Okay, so our shopping for homes so far has only been over the internet.

As of this past weekend, I actually decided that I no longer want to search for homes online til we’ve had a chance to drive around these areas, and see what the areas look like and what the towns have to offer.

But last week, while I was researching, I came across some really interesting facts.

I learned a lot of history, which I never expected to be a part of my home search.

Here’s some of the info I learned:

  • Did you know that Levittown in NY and Levittown in PA was built by the same guy and his sons?  Yeah. His name was William J. Levitt and he is credited with being the father of modern american suburb.  Cool right?
  • Levittown, in Bucks County was built for the steelworkers after the war, and it has 4 sections, but no town center. Here’s an early photo.
  • Doylestown is named for William Doyle, who  got a license to built a tavern in 1745.  It was know as “William Doyle’s Tavern” for a long time, as it was on the main street corner.  A great central location.
  • Warminster is named for the town of Warminster in West Wiltshire, England.
  • Warrington takes nameship after Warrington, England.

I also discovered that lots of schools in the area offer 3 languages, for foreign language studies: Spanish, French and German.  No school that I know of offers german in NYC.  I guess demographics and history affect those choices.  Cool!

A friend told me about a place called Roosevelt, NJ, which is a small rural town that has become largely an artist community.  I’m still researching that.

So, in the process of finding a home, I am learning as well, and that is always a good thing.

What have you learned lately?

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