Pleasant Retirement ! (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton: transplants, to rent, crime)

[blucoyo]

Hi,
I'm very thankful for having found this forum. My wife was looking at a house in the Saw Creek Community but after reading about some of the problems with it,we have decided to look elsewhere.

We want to relocate to the N.E.P. are but are not at all familiar with it.
We will not be commuting and schools are not an issue with us. Obviously
we will need to spend some time looking but would like to know where to begin.

We like a contemporary life style in a tranquil environment. Don't need sidewalks rolled up at 6pm but not much in need of a party town either.

I know this is rather vague, but any suggestions is much appreciated.

thanks,,
Richard

[Riverside4ever]

Northern Wayne county ... Its Gods Country .. You'll love it ..

[fisheye]

Richard,

It really depends on your needs. If you have family that you want to visit? If you like shopping malls or if you require health services. Do you like skiing or just walking in our State Parks.

Remote is great - if you don’t have needs. PA is also a very large state and it takes many hours just to cross the 300 miles of it’s length. So, lets say, you have relation in Ohio that you like to visit; then you would want to look closer to Ohio.

Here, in the northeast, we have many beautiful areas - that are also reasonably safe. Wayne, Pike and many more counties could fit your needs. Tell us a little more and we might be able to better help you. I would also use the MSNBC Map Quest or Google Earth program to get a good birds-eye view of potential new home sites. When you have a better idea you can ask questions specific to that area.

[blucoyo]

hi fisheye,
6 yrs ago my wife's job brought us from southern calif to nyc. she recently accepted an offer of early retirement. she likes the culture of nyc,theatre,museums and such,i need to get the heck out of this
place.as a compromise we agreed to try a tranquil area close enough for a day trip the city.a daily commute is not an issue,we don't work,no kids.not looking for night life but would like some community activities. we want to rent at first before we buy. obviously crime is a factor in any community,however the idea is to minimize your chances of encountering it.

Richard

[PAhippo]

You might look into many of the small towns along rte 17 (now 84 I think, or maybe 86? They've just changed it). A major expressway that'll take you to NYC, or, using 81, Syracuse; various other rts will take you to Pittsburgh, Phila, Rochester, Albany....all within a day's drive.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by blucoyo

hi fisheye,
6 yrs ago my wife's job brought us from southern calif to nyc. she recently accepted an offer of early retirement. she likes the culture of nyc,theatre,museums and such,i need to get the heck out of this
place.as a compromise we agreed to try a tranquil area close enough for a day trip the city.a daily commute is not an issue,we don't work,no kids.not looking for night life but would like some community activities. we want to rent at first before we buy. obviously crime is a factor in any community,however the idea is to minimize your chances of encountering it.

Richard

You could try renting in the Milford area and then explore our state from there. It all depends on what you want. If you have the means; you could rent in several areas before you pick your perfect place. Anyway; good luck.

[Gettingouttahere]

Maybe look at Hemlock Farms in Pike County. It's a gated (?) community with lots of activities and amenities, from what I hear, and it's said to be one of the nicest communities in the region. Can't speak to it from firsthand knowledge, however.

[theatergypsy]

I almost never do this. Many people suggest the Poconos, I'm guessing because of the proximity to The City. Look a bit further into Luzerne County. For starters - Kingston or Forty Fort. Lots of historical interest here. Only minutes from Scranton or Wilkes Barre. Art galleries, community theaters, double-digit numbers of colleges/universities which always offer some lecture or cultural experience open to the public. All the shopping you could need or want just minutes away. A professional (minor-league) ice hockey team and if all goes well, the AAA Yankees club may be back once the stadium is refurbished to suit them. If you like, Philadelphia is only a couple of hours from here to see the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and of course, the teams they're playing on any given day.
Sno Mountain skiing is here. You can join a barbershop quartet. If you're a church-goer, we have all of them. If you like pub-crawling, you are in luck! If you want to gamble, there's a casino. There are tree-lined streets and not a lot of traffic.
Two miles further and there's Wyoming, West Wyoming, Exeter, West Pittston (just be careful of the flood zone). Keep going and it's a bit more rural in Harding. There's an arena in the area and State Parks. And also
Airport(s). Cross the Susquehanna and you'll come to Pittston. And Jenkins Twp. and Inkerman and in all of these places, you're in close proximity to the Poconos if you want to go there for any reason. As fisheye pointed out, your details are kind of sketchy. You say you don't want "sidewalks rolled up at 6 PM". I'm thinking that coming from NYC, your wife might find the tranquility of which you speak a bit too much out there in the mountains. There's bus service to NYC when you need a City fix.

How about you take a couple of weekends and visit the Poconos and then visit some of our towns for comparison?

[blucoyo]

Thank you everyone, much appreciation for your response. yes it is vague,,my life is a bit "vague" at the moment.

thanks again,,

Richard

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

I almost never do this. Many people suggest the Poconos, I'm guessing because of the proximity to The City. Look a bit further into Luzerne County. For starters - Kingston or Forty Fort. Lots of historical interest here. Only minutes from Scranton or Wilkes Barre. Art galleries, community theaters, double-digit numbers of colleges/universities which always offer some lecture or cultural experience open to the public. All the shopping you could need or want just minutes away. A professional (minor-league) ice hockey team and if all goes well, the AAA Yankees club may be back once the stadium is refurbished to suit them. If you like, Philadelphia is only a couple of hours from here to see the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and of course, the teams they're playing on any given day.
Sno Mountain skiing is here. You can join a barbershop quartet. If you're a church-goer, we have all of them. If you like pub-crawling, you are in luck! If you want to gamble, there's a casino. There are tree-lined streets and not a lot of traffic.
Two miles further and there's Wyoming, West Wyoming, Exeter, West Pittston (just be careful of the flood zone). Keep going and it's a bit more rural in Harding. There's an arena in the area and State Parks. And also
Airport(s). Cross the Susquehanna and you'll come to Pittston. And Jenkins Twp. and Inkerman and in all of these places, you're in close proximity to the Poconos if you want to go there for any reason. As fisheye pointed out, your details are kind of sketchy. You say you don't want "sidewalks rolled up at 6 PM". I'm thinking that coming from NYC, your wife might find the tranquility of which you speak a bit too much out there in the mountains. There's bus service to NYC when you need a City fix.

How about you take a couple of weekends and visit the Poconos and then visit some of our towns for comparison?

As always theatergypsy has given you some excellent advice.

I personally wonder how more NYC transplants don't get "culture shock" moving to Pike or Monroe Counties---going from having the subway under your feet to having to drive 20 minutes just to get a sandwich at the other type of Subway! I always thought the immediate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area would be a better fit for people looking to quiet down from the "big city life"---but not quiet down TOO much!