"It was just after dark when the truck started down / the hill that leads into Scranton Pennsylvania. / Carrying thirty thousand pounds of bananas. / Carrying thirty thousand pounds of bananas." -- "30,000 Pounds of Banana" by Harry Chapin
One of Philadelphia's top suburbs, Montgomeryville is a mix of commercial and residential buildings. Centered along the Route 309 corridor, it is busy, with lots of folks coming in and out of the area throughout the day. It is bustling during the day, one of the retail centers of the region, and quiet by night. Montgomeryville continues to grow, as people rediscover the suburbs and move out from the big cities.
Moving to Montgomeryville
Montgomeryville is easy to get to, with Routes 309, 202 and 463 all connecting in Montgomeryville. SEPTA also runs a handful of bus routes into, around, and out of town, as well as commuter rail service to nearby Lansdale and Doylestown. With the Pennsylvania Turnpike accessible in a number of spots nearby, this all make Montgomeryville a well-connected town. It's easy to get there, and easy to get around the region if that's where you live -- perfect for folks looking to work and play all over.
The main types of housing available in Montgomeryville are single detached homes and townhouses. There's a small percentage of apartment buildings, with few and far in between. If you opt for a house rather than an apartment, you'll have plenty of room since most homes have three to four bedrooms.
You'll need to start your search for an apartment for rent in Montgomeryville long before you need to move -- the vast majority of homes in the area are owner-occupied, and of the remaining renter-occupied units, there are rarely vacancies. This means you'll want to have your i's dotted and your t's crossed before you step foot in the first two-bedroom apartment you check out. Have up to three months rent set aside for your security deposit, as well as a handful of recent pay stubs and a list of references, with all necessary information.
Neighborhoods in Montgomeryville
In terms of neighborhoods, one neighborhood in Montgomeryville isn't much different from another. The biggest difference is between the north end and the south end.
North Montgomeryville: The north end tends to be older homes, single-family or townhouse complexes with the occasional apartment building or complex. If you are looking at one-bedroom apartments or two-bedroom apartments, this is where you'll want to look. The PineCrest Country Club and Spring Valley Park are in this neighborhood.
South Montgomeryville: The south end of Montgomeryville is almost exclusively single-family units. You might find rental homes in the south end, but they are rare. But the best part of living in this area is that the Montgomery Mall is here.
Living in Montgomeryville
Transportation
To begin with, you'll need a car to get around Montgomeryville. Walking is inconvenient at best, and can be downright dangerous given the high speeds and heavy traffic on some of the roads. You don't want to try to cross Route 309 or 202 at night on foot. As mentioned before, there is some public transportation, but nowhere near the level as most urban areas -- you don't want to have your schedule dependent on the SEPTA bus routes, as they don't always to keep to their expected schedule.
Activities
There is no shortage of things to do in Montgomeryville if you enjoy shopping or eating out. Route 309, which runs through the middle of the town, is lined with major national chain stores, and is a destination for people from around the region for services and shopping. At the bottom end of the strip is the Montgomery Mall, one of the largest retail centers in Pennsylvania. It's lacking in local artisans, although there are a handful of small, locally-owned shops that are mixed in, including garages and even Keystone Homebrew Supply for those who want to brew their own beverages at home.
Local Eats
The suburban sprawl is full of restaurants, with a lot of American chain restaurants taking up space. But luck for you, there are a few restaurants in town. There's Ooka Restaurant, which serves up a delicious clam miso soup, Bull Restaurant & Tavern, Gimaro Seafood & Steakhouse and Michael's Family Restaurant. If you want more Indian, Asian, and more, you'll have to look in the neighboring towns of Lansdale, North Wales, and Doylestown. So get adventurous and go visit Tex-Mex in North Wales, Nadia Thai or Umai Japanese in Lansdale. Afterwards, you can come back to Montgomeryville and catch a late movie at the 12-screen Frank Theaters, or below town at the 309 AMC Cinemas, on one of their nine screens.
Outdoors
Golfers will be happy with Montgomeryville and the surrounding area -- PineCrest Country Club is within the town's borders, while you've got Twin Woods to the North and Limekiln and more to the south. If you've got a different idea of shooting, check out Target World on the border with Chalfont, with their indoor pistol, rifle, and archery range. The only other options for outdoor play in Montgomeryville comes in the form of Spring Valley Park, which is great for playing sports but not for much else. As with everything else, if you're willing to head out of town, there are a number of parks in the area, including Peace Valley Park. This large park is part of the Bucks County Park System and contains Lake Galena, home to canoeing, boating, fishing, hiking, and more. In the winter, you can even go ice skating or cut a hole in the ice for some ice fishing.
Shopping
Unfortunately, that pretty much sums up what there is to do in Montgomeryville. However, the neighboring towns do have plenty of options in terms of local shopping, local restaurants, and activities. If you're looking for a farmer's market with local produce, the Lansdale Farmer's Market has you covered. Winery fan? Check out Boyd's Country Hollow Winery in North Wales, or head out to Chalfont's award-winning Peace Valley Winery. Lansdale is also home to two up-and-coming craft breweries in Prism and Round Guys, and hosts the Lansdale Beer Tasting Festival.
Montgomeryville is safe and quiet, with an incident rate of roughly 9 property or violent crimes per 10,000 residents -- low for the area and for the state. So let's check off the boxes: safe, pretty and clean, with all the amenities you need. What more could you want in a place to live?
