We are 95% sure we will be relocating this year from Chicago to Philly for my husband's job. He'll be in Cherry Hill, NJ. He's from Philly and his family is all there, but he hasn't lived there in 10+ years and never with children. His family is mostly in Wayne/Havertown. We were eyeing Media, just because we like being close to a town center with restaurants, shopping, etc., and the commute to Cherry Hill and the city seemed reasonable.
What do I need to know about raising young kids in Philly? We have two boys: age 4 and 1 and are thinking of having a third in the future. I work outside of the home full-time, but would need to get a job obviously.
- Are daycares tough to get into? i.e. waitlists?
- Do they have K4 in Philly? My oldest doesn't turn 5 until the end of October so he will likely need to wait until 2013 for kindergarten.
If there are any great resources for moms that you can recommend or good school districts, daycare info, etc. or general advice, I would welcome it!
Re: Relocating from Chicago- advice?
I live in Havertown and my H commutes to Camden, NJ. We lived in Philadelphia and moved here for several reasons:
It was still close to the city
H could commute without having to take 76 (the Schuylkill Exp - a horrific traffic nightmare)
The school district (Haverford Township) is very good
I am a SAHM and am able to walk to the library, several playgrounds, a little town center. Our kids will also be able to walk to the middle school and high school
We like older homes with character and Havertown has them. It is also very family friendly, our block has tons of kids
I can't help with daycares, but I have never heard of anyone having an issue getting into one. My DS will turn 4 in March and will start a pre-k program at a local Episcopal church. There aren't public pre-k's, but there are tons of options, mostly at churches, but they aren't faith-based programs
Media is a great area, I have a couple friends there and they love it. It is a great school district. Also check out Ardmore - they have an adorable downtown with cute shops and restaurants, easily accessible to the city and one of the best school districts (Lower Merion).
Philadelphia Magazine does an annual Best Schools issue, check out www.phillymag.com. We absolutely LOVE Havertown and are so happy we moved here, but there are lots of great options. Good luck!
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
Media is a good choice. You are pretty far from the city but the Regional Rail in and out of that area is good and dependable. It is a good school district too.
The wait lists totally depend on the area. For older kids, I don't think you will have a problem finding spots. The closer to the city, the worse it gets. For example, good daycare centers in University City and CC often have waits well over a year for infants.
Also, don't rule out living in Jersey considering that is where your husband will work. I have many friends who live on that side of the river and are quite happy.
I think the schools in Media are good, but I hear Strath Haven is awesome and that may cover part of Media. Lower Merion, Tredyffrin Eastown and Radnor are always rated three of the top districts in the state and are not too far from where you are looking. You can actually search by school district for homes on everyhome.com.
I just wanted to say that my H can get to work without taking 95 or 476. There are so many different ways to get to the bridges that do not involve highways from the Havertown/Ardmore area.
It does take him about 40 minutes, but he isn't stuck in traffic. It is worth it for us because we would never want to live in NJ
DS 3.12.08
DD 7.11.09
DD 8.01.13
If you're looking at the Western Suburbs, you can't really go wrong with any of the suggestions here (<3 Havertown & Media).
I live in Ardmore -- Lower Merion School District -- And I would definitely recommend Narberth as well... they're very tight-knit communities with a lot of young families in them.
If you're looking for the scoop on preschool, child care & camps... NOW is the time to register... I know a lot of people who got in last year just a couple weeks before school started, but the trend seems to be settling on your summer and fall plans for the under-6 set by January/February around here.