Mortgage Monday: Finding Our New Stores

All of the other places that my wife and I have lived had immediate access to a variety of both small shops and national chain stores. Now, where we have decided to make our home, there are a number of stores nearby but not as many as we have grown accustom. For many of the places that we once frequented, we have to drive a little further than before which, we are finding, is actually a welcomed change from the places where we once rested.

Just down the road we have many of the essentials just by different names than those that we are used to seeing. There are local eateries, small gas stations, and other stores that line the main thoroughfare just down the street. And, while it seems further than it really is, there are a few of the national retailers just a little further down the road including the local Wal-Mart. On a side note, this is the first Wal-Mart, or any large store for that matter, that I have ever seen which has separate buggy parking.

All of the other stores are either the same distance that we are used to driving or are a little closer than they once were. Ollie’s is a perfect example of this as it is now about 20 minutes away when there were a couple of others that we used to go to that were a 25-30 minute drive from our previous rentals. But there are replacements that are much closer to us including BB’s and some other local stores that offer the same if not better prices.

The only stores that could be seen as inconvenient are the ones that we don’t use regularly. If we need to go to Staples, Bed, Bath, & Beyond, or Babies R Us they are no longer 10 minutes down the road. However, at least a couple of them, Staples for certain, are near my office and usually those trips can be done quickly in the middle of the day. But, again, many of the things that we once purchased there can be found elsewhere and, at the moment, we are still in the process of exploring the local area including the towns immediately around us as well as the Reading area.

We have everything that we need at a convenient distance from our home. There are plenty of options out there some of which we have already fond while others are, as of yet, undiscovered. However, when compared to our previous houses and apartments, we are the most comfortable and relaxed being ever so slightly removed from the retail commotion. We have space, we have room to breathe, and we still have access to everything we need.

Driving And The Local

It’s great to set plans and get away for a weekend but sometimes it is nice to just get in the car and drive somewhere without a particular schedule. This was the balance of our Saturday as we drove up the northeast extension, got off the highway just north of where we had previously looked at apartments, and meandered up and down the semirural roads just enjoying the scenery and looking around. Despite a few pockets of traffic, within a couple of hours since leaving the apartment we found ourselves sitting at another small restaurant beside the railroad tracks although this was definitely a distinctly different location than Hungry Bear Café.

The Local was chosen on a complete whim as we quickly pulled up a map of lunch spots as we crossed the line between Telford into Souderton. Sitting at a table on the old train platform it was a beautiful small town location with Main Street peaking between the sunflowers at the far end of the repurposed depot. I really wish I had gotten a picture of this to share but as we let the house just for a little exploration I completely forgot to put the camera in the car. I’ll get one next time.

The food was pretty darn good as I had eggs benedict (with extra crispy Scrapple on the side) and my wife had a veggie omelet. The coffee was surprisingly tasty as well. You’d be surprised (well, some of you wouldn’t) at how hard it is to find both a good cup of coffee and properly prepared scrapple. Eggs benedict is a fairly consistent way to measure a small breakfast spot as well. So, yes, in addition to the view, we will be returning to The Local in the near future when we continue exploring that area.

After our satisfying stop we got back in the car and continued to weave our way through the small towns as we made our way back to the highway. With the moderate August weather and the roads fairly clear, it was a nice day to be out driving without a plan especially away from the business of the main line. With the afternoon quickly passing us by, we made a couple final stops. The first was to partake in a classic summer treat (for the second weekend in a row) at Rita’s and the second was a stop to a local book store where we actually walked out empty handed.

Nearly home from our casual day, I couldn’t help but think about the ways that things will be different this time next year. With a new baby on the way, we hope to have a home of our own next summer. Where? No idea at this point as we have to restart our search in future months. I just hope that with all the changes, and another year at my current job, we have a greater sense of security and permanence in our life. That would be a welcomed change from the past few years of wondering and worrying about what was going to happen next and were we were going to end up.

Traveling With A Purpose

Saturday was, once again, a travel day but one with a completely different purpose from previous weekends. While my employment situation has not changed, my wife was offered a full time job and now we are in search for a new place to live (once our current lease expires). So, with that in mind we headed west to explore different towns and areas for us to consider. While there are no pictures this time around as we continue to explore in greater depth I am certain that I will be posting photos of our findings.

As we got into the car and began driving we discussed the things that are most important to us in this search. After about 30 minutes, we came to the conclusion that as we head into this exploration we need to keep the following ten criteria in mind: 

1. Distance – While I have no problem with driving more than an hour to work, my wife has specified that she would like to be within an hour of her new job.
2. Traffic – We both expect traffic no matter where we live but we would like to minimize the congestion we experience on a daily basis.
3. Space – We would like to live in a place where our neighbors are not on top of us.
4. Nature – Ideally I would like to be in the mountains but that doesn’t seem to be a logistical reality. I am also happy in the woods so it would be nice if we could be surrounded by dense trees.
5. Main Street – We don’t have to be in a down town area but we would like to be close to a nice little town (think Stars Hollow).
6. Easy Access – In addition to the town aspect, we would like to be close to various stores for groceries and other such essentials.
7. Price – Cost of living is hugely important. We want to be somewhere that allows us to live comfortably rather than a place where we struggle simply to cover the bare essentials.
8. Long Term – We want to find a place that is not just right for us now but somewhere that will suit us long term. Not necessarily the same exact place but the same town/area.  
9. Schools – Again, a long term item as we look forward to the day when we are able to start a family and we want them to have a decent education
10. Family – While we want to have our own space away from family we also want to be able to easily visit whenever we want to. This, of course, is why we moved back to Pennsylvania in the first place.

This simple list eliminates a lot of places including, generally speaking, the entire Main Line where we currently live and where we both grew up. This list is the reason for our explorations westward this past weekend. There are a lot of places to see and it will take numerous trips to accumulate even a handful of options. Rotary Clubs and Masonic Lodges are everywhere so I am not concerned about finding a club or lodge where ever we end up.

This past trip had a wide variety of places, some good and some that we will never return to again. While I-176 didn’t offer much (Birdsboro, Morgantown, and Reading), Route 100 had some potential (Pughtown and Coventry). We will have to explore further on these roads in future trips and stop in each one of the potential towns rather than simply driving by as we did on Saturday. That is when we will really be able to determine if some of these places should continue to be considered.

When we arrived back at our apartment building the sun was beginning to set and it reminded me that no matter where we end up, some things will never change. We will always have each other, we will continue to explore as much as possible, and, as long as we take the time to do so, we will always be able to enjoy a sunset (hopefully without the train lines).

Episode VII: Another New Hope

This past weekend my wife and I changed our schedule up a little bit and headed out to New Hope, Pennsylvania on Friday instead of Saturday so that she could rest the day before her Color Me RAD 5K on Sunday. New Hope is much closer on the map than some other places we have visited but because of the roads that we had to take it was a considerably longer amount of time on the road (seems like a constant when it comes to places of interest in Bucks County). It’s a good thing we changed our schedule.

The weather was uncooperative all day but we managed to make the best of it by hoping in and out of the numerous antique and nostalgia stores that line Main Street in between our extended explorations of side streets while the sky was dry. Many of these stores were both a great respite from the weather and a severe threat to our bank account as Wizard of Oz merchandise was plentiful. I knew it was going to be a day full of temptation when that wide eyed look came across my wife’s face as soon as we walked in the first store. It's the kind of day that leaves you looking for a place to sit down and rest for a few minutes.

Our visit began by driving around from parking lot to parking lot trying to find a place where the rates were at least somewhat reasonable. Fortunately, the Logan Inn wasn’t too bad and we were able to start our exploration only a block off of Main Street. With the parking situation finally figured out, we then started looking for a place to grab linner (lunch + dinner = linner). Many menus later we settled on a small Mexican restaurant with a handful of patrons sitting outside.

The food and service at The Blue Tortilla was excellent (I recommend the Gaucamole and the Chicken Molé Enchiladas) and the outdoor and indoor dining areas were very nice as well. One thing that did catch me off guard was when we ventured over to the bathroom. It left me asking one question (and I’m sure I’m not the only one): So where would you like me to put it? In summary, the restaurant had excellent food, great staff, clean dining area, but a very questionable request.

After lunch it was time to walk on the bridge a little. Just a little as we didn’t want to venture onto the dark side (also known at Lambertville, New Jersey). Whenever possible, I always like walking over bridges simply because of the view that you get down river (the Delaware River in this instance). It’s a vantage point that always demonstrates both the beauty of the surroundings and the history of the town/city.

Once we paid visit to the New Hope wildlife (at least the ones with wings) we continued our tour of the town. It was at this point when we began to dodge raindrops by weaving in and out of the local establishments. Thankfully I had a tight grip on my wallet so we only came away with a few monetary scratches.   

Our last visit was to the train station. There is something enjoyable for me about seeing old trains at historic train stations. Sometimes just a glance at the antiquated engine can bring me back to a time before I was born.

As we made our way back to the parking lot I noticed the weird taste that the town left in my mouth. Not necessarily bad but not something that I would pick up at the grocery store. It’s a unique place. A very wealth and artsy little town, it seemed like, based on the stores, tourists, and locals, that if the town had a mascot it would be a gay Wiccan hippie dressed up as Glinda The Good Witch. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just isn’t my thing. Honestly what did bother me though was the fact that it seemed like one of those towns where the people who worked in the stores are the same ones that can’t afford to live there.

In reality, it is a place that I’m glad we took the time to see but it is not a place I can’t wait to visit again. While a lot of people really enjoy it there and visit frequently, for me, I classify it as a “no, just visiting” town. Somewhere I would not want to live but, if I happen to be driving by, I would stop for a few minutes.