Reviews & Comments
West Chester, PA
Try it, You'll (most likely) Like it! -
9/9/2021We've lived in various states, small towns & big cities, all over the country and we both felt West Chester was home as soon as we hit downtown. We've been here 8 years now, count our blessings every time we watch the Weather Channel or listen to the news. The traffic's incredibly congested now due to all of the people who've moved here, the rent is usually high, home prices out of our price range, it's difficult to find a place right now with everything in flux. There are some areas that experience flooding several times a year. However, the weather isn't extreme: we don't worry about earthquakes, fires, droughts, temps over 100* or below zero. Our location can't be topped for proximity to Philly, NYC, Boston, Baltimore, D.C. The downtown now a 'pedestrian traffic only' zone since COVID struck, but that just makes it all the more pleasant for outdoor dining, strolling, and people watching - plenty of mostly reasonably priced parking garages within easy walking distance if you can't find close street parking - Warning! Philadelphians love to park bumper-to-bumper! The access to top-notch medical care of almost every specialty is incredible, there's West Chester University w/free classes if you're over 60, lots of thrift stores, high-end shops, a farmers' market, an Amish market, Giant grocery stores, Whole Foods, some head shops, organic mom & pop set ups, and DE is just up the road for tax-free purchases at Best Buy. A plethora of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine, including vegan. You meet all varieties of people here, all shapes & sizes, ethnicities, gender identities, the friendly, the rude, drivers who are incredibly dangerous, people like me who are more cautious, the wealthy, the homeless, etc. just like anywhere else. I was raised to be courteous, so my behavior seems to attract mostly courteous people. If you're into religion, a variety of churches & synagogues, plus Buddhist gatherings, etc. although we haven't noticed a mosque in town. Lots of nearby botanical gardens, nature preserves, dog parks, hiking & biking, the Brandywine Art Museum, just on & on for things to do. It's super easy to get from here to there. If you're thinking of relocating to West Chester, come for a week or two & see if it's for you.