Indeed we do live in the Penn Alexander catchment area, which is why we are thinking long and hard before taking the plunge. We're tired of UC for a few reasons, though, and weighing our other options. You're right, the Penn Alexander school is one of the most promising public elementary schools in the city. I'm just not positive it is worth staying for, especially since we may choose private schools in the long run anyway. I have several friends in our neighborhood with kids in the Penn Alexander school--some love it, some are planning to take their kids out and send them to private schools in the next year or so...

We moved to Mt.Airy/Germantown area just two months ago from University city. We have 13 months old daugther. We did get the space we needed and more afordable day care with much shorter waiting list buit still, there is no place like Clark park and at least where we are (corner of Morris and Rittenhouse st.), not as pleasant to stroll around like in University city. Commuting is OK (I work at Drexel), train station is just a block away.

Mount Airy's western border is the 1,400 acre Wissahickon Valley Park.

Parts of germantown are gentrifying but it still lacks the amenities of Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill. The area's walkable but there's not much to walk to.

My guess is that Stranac is referring to Clark Park because of the unique "mom scene" there, which is really a wonderful place for neighborhood families to meet up, not the lack of green space in Mt. Airy. I think everyone would agree that the Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill area really has the best open/green space in the city.

While Clark Park is certainly a great place to be- a friend who recently moved to S. Philly from there misses it terribly- there's nothing in West Philly remotely like, for instance, Carpenter's Woods or Valley Green if you want some *serious* green space. As a meet-up place, though, Clark Park is pretty tough to beat.

Apples + oranges,
-Z

I've lived in the G-town, Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill area for 15 years (in fact all three at one time or another) and have a 14 year old who goes to Masterman H.S. My son went to C.W. Henry from K through 4th grade. Everyone said Henry was such a great school, the parents are so involved etc. Looking back, I don't think I'd send my kid there if I had it to do over again. The first day of kindergarten he got punched in the nose by a kid who ended up getting transferred out of there b/c of his behavior. In first grade there were four or five kids in his class who had some "issues" and disrupted the whole class. My son complained that school was boring b/c the teacher was so busy dealing with these kids instead of teaching. I chaperoned a field trip once and saw first hand how the kids who were ready to learn sat and waited while the ones with issues jumped around etc. while the teacher tried to get control. It was quite upsetting. My son made it through and is in an excellent school now, but elementary schools in Phila. are tough. I don't know of any that are too great. Even the better ones have 30 or more kids in a class and lack resources. The magnet high schools will get you through, but till then it is a struggle. I had to fight to get my son into the MG program at Henry (mentally gifted) not b/c I thought he was a genius but b/c I wanted him to be challenged in a way that he was not getting on a daily basis. Within the public school system everything is a fight. If you have the time and energy to be involved daily and are okay with fighting to get everything your kids deserve then public school in Phila. is for you! If not, explore all your options, visits lots of schools, talk to lots of people. The public ones just don't compare with the private. You truly do get what you pay for. Good luck!

There's not much to walk to here in W. Mt. Airy. It has almost a bedroom community kind of feel to it. W. Philly has so much culture...restaurants, theaters etc. and W. Mt. Airy is sorely lacking in those areas. That said, I do love living here. It is fairly quiet and really beautiful and the people are nice.At times I find myself envying my friends who live in S. or W. philly as they are surrounded by great food options and close to the happening spots, while I always have to drive to get to these places, but then I come home and listen....and hear an owl hooting in the woods behind my house, I see no trash in my street, hear no loud music playing from a car...and the drive doesn't seem so bad after all...

Yummyyummy,
Thanks so much for your perspective. We know we will miss a lot about West Philly, but green space and a detached home are calling out our names. It is really a difficult decision for us...

I am from West Mt. Airy Neighbors and I just wanted to give you some suggestions. On our website there is a section, "Thinking of Moving to West Mt. Airy?" which has links to school website and also a link to a blog about Henry School -- "Knowing Henry" -- which is really great. Our website is www.wman.net.

There is also a wonderful new store/resource center near the corner of Carpenter and Greene called the Maternal Wellness Center which is becoming a kind of go-to place for moms in the neighborhood.

Laura

A few doors down from the Maternal Wellness Center at Green + Carpenter is High Point Cafe. Good for a caffeine pickup... well, any time.

Mmmm... coffee...
-Z