The Town Of West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania. Located in Chester County, the town has a population of about 20,000 and maintains the kind of quaint small-town atmosphere that can be hard to find these days. When you look around this place, it’s hard to believe that this is a suburb of Philadelphia.
West Chester is possibly one of the oldest towns in America. Its history dates back well before the American Revolution, though it was once known by a different name. Before 1788, the area was known as “Turk’s Head.” This rather strange name was apparently derived from the name of a popular tavern. At least one skirmish between U.S. and British forces happened in this area. However, it was a small matter in which only two British soldiers (and no Americans) were killed.
Property Values In West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is not exactly the cheapest place in the country. Of course, nicer areas tend to be more expensive, simply because everyone wants to live there. But how expensive are we talking? Well, let’s start by looking at the median home price for the entire nation.
According to most sources, the median home price for the United States is somewhere around $229,000. Although this is a good general figure with which to begin, it does not give us the complete picture. We need to zoom in closer and take another look.
Median home prices also vary by state. The median home price in Pennsylvania is very similar to the national average at roughly $225,000. This makes it much easier for us to determine the relative cost of a home in West Chester.
When we look up the median home price for West Chester, we see that the median home price is about $405,000. As you can see, this is almost twice the national average.
Crime Rates In West Chester, Pennsylvania
For those who are interested in moving to this town, there is some good news as far as the crime rate is concerned. The overall crime rates in West Chester are far lower than the national average in virtually all categories.
To be clear, we should tell you that crimes do still occur in this town. However, the crime rate has been decreasing in recent years, and it was never all that high anyway. Let’s look at the numbers to give you an idea of how low we are talking here. The town had a total of 499 criminal incidents in 2016, with 320 of those being theft and larceny. In that same year, there were no murders and very little arson or car theft.
Things To Do In West Chester, Pennsylvania
Although it’s not a large or populous town, West Chester does have some interesting activities to enjoy. For one thing, there’s the American Helicopter Museum at 1220 American Blvd. Even if you don’t find helicopters to be that interesting, you still might enjoy what this place has to offer.
For one thing, there is a huge hangar full of helicopters of every imaginable kind. They have classic models that you have probably seen in movies or shows, as well as strange helicopters that you wouldn’t even imagine to be possible. If that’s not your thing, they also hold educational workshops on subjects like astronomy and robotics, creating a reason to come back regularly. They also have helicopter rides for those who just want a fun activity for the day.
If you feel like seeing a good show, you might take a trip to the Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center. This place seems to get really good reviews, so they must be bringing quality acts to the place. When we look at their web page, we can see that their itinerary is an eclectic mix of comedy, music, and theater.
This theater isn’t very old, unlike the rest of the town. It’s only been operating since 2017, but in that time they have put on over 400 events and sold over 33,000 tickets. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy the theater, various community groups will often hold their events at this venue.
West Chester does have a few very nice parks to be enjoyed. For instance, you might consider a visit to the Stroud preserve. This is a privately-owned nature conservation project consisting mostly of reclaimed farmland. Although you aren’t going to see any lions or tigers or bears, you can see a wide and interesting variety of smaller wildlife, and enjoy the peace and serenity that only nature can provide. In effect, the place is like a public park where people can have space for all sorts of outdoor activities (within certain rules, of course!).
Marshall Square Park is exactly the opposite of the Stroud Preserve. Rather than being a carefully managed conservation project, this place is a lively public area that hosts all sorts of concerts, picnics, and other gatherings. It isn’t very big, but it’s been a local hub of activity since its founding in 1878. The history page on their website is very interesting and reveals a little bit about the local history.
If you want a different sort of park, you might take a trip to Hoopes Park. This place is a lot more sports-oriented and contains basketball courts, a baseball field, tennis courts, and a nice little playground for the kids.
Shopping In West Chester, Pennsylvania
Those looking for a good shopping location might want to concentrate on the downtown area. This is the main commercial hub of the town and contains many nice little restaurants, bars, and shops. There are a few well-reputed clothing stores, of which Malena’s Vintage Boutique and Mainline Custom Shop seem to be the most well-known.
There are jewelers and crafters of all sorts around here, so you might be able to find some interesting handmade items if you hunt a little. Another great thing about the downtown area is that there are frequent community events at which you can meet and mingle with the other residents. When we look at the event calendar for the current month (August 2019) we see that the events consist entirely of some community movie nights, but little things like that can do a lot to bring the community together.
In general, you don’t need to worry about the shopping situation in West Chester. As you can already tell from the property values, people in this community generally have a little more money. As per the laws of supply and demand, you can be sure that most (if not all) of your favorite chains are represented here. When you have people with disposable income living in a relatively remote place, it makes sense that many businesses would arise to fill the need.
The Weather In West Chester, Pennsylvania
The climate of this area could best be described as temperate. They have hot summers, cold winters, and mild weather for the rest of the year. That gives you a general idea, but we want to lay out some more specific information for you.
The average high temperature for any given year would be about 88 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, you will only see temperatures like that in the middle of July. The summer temperatures peak at this point and trail off on both sides, meaning that the average summer temperature will be well below the 88-degree range. Daily high temperatures above 70 degrees are the norm from May to September.
When we look at the daily low temperatures, we see that they are below 70 degrees, even during the hottest days of July. Temperatures can get as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit during the coldest months of December and January. As for rainfall, that part seems to be very consistent. For some reason, there will often be a large spike in the rain levels around September, but that’s the only abnormality that we can see.
The Best Place to Live in West Chester, Pennsylvania
Westtown Woods
The homes in Westtown Woods are quite expensive, starting in the range of about $600,000. However, you’ll find that you get a lot of house for that kind of money. All of these homes are 4-bedroom affairs that border on being mansions. The area of Westtown Woods is only a few minutes away from downtown so you aren’t too far removed from the pulse of the town. However, it’s tucked back in a less-populated area with a whole lot of green space (hence the name).
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Conclusion
If you can afford to live in West Chester, it is a fine place in which to live. One thing that strikes us about this area is the fact that its older homes are usually in great shape. Often, it is difficult to tell the old from the new. That tells us that the city authorities have taken care to preserve their historical landmarks, at least as far as architecture is concerned.
It has been our mission to give you all the most important information that you need when you are thinking about moving to a new town. After all, some places can look great from the outside while hiding a lot of problems within. As best we can tell, West Chester is not one of these places. There are no drawbacks to living in this town other than the high cost of living. If you have enjoyed this article, please fill out the contact form below, as it helps us to continue bringing you this kind of helpful information.
