Confused, in need of advice (Scranton, Harrisburg: for sale, real estate, insurance)

[zansky]

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and I have found some great advice and opinions but I am a bit confused due to conflicting opinions lol. A little about myself & family, I am married with 3 kids. 2 daughters (8 & 11) and a 1 year old son. I have lived in a small town in central NJ my entire life (as has my husband) and I would love to stay right where I am but the area has become way too expensive. So we are looking for a nice little town in PA with some decent schools & activities for the kids. I am currently a stay at home mom and plan on staying that way for a while. My husband is a class A auto mechanic (ASE Certified) so we are hoping he doesn't have much trouble finding a job in/near whatever area we decide on. We initially thought of Tobyhanna, a "friend" of mine relocated there this past fall, but after reading the information on this site we decided it's not what we want. So I read more on the site and thought Hawley & Honesdale sounded like places we'd like to look into some more. Recently I've read some pretty negative opinions about those areas! I'm getting discouraged! Any help would be appreciated when it comes to the area, the schools, employment for auto repair, recreation..etc. I'm sorry I realize it's a lot to ask but I'm just trying to do some "homework". Of course we plan on travelling to the area, in the near future..I'd just like the insider info. Thanks in advance

[ScranBarre]

Hello there Mrs. Zansky.

I don't know who told you negative things about Hawley and Honesdale, but I can assure you that both communities are very pleasant, tranquil, picturesque towns to call home. Hawley is home to the Wallenpaupack School District, which is always positively-regarded by people whom I converse with. The town itself is microscopic in size, with little more in its downtown area than the Torte Knox Culinary Institute, a few mom-and-pop shops, and a few churches, but it is an important community as it serves as one of the "gateways" to Lake Wallenpaupack. Hawley can get a bit congested with NJ/NY folks during the summer tourist season, but crime remains unheard of here. The town is self-sufficient as far as a grocery store, gas stations, etc. are concerned, but better shopping options would require a drive eastward along Route 6 to Westfall Township (Matamoras) in Pike County, where you'll find a Lowe's Home Improvement, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Staples, etc.

I personally prefer Honesdale over Hawley, even though I believe the Wayne Highlands School District ranks lower than Wallenpaupack. My friends and I just spend Saturday sauntering around town for the annual Roots & Rhythms Festival. Central Park came alive with bands, artists, vendors, etc., and the town's main drag was lined with sidewalks sales and open houses. It was truly "Mayberry" at its finest. I snapped a photo tour of Honesdale, which can be found here:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...art-three.html

The town itself is the seat of Wayne County, and it is the "hub" for the northeastern corner of PA. The main drag in town is lined with antiques stores, coffee shops, gift shops, etc., and the suburb of Texas Township is home to a Home Depot, Wal-Mart, KMart, and a few other smaller chain stores to make the town relatively self-sufficient. A 35-minute drive southwest along Route 6 will take you to Scranton, where you'll find many more shopping/dining options.

I'd also like to make a few more suggestions for you to consider:

Waymart: Located roughly midway between Honesdale and Carbondale, this small hamlet is the best kept secret in Wayne County, in my humble opinion. There's just enough in town to get you by (supermarket, dollar store, gas station, restaurants, etc.), and the town's location makes it convenient to get to either Scranton or Honesdale via Route 6. I believe forum member "CougerGM" lives in or near Waymart, so he/she could probably be of better service to you if Waymart sounds appealing.

Moscow: Located roughly 15 minutes south of Scranton and 20 minutes north of Mount Pocono along I-380, this small town offers much in the way of charm. The town proper itself is very quaint and rustic, home to only one "blinker" light, along with an annual country fair, an Eckerd Drugstore, a few restaurants, churches, bars, and mom-and-pop shops. Just south of Moscow is Daleville, which is home to some more shopping conveniences. Both communities are in the highly-acclaimed North Pocono School District. The area is growing steadily in terms of residential population and with newer housing developments, so any financial investment here would likely net you a nice return in a decade or so. I snapped a photo tour of this area as well if you'd like to check it out:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...hoto-tour.html

I believe forum member "Samvit" resides in or near Moscow, as do several people who replied to my photo tour, so they could probably fill in any "missing pieces" that I forgot to mention.

Tunkhannock: Located roughly 35 minutes northwest of Scranton and 35 minutes north of Wilkes-Barre, Tunkhannock is a small farming community whose economy is largely centered around the nearby Procter & Gamble plant. There's a cute main drag through town with a restored movie theater, antiques stores, cafes, and other mom-and-pop stores. The residential parts of town feature tree-lined streets, sidewalks, and historic homes. The town is self-sufficient with its own Wal-Mart and various smaller services, along with Tyler Memorial Hospital, but many residents drive to Scranton and/or Wilkes-Barre for most of their needs. Forum member "MemoriesBre" just moved to Tunkhannock from Long Island, NY, and forum member "KBlasi" is a mortgage specialist who lives in Tunkhannock, so I'm sure both could provide you with more insight into the town if it sounds appealing. I also snapped a photo tour of this town as well:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...-part-two.html

Let me know if I can be of any further help. I'll side with the others and steer you away from Tobyhanna. Pocono Farms is a decent planned community there, but the gated community of A Pocono Country Place has had a checkered history for criminal activity.

Have a great night,
Paul

[karmel]

This is all new to me. In fact I can't even figure out how it all works. Do you have any insights into central Pa. I was thinking about the Harrisburg area. I hope I am not showing my stupidity, but I don't really know how to navigate around this site. But, I am considering a move in the next year to a place where I can bike, walk, kayak, meet people at a coffee shop and still be close to a relatively big city. So I thought I would just throw it out there.

[MollyMe]

I GIVE 2 THUMBS UP For Hawley/Honesdale/Hamlin/Hideout area!!!

[zansky]

Thanks so much for the info and great pics Paul. I really appreciate it ..and thanks to MollyMe also . Just one more question, does anyone have a link (or links) to local newpapers/classifieds/jobs?

ps..to the other poster (karmel I think ) there is a search option at the top of the page that I have found very useful. Good luck on your possible move

[Cougargm]

The Honesdale/Waymart area is the epitome of small town USA....Honesdale offers a Walmart, K-Mart, Home Depot, YMCA, hospital, movie theater (5 screens?), bowling alley, etc. There are several fast food joints and some nice mom-and-pop restaurants. Since you have children, Highlights for CHildren has their headquarters there and has a great Christmas party for kids with entertainment, refreshments and discounted books for sale. There's also a Kids fest in the spring, and the Wayne county fair is held at the fairgrounds right outside of town. Honesdale also has a large munincipal swimming pool and an indoor kids playtown, Fun and Games. You mentioned that your husband is a mechanic, and there are several auto dealerships in town, besides service centers like Firestone and Jack WIlliams Tire center.Go five minutes outside of the town in any direction and you'll find nice country settings.
Waymart is smaller then Honesdale but has the basics: supermarket, pharmacy, pizza joints, etc. The town just held its annual Flag Day parade, in which it seems half the town marches in the parade and the other half watches it Local vendors donate food and refreshments for Waymart's Halloween party held at the town park, and the local Methodist church holds a dinner every Saturday (open to all and the price is whatever donation you wish to give) that serves as a social for many. It's really does seem as if most of the residents know one another. Waymart is about ten minutes to either Honesdale or Carbondale for more shopping and restaurants, and only thirty minutes to Dickson City/ Scranton for the bigger city shopping, etc. If you liveo outside town as I do, you will see deer, turkey, etc on a regular basis.
I can't add much to what SWB wrote about Tunkhannock, other than to add that like Honesdale, it's a small, charming cute town with the basics plus some, and about the same distance to Scranton, just in the opposite direction.
Wherever you look in NE PA, you will find the cost of living to be lower than in NJ, especially regarding auto insurance, real estate taxes and housing. Come out and visit and see for yourself

[MollyMe]

local papers in pennsylvania Pennsylvania Newspapers - Pennsylvania Newspaper List

[grover]

You should also look into the Milford, Matamoras, Dingmans township areas. There is a chrysler jeep dodge dealer right in Milford, and tons of other car dealerships in Middletown NY, (20-30 min away), or Sussex NJ (15-25 min away) It is about 30 minutes to Honesdale. Housing and taxes are much cheaper than bordering Jersey and New York, but both are with in minutes. NYC is about an hour and a half away, and you can even catch the train right in Port Jervis NY, which is only 10 minutes from Milford. Schools are Deleware Valley, and are excellent. The Deleware river runs through Milford, and Lake Wallenpaupack is about 20 minutes away.
We lived there for 13 years, and then moved south to Georgia for the last 2 years. Needless to say, the southern revolution wasn't for us, and we now have our house on the market, and plan to move back to Milford. We can't wait to get home!!!!

[bldginpa]

You might want to consider Greentown. It's a very small town with not too much to call its own...but it does have a very nice grocery store, pharmacy, several restaurants, auto repair, garden center, hardware store, Agway, bank, doctor/dentist/chiropractor offices. You can drive through the town in a blink, but it has everything you could need...not to mention a great school district. The elementary school is right in town. There are several nice communities. If you do a MLS search for Greentown, you will be able to see some of the home/properties. It's a very short drive to I-84 which will get you east or west rather quickly. It's also not too far from Hawley or Honesdale.

[MichaelMarinelli]

Originally Posted by zansky

Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and I have found some great advice and opinions but I am a bit confused due to conflicting opinions lol. A little about myself & family, I am married with 3 kids. 2 daughters (8 & 11) and a 1 year old son. I have lived in a small town in central NJ my entire life (as has my husband) and I would love to stay right where I am but the area has become way too expensive. So we are looking for a nice little town in PA with some decent schools & activities for the kids. I am currently a stay at home mom and plan on staying that way for a while. My husband is a class A auto mechanic (ASE Certified) so we are hoping he doesn't have much trouble finding a job in/near whatever area we decide on. We initially thought of Tobyhanna, a "friend" of mine relocated there this past fall, but after reading the information on this site we decided it's not what we want. So I read more on the site and thought Hawley & Honesdale sounded like places we'd like to look into some more. Recently I've read some pretty negative opinions about those areas! I'm getting discouraged! Any help would be appreciated when it comes to the area, the schools, employment for auto repair, recreation..etc. I'm sorry I realize it's a lot to ask but I'm just trying to do some "homework". Of course we plan on travelling to the area, in the near future..I'd just like the insider info. Thanks in advance

Anything that is considered the Lake Region in NEPA is nice. Hawley, Hamlin, Honesdale, Greentown, New Foundland, Waymart, Lake Ariel, South Canaan, Tafton... all of these are small town, within reasonable distance to Scranton/Wilkes Barre, offer good to great schooling, not to mention a beautiful/quiet scenery and atmosphere.