Moving from Houston, TX and need help!! (New York, Binghamton: renting, car registration)
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**I also posted this in the PA section, but also looking at Southern NY area, around Binghamton**
My husband has taken a job in Towanda, PA. I very much need help in finding out a good area to move to.
We are a family of four, my husband and I are both 24 with a 5 year old and a 1 year old.
We currently live in a suburb of Houston, TX and LOVE the city part about Houston. But we don't love the traffic, humidity or crime, gangs etc. We are not country people, and do not want to relocate to the middle of nowhere.
We are hoping to get no more than an 1- 1 1/2 hrs away from Towanda so that my husband can come home at night. His income is going to be a little more than 70,000 a year and we want to live somewhere where we will be comfortable, not struggling.
A good school district is very important for our children. A good college would be great so I could take some classes and further my education.
Also, we are looking at renting right now, because we are not sure how permanent the move is, definitely at least 2 or 3 years.
Areas I've looked at online are Scranton, Dunmore, and I have been looking at the Binghamtom NY area, but does anyone know how it works when if you live in one state and work in another???
I have family in Scranton & really dislike it. The city is dirty & depressed, the schools are nothing to talk about. Wilkes-Barre is a little better/nicer but not by much. Neither city has a traffic problem but both of them have drug/gang problems. Williamsport is a litter smaller & has some nice areas though Ive been told that drugs & gangs are becoming a problem there as well. Binghamton really isnt anything special at least in terms of justifying the extra property taxes you would pay to live their (as NY property taxes can be pretty high while PA tends to be cheaper). If you are serious about the southern tier I would suggest looking into Elmira or maybe Corning, NY, both are much nicer, safer & have better schools than many of the other places mentioned.
One other thing you may want to keep in mind. That area gets its fair share of snow, to drive everyday from Scranton/W-B or even Williamsport during the winter isnt going to be a lot of fun. None of the roads heading into Towanda are anything more than 2 lane rural routes so you can take that 1.5 hr commute time & add at least 1 hr to it for a lot of the winter. For your husbands own sanity (and safety) you may want to seriously consider a town like Mansfield, its small but has a University. It does have some minor entertainment/dining options as well as some shopping but being someone who also is not a country person I can certainly understand why you would be willing to commute such a long distance.
Last edited by jblake78728; 08-10-2010 at 01:09 PM..
**I also posted this in the PA section, but also looking at Southern NY area, around Binghamton**
My husband has taken a job in Towanda, PA. I very much need help in finding out a good area to move to.
We are a family of four, my husband and I are both 24 with a 5 year old and a 1 year old.
We currently live in a suburb of Houston, TX and LOVE the city part about Houston. But we don't love the traffic, humidity or crime, gangs etc. We are not country people, and do not want to relocate to the middle of nowhere.
We are hoping to get no more than an 1- 1 1/2 hrs away from Towanda so that my husband can come home at night. His income is going to be a little more than 70,000 a year and we want to live somewhere where we will be comfortable, not struggling.
A good school district is very important for our children. A good college would be great so I could take some classes and further my education.
Also, we are looking at renting right now, because we are not sure how permanent the move is, definitely at least 2 or 3 years.
Areas I've looked at online are Scranton, Dunmore, and I have been looking at the Binghamtom NY area, but does anyone know how it works when if you live in one state and work in another???
All information is appreciated!!
What about Corning? While it is a small city of 10,000, it has good schools and a little bit going on.
Ithaca might be another option, as it is more of a college town, but has some things going on as well. Schools there are pretty good as well. Ivy League Cornell and Ithaca College are located there.
Binghamton might work, as SUNY-Binghamton is a pretty good school and there is enough going on there as well. If you are looking for a good SD in that area, Vestal and Chenango Valley are probably the best. If you want somethng a bit more urban in terms of environment and still good schools, look at possibly Johnson City north of the Expressway. Perhaps parts of Endicott as well.
Elmira might be alright, but most would probably say to look at the West and South Sides of town. In that immediate area, you might like the village of Horseheads and the Horseheads SD. Elmira College is located in the city of Elmira. Corning isn't too far West of there.
Gee, are you both in for a cultural shock?!? That's about as far as going from one extreme to another, factoring culture, weather, transportation, infrastructure, on and on.
First, you will have world-class medical care at the Guthrie Clinic/Robert Packer Hospital, in Sayre, PA, which is just a few miles North of Towanda...leading edge medical care, from world-class doctors/staff. You won't find better medical care in NorthEast PA or the Southern Tier of New York State. Consider yourselves blessed to have such great medical care in your backyard. (People travel from around the world to get medical care here.)
Traveling to other cities such as Ithaca, Binghamton, Corning, Scranton...all are a long ways away from Towanda, mostly over two lane roads that become extremely treacherous in the winter's considerable snow and ice.
Frankly, I'd give Towanda itself a fair chance to provide you with very affordable housing, in a safe community, with decent educational facilities and resulting statewide achievement scores. Towanda is a charming, old town that has been largely restored; homes have large yards. It is home to Sylvania Corporation( or at least it was there last year).
You'll find many of the physicians and hospital staff have chosen to make Towanda their home because it's a nice, quiet, safe, affordable place to live, plus it's a picturesque setting with very little traffic.
While many of the towns mentioned in above posts are nice areas, still you'll have to contend with driving two-lane roads in the winter, for some towns/villages mentioned, a considerable distance.
Do your family a favor and seriously investigate Towanda before looking elsewhere...you'll get a quality lifestyle for a decent price
You mentioned not wanting to be stuck in the middle of nowhere...I guess you are speaking of cultural opportunites, shopping, things for the kids to do. While we all certainly can understand that perspective, you are coming from Houston, Texas, to a small town in rural Pennsylvania...that in itself will be a huge shock as I previously mentioned
You will have a different quality of life in Towanda...safe, no gangs, no horrendous commutes, no hurricanes, quiet, and many more quality aspects of the "good life." So, stuck in the middle of no where? It certainly won't be Houston, but it's not like it's going to be in the middle of rural Alaska, or Siberia, or Mongolia.
I know Houston; I know Towanda and the surrounding areas. Given a choice...there's no choice....Towanda wins by a monsterously huge margin, reinforced by the astoundingly fantastic medical care you'll all receive at the Guthrie Clinic.
Oh! one other thing...people there are super-friendly, polite, appreciative of your business, will all say "Hello," open doors for you, get to know you as neighbors upon whom you can rely for anything, at the drop of a hat!
Give Towanda a fair chance and I'm sure you and your family will love it there. Also, you'll enjoy nature more; your kids will grow-up better humans; your stress-levels will evaporate; and you all will walk around with a smile on your face. You'll never want to return anywhere near Houston again. Promise.
Good point Hartwick. Towanda might be fine itself and I believe it is very close to other communities like Athens and Sayre. Waverly NY is right there and Owego NY was named the coolest small town in America recently. It is about 66 miles from Wilkes-Barre and I think Elmira is about 35 miles. They get their TV media from the Elmira and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre areas. There are a little over 3,000 people in the borough of Towanda.
Another last thought...I would not even consider Wilkes-Barre or Scranton as possible residences. Both are a considerable distance from Towanda, over windy, high terrain roads, which would be extremely treacherous in the winter. Plus, given the commute time...that would be ridiculous and certainly detract from qaulity family time. Just rule out Scranton and W-B.
As I've said, give Towanda a good look. Hire a Realtor to assist in finding suitable housing. Should you not find anything(extremely unlikely) in Towanda to your liking, as the previous poster indicated, there is always, Sayre and Athens, Pa., a few miles to the North of Towanda.
Waverly, NY, is a possibility, but you'll be paying a whole lot more in taxes for school, property, gasoline, food taxes, license plates and car registration, on and on. New York State certainly would not be a state I'd recommend due to their extremely high tax rates and increasing taxes on seemingly everything.
Owego, NY, is on route 17/86 and is a 4 lane highway but you need to leave it in Waverly/Sayre, and travel Route 206 South, over two lane roads, of some elevation and grade, to get to Towanda. This might be fine for shopping or day visits, but you're back to long commutes, high taxes.
Lastly, there is no problem with living in one state and working in another...lots of physicians and other professionals, and blue collar workers do that in this area.
Hope this all helps...I know that a move across country from a megalopolis like Houston to a quaint town like Towanda will be a culture shock, but a good one in the long run.
Another last thought...I would not even consider Wilkes-Barre or Scranton as possible residences. Both are a considerable distance from Towanda, over windy, high terrain roads, which would be extremely treacherous in the winter. Plus, given the commute time...that would be ridiculous and certainly detract from qaulity family time. Just rule out Scranton and W-B.
As I've said, give Towanda a good look. Hire a Realtor to assist in finding suitable housing. Should you not find anything(extremely unlikely) in Towanda to your liking, as the previous poster indicated, there is always, Sayre and Athens, Pa., a few miles to the North of Towanda.
Waverly, NY, is a possibility, but you'll be paying a whole lot more in taxes for school, property, gasoline, food taxes, license plates and car registration, on and on. New York State certainly would not be a state I'd recommend due to their extremely high tax rates and increasing taxes on seemingly everything.
Owego, NY, is on route 17/86 and is a 4 lane highway but you need to leave it in Waverly/Sayre, and travel Route 206 South, over two lane roads, of some elevation and grade, to get to Towanda. This might be fine for shopping or day visits, but you're back to long commutes, high taxes.
Lastly, there is no problem with living in one state and working in another...lots of physicians and other professionals, and blue collar workers do that in this area.
Hope this all helps...I know that a move across country from a megalopolis like Houston to a quaint town like Towanda will be a culture shock, but a good one in the long run.
What about housing prices in PA? I ask because you can get some steals in Upstate NY and even with the taxes, you still might be paying less than some areas in the South. Chemung County actually has pretty low property taxes, if I'm not mistaken.
I have family in Scranton & really dislike it. The city is dirty & depressed, the schools are nothing to talk about. Wilkes-Barre is a little better/nicer but not by much. Neither city has a traffic problem but both of them have drug/gang problems. Williamsport is a litter smaller & has some nice areas though Ive been told that drugs & gangs are becoming a problem there as well. Binghamton really isnt anything special at least in terms of justifying the extra property taxes you would pay to live their (as NY property taxes can be pretty high while PA tends to be cheaper). If you are serious about the southern tier I would suggest looking into Elmira or maybe Corning, NY, both are much nicer, safer & have better schools than many of the other places mentioned.
One other thing you may want to keep in mind. That area gets its fair share of snow, to drive everyday from Scranton/W-B or even Williamsport during the winter isnt going to be a lot of fun. None of the roads heading into Towanda are anything more than 2 lane rural routes so you can take that 1.5 hr commute time & add at least 1 hr to it for a lot of the winter. For your husbands own sanity (and safety) you may want to seriously consider a town like Mansfield, its small but has a University. It does have some minor entertainment/dining options as well as some shopping but being someone who also is not a country person I can certainly understand why you would be willing to commute such a long distance.
Mansfield might be a good option too. It does have the only college in that part of PA, that I can think of anyway.
Wow, thank you all so much for the information. So helpful!! Hartwick, you have my word that I will look into Towanda!! I do not want to make it harder for my husband to come home at night, and I just don't think I will get the reality of snow until I live it. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen snow, and it was just covering the ground....
As for my children, I DO need activities for them... gymnastics, soccer, any pro-active hobby that they will enjoy is super important to me. Are there those types of things available in these small towns?!
The culture shock concerns me as well. We are a kind, young, and very cultured family, with very open minds!! My ideas of small towns do not have these kinds of people in them?! Please tell me I will be pleasantly surprised!
Thanks again for all the info!!!
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moving from Houston to Towanda, PA
