Submitted by AutoModerator t3_10v4uwx in philadelphia
Mental-Winner7358 t1_j7hbetd wrote
Was offered a job with the city. I currently live outside Harrisburg with my wife, 5-year-old, and < 1-year-old. Although I'm from Los Angeles, this small-town vibe is all my family knows, so moving to a more dense location will be a big change. I'm currently looking to purchase in a more suburban type area where I know they will be safe while I'm at work. Was thinking of the Roxborough and Far Northeast areas, however, I just saw the article about a father and son getting shot literally around the same neighborhoods I was eyeballing, so wondering if that's now off the list.
Does anyone else have some thoughts as to which areas I could be looking at? Somewhere with places that they can walk (are there any?), playgrounds, etc. I really hate that residency requirement lol. As I said, it really is too great an opportunity to pass up, but my family and their safety will always be priority #1.
Or do you guys think I should just stay out of Philly LOL
pretzel_enjoyer t1_j7httny wrote
Safety is relative. What I consider safe might not be what you consider safe, but it works for me. I've lived in south philly, Fishtown, and center city over the past decade-plus and only once ever had an incident I thought warranted the cops (found out they can't do much for a purse-snatch, of course). Neighborhoods like the far northeast or Roxborough are actually pretty big and can be very different places from block to block.
decentchinesefood t1_j7hs5py wrote
Realtor here! Many of my buyers from elsewhere (with families) who want some type of suburban/urban hybrid land on Manayunk/Mt. Airy/East Falls. Good local stuff to walk to, tree-lined streets, hopefully a driveway/garage. More space and quiet than most Philly neighborhoods.
Roxborough and the Far Northeast I wouldn't necessarily recommend (your safety concerns aside). They are just a bit too culture-less feeling for most folks. Think more chain stores, less corner businesses to enjoy, and lack of public transit.
There are great suburbs to consider, too! But first, I'd decide if you want Philly proper.
TheBSQ t1_j7iyqbd wrote
Are you planning on sending the 5 year old to public school?
If so, the elementary school catchment should probably be the basis of your search.
Here’s the Philly School finder:
https://webapps1.philasd.org/school_finder/
And here’s some school ranking sites:
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia/elementary#
And, generally speaking, the good catchments are in safe parts of town, although many might be too dense if you’re looking for something with a bit of a suburban vibe.
If school isn’t an issue (eg, paying for private), then ignore it.
From the sound of it, I’d say maybe West Mt. Airy. Chestnut Hill and “up the hill” East Falls have more a more suburb type feel that you want and are safe, but you can’t always assume the “nicer” neighbors have decent schools.
Honestly…it’s tough. I used to work for the city and many of my co-workers left purely to escape the residency requirements as you get such an increase in school quality, safety, and “bang for your buck” with housing if you can cross that county line, especially if you want a house with more space, a yard, etc.
The other option is the far north east. It has a totally different vibe than the rest of the city. The stereotype is that it’s more of a Blue Lives Matter / Trumpy area, although many here may argue that’s not accurate (or perhaps that appeals to you). It’s a little disconnected from the rest of the city. There’s people for whom it’s the right spot, but there’s also a lot of people who just don’t vibe with it.
And finally, here’s the city’s interactive map of shootings. I’d recommend switching it to 2022 since 2023 is so new (and summer is worse for crime). That’ll at least give you some sense of the geography of where crime tends to be.
Mental-Winner7358 t1_j7jfg0r wrote
Thank you so much for the well thought out response. This is all very valuable information for us. That gun violence map is very demoralizing tbh. It looks like there’s really no part of the map that doesn’t see some sort of a shooting.
As I mentioned we are coming from a town where you can literally leave the doors unlocked, car running when going to a store, etc. I’m use to all of it coming from Southern California, but my family sure aren’t.
It looks like according to that data that the Far Northeast sees the least amount of shootings. That said, without getting too political, we certainly would rather choose to not be near “in your face” trumpers and those with similar ideology. I’m not seeing too many options for us tbh.
Schooling, we are looking for a little more atypical options like Montessori, Philly Free (type), etc. so the public school system isn’t a deal breaker for us.
It’s a 6 figure job with full city benefits. It opens the door for future opportunities elsewhere. Passing on it would be very disheartening for me. I’d want to make it work but so many signs are pointing in the opposite direction. Gah
courageous_liquid t1_j7le6az wrote
Mt. Airy and Chestnut hill are definitely more suburban and overall very safe. They're also full of 'crunchier' parents from my personal experience.
You should go check it out to do due diligence, at least, as I think it'll be different from what you're thinking. I have a few friends who live around the Upsal station on the chesnut hill west line and they seem to be quite pleased. I tried linking you a google maps link, but automod deleted it. Check that area out on street view.
[deleted] t1_j7lcmbr wrote
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demography_llama t1_j7hv825 wrote
Perhaps along the Mainline? For example, Ardmore and Narberth have nice main street areas.
thefrozendivide t1_j7ikk1e wrote
If budget isn't an issue, try the main line. Lower, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Bryn Mawr
Mental-Winner7358 t1_j7io9sa wrote
I would, but doesn't that fall outside the confines of Philadelphia county? I believe to work in the city you are restricted to within the county lines, right? I haven't looked into it as much as I should've, so correct me if I'm wrong. Otherwise, I absolutely would check out those areas.
TheBSQ t1_j7izgmb wrote
I believe cops and firefighters are only subject to residency requirements for a limited number of years.
Otherwise, I believe all other municipal jobs are subject to it, and that means all the suggestions for the Mainline and all those areas Iike Lower Marion, Ardmore, Narberth, Wynnewood, etc. are totally off limits.
thefrozendivide t1_j7it88y wrote
That's definitely something you're going to want to check on within the particular organization you're going to be working with. If I remember correctly not every department requires you to be within city limits or you might have to be in the city for a few years before moving out with the same organization, I believe it all depends. Definitely worth looking into.
TheBSQ t1_j7iyzcu wrote
I think it’s just cops and firefighters who have the ability to move out after a certain number of years.
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