moving to Dallas (Wilkes-Barre, Ross Township, Williamsport: mobile home, construction, school districts)

[strawberry]

I have just accepted a new job. I am very curious about Luzerne County and living in areas close to Wilkesbarre. I will be working, but will be traveling both in Luzerne and Wyoming Counties.

[ScranBarre]

Dallas is the "hub" town of a larger area known as the "Back Mountain", which is home to roughly 30,000 people and encompasses the following communities:

Dallas
Dallas Township (Including Kunkle)
Franklin Township (Including Orange)
Harvey's Lake
Jackson Township (Including Parts of Shavertown, Chase)
Kingston Township (Including Trucksville, Parts of Shavertown, Frances Slocum State Park, Carverton)
Lake Township (Including Loyalville, Pikes Creek)
Lehman Township (Including Lehman, Huntsville, Lake Silkworth, Idetown)
Ross Township (Including Sweet Valley, North Lake, Sylvan Lake)

The area is home to both the Dallas and Lake-Lehman School Districts. Dallas is in contention with Crestwood (Mountain Top Area) for being the best-ranked public school district in the county, and Lake-Lehman is often in the top five.

In general, the area runs the gamut from mobile homes and rural country hideaways on acreage (especially in the Lake-Lehman School District) to suburban McMansions (especially in the Dallas School District). The primary artery through the Back Mountain is Route 309 (Memorial Highway), which is often congested at rush-hour when most people empty out of the mountain in the morning and empty out of Wilkes-Barre in the evenings. Route 118 runs west from near Harvey's Lake and is a popular "back road" to Williamsport. About twenty minutes out is Ricketts Glen State Park, a popular hot-spot for hiking, camping, etc. The Luzerne County Fairgrounds are also just off of Route 118.

Penn State University has a branch campus in Lehman, and College Misericordia is in Dallas. There are a variety of houses of worship in the Back Mountain, some of which include St. Paul's Lutheran Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There is a state prison located near Chase in Jackson Township, but it is away from most residential areas. The Lands at Hillside Farms just off of Route 309 on Hillside Road is a working farm that is open to the public for tours, seminars, and some great dairy ice cream! Frances Slocum State Park is wedged between Mt. Olivet and Carverton Roads in Kingston Township and is popular with hikers, fishermen, and campers.

The Back Mountain is relatively self-sufficient as far as commerce is concerned. There are grocery stores, shopping centers, gas stations, chain restaurants, etc., mostly aligned along the Route 309 corridor. I also believe a new Starbucks is under construction here. The area continues to be ravaged by urban sprawl at a rapid pace, but there are still plenty of areas to relax and unwind.

[memoriesbre]

Dallas is just south of us in Tunkhannock. It looks like a wonderful area to move to. We have friends in Dallas and love it there. There are stores, restaurants, etc. You won't be far at all from Wilkes-Barre or the NE Extention of the PA Turnpike too! Welcome to the area!

[Deacon]

I lived in Dallas for many a year. Nice place. When I was there (many years ago - when nothing was opened on Sundays) it used to snow like crazy and coming and going on 309 was almost unbearable. It sure taught me how to drive in the snow though.