Brandy07

It's starting to look likely that we will be moving to PA in the summer. We've already been over to look at schools but only managed to see one house. My husband will be working in Wilmington DE so we want to be somewhere that's not too far a commute. We're looking in Westtown/WestChester/Chadds Ford area - are these all good areas to live? Are they any others round this area we should look at? Are they any we should avoid?
Thanks!

Rete

Why PA and not Delaware. Have you compared house prices, rentals, state taxes, etc. between the states?

Brandy07

We looked at both areas and the schools we liked the most are in the areas I've mentioned and the School is going to drive where we live

Brandy07

I should say that we're looking to rent as we've coming over on a 2 year contract

WEBlue

We have a friend in Chadds Ford who was very happy with the schools for his kids, but that was a while ago--his "children" are now graduating from uni & grad school. What I've seen & heard while visiting Chadds Ford is that it's a pretty well-to-do-town....

Have you looked at the city-data forum? There are sections giving all kinds of info/data about each state ,city, and town.... Do a search and read through the threads on the towns you're interested in. You can also register and post specific questions about local schools, etc.

City-data.com's school data page for PA:

Schools in Pennsylvania - report cards, comparisons, test results, ranking, rating, profiles

hmvsdog

I live in Exton, PA (just a few miles north of West Chester). West Chester itself is a vibrant student town and is a great area for schools, in particular the Great Valley School District which is north-east of West Chester in the Malvern area. Apparently it's one of the top districts in the country, let alone the state (but that's hearsay). Chadds Ford is also very nice.

It's a bit north and out of your zone I think, but Coatesville (IMHO) should be avoided.

However.... If your husband will be working in Wilmington then be warned. The US-202 is the main road that he'll commute on from home to work and it's a certifiable nightmare. There are regular very large potholes on the road and if you don't know where they are, they can do your car some damage. It's also ridiculously busy most of the time. What seems like a simple commute, can turn into a long slog behind slow moving traffic, though endless sets of traffic lights!

I'd consider myself a local to the Philadelphia main-line area now, so please feel free to follow up with specific questions on anything should you need it with me!

hmvsdog

Also, one of my good friends lives in Christiana, DE. I can always ask her for more specific Delaware recommendations if you'd like?

Brandy07

Thanks for this link. We really liked Chadds Ford Elementary- the principal showed us round and he was really enthusiastic and passionate about his school. Would be more than happy for them to go there - the issue is finding a house to rent in the right catchment area. For that reason we've decided to go down the private school route to give us more flexibility on finding a house.

Brandy07

Thank you! I'm sure once we get nearer to moving they'll be lots of questions!!!

WEBlue

That's probably a good idea. There may not be all that much rental stock available in Chadds Ford. With a private school you'll have more options geographically.

Good luck!