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| Traditions at Ridley Creek,
roughly 20 miles south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in
Brookhaven (population 7,800), is a new (still being
built) age-restricted community made up of
low-maintenance condominiums ("garden homes"), the
first of this type of home by builder Pulte. This
is a fairly straight-forward development; there are not
a lot of choices as the units are very similar, but the
residences are well-designed and quite comfortable. |
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There will be a total of 140 units in eleven 3-story
buildings; each unit is one-story and comes with two bedrooms, a
den, two baths and has 1,178 square feet. Prices
range from $182,000 to $191,000 depending on which floor a unit
is located (higher floor units cost more) and where on the floor
the unit is situated (end units have more light and are priced
higher). Parking consists of covered spaces; there is no
garage. First floor units have patios, and second and
third floor units have balconies. The HOA is $260
per month and covers exterior maintenance, landscaping, trash
removal, etc. Call 610-872-1176 for more information.
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secured, and each building has an elevator. Amenities
are not the calling card of this development, but there is a
nice 2,100 square foot clubhouse with a covered patio and an
exercise room. Currently, five units are still
available.
The town of Brookhaven is a quiet, older residential community full of
cape cods and bungalows and very tidy yards. Most of
the houses were built in the 1950s. The town has a crime
rate below the national average and seems to be a pleasant
place. A new Harrods Casino has opened in nearby Chester,
and Philadelphia, with its history, restaurants and cultural
amenities, is just 20 minutes north.
A bit of Brookhaven trivia: a home on a road named
Dutton Mill Road is rumored to have some of the pirate
Blackbeard's treasure buried in the backyard. The home's owner,
as of this writing, has confirmed with a metal detector the
presence of metal objects, but he has so far refused, citing
superstition and curses and such, to dig up the
yard. Neighbors continue to keep an eye on him.
Summers in this region are generally hot and sticky, and winter is cold. January lows average 23 degrees and highs
average 38 degrees; July lows average 67 degrees and
highs average 86 degrees, although summer temperatures often reach into
the 90s. Precipitation is generally spread throughout the
year with an average annual rate of 42 inches. Snow
can be heavy at times.
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