MardiGrasMax

iTrader: (14)

I will probablly be relocating to their in early 01'. My wife and I like the King of Prussia area and I will probabbly work closer to the city. Working on my MCSE so I can get an IT job up their, anyone got any conections, hehe? I am going to be buying some new tires soon and want to be sure about a few things.

How long is the "snow" season?
How heavy are the snows?
Will ultra high performance all season tires get me through year round?
Or should I get some max performance tires for most of the time and snow tires for the snow season?
How much rain do you get?
Is their a rainy season and how long does it last?

Any other helpfull tips are appreciated!

See you next year at E-Town...

Chris91SE

iTrader: (1)

ummm....kinda tough questions...it varies from year to year and depends on location...there are years where it won't snow at all and there are years where we can a bunch of 4-12" snowfalls and sometimes 3ft is possible...rain is the same way..this year it rained a ton....some years its once a week....

snowy season....end of november to end of march....rains just about all year round...(end of march to june is usually the worst for rain)...i got all season tires since the weather varies so much....

Botos

I'm in King of Prussia, though I haven't been through the winter season there. People tell me it's not that bad, though. All season tires should do just fine.

As for the area, traffic sucks at times and there's a housing crunch late spring/ early summer that I got caught in. Lots of employers in the area, so you should be able to find something. I'm at Lockheed; if you don't mind working for a semi-oppressive defense contractor, let me know.

Joe_R

I lived in West Chester for 18 years and now Delaware. Generally speaking, the winter is not that bad. Chris91SE
said it best...it varies. Ice sometimes is a problem as well. It doesn't rain too much. It did rain often this year, but not heavily. Last year we had a drought. PA roads generally are not too good and the snow plow crews often make things worse.

There was just an Audi S4 meet at the KofP mall.

theblue

I used to live in that area, you can never know what to expect when it comes to the weather. However the traffic in that area is horrible around rush hour. if you plan on driving into the city for work you can expect large ammounts of sitting in traffic (almost enough to drive a man to get an auto)

Frank Fontaine

Snow, what's that? No, truthfully don't do that tire rack 4 artic alpin thingy, this ain't Canada. All season will do you right.

If you're gonna work in Center City you'll have a heck of a time on the Schuylkill living in K of P. You may want to check the Main Line instead. Surprisingly nobody mentioned the 4.6% City Wage Tax, which is the highest in the nation. Yep, makes NYC and Yonkers look like child's play. Problem is the employer doesn't eat that tax, so you literally get almost a 5% raise when you work in the suburbs. If you live in Philly then it's no use, you pay anyway.

Then again you can have the best cheesesteaks. While the tourists go to Geno's and Pat's, you can just head over to Jim's and have the real deal.

Overall, it's a very reasonable cost of living, with some of the nicest people for a city of this size. Oh, and you've got 3 sports teams who've won 3 straight weekends in a row.

philpoe

iTrader: (4)

"Snow season" is roughly DEC - MAR, but there are times when you won't see snow, then others (like last night) where you'll get a foot at once. I was caught twice this year in 1ft snowfalls with all season Dunlop SP Sport 5000s and thought they were very inadequate. I'm really considering switching to a Summer/Winter setup. According to TireRack, the SP5K is the best reported Ultra-high performance all-season tire on their site, and I'm not impressed.
If you can handle getting "caught" 2x/yr, all-season will do fine, and I really like the Dunlop SP Sport 5000s under any other circumstance. On my wifes Contour SVT, she uses BFG Comp T/A VR4 tires, and I think they're not _quite_ as good in the dry, but a bit better in the snow than the Dunlops.
Both tires (as apparently most tires today) do pretty well in the rain.

As mentioned before, be careful of the wage tax! it's a near 5% hit if you live _or_ work in the city. Also, if you live in the city as opposed to outside (there are plenty of suburbs right at the border), expect to pay 2x for insurance. Also, if you have kids, most suburbs have pretty good public schools, while the city system is ummm, not the best. Factor in at least a catholic school tuition (if not private school) into you costs.

If you do end up living near KoP and working in the city, there are a few alternate routes that avoid the expressways, which may become a nightmare in case of bad weather or an accident (like yesterday). I'm sure plenty here can offer suggestions.

got rice?

iTrader: (2)

For the last few years, I've ran all season tires on the Maxima. This year I'm using Bridgestone Blizzaks and am driving the Miata (RWD) through all this crap... so far I've had no problems in the ice, snow, sleet, and the rest of the gunk on the road. The difference between all season and snow tires is definately worth buying them, even if the inclement weather in south east PA isn't too bad on some years, but when it does hit, the snow tires are definately worth every penny.

March 10... first Etown event of 2001.
April 7... second event. (Hot Import Nights is on the same day, but later in the evening)

PhillyMAx

iTrader: (1)

I live in Philly and commute out to the KOP area everyday. The commute is horrible traffic-wise, but the main roads are ice free for the most part. All season tires should be alright until you learn your way around. If you're planning on living in KOP, be aware of the back roads, which are hardly ever paved, shoveled, etc...

Anybody get caught in yesterday's storm? Took me 3 hours to get home for which is normally a 60 minute car ride.

As for the Philadelphia city tax, I've declared residency in Delaware county (used a relative's address - bless his heart). So, I also save tons of money by paying lower insurance rates.

sleeper

snow season is from dec to march. when it snows 1-3 inches, you will be ok driving in the snow with GOOD allseason radials. if you drive in over 3 inches when its snowing out its better to have snow tires or those lightweight chain things. better safe than sorry. mainly because other people on the road will be messing you up.(stopping on snow covered hills, etc.) but when it snows heavy, just wait for a day before you drive and the roads will be clear. we have had ice storms also. same thing, wait a day, and then the roads will be clear. i like studded snow tires. they help out on ice. or have a old vw bug on hand. haha i had an 83 super beetle and that thing would drive through blizzards. but no heat! ice on the windshield. unbelievable. but for the most part the snow is no biggy if you just sit it out. stay home.

maxman2k

i live just west of king of prussia. ive lived here my whole life. id say that the worst thing youll have to deal with in that area is TRAFFIC. absolutely horrible. winter is so hit and miss, for example we got, depending on where exactly you live, 4-15 inches of snow on monday. the expressways were a parking lot. however tomorrow it is supposed to be 58 degrees. so really its hard to say. ive never really needed anything more than all-seasons, and if that wont get you thru it, then i just stay home but its a wonderful area. hey the sixers/eagles/flyers are here. what more could you need

tan_camry

I work in KOP also, at JP Products (which some of the engineers do drive Maximas....), right by Lockheed Martin. The Schyukill isn't that bad unless there is a tractor trailer accident. But MardiGrasMax if you're gonna work in Center City Philly, take the train down. Our MIS guy is finishing his internship, maybe contact my employer at http://www.jpproducts.com

Route 202 by the KOP Mall is a ***** to drive, but I usually avoid it completely by going through Mall Blvd to Wills Blvd to Allendale Rd.

tan

barnesma

Just left dealership in Devon and they listed a bunch of repairs for my 2002 Nissan Max GLE - seemingly each repair cost was divisible by $1000.

Most important is to get rid of clunking sound from front end. Just spent $200 on sway bar rubber mounts, noise still there.

QUESTION: WHO SPECIALIZES in Nissan in the Delaware County area other than the dealer ? Really could use help in finding a good mechanic please !

clintb3astwood

iTrader: (10)

Smh

ABIGBRAIN

iTrader: (1)

Me 2

Was that a forum record for a bump?

The Wizard

iTrader: (43)

Kudos for searching, but look at the date of the last post before you post next time...

I suggest you start a thread in your regional forum...