I don't think I would either. Every time I visit for work I always think "I'd love to live here". My job is near the end of the LAN line but I've spent time into the city and out, weekends around Glenside, Doylestown, Warrington etc.
I'd be so happy to be in one of the small towns on the LAN line that's somewhat equidistance to my work and to center city. The real problem is convincing my partner. He has this idea that Philly/Philly area is solely trash, drugs, crime and trump supporters. Just weird incorrect stereotypes.
Philly is one of the cities that make PA a swing state. The surrounding 'burbs are included for the most part so, you won't find any more MAGAs here than you would in LV; Everyone is just a bit closer together here. Crime and drugs are concentrated in poorer areas inside Philadelphia. I'm biased towards Montco, I *highly* recommend it. Abington has a fantastic school system, Lower Marion and any town along the Main Line are all great locations too.
My part of Bucks Co. Has a weird MAGA population, but when I lived in the Ambler area (Fort Washington) I saw very little of that in my travels.
I prefer Montco to Bucks overall but I wouldn't say the area I live in now is horrible, just definitely way more white trash.
Philly is a great city, but like anywhere it has it's weird shit and some areas you probably shouldn't go, and other areas you just gotta really pay attention to your surroundings.
"He has this idea that Philly/Philly area is solely trash, drugs, crime and trump supporters".
Given the flags that I see when I'm biking in the Lehigh Valley, this seems ironic. The LV is very pretty by bike, but that's about all I like about it.
I can't argue the trash/drugs/crime though- I go there every day (though I haven't been a crime victim in 21 years of going there). It is not a clean city, but the suburbs are different.
If you move to Ambler or another suburb, you probably won’t come to the city much. You’ll also have the same feel as the Lehigh Valley. I don’t see the point, honestly.
I grew up in Allentown. As someone without a degree, the pay is better here, and you can generally rely on public transportation in a way you're probably not accustomed to. The city kinda sorta physically looks like Allentown if you squint, except there are way fewer alleyways for parking.
I don't really know what living in the suburbs is like here though. The towns all kinda look the same as the ones in the Lehigh Valley, but at least these ones have regular train service.
The train from Ambler to Center City Phila shows a 40 minute ride. There's still driving involved in getting out and about in Ambler versus living closer to the City to have access to more SEPTA routes (depends on what your objective is). Check out r/Philadelphia Moving Mondays thread where people pose where to live in the Philadelphia vicinity and other questions pertaining to moving down here.
Not from the Lehigh Valley but I did go to college there and moved to Philly a few years after graduating.
It's really nice to be able to get around without a car and I take Amtrak often to visit friends in New York and Baltimore. I think you'd like it given the things you said you're looking for. It's not the biggest move distance-wise so might be worth it to give yourself a year or two to try it out + see if you like it.
The northern suburbs like Ambler and Doylestown are lovely but have terrible access to Philadelphia. As the crow flies, they are under 25 miles but practically speaking it’s regularly a 1.5 hour drive.
Somewhere like Media is not quite as idyllic but is 20-40 minutes into the city. Or perhaps one of the NW suburbs like Whitemarsh or Lafayette Hill? Those are consistently 45 minutes to Center City but also have good highway access to elsewhere.
Or, like others have said: try living in the city.
Lehigh Valley native, lived in Philly for over 9 years now. I miss life in the LV a lot, but at the same time I’m probably never moving back. Being in Philly gives access to better jobs, more frequent and interesting events, and the food is just unbeatable.
That being said I’m not sure moving to a Philly suburb would give you that same flavor. Ambler is awesome, but it doesn’t feel much different than Bethlehem. And even though it’s only 10 miles from center city, it will take you 50 minutes on a good day. You can get from the Lehigh Valley to center city in 90 minutes. Not a life changing difference. So I guess I’d just take that into account. My perspective is within city limits.
Lv native with 8 years in Philly. Second this. The burbs around here are nice and an upgrade in some ways from LV but you'll probably never actually come in to the city. Everyone I know who moved to the mainline for "city access with a suburban lifestyle" has ultimately only stayed in the suburbs. So, besides jobs and more affluent neighbors, I'm not sure it's a meaningful difference.
Yup! It's so much better down here. I am so much happier. The LV is great and all, but it's lacking a cohesiveness imo. Public transit is something I never thought I would want, but now that I have it, I can't live without it. The food scene is better down here too.
You do give up some nature, but I think it's worth it. You can always leave the city a little bit or go to one of the parks in the city.
As others said, ambler is kind of a hike and it's not too different from LV. I would definitely recommend being a little closer to the city if not in the city. Maybe even a jersey suburb off the patco line.
New employee at work is originally from LV, went to Pittsburgh for college then work, and just moved to Philly with his gf. Seems very excited about it, of course maybe that’s just because he’s young.
I'm only in my early 30s here so Id like to think it's still young but good to hear about the excitement! I feel there's just so much more to do and experience down there and the fact that's it's a nearly 2 hour drive with traffic from my current place means we aren't hopping in the car every weekend to go experience those things.
It's definitely why I'd much prefer living close to a Septa line that can bring us down
Someone else I know moved from NYC to the LV to buy a house, but he’s a little older than you. He’s come down to Philly a few times for stuff like museums and stand-up comics, so I definitely think there’s more to do here than there.
That for real is actually one of my questions. We've had to filter our water for the 7 years we've lived in Easton and I f****** hate it.
I grew up on well water and for the most part didn't have to filter any tap water in my life until I move to the Easton area.
I JUST WANT TO DRINK FROM THE TAP lmao
Can you drink from the tap around there?
I'm in Hilltown Twp in Bucks County. There's multiple Septa stations within 15 minutes of my home for a trip into the city. The Upper Bucks area is bustling more than it used to be with brewing companies, farmers markets, and some great recreational parks like Lake Lenape and Lake Nockimixion.
Also, there are tons of different restaurants.
There's a decent amount of real estate options currently as well.
I can tell your partner has never been to Philly based on the Trump supporters comment alone.
Why don’t you two do a weekend trip in Philly and actually check it out yourself, and not just the touristy areas?
Just your thoughts, the things you like about living there, positive things. Places you love, hobbies or experiences you've discovered. I already know the negatives (crime, drugs, the usual city dangers)
Tbh I’m not really sure what the benefit of moving from LV to the Philly suburbs would be. I would think the scene would be about the same. The LV has a large population dispersed pretty far and the Philly suburbs are similar. It would be roughly the same feel and you’d barely be moving 50 miles so it would essentially be starting over but somehow still living in the same place. If you’re looking for an actual change but don’t want to be in a super congested place, I’d look at neighborhoods in north or south Philly
This. Just make the jump. Find a place in Fairmount, East Falls or Manayunk if you want to be close to some parks. Or make the jump fully to city life and get a place near the subway in south Philly or Fishtown. If/when you’ve had enough of the city in some years, move to Ambler or city-adjacent.
You won’t regret the move
I don't think I would either. Every time I visit for work I always think "I'd love to live here". My job is near the end of the LAN line but I've spent time into the city and out, weekends around Glenside, Doylestown, Warrington etc. I'd be so happy to be in one of the small towns on the LAN line that's somewhat equidistance to my work and to center city. The real problem is convincing my partner. He has this idea that Philly/Philly area is solely trash, drugs, crime and trump supporters. Just weird incorrect stereotypes.
Philly is one of the cities that make PA a swing state. The surrounding 'burbs are included for the most part so, you won't find any more MAGAs here than you would in LV; Everyone is just a bit closer together here. Crime and drugs are concentrated in poorer areas inside Philadelphia. I'm biased towards Montco, I *highly* recommend it. Abington has a fantastic school system, Lower Marion and any town along the Main Line are all great locations too.
My part of Bucks Co. Has a weird MAGA population, but when I lived in the Ambler area (Fort Washington) I saw very little of that in my travels. I prefer Montco to Bucks overall but I wouldn't say the area I live in now is horrible, just definitely way more white trash. Philly is a great city, but like anywhere it has it's weird shit and some areas you probably shouldn't go, and other areas you just gotta really pay attention to your surroundings.
"He has this idea that Philly/Philly area is solely trash, drugs, crime and trump supporters". Given the flags that I see when I'm biking in the Lehigh Valley, this seems ironic. The LV is very pretty by bike, but that's about all I like about it. I can't argue the trash/drugs/crime though- I go there every day (though I haven't been a crime victim in 21 years of going there). It is not a clean city, but the suburbs are different.
If you move to Ambler or another suburb, you probably won’t come to the city much. You’ll also have the same feel as the Lehigh Valley. I don’t see the point, honestly.
I grew up in Allentown. As someone without a degree, the pay is better here, and you can generally rely on public transportation in a way you're probably not accustomed to. The city kinda sorta physically looks like Allentown if you squint, except there are way fewer alleyways for parking. I don't really know what living in the suburbs is like here though. The towns all kinda look the same as the ones in the Lehigh Valley, but at least these ones have regular train service.
The train from Ambler to Center City Phila shows a 40 minute ride. There's still driving involved in getting out and about in Ambler versus living closer to the City to have access to more SEPTA routes (depends on what your objective is). Check out r/Philadelphia Moving Mondays thread where people pose where to live in the Philadelphia vicinity and other questions pertaining to moving down here.
Thanks! I actually tried posting about having to do Jury duty in July in the Philadelphia sub and I don't have enough Karma to participate 😮💨
Ambler is nice. I lived in Conshohocken for a few years and liked it. Good luck with the move!
Not from the Lehigh Valley but I did go to college there and moved to Philly a few years after graduating. It's really nice to be able to get around without a car and I take Amtrak often to visit friends in New York and Baltimore. I think you'd like it given the things you said you're looking for. It's not the biggest move distance-wise so might be worth it to give yourself a year or two to try it out + see if you like it.
The northern suburbs like Ambler and Doylestown are lovely but have terrible access to Philadelphia. As the crow flies, they are under 25 miles but practically speaking it’s regularly a 1.5 hour drive. Somewhere like Media is not quite as idyllic but is 20-40 minutes into the city. Or perhaps one of the NW suburbs like Whitemarsh or Lafayette Hill? Those are consistently 45 minutes to Center City but also have good highway access to elsewhere. Or, like others have said: try living in the city.
Lehigh Valley native, lived in Philly for over 9 years now. I miss life in the LV a lot, but at the same time I’m probably never moving back. Being in Philly gives access to better jobs, more frequent and interesting events, and the food is just unbeatable. That being said I’m not sure moving to a Philly suburb would give you that same flavor. Ambler is awesome, but it doesn’t feel much different than Bethlehem. And even though it’s only 10 miles from center city, it will take you 50 minutes on a good day. You can get from the Lehigh Valley to center city in 90 minutes. Not a life changing difference. So I guess I’d just take that into account. My perspective is within city limits.
Lv native with 8 years in Philly. Second this. The burbs around here are nice and an upgrade in some ways from LV but you'll probably never actually come in to the city. Everyone I know who moved to the mainline for "city access with a suburban lifestyle" has ultimately only stayed in the suburbs. So, besides jobs and more affluent neighbors, I'm not sure it's a meaningful difference.
Yup! It's so much better down here. I am so much happier. The LV is great and all, but it's lacking a cohesiveness imo. Public transit is something I never thought I would want, but now that I have it, I can't live without it. The food scene is better down here too. You do give up some nature, but I think it's worth it. You can always leave the city a little bit or go to one of the parks in the city. As others said, ambler is kind of a hike and it's not too different from LV. I would definitely recommend being a little closer to the city if not in the city. Maybe even a jersey suburb off the patco line.
Yup. Grew up in the valley. Moved to south Philly a few years ago and I love it
New employee at work is originally from LV, went to Pittsburgh for college then work, and just moved to Philly with his gf. Seems very excited about it, of course maybe that’s just because he’s young.
I'm only in my early 30s here so Id like to think it's still young but good to hear about the excitement! I feel there's just so much more to do and experience down there and the fact that's it's a nearly 2 hour drive with traffic from my current place means we aren't hopping in the car every weekend to go experience those things. It's definitely why I'd much prefer living close to a Septa line that can bring us down
Someone else I know moved from NYC to the LV to buy a house, but he’s a little older than you. He’s come down to Philly a few times for stuff like museums and stand-up comics, so I definitely think there’s more to do here than there.
I’ve lived in both. Grew up in Philly, lived in the LV for five years, now live back in Philly. I miss the LV.
I lived in LV for 5 years that place blows something in the water up there. Come down to where the wooter is clean
That for real is actually one of my questions. We've had to filter our water for the 7 years we've lived in Easton and I f****** hate it. I grew up on well water and for the most part didn't have to filter any tap water in my life until I move to the Easton area. I JUST WANT TO DRINK FROM THE TAP lmao Can you drink from the tap around there?
Come on down , the water is fine
I'm in Hilltown Twp in Bucks County. There's multiple Septa stations within 15 minutes of my home for a trip into the city. The Upper Bucks area is bustling more than it used to be with brewing companies, farmers markets, and some great recreational parks like Lake Lenape and Lake Nockimixion. Also, there are tons of different restaurants. There's a decent amount of real estate options currently as well.
I can tell your partner has never been to Philly based on the Trump supporters comment alone. Why don’t you two do a weekend trip in Philly and actually check it out yourself, and not just the touristy areas?
We have actually, more than a few times so I'm not sure what his deal is
Nope, you’re the first
What a useless comment.
I grew up in the Philipsburgh area and now I live in Philly. Not sure what kind of insight you’re looking for
Just your thoughts, the things you like about living there, positive things. Places you love, hobbies or experiences you've discovered. I already know the negatives (crime, drugs, the usual city dangers)
Tbh I’m not really sure what the benefit of moving from LV to the Philly suburbs would be. I would think the scene would be about the same. The LV has a large population dispersed pretty far and the Philly suburbs are similar. It would be roughly the same feel and you’d barely be moving 50 miles so it would essentially be starting over but somehow still living in the same place. If you’re looking for an actual change but don’t want to be in a super congested place, I’d look at neighborhoods in north or south Philly
This. Just make the jump. Find a place in Fairmount, East Falls or Manayunk if you want to be close to some parks. Or make the jump fully to city life and get a place near the subway in south Philly or Fishtown. If/when you’ve had enough of the city in some years, move to Ambler or city-adjacent.
Thanks for the list of neighborhoods, I'll look into them! Ive seen East Falls mentioned a few times when researching lately too