Ithaca Photo Tour (Catskill, Hunter, Windham: home, living, moving to)

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I don't understand why people are ABANDONING such lush historic places like Binghamton, Syracuse, Scranton, Williamsport, Elmira, etc. in a stampede fashion for soulless places devoid of character (i.e. Cary, NC, Tulsa, OK, Scottsdale, AZ, etc.)

In one word: JOBS, as mentioned many times in the other threads. For the folks I knew growing up, that definitely trumped any reasons like "lack of excitement," etc.

My mother retired 15 years ago from teaching first grade at an elementary school in outer Tompkins County. A couple of years ago she was looking at the senior portraits in the newspaper comparing them to her 1st grade class picture. Fully half the kids who were in her 1st grade class weren't in the senior pictures. "That one's parents moved to North Carolina, that one's parents moved to Virginia," etc.

I left at age 28 after earning my second bachelor's degree from SUNY. I didn't want to move to those soulless places so I went to - Davenport, Iowa, leaving my temporary job at Cornell just before the money ran out.

But then after a couple of years I wound up in the Harrisburg, PA area. I've been able to find work in my field and change jobs staying in my field - pretty much unheard of for professionals in upstate NY from all I see and read.

My sister lives in the Corning school district and we live in the Hershey school district. Both highly rated and dominated by an eponymous employer (although in Hershey it's probably not the one you'd think ). We both have 3 bedroom houses in a wooded edge-of-town 70's era subdivision. Hers is nicer but both are probably worth in the low $200k range now.

Our property taxes total about $3,500. Hers - $10,000. (We do have $500 local occupation tax but that sure doesn't make up the difference.)

Moral for the Upstate NY folks - you *might* not have to move as far south as you think!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

In one word: JOBS, as mentioned many times in the other threads. For the folks I knew growing up, that definitely trumped any reasons like "lack of excitement," etc.

My mother retired 15 years ago from teaching first grade at an elementary school in outer Tompkins County. A couple of years ago she was looking at the senior portraits in the newspaper comparing them to her 1st grade class picture. Fully half the kids who were in her 1st grade class weren't in the senior pictures. "That one's parents moved to North Carolina, that one's parents moved to Virginia," etc.

I left at age 28 after earning my second bachelor's degree from SUNY. I didn't want to move to those soulless places so I went to - Davenport, Iowa, leaving my temporary job at Cornell just before the money ran out.

But then after a couple of years I wound up in the Harrisburg, PA area. I've been able to find work in my field and change jobs staying in my field - pretty much unheard of for professionals in upstate NY from all I see and read.

My sister lives in the Corning school district and we live in the Hershey school district. Both highly rated and dominated by an eponymous employer (although in Hershey it's probably not the one you'd think ). We both have 3 bedroom houses in a wooded edge-of-town 70's era subdivision. Hers is nicer but both are probably worth in the low $200k range now.

Our property taxes total about $3,500. Hers - $10,000. (We do have $500 local occupation tax but that sure doesn't make up the difference.)

Moral for the Upstate NY folks - you *might* not have to move as far south as you think!

What is that major employer in Hershey? I want to say Rite Aid, but I don't think it is in Hershey. It is in Harrisburg, if I'm not mistaken. Then, you have many state government jobs in that area. Of course, you have Reese's, which I think owns Hershey Chocolate now. I know in they still have a Steel presence in the Steelton-Highspire area. Besides that, I'm not sure. That area of PA has always been a favorite of mine.

[ckhthankgod]

Also, you are right about the job situation in Upstate NY. Unless you are in health care, education or some government job, it is tough. Especially with manufacturing declining in many parts of the state. It is definately a time of transition for the state.

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

What is that major employer in Hershey? I want to say Rite Aid, but I don't think it is in Hershey. It is in Harrisburg, if I'm not mistaken. Then, you have many state government jobs in that area. Of course, you have Reese's, which I think owns Hershey Chocolate now. I know in they still have a Steel presence in the Steelton-Highspire area. Besides that, I'm not sure. That area of PA has always been a favorite of mine.

The population of the Township of Derry ("Hershey" does not exist as a political entity) is about 21,000 but it was reported last week there are about 33,000 people employed. The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center seems to employ the most folks who actually live here, the old core area seems to be all doctors.

The Hershey Co. (we found it less confusing when it was called "Hershey Foods Corp.", which in turn was more confusing than the previous "Hershey Chocolate Co.") has its corporate headquarters and three factories (including the H.B. Reese Candy Co. which it took over in 1964), but most THC (really, what were they thinking??? ) employees seem to live in Lebanon County to the east. (Until recently, the Hershey Federal Credit Union had Saturday hours only at its Lebanon branch and not in Hershey.)

Milton Hershey School also is a main employer. They are always recruiting houseparents to live with the disadvantaged youth served by this organization. Milton Hershey had no children so the inheritor of his wealth is the Milton Hershey School Trust. The Trust was reported not to be too worried at the $2 billion paper loss in its portfolio, which includes a controlling interest in THC and 100% ownership of...

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co. owns the Hersheypark theme park, Giant Center arena, and associated lodging. They have in recent years resort-ed to importing guest workers from Poland.

However, in larger Dauphin County, the largest employer by far is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, due to Harrisburg being the state capital. Several blocks of Harrisburg (population now <50,000 in the city limits) actually look urban as a result of the state office towers & the like. One can read a lot more about the Harrisburg urban renaissance in the PA forum.

The steel mill remains in adjacent Steelton but of course it's much smaller than it once was. Their main product is railroad rail and apparently business is booming.

Rite Aid had actually been hiring at the headquarters here a couple of years ago after taking over Brooks and Eckerd, but now they are going to do a 10 to 1 reverse stock split to bring their share price over $1.00 to remain listed on the stock exchange. Their offices are in the "West Shore" suburbs on the opposite side of the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg.

On flying into the Harrisburg (MDT) airport, one can often look down the disused cooling towers of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear plant. (Unit 1 remains operational.) Suburban sprawl in this area stopped abruptly at the viewshed boundary of these cooling towers for 20 years.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

The population of the Township of Derry ("Hershey" does not exist as a political entity) is about 21,000 but it was reported last week there are about 33,000 people employed. The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center seems to employ the most folks who actually live here, the old core area seems to be all doctors.

The Hershey Co. (we found it less confusing when it was called "Hershey Foods Corp.", which in turn was more confusing than the previous "Hershey Chocolate Co.") has its corporate headquarters and three factories (including the H.B. Reese Candy Co. which it took over in 1964), but most THC (really, what were they thinking??? ) employees seem to live in Lebanon County to the east. (Until recently, the Hershey Federal Credit Union had Saturday hours only at its Lebanon branch and not in Hershey.)

Milton Hershey School also is a main employer. They are always recruiting houseparents to live with the disadvantaged youth served by this organization. Milton Hershey had no children so the inheritor of his wealth is the Milton Hershey School Trust. The Trust was reported not to be too worried at the $2 billion paper loss in its portfolio, which includes a controlling interest in THC and 100% ownership of...

Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co. owns the Hersheypark theme park, Giant Center arena, and associated lodging. They have in recent years resort-ed to importing guest workers from Poland.

However, in larger Dauphin County, the largest employer by far is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, due to Harrisburg being the state capital. Several blocks of Harrisburg (population now <50,000 in the city limits) actually look urban as a result of the state office towers & the like. One can read a lot more about the Harrisburg urban renaissance in the PA forum.

The steel mill remains in adjacent Steelton but of course it's much smaller than it once was. Their main product is railroad rail and apparently business is booming.

Rite Aid had actually been hiring at the headquarters here a couple of years ago after taking over Brooks and Eckerd, but now they are going to do a 10 to 1 reverse stock split to bring their share price over $1.00 to remain listed on the stock exchange. Their offices are in the "West Shore" suburbs on the opposite side of the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg.

On flying into the Harrisburg (MDT) airport, one can often look down the disused cooling towers of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear plant. (Unit 1 remains operational.) Suburban sprawl in this area stopped abruptly at the viewshed boundary of these cooling towers for 20 years.

I forgot about the Medical Center and the Milton Hershey School. It is interesting how the Hershey workers live in Lebanon County.

Also, I didn't know Rite Aid had offices in Cumberland County. Where are they located? Camp Hill, Enola, Mechanicsburg....?

Steelton-Highspire High School's nickname is the Rollers. So, it does make sense that the mill manufactures railroad rail. I wonder if they have a contract with cities that are starting rail transportation?

Then, you have the Central Dauphin School district and the Susquehanna Township school district, with both being very diverse for being suburban school districts. Same somewhat with Middletown too.

[ki0eh]

Rite Aid has several sites in two clusters, one just north of the Borough of Camp Hill and one a little bit west. I'm not sure what happens at each. On the radio they are referred to as "East Pennsboro Township-based Rite Aid..."

[LiveUrban]

What a great downtown for its population!

Great photos!!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by LiveUrban

What a great downtown for its population!

Great photos!!

Yes, it is. A very much underrated city that is a hidden gem here in Upstate NY.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Yes, it is. A very much underrated city that is a hidden gem here in Upstate NY.

Well let's keep it "underrated." As soon as word spreads about the great quality-of-life in Ithaca, all bets are off. The NYC crowd has just stumbled upon Scranton, and now we're bracing for our population to skyrocket to 0!

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Well let's keep it "underrated." As soon as word spreads about the great quality-of-life in Ithaca, all bets are off. The NYC crowd has just stumbled upon Scranton, and now we're bracing for our population to skyrocket to 0!

I hear you. I think some people from NYC have already started moving up this way, to be honest. Not just to the major cities here, but to smaller cities too. So, who knows what will happen, but I think it would be a good mix of people that would move to Ithaca due to the cultural and educational amenities of the city.