Bangor with non-4WD vehicles? (Nazareth, Stroudsburg: home, employment, neighborhood)

[tenortodd]

Hi all,

I've been applying all over the U.S., but it looks like my family might be coming to the Lehigh Valley!

We're from the metro DC area and looking to get away from the hustle and bustle and my hour-to-two-hour commute. My mom's whole side of the family is from all over PA.

We've been to visit Bangor twice and returned to interview once, so we know we like the Bangor-Nazareth area. We'd like to find something in Bangor.

My question is: we have 2 compact vehicles. We see how many tiny rural roads there are and how hilly they are.

Is it possible to live in Bangor and get around in a Prius and a little Hyundai Elantra, or do we need a good 4WD vehicle?

Not sure about winters there...

Thanks.

[PHRN86]

Depends on how soon after it snows you go out, and what roads you choose to drive on. Some roads aren't plowed for hours.... or up to a day or so after it snows. Is it possible to get by with that, yes...

[tenortodd]

Thanks, PHRN86.

I will be the sole wage earner, while my wife stays home with the kids, so I would need to be able to get to work pretty much every day. With that in mind, is it a bad idea to live in rural Bangor and possibly have to commute up to a 1/2 hour in a compact non-4WD car?

[PHRN86]

Depends on what roads you live on. There are some pretty back country roads in rural Bangor that don't see a plow too quickly. If you're near a main road, such as 191, you'll be ok for the most part.


However, the last few winters around here have been pretty mild, with the exception of 3 foot of snow at once this past winter. A good set of snow tires on a FWD car will get you around

[tenortodd]

Would I be correct in thinking that I could get to work, let's say a 15-30 minute commute, if we lived off of either 191, 512, 611, or 33 with a compact non-4WD? Somewhere between Nazareth and Bangor?

We get 2-5 snows per winter here in the DC area...so we're used to snow...I'm just not sure of how different it will be.

I'm guessing we should NOT look into housing in Stroudsburg...isn't that where it starts to get really hilly/mountainous and has more small winding roads?

[blazerj]

Originally Posted by tenortodd

Would I be correct in thinking that I could get to work, let's say a 15-30 minute commute, if we lived off of either 191, 512, 611, or 33 with a compact non-4WD? Somewhere between Nazareth and Bangor?

We get 2-5 snows per winter here in the DC area...so we're used to snow...I'm just not sure of how different it will be.

I'm guessing we should NOT look into housing in Stroudsburg...isn't that where it starts to get really hilly/mountainous and has more small winding roads?

The burbs do a pretty good job of plowing the major roads, so it really shouldn't be much of an issue. If you are really concerned and don't want to buy a 4WD/ AWD car, then try snow tires on one of your cars.

[toobusytoday]

We live in a less rural area than Bangor and have one 4WD vehicle. It comes in handy, especially if you work at a company that is likely to stay open in bad weather. My place of employment usually closes with big snowstorms but it's rare for my husband.

[Gerania]

Rt. 191 is Bangor Mountain Rd. I don't like driving that in the summer.

[Gettingouttahere]

It really depends on your job and your commute. If you live on a flat road, and drive on a flat road to a major highway like Route 33 to Route 22 to a downtown area, you are not likely to encounter many problems. If you live on a steep hill a few miles from the nearest town and have to be at work early in the morning (can't telecommute or your work stays open) after a significant snowfall, you might have issues without 4W/AWD -- plows simply will not get to your street early enough.

Of course, if you live in such an area and the snow is bad enough and there has been no plowing, you could have issues regardless of your wheels.

You can get by with front-wheel drive cars - we've done it on and off in the 17 years we've lived in the Poconos (on a very steep mountain road) ... but the peace of mind that comes with AWD/4WD is not something you can put a price on. It depends on your tolerance for uncertainty and risk.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by Gettingouttahere

It really depends on your job and your commute. If you live on a flat road, and drive on a flat road to a major highway like Route 33 to Route 22 to a downtown area, you are not likely to encounter many problems. If you live on a steep hill a few miles from the nearest town and have to be at work early in the morning (can't telecommute or your work stays open) after a significant snowfall, you might have issues without 4W/AWD -- plows simply will not get to your street early enough.

Of course, if you live in such an area and the snow is bad enough and there has been no plowing, you could have issues regardless of your wheels.

You can get by with front-wheel drive cars - we've done it on and off in the 17 years we've lived in the Poconos (on a very steep mountain road) ... but the peace of mind that comes with AWD/4WD is not something you can put a price on. It depends on your tolerance for uncertainty and risk.

Excellent point. I've been caught at my place of work a few times after it snowed and we closed the place down early. It was extremely comforting knowing that I had the 4WD vehicle. Our neighborhood is usually not plowed early and there were times that our forward drive car would not make it to the house.

The state and the townships/boroughs may all be in charge of different roads and their plow teams may have different standards and budgets. It's something that you notice if you travel any distance in PA in the winter. You can cross a road and everything will be plowed or not plowed or poorly plowed.