Best Places to Raise Kids are surprising bland and colorless....

**mixiboi** · 08-12-2012, 02:42 PM

Not surprising coming from Anti-PhillyMag.

Best Places to Raise Kids: The 15 Most Family-Friendly Philly Suburbs | Philadelphia Magazine Articles

Narberth
Haddonfield
Huntingdon Valley
Wayne
Moorestown
Medford Lakes
Upper Providence
Warwick
Upper Makefield
Wynnewood
Swarthmore
Lafayette Hill
Jenkintown
East Marlborough

HOW WE SELECTED THE TOWNS
Knowing the importance of schools to parents, we first narrowed districts to those with minimum SAT scores of 520 each for reading, math and writing. Next, since kids thrive among other kids, we selected towns with populations of at least 2,000 and where, in most cases, at least 25 percent of residents are under 18. Towns also had to have low crime rates (fewer than two violent crimes per 1,000 residents, and fewer than 30 nonviolent per 1,000). Finally, we assigned reporters to uncover intangibles such as community involvement, arts and active sports amenities, green space and diversity, so we could determine the best of the best that remained.

**annie** · 08-12-2012, 03:10 PM

I never thought I'd say these five words but to be fair to PhillyMag:
Best Places to Raise Kids: Great Philadelphia Schools | Philadelphia Magazine Articles
Best Places to Raise Kids: Raising Kids in the City | Philadelphia Magazine Articles

were in the prior month's issue. The first is a rather unimaginative listicle of the city's "good" public schools and the second is an actually pretty interesting article by Ronnie Polaneczky on raising children in the city.

**Giavella Water** · 08-12-2012, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by mixiboi

Not surprising coming from Anti-PhillyMag.

Best Places to Raise Kids: The 15 Most Family-Friendly Philly Suburbs | Philadelphia Magazine Articles

Narberth
Haddonfield
Huntingdon Valley
Wayne
Moorestown
Medford Lakes
Upper Providence
Warwick
Upper Makefield
Wynnewood
Swarthmore
Lafayette Hill
Jenkintown
East Marlborough

I'll bet none of those school districts were saddled with the likes of ex superintendent Ackerman and her racist camp followers.

**2happy4u** · 08-12-2012, 03:50 PM

Did you expect Philly to one of the places???

**Hospitalitygirl** · 08-12-2012, 10:53 PM

It's all part of the multiple generations of brain-washing that's gone on that the suburbs are the only acceptable place to "raise children" so they can squish grass between their toes and walk carelessly in the streets. They're really only 'reporting' what their audience ultimately wants to believe.

**Malloy** · 08-12-2012, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

It's all part of the multiple generations of brain-washing that's gone on that the suburbs are the only acceptable place to "raise children" so they can squish grass between their toes and walk carelessly in the streets. They're really only 'reporting' what their audience ultimately wants to believe.

Those areas are all nice by any standard and the schools are good.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 08-12-2012, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Malloy

Those areas are all nice by any standard and the schools are good.

Nice, sure, but they are certainly beyond colorless.

**dcss1205** · 08-12-2012, 11:14 PM

I am very familiar with 2 of the 'winners', and know that those communities should have scored ZERO, in several different categories, especially civil involvement. They are both candidates for Mt. Apathy Awards.

**mixiboi** · 08-12-2012, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by annie

I never thought I'd say these five words but to be fair to PhillyMag:
Best Places to Raise Kids: Great Philadelphia Schools | Philadelphia Magazine Articles
Best Places to Raise Kids: Raising Kids in the City | Philadelphia Magazine Articles

were in the prior month's issue. The first is a rather unimaginative listicle of the city's "good" public schools and the second is an actually pretty interesting article by Ronnie Polaneczky on raising children in the city.

Yeah I saw those while I was there, this wasn't really an attack on them for yet another "Philly sucks" article...As this wasn't really that type of article...It was more the boring list and pictures that bother me more. I know the target audience is a type of people that reads Anti-PhillyMag, but come on...see below.

Originally Posted by Hospitalitygirl

It's all part of the multiple generations of brain-washing that's gone on that the suburbs are the only acceptable place to "raise children" so they can squish grass between their toes and walk carelessly in the streets. They're really only 'reporting' what their audience ultimately wants to believe.

The pictures say it all, with the affirmative action going on in them that scream "Quirky Non-Threatening Ethnics..aww". Its down right nauseating...

**Naveen** · 08-13-2012, 07:59 AM

Well I think the article is focused explicitly on the suburbs. Not, "most family friendly areas of the philly metro", and then they exclude the entire city. It's target is people not looking to live in the city to begin with.

**Malloy** · 08-13-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by dcss1205

I am very familiar with 2 of the 'winners', and know that those communities should have scored ZERO, in several different categories, especially civil involvement. They are both candidates for Mt. Apathy Awards.

What do you consider civil involvement?

Now people who live in expensive and nice suburbs are apathetic?

**NickleDimer** · 08-13-2012, 09:29 AM

What would make these areas more colorful? Crime? Dysfunctional municipal administration from top to bottom?

**Volanova** · 08-13-2012, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by NickleDimer

What would make these areas more colorful? Crime? Dysfunctional municipal administration from top to bottom?

Those were my thoughts.

The suburbs may not be for everyone, just as the city isn't for everyone. One is not necessarily better than the other. Some of the suburbs listed are somewhat colorful, such as Jenkintown, and at least one, Narberth, has quite a bit of local flair.

**Dayman** · 08-13-2012, 11:54 AM

Haddonfield is nice.

Medford Lakes is where you go if you want to raise your children Pineys.

**Ray K.** · 08-13-2012, 12:04 PM

Rather raise my ladies in Bella Vista than any of the aforementioned suburbs.

**Pitt** · 08-13-2012, 12:30 PM

My kids will be raised right here in anti-family Philadelphia.
Comparing crime between low crime locales is an indicator of low intellect.
I'm not giving up my life so my kids can "have a yard to play in" and avoid black people. They can go to the city park and the city pool like people did in the olden days.
Exposure to life will teach them who to avoid.
If the public schools are still corrupt when the time comes and they can't get into Masterman or something along those lines then I'll send their asses to Roman Catholic in chastity belts with instructions not to believe everything they hear.
Problem solved.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 08-13-2012, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Pitt

My kids will be raised right here in anti-family Philadelphia.
Comparing crime between low crime locales is an indicator of low intellect.
I'm not giving up my life so my kids can "have a yard to play in" and avoid black people. They can go to the city park and the city pool like people did in the olden days.
Exposure to life will teach them who to avoid.
If the public schools are still corrupt when the time comes and they can't get into Masterman or something along those lines then I'll send their asses to Roman Catholic in chastity belts with instructions not to believe everything they hear.
Problem solved.

It's a plan that works

**Giavella Water** · 08-13-2012, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Pitt

My kids will be raised right here in anti-family Philadelphia.
Comparing crime between low crime locales is an indicator of low intellect.
I'm not giving up my life so my kids can "have a yard to play in" and avoid black people. They can go to the city park and the city pool like people did in the olden days.
Exposure to life will teach them who to avoid.
If the public schools are still corrupt when the time comes and they can't get into Masterman or something along those lines then I'll send their asses to Roman Catholic in chastity belts with instructions not to believe everything they hear.
Problem solved.

Why send your children to a Roman Catholic school if that's your attitude towards the school/religion? I think your kids already have issues because YOU issued them.

**NickleDimer** · 08-13-2012, 03:46 PM

Supposedly if your kids are raised by caring parents and comunity, then receive a decent education, they would be open minded enough to have a diverse range of experiences and know who to avoid. It sounds a lot better than leaving it all up to chance of getting into Masterman or a good Catholic school.

**billy ross** · 08-13-2012, 04:48 PM

Originally Posted by NickleDimer

Supposedly if your kids are raised by caring parents and comunity, then receive a decent education, they would be open minded enough to have a diverse range of experiences and know who to avoid. It sounds a lot better than leaving it all up to chance of getting into Masterman or a good Catholic school.

My brother in law moved to "Chicago" a few years ago - really to an expensive suburb of Chicago. His wife feels strongly that their son should go to "public" school, so they moved to an area with ''good public schools". My wife points out that they aren't so "public" at that point. Anyway, we were discussing school admissions and the sister in law expressed resentment that our kids needed to be tested and essentially be interviewed before they were admitted. She said that she would never submit her child to that and would never want to send him to a school where he needed to go through that. I hadn't considered it before, but my reaction was the opposite - I wouldn't want my kids to attend a school where their classmates didn't need to get over the bar to gain acceptance, to weed out the distractions and those who would disrupt the class. Thus, yes, my wife and I did leave "it all up to chance of getting into ... A good ... school". It's worked out fine and we we wouldnt have done anything differently.

I guess my wife and I have more confidence in our children than you or my b-i-l's wife do in your own.