Every summer Ambler, PA, hosts the Ambler Arts & Music Festival, a locally curated event for all you culture junkies!
Ambler is a rather small borough located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and more than 6,426 people call this place home. Ambler was originally known as the Village of Wissahickon, but it was renamed in 1869 in honor of Mary Ambler, a local Quaker woman who played an important role in the rescue of people who were involved in what is often referred to as "The Great Train Wreck of 1856." Another interesting tidbit about Ambler is that it was once a thriving center for the manufacture of asbestos between the late 1800s and the mid-1900s. Dawesfield, a historic country estate located in Ambler, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, and is an interesting place to visit for those who want to get a feel of life in a bygone era.
Moving to Ambler, PA
Are you looking for a place to live in Ambler? Read below to help you find an apartment, condos for rent and other types of rental places.
Make a Checklist
Nobody said moving to a new apartment or new city was easy, but you can make this somewhat daunting task a whole lot easier by creating a checklist of all the steps you need to take. This takes the guesswork out of accomplishing your tasks, and it also makes it less likely that you will be blindsided by things you did not anticipate. Practically everyone these days has a smartphone, and those fancy gadgets are good for more than just talking, texting, surfing, and taking selfies. You can also create to-do lists and set up reminders to help you every step of the way as you plan your big move. If you do not have a smartphone, no worries; the old pen and paper never failed anyone yet! Just whip some stationery out and write down a list of the places that interest you in the new city, the type of rental place you are interested in, the price range you can afford comfortably, and any specific requirements you think you could not live without, such as a 24-hour grocery store for late-night food runs.
A Real Estate Agent or Not
To have a real estate agent, or not to have a real estate agent? That is the question. This part is not vital, although it does help to work with people who are already established in the city and know where to find the best place to fit your requirements. If your budget permits it, and you feel you could benefit from the expertise of a local realtor, contact one and give him or her a list of your requirements so he or she can do all the hard work. If this is not something for you, then dust off those shoes and hit the road because it pays to inspect the potential rental place, even if it is in a new city, before signing any lease.
Cost of Living
One factor that affects your move to a new city or state is the cost of living in that part of the country. The reason for this is that the cost of living varies according to the state and region, with some places up to four times as expensive as some of the cheaper cities. For example, if you are planning to move to your new city from one with one of the highest cost of living index in the country, you will notice some significant savings. These can stem from the difference in the cost of renting a home, amenities, and other related factors. The cost of living in Ambler is almost 11 percent more than the national average, and 8.7 percent more than the Pennsylvania average. Of course, this is really not nearly as expensive as some of the costlier cities in the country.
Neighborhoods in Ambler, PA
Ambler is a small place, and is the 214th largest community in Pennsylvania. As mentioned, the real estate in this borough is among some of the most expensive in the state of Pennsylvania, but it pales in comparison to the really expensive parts of the country.
Spring House: This is decidedly a slightly more expensive part of town, with plenty of rental choices that include apartment complexes, high rises, single-family homes, and smaller studio apartments. Most of the homes here were built between 1970 and 1999, even though there are newer constructions, too.
Rose Valley: Compared to Spring House, this neighborhood is very affordable, with median rental rates that are easily half of the asking price in that area. The rental options here are somewhat limited, as you will mostly find townhomes and single-family homes.
Prospectville: The rental rates in Prospectville are at par with those in Rose Valley, but the difference is that you will find more varied choices in terms of rental places. Some of those choices include apartment complexes, single family homes, high-rises and small studio apartments.
Borough Center: Just like you would have a village center neighborhood in most villages, Ambler has a neighborhood called Borough Center. The good news is that this is probably one of the cheapest places to live in Ambler, with rental rates that are a lot less than half of those in the more expensive Spring House neighborhood.
Living in Ambler, PA
One of the benefits of living in small communities, such as Ambler, is the sense of togetherness that comes from knowing most people in the area. Like most communities, this one has a yearly event calendar of events, including the Ambler Arts & Music Festival. Let's not forget Oktoberfest, another music-themed event that most people tend to enjoy. If that is not your cup of tea, you can always create your own entertainment by visiting any of the interesting places, including the Mennonite Heritage Center, Glencairn Museum, Sesame Place or Peter Wentz Farmstead. Those who enjoy the outdoors can visit the Neshaminy State Park or Elmwood Park Zoo. It really all depends on what you want to do with your free time when you live here.
Transportation
Transportation in Ambler is provided by the Lansdale-Doylestown rail line, and there is a park-and-ride at Ambler Station. For those who have their own transportation, the trip to get to other places of interest is not that long, lasting between 15 to 30 minutes on average, which is better that some neighborhoods where the trip can last up to one hour or more, either way. The major airport that services this area is the Philadelphia International Airport, while an alternative is the Trenton-Mercer Airport. Other transportation choices include Amtrak trains, with more than seven of them within 30 miles of the city center. No matter what you like to do, you will most likely find something to interest you in Ambler, and we wish you all the best in your search for the best apartment to suit you in this community.
