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I have a hard time believing the entire east Stroudsburg area is terrible and dangerous. You have your good and bad in every area. For the locals: Do you take delight in trying to chase away people from New York and Jersey? Are all of you that jaded? For the New Yorkers that have moved to East Stroudsburg: Which areas would you recommend? I'd prefer to live outside of a gated community, however not totally against it. We can afford a house up to $225,000 and taxes below $8,000, however must be a safe neighborhood in a great school district. Do any of you have any suggestions? (Angry locals please keep negative comments to yourselves).
I have a hard time believing the entire east Stroudsburg area is terrible and dangerous. You have your good and bad in every area. For the locals: Do you take delight in trying to chase away people from New York and Jersey? Are all of you that jaded? For the New Yorkers that have moved to East Stroudsburg: Which areas would you recommend? I'd prefer to live outside of a gated community, however not totally against it. We can afford a house up to $225,000 and taxes below $8,000, however must be a safe neighborhood in a great school district. Do any of you have any suggestions? (Angry locals please keep negative comments to yourselves).
As far as I know I am one of the very few "locals" left. If you check my post you will not find too many that try to scare people from this area. Most of the people posting on here are transplants that have had good or bad experiences. Most of Monroe County is now transplants - I hardly ever see fellow locals when I go shopping.
I always try to get anybody, that is interested in relocating to our area, to rent or vacation here first. Carefully check out where you want to move. It only takes one bad neighbor (neighborhood) to spoil your experience. You also might want to check out this one "sticky thread" that our moderator posted on the Lehigh Valley forum: Help for new and potential residents.
My eldest lives in Monroe County. He has lived there for about 30+ years. He has raised two lovely girls there.
He doesn't live in a gated community. He does have neighbors, and bears, and deer, and other assorted critters. He also depends on a well for water and a septic system for waste. These are things that some people find puzzling, coming as they have from city water and sewer. Also, securing your garbage cans so that the bears don't have a picnic in your yard every day. This is not meant to discourage you, but to let you know some of the things you may not have known about.
His girls have attended East Stroudsburg schools and one is graduating this month and entering the Honors program at the college she has chosen. The college is not near her home, so there goes that myth.
I don't live in the Poconos, per se, but I have lived in NEPA for 46 years and I join fisheye in suggesting that renting for a year in the area you think you might want to live in is a good idea. That way, you see if the surroundings are just what you want, while giving you an opportunity to scout other locations as well.
If you're relocating due to a job offer/transfer, the same advice applies, especially if you have children. Yes. it's a pain to move twice, (It's actually a pain to move once) but it's the best way to make sure you have a good fit.
I know some posters have stated that they came for a concert in Stroudsburg and walked from their hotel to the Sherman Theater and back and felt not the least bit threatened, and they were looking forward to a return visit. Bear in mind that the crime rate has escalated and what seems like minor incidents to those used to living in the big cities, it's perceived as more serious to people who weren't used to much more than the occasional rowdy youths.
I'm not angry, and I know fish isn't angry either. We just try to counsel newcomers as to what they might expect when they come here. How the newcomers perceive it is up to them.
Pretty much the negativity comes from people who have lived here, hated it, hated us, and never miss an opportunity to tell everyone how terrible we are. If we were as bad as they paint us, no one would stay here longer than 15 minutes.
Now lest I be taken to task for not presenting a balance, there is crime. There are crooked politicians. There are people who don't like the newcomers. There can be horrendous traffic jams, especially on week-ends. The schools can be marginal but when the family stresses the importance of education, and offers the child all the tools needed to succeed, it can work. If you're commuting for your job, it may not be the same after six months or so of being on the road, so consider that carefully.
Hi Natalie, I moved here from New Jersey in 1993 and our first child was born in 1994. We live in Shawnee (zip code 18356) which is in the East Stroudsburg (South) school district. Taxes (school + property) are a little over $6k for a farmhouse on 7 acres. A similar house on fewer acres recently was listed for $210k in Shawnee and sold quickly. The widow who sold it was originally from Long Island, and had moved out here in the 70's with her husband to raise their family. They were very involved in the community and could've passed for "locals".
East Stroudsburg (South) schools are fine, although we chose to send our kids to Notre Dame in East Stroudsburg. Our son who graduated in 2013 received a 4-year STEM scholarship to ESU.
I don't care for the new seats they put in at the Sherman. They used to have real theatre seats but they took them out and replaced them with folding chairs, presumably to give more flexibility in the seating layout. However because the floor is slanted toward the stage you end up feeling like you are sliding out of your chair the whole time! Not a big deal if you are a 20-year-old who's jumping up and down, but annoying to a 53-year-old man.
I have a hard time believing the entire east Stroudsburg area is terrible and dangerous. You have your good and bad in every area. For the locals: Do you take delight in trying to chase away people from New York and Jersey? Are all of you that jaded? For the New Yorkers that have moved to East Stroudsburg: Which areas would you recommend? I'd prefer to live outside of a gated community, however not totally against it. We can afford a house up to $225,000 and taxes below $8,000, however must be a safe neighborhood in a great school district. Do any of you have any suggestions? (Angry locals please keep negative comments to yourselves).
We moved from Brooklyn to Pike County and love it here. We are in a gated community and really like that, too--I appreciate having a dedicated security team. There have been several times when our alarm went off when we weren't home (false alarms), and because of the remote location and no local police force, it probably would have taken state police an hour to get to the house. If someone had been breaking in, they could have taken their sweet time. However, our security team was always there within 5 minutes.
We haven't been here yet through a whole summer, so who knows, the rampant gang activity could still surface. But we were here on the 80 degree and sunny Memorial Day weekend when everyone leaves the city and comes out to the mountains/beaches, and it was really no different that I could tell. There were more people outside walking their dogs, riding motorcycles, etc. but it was still pretty peaceful and quiet. I go for long walks in the evenings and have yet to personally see any evidence of this "criminal element" that has pervaded the Poconos. Praying that it stays that way.
I live in downtown stroudsburg and I have yet to see this dramatic influx of crime and street gangs running rampantly around.A few years ago was a different story, stroudsburg was very run down looking, alot of drug corners, alot of gangs , petty theft and muggings, very seedy looking.Stroudsburg finally took charge, cleaned up the town street by street, buffed up the police force by ten fold, prosecuted the bad element and the difference is night and day.Stroudsburg is now a very attractive town and becoming very affluent very quick.These crime statistics are mostly taken from rt 80 pull overs involving drugs.East stroudsburg is about the same most of the supposed gang members are college kids from the state university their haha makes me laugh when these old bigots from the hills roll into stroudsburg once a year on their horse and buggy and wanna call college kids gang members hahaha.This transplant thing is such a joke too , these supposed old tymers playing this bs rememeberance of yester year, the poconos has always been a tourist trap
Hicksville, NY, huh? I was born and raised in Smithtown, NY (Suffolk County). My husband and I are in the process of closing on our new home in Penn Estates and will be moving in within the next 2 weeks. It's nice to see someone from my old neck of the woods happy in the Poconos as that is what we are hoping for as well. I look forward to meeting all my new neighbors :-)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bull Penner
Before I moved to Penn Estates 3 months ago, I saw a surprising number of people with negative views of both Stroudsburg and Penn Estates on line. It isn't perfect, but what place is? I feel VERY safe here. In fact, I LOVE my new home. I immigrated from Hicksville, LI, NY. Certainly not a crime ridden area at all, and PE feels much safer to me.
Had to laugh at the joker commenting on criminals behind gates. There is no graffiti, no gangs of youths roaming the streets after dark, folks have been friendly and living in the Poconos is everything I had hoped it would be so far. The only problem I've run into was a next door neighbor, middle aged guy, his house is at least 200 feet away, but he was blasting music from what seemed like a stadium PA system.
At first I was OK with it... I mean I'll crank up my music on occasion as well, but when the booming bass was loud enough to prevent me from sleeping one night at 1:40am, I'd had enough. I called security. They showed up promptly, and he's been behaving ever since. When I see him again, I'll tell him it was I who complained and let him know I'm fine with cutting loose, just not all weekend and NOT after midnight.
In fact there is what was once a very nice house down the street from my place. It's been empty for a year. It hasn't been vandalized at all. Another foreclosure someone had to walk away from. It isn't an eyesore. I'm even considering buying it and doing the repairs.
In any case, I find it curious how some people have some bizarre need to be negative when the facts just don't support being so. As the saying goes, there's one in every crowd.
Hicksville, NY, huh? I was born and raised in Smithtown, NY (Suffolk County). My husband and I are in the process of closing on our new home in Penn Estates and will be moving in within the next 2 weeks. It's nice to see someone from my old neck of the woods happy in the Poconos as that is what we are hoping for as well. I look forward to meeting all my new neighbors :-)
Welcome to the Poconos! Have any questions; feel free to ask!
Welcome to the Poconos! Have any questions; feel free to ask!
Interesting thread. My husband and I just sold our house in Naples, Florida. We moved here just for his job so we are moving back up North because I cannot stand heat here and we want to retire back up North near our children and grandkids who live on LI. We raised both our daughters in Smithtown. My older daughter lives in Lindenhurst and younger daughter live in Levittown.
We are going up to NY for Christmas and searching for a home while there; both in Penn Estates and Winona Lakes. How are both communities? My biggest issue is how far away are supermarkets, shopping, and malls? Year round residents? Snow plowing?
Yes, we can see that the taxes are high, but well, being from LI we know all about that. Does Pa. give any tax breaks for Seniors and Vets?
Appreciate any advice. We have to move by February 1st so don't have much time.
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