Suburban Jungle Strategist Jodi Bloom heads back to her Philadelphia hometown
Suburban Jungle Strategist Jodi Bloom is no stranger to the Philadelphia suburbs. Jodi grew up in the Lower Merion Township section of Wynnewood and then headed to the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, she spent 15 years living and working in Manhattan.
“I loved living in New York — it’s such an amazing place to be, particularly before I had kids and even with a small baby,” Jodi says. “But I knew that, as my kids got older, we’d need more space and a backyard. We weighed all of our options and, pretty quickly, knew the right decision was to head ‘home’ to Philadelphia. But, I admit, we were scared to leave the city.”
Moving back home…
Now five years into suburban life, the Blooms haven’t looked back.
“We love it here — it’s such a comfortable, easy lifestyle,” Jodi says. “Many of the houses, including mine, are walkable to parks and playgrounds — and lots of families are in walking distance to a main street filled with amazing restaurants, bars, coffee shops, a farmers market, grocery stores, shops and gyms.”
Given their neighborhood is so centrally located, Jodi says, they always see people walking or biking past their house or on their way to the playground. Sometimes she’ll head out and join friends for a run, or follow the kids on their scooters or bikes.
“The walkability made our transition from the city to the suburbs much easier. You can just walk out the front door and go,” she says. And when they do want to get out, they’re just 25 minutes to Center City for a night on the town or a quick Amtrak ride to New York City.
Sharing her suburban experience with city families
Armed with her unique experience in the Philadelphia suburbs as well as her years in Manhattan, Jodi joined the Suburban Jungle team as a Strategist in 2020. Today, she works closely with families not just from the area but from all parts of the country, helping them to discover the Philadelphia suburbs.
“The Philadelphia suburbs are a great place to live,” Jodi says. “There are so many incredible towns close together which makes it easy to take advantage of amenities in neighboring suburbs including restaurants, parks, trails, kids classes, sports leagues, markets, shops and more.”
She also loves sharing her knowledge of the suburban lifestyle with city families. While most people know about the highly ranked school districts, many newcomers are surprised by the arts, culture, food and general quality of life in the Philadelphia suburbs. “There’s really something for everyone here,” she says. “There are quiet, laid-back towns and towns that are super vibrant. Some are very tight-knit, others are more private. You can be in a more urban setting or more rural, even. The choice is yours.”
Structuring the suburban search
With so many different towns in the immediate area, when Jodi first connects with clients her primary objective is to learn about their goals, needs and wants, then zero in on what’s most important. This, she says, helps families consider communities and other factors they hadn’t thought of before. That’s particularly important, she adds, because some of the Philadelphia suburbs can be confusing — often multiple towns make up a single school district or there could be more than one school district in the same town.
“Some of the towns have a similar vibe to each other, whereas some nearby towns may feel very different. I help families compare and contrast,” Jodi says. “Even if they’re from the area, it’s not uncommon to discover a brand new neighborhood or school district. My clients love that we break it all down so they don’t have to figure it out on their own.”
Looking ahead, Jodi’s eager to introduce more Suburban Jungle families to the ‘burbs she loves so much — and to continue re-discovering her hometown.
“My husband is also from the area, and moving back to the Philadelphia suburbs wasn’t something we’d ever planned, but it ended up working out perfectly,” Jodi says. “There is a nice mix of people who grew up here as well as more recent transplants. And it’s so funny — we were concerned about ‘reliving’ our childhood but, really, most of our social circle are friends we’ve met since moving back five years ago. It’s a totally different experience.”
Find the right town for your family — or rediscover a special suburb. Get in touch to learn more and schedule your FREE Suburbs Strategy session now.