Our Affordable Community Near NY/NJ

philamom

Tue, Mar 21 2017, 11:11 am

Hi all,

Here is my shul's community brochure, where lots of questions will be answered for you.

http://www.biozshul.org/wp-con.....b.pdf

To answer more specifically,

School Tuitions- schools here really work with you regarding tuition. From my understanding, the tax credit program is for anyone living anywhere in Pennsylvania, and if your family is eligible, the money goes directly to the schools. To my knowledge, A family of four, so 2 parents and 2 children can make ~135,000. In general though, the schools here have a out-of-town, welcoming attitude, and work with each family to ensure tuition is doable. The Yeshiva lab school (approx 30 minute from our commuity) has a really affordable tuition model, you can see more on their website.

2. What are the school choices and sizes? How far is the commute to school? Are there buses? Do families car pool?

Their is free busing for children 6 years through 8th grade. Carpools for preschools and primary. Paid busing for high schools. School options are as follows. You can look on their website for more info regarding hashkafot, etc. or feel free to pm more for more specific about each one....

Here are distances of schools from our community:
Elementary schools:
Politz Hebrew Academy- within 5-10 minute drive from where most people live.
Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia-approx bus 35-40 minute drive from our community.
Politz Cherry Hill- approx 30 minute
Abrams Hebrew Academy- approx 30 minute
Yeshiva lab school- abt 25-30 minute

High schools:
Kosloff Torah Academy for girls- 30 minute
Mesivta for boys- 30 minute drive
Kohelet Yeshiva High School- 30 minutes
Yesodai Torah-New boys mesivta is opening too this september -about 15 minutes away.
Foxman Torah Institute for boys- 30 minute

3. Is there a preschool? Are there options for two working parents? Are most mother's SAHM's?
Yes, many preschool options, as well as playgroups (formal daycares and in-home less formal style) A mix of both SAHM and working moms.

4. What is the sq ft of a home that is 3-4 bedrooms? Are they 1500-1800 sq ft with no backyard or something larger? Are these homes within the community and Eruv and where people want to live? What would a 3500 sq ft home with 4 bedrooms 2.5 bathrooms and a finished basement cost? (with potential guest rooms in the basement and even a bathroom)? [/color]

Homes here are not huge and luxurious. Most 3-4 Bedroom homes are within the 1500-1800 sq ft range, all that I know of have backyards. All are within the eruv. Their are larger homes around but less of them. If you are looking for suburban, sprawling homes this community doesnt have that.

Property Taxes-
Property Taxes are approx $1700-$2700 a year.

6. What is the community like? BT's? Yeshivish? MO?
Community has many BT's, has both modern orthodox and yeshivish people here, although not super yeshivish like original lakewood. People here are easy, low maintenance, we are not a fancy community, but we are nice, friendly, and sincere. No pressure to keep up with neighbors, out of town feel.

5. WHAT JOBS ARE AVAILABLE? Do you have ways of finding people jobs if they wish to relocate to your community? [/color][/color]
Philadelphia is a huge city. Jobs here are available in many fields. If you want to pm or post any specific fields you need, I'd be happy to connect you with someone who has connections in that area.

Regarding commutes, their are people who do go back and forth to NY, by driving approx 30 min to Trenton, parking, and then taking abt an hour train to NYC Penn Station.
I personally drove back and forth to NYC about 3x a week at one point, its certainly doable and can take an hour and 30 minutes, but yes, you have to time your driving around rush hour.

These are just some of my questions thanks! I am sure I will think of more!

Sure! Hope this all helps! Feel free to contact me directly via pm for any specifics, or if you would like to come visit....

philamom

Tue, Mar 21 2017, 11:22 am

Lemon amother from Lakewood- I am sorry you have to commute to CHOP often. Their are people here who would fit your description. LMK if you have any specific questions.

For therapists- OT, PT, ST, Special ed, social workers- the early intervention program here (which I work in) in Philly is similar style to NY regarding agencies contracting out. The pay is good here for these fields.

amother

Slateblue

Tue, Mar 21 2017, 8:37 pm

Also check out BIOZ, Rabbi Yeamans, he is a newish Rabbi in the community and is really warm and approachable. NE Philly is a really chilled, out-of-town community. So nice not to have to keep up with the Jones, you can just be yourself. The people are so warm, accepting and embracing!

DVOM

Tue, Mar 28 2017, 9:18 pm

Hi Philly moms!

Trying to do some real estate research... Could you post (or if not comfortable PM) me with some of the street names where the frum community lives?

Momme56

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 12:16 am

Can someone tell me about how much yeshiva tuition is in NE Philly

amother

Ivory

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 12:22 am

Are you part of Bensalem.
The houses are very nice , people very warm
R Travitzky is awesome

israeli83

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 8:36 am

I'm trying to search for this community, what's the zipcode? (the area with the jewish community)

Momme56

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 8:52 am

This sounds great. We want to check out the community! We are more yeshivish but came from a more modern background. We are friends with different types of people and their hashkafos. But I want my kids to grow up yeshivsh how big is the yeshivish community in ne philly?

israeli83

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 11:16 am

I do have other questions if anyone could please help...
I live in NYC, don't really know much about Philly's jewish communities, so any more information would be great.

In this specific area, do they have a mixed crowd? do they also have sephardim/Israelis? modern orthodox? are there any sepharadic shuls? mikvahs?

Is it possible to commute without a car? we have one car but my husband would probably use it for work. How's the public transportation? how far are the elementary jewish schools? day cares? how far are the kosher supermarkets? restaurants?

philamom

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 10:01 pm

Hi All,
I hope I can help you with your questions.

So the areas where people live is in zipcodes 19152 and 19111, but those are VERY big zipcodes, and the frum area is not everywhere. The streets where frum people are pocketed include: Solly Avenue, Ripley St, Fuller St.,Dorcas Street, Borbeck Avenue, Griffith Ave, Summerdale Ave, Frontenac Ave, Loretto Avenue, Bergen St., Large St.

Regarding Tuition, the base tuition is approx. 10,000 but most here people qualify for the state voucher program, which results in very reduced tuition. A family of four can make up to 130,000 and still get significant money towards tuition from the state. The schools here are very warm and are known to make things work for each and every family.

Regarding the makeup of the community, their are all elements here. Modern, yeshivish, centrist, ashkenasi, and Sephardic. Yes, their is a Sephardic shul. Yes, their is a mikvah, eruv, restaurants.

It is possible to commute without a car but most people here probably manage best with two cars. The schools and supermarkets with a large kosher selection are a short drive from the residential area.

There are at least 8-12 young families moving here this summer, hope some of you may join in our growth!

Let me know if you would be interested in speaking by phone and/or coming for a Shabbos and I would be happy to pm you my number.

Here is more info about the community: http://www.biozshul.org/wp-con.....b.pdf

amother

Blush

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 10:21 pm

It's hard to take the brochure seriously when it claims a 15 minute drive to lakewood. That's just not possible. (nor is 90 minutes to a NY job, but others already noted that.)

Does the shul have a policy about not picturing women who don't wear sheitels?

philamom

Tue, Jun 13 2017, 11:21 pm

Not sure about the shaitel policy!
We are an hour and 15 minutes from Lakewood.
People here drive 30 minutes to Trenton Station and then take an hour train ride to NYC Penn Station. Hope that helps!

amother

Green

Sun, Jul 02 2017, 1:18 am

Where can I find how much state tax credit one can get? I don't see anywhere that a family's of 4 can make about 130,000 and still get tuition from the state. About how much are people paying for tuition ?

philamom wrote:

amother

Khaki

Sun, Jul 02 2017, 8:30 am

philamom wrote:

Not sure about the shaitel policy!
We are an hour and 15 minutes from Lakewood.
People here drive 30 minutes to Trenton Station and then take an hour train ride to NYC Penn Station. Hope that helps!

]

I have taken that train many times (I live in Philly actually) but it takes an hour and 40 minutes unless it's an express, which takes about an hour and 15 minutes.

WastingTime

Sun, Jul 02 2017, 12:40 pm

I have to say this sounds like a very nice community. I live in Israel in RBS ,and have no intentions at all of moving to America, but we do feel a bit stifled here and would love to move somewhere more "out of town" which doesn't really exist in Israel (the very limited ideas that there are in Israel would not work for us anyway). I use to have friends in Philly and have been there before, and knowing you are not so far from NY (I.e. I have family in NY so in theory you could go visit on a Sunday or whatnot) is nice. Ok enough for my dream world,and back to life in RBS where bedtime was supposed to have begun....