-commercial experience, which other communities cannot. Yet, while not in the heart of the rest of the Main Line, access to center city couldn’t be easier, either with a directly Gladwyne entrance and exit to the expressway (route 76).

Read more about Gladwyne 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.

Gladwyne Overview

Gladwyne is a bit different than most of the other Main Line partly because it is the only one without its own train station (though the Ardmore and Byrn Mawr stations are not far). It has a feeling of being a little frozen in time. Not that it feels dated or shabby; rather that the streets and houses have a genteel,  “yesteryear” kind of quality to them. There is a tiny town center, aptly referred to as Gladwyne Village. Here you’ll find a gas station, post office, grocery store, library, pharmacy, upscale food shop and a hardware store. There are also some areas of Gladwyne that feel like they could be 100 miles from the nearest city and Riverbend Envrionmental Center and the Bridlewild Trails are prime examples.

Gladwyne: What it’s like to live here

Gladwyne appeals to people who want to live undisturbed by noise, traffic and the hustle and bustle of typical suburbia. Residents would prefer to travel a few minutes to reach retail or service or dining destinations if it means living in such a peaceful, purely residential community. Many homes here are quite old, with features like dumbwaiters or servants’ bells, so there is a historic charm not always evident elsewhere. There are some enormous estates in Gladwyne, but there are also less grand homes. That said, Gladwyne is one of the most expensive Main Line communities as far as housing prices are concerned.

While there aren’t as many defined neighborhoods in Gladwyne as in some other Main Line areas, there are a few distinct sections. For example, at the far northern border, you’ll find Wesleys Run, which is a newer development of stucco homes perched on a hillside. Around the corner is a large neighborhood across from the Philadelphia Country Club. These homes comprise the most family friendly, “neighborhood-y” area in Gladwyne and are always in demand. The streets intersecting Conshohocken State Rd. (Route 23) are most representative of Gladwyne in terms of houses and neighborhoods. You’ll find many large, stone, brick or old stucco homes here that sit on their properties in a very settled way, like they grew out of the ground. There are also some newer homes, scattered here and there, as well as Fenimore, a collection of very high-end, large homes that were built on the grounds of an enormous estate that was subdivided by a developer.

Read more about Gladwyne on Wikepedia.

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

Click here to see my video of Bryn Mawr.

Moving to the Philadelphia Area: Bryn Mawr

Are you thinking about moving to Bryn Mawr or elsewhere on the Main Line? Not even sure what that is? The “Main Line” is the name for the suburbs directly to the west of center city Philadelphia and the choice of many people who move to the area. Bryn Mawr is a frequent destination for relocators. Why? Great schools, beautiful old homes with gracious architecture, mature trees and a terrific natural backdrop, easy commute to Philadelphia and more! That said, it is comprised of several different sections and for a non-local, it is a challenge to figure out what the different neighborhoods are like.

If you just want a quick overview, I encourage you to take a look at my “Neighborhood in a Nutshell” series. For the Bryn Mawr post, click here. To read more in depth about Bryn Mawr, and see some pictures of the area, 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.

Bryn Mawr Overview

If you asked someone to name a single town that represented what Philadelphia’s Main Line looks like, you might well hear “Bryn Mawr” as an answer. It is still within commuting distance to the city, but definitely offers a much “gentler” way of life. Bryn Mawr is a historically significant locale; click here to find out more. Steeped in Main Line history, several Bryn Mawr buildings and houses appear on the historic register. For example, the private, all-girls Baldwin School was originally the Bryn Mawr Hotel.

Home to four colleges and several private schools, Bryn Mawr certainly appeals to students. At the same time, the north side is distinctly “upper crust” and considered very elite.  Historic store fronts house much of the vibrant shopping and dining area along Lancaster Avenue. A variety of shops and restaurants appeal to the different groups–college student favor the pubs and the professional crowd frequents the more elegant establishments. However, even if you don’t identify with either of those contingents, don’t worry! Everyone can carve out a niche for themselves in Bryn Mawr. From the year-round farmer’s market to the library, Clover Market and Twilight Concerts, Bryn Mawr is a thriving town with plenty to do and a wide variety of residential housing.

Bryn Mawr: What it’s like to live here

What’s it like to live in Bryn Mawr? Well, it depends on exactly where you call home. While much of the Haverford Township sections offer terrific access to the bustling downtown area as well as the train station, the Radnor Township section is bit more removed, but often feel more rural. If you’re looking for a development feel, Cornerstone, The Hills and Fox Fields are older, but popular neighborhoods. Most of the Lower Merion portion of Bryn Mawr consists of relatively expensive homes and several gracious estates on large properties can be found here. North side Bryn Mawr has a distinctly elite, “upper crust” feeling and residents value privacy more highly than in some other Main Line towns. That said, there are certainly less ostentatious homes in Bryn Mawr. However, even the more modest north side homes command high prices.

While there are many stone colonials, there are also some stucco homes (mostly in Radnor Township) and there are some Cape Cods in Bryn Mawr as well. If you want a pool, Bryn Mawr might be a good place to look as it has one of the highest concentrations of pools on the Main Line. Another appealing feature of this Main Line town is that it has a good number of neighborhoods that sit off the beaten track. Many of the windy streets are poor options for pass through traffic, so apart from the well-known arteries, it’s fairly easy to find a quiet street in Bryn Mawr.

Read more about Bryn Mawr and its history 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