The R5 rail line that runs from
Philadelphia to Paoli. (more recently goes as far as thorndale) Area originally created by wealthy
philadelphians looking to build summer homes. Large growth after WW2 filled open spaces with dense residential. Towns range in wealth from Gladwyne to Malvern (recent addition according to some) Business Rt30 follows the R5 for most of its run and acts as the main drag through many of the main drags. Many private schools and high end car dealerships are located in the area. Not a very exciting area unless you are middle age and enjoy the country clubs. Manyunk,
Philadelphia and even West Chester offer more social excitement for younger people. Malvern now considers itself part of the mainline due to the recent increase in higher end mcmansions and small gentleman's farms in charlestown and willistown. Newtown Square and West Chester pretend they are also associated with the mainline. Parts of Newtown Square run into Radnor and qualify. Homes range from the old estates that have mostly been subdivided into
neighborhoods built by Bentley Homes and the like to the redone splits from the 60s and 70s real estate boom. Wealth is divided. There are the old money families who truly have money and usually older estate homes (Older homes $3 mil+). There are then the new money families that have large businesses, are
professional athletes or celebrities. (Newer homes $3 mil+) Then there is the majority... high income families. Parents are higher ups business, larger corporations, media companies, pharmaceuticals,
communication companies, lawyers, small business owners. They have large mortgages ($1 - $2.5 mil homes) and try to run with the previous two classes. Then there is the rest which don't fall in the scale.
