Somerdale

In the suburban reaches of South Jersey outside Philadelphia, Somerdale offers prospective homebuyers quaint homes and spacious lots at a relatively affordable price.

Spanning approximately 1 square mile, Somerdale is a small borough straddling the White Horse Pike, a heavily traveled highway connecting Philadelphia to Atlantic City. While the historic roadway passes farms, pine forests and wetlands toward the shore, its stretch in Somerdale takes you through a typical suburban highway corridor lined by gas stations, stores, banks, business offices, small apartment buildings, fast-food franchises and local diners. Behind the rows of retail and commercial buildings along the highway, homes on quarter-acre lots line straight and curvilinear neighborhood streets. Though many of the community’s residences were built in the latter half of the 20th century, you can find tiny bungalows and farmhouse-style properties from the early 1900s for around $100,000 to $150,000. Larger split-level and ranch-style homes ranging from about 1,200 to 1,800 square feet are generally more expensive, closer to the area’s average home price of $250,000. Above that amount, more contemporary Colonial Revivals and town houses can push upward of $300,000. All considered, the average home value here is about $60,000 below the countywide average, making Somerdale a more affordable option for anyone searching for a house in the suburbs near Philadelphia.

The Somerdale School District enrolls students from PreK to 8th grade at Somerdale Park School, which Niche gives a B-minus. The kids there then become Silver Knights at Sterling High School, which serves students from Somerdale and the neighboring communities of Hi-Nella, Laurel Springs, Magnolia and Stratford. In addition to seasonal sports and various clubs and extracurricular activities, Sterling students can experience what it’s like to film and produce a news broadcast by joining the cast of Knightline Morning News. Broadcasting locally 24 hours a day, Sterling Channel 19 airs the school news show along with a mix of sporting events, musical productions, local events, assemblies and more.

Somerdale’s location along the White Horse Pike means residents are conveniently close to myriad shopping and dining options within a few blocks of the neighborhood’s homes. While many of these businesses include parking lots for the comfort of pass-thru travelers, sidewalks lining the highway and neighborhood streets make walking to the store or dinner a breeze. Aldi on the highway offers residents groceries at affordable prices. In the Cooper Towne Center, folks can shop for essentials and home goods at Walmart. Before catching a movie at the Cinemark theater, you can savor cold brews with your friends at spacious Flying Fish Brewing’s tasting room. If none of the films at the theater strike your interest, you can always spend a couple of hours challenging friends to a game of billiards at The Thirsty Hound.

Throughout the community, pockets of greenspace with baseball fields, playgrounds and hard-surface courts invite folks to enjoy good weather, friendly competition and exercise. Somerdale also features two small natural areas with trails ideal for contemplative strolls or leisurely dog walks. Red Fox Run parallels a narrow stretch of the Cooper River, while the Somerdale Nature Trail includes benches, picnic tables and other amenities provided by local Eagle Scouts.

Motorists can drive to Philadelphia by merging onto Interstate 295, about a mile north of the community. Alternatively, commuters can rely on public transit with the Ashland and Lindenwald train stations to the north and south of the borough, respectively. Regional PATCO trains at both stations take commuters into Philadelphia, but holiday merrymakers can board a NJ Transit train at Lindenwald to reach Atlantic City in about an hour.

Written By

Christopher Suarez

Photography Contributed By

Carmen Gerace

Video By

Adam Barkley