Does NEPA have a "Culture?" (Scranton, Middletown: townhomes, movie theater)

[Suzer]

"NEPA" is often said in the same breath as "economically depressed and "no jobs," which has a stinging impact on long-term perceptions. NYorkers and NJerseyans view NEPA's interior as remote and backwoodsy and its land nothing more than a nice place to lay a big home on, so long as that home and land reside at the periphery where residents maintain an arm's length from the rest of "them," ensuring they'll never become part of, at one "with."

As a transplant from California, unfortunately this is EXACTLY how I feel about PA. Essentially, I see where I live in terms of my proximity to New York and New Jersey. We're here for the lower taxes and real estate, period. The real living is done elsewhere.

[ilovenewyork]

Very well said. I agree with you completely!

[Summering]

Originally Posted by Suzer

As a transplant from California, unfortunately this is EXACTLY how I feel about PA. Essentially, I see where I live in terms of my proximity to New York and New Jersey. We're here for the lower taxes and real estate, period. The real living is done elsewhere.

Funny one should say this ,as my taxes here in Pa. are more then I ever paid in New Jersey. Granted, I have a much bigger, and wonderful piece of land.
I've heard people say that Pa is far from everything, remote is the word used. That is so far from the truth. We are an hour and 1/2 to NYC, about the same to Philly. We are 3 hours from the Delaware Shore towns and less then that to the NJ shore towns. Not only that we can be at the finger lakes in just a wee bit more time than that.
I feel personally, like we are the HUB.
There is so much to do here that ones calendar stays full.
The shows at the Wilkes Barre Arena are wonderful. The Kirby Center. How about Penns Peak shows?
Hershey Park at Christmas time is just the most special place.
You feel like you are at the North Pole, and a child once more.
The Longwood Gardens. The historic places are fantastic day trips.
There is the MusicFest in Bethlehem and tons, of fairs and well judged craft shows.
The State Theater in Easton brings in all kinds of artists, and news worthy people. What a wonderful place. ( Bill O'Rielly going there soon)
The kids in Pa love the Crayola Factory( Easton), and Giggleberry Place( Lahaska), Sesame Place also ( Langhorne, Pa.) Camelbeach/Camelback........( Tannersville)
Besides the many, many parks with swimming, hiking trails, and biking.......there are some gorgeous waterfalls here. Not just the ones at Bushkill either. Take a canoe/kayak and row down the rivers.
We have skiing in the winter, motor boating in the summers, hiking in the fall.
You can even go to Hawk Mt and watch the migration of the huge falcons, hawks, eagles, peregrine........
I could go on and on........make lists of many attractions of all types and kinds.
No one in Pa should be bored. Especially the kids........unless they are use to hanging out on loud street corners.
Kids who like to explore, and parents too, can find a ton of things to make their hearts soar. Honesdale and Jim Thorpe just had fantastic fall festivals.....I saw a steam train, and horses pulling hay wagons. How Kool!
My heart soars everyday in Pa. The scenes take my breath away.

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by Summering

Funny one should say this ,as my taxes here in Pa. are more then I ever paid in New Jersey. Granted, I have a much bigger, and wonderful piece of land.
I've heard people say that Pa is far from everything, remote is the word used. That is so far from the truth. We are an hour and 1/2 to NYC, about the same to Philly. We are 3 hours from the Delaware Shore towns and less then that to the NJ shore towns. Not only that we can be at the finger lakes in just a wee bit more time than that.
I feel personally, like we are the HUB.
There is so much to do here that ones calendar stays full.
The shows at the Wilkes Barre Arena are wonderful. The Kirby Center. How about Penns Peak shows?
Hershey Park at Christmas time is just the most special place.
You feel like you are at the North Pole, and a child once more.
The Longwood Gardens. The historic places are fantastic day trips.
There is the MusicFest in Bethlehem and tons, of fairs and well judged craft shows.
The State Theater in Easton brings in all kinds of artists, and news worthy people. What a wonderful place. ( Bill O'Rielly going there soon)
The kids in Pa love the Crayola Factory( Easton), and Giggleberry Place( Lahaska), Sesame Place also ( Langhorne, Pa.) Camelbeach/Camelback........( Tannersville)
Besides the many, many parks with swimming, hiking trails, and biking.......there are some gorgeous waterfalls here. Not just the ones at Bushkill either. Take a canoe/kayak and row down the rivers.
We have skiing in the winter, motor boating in the summers, hiking in the fall.
You can even go to Hawk Mt and watch the migration of the huge falcons, hawks, eagles, peregrine........
I could go on and on........make lists of many attractions of all types and kinds.
No one in Pa should be bored. Especially the kids........unless they are use to hanging out on loud street corners.
Kids who like to explore, and parents too, can find a ton of things to make their hearts soar. Honesdale and Jim Thorpe just had fantastic fall festivals.....I saw a steam train, and horses pulling hay wagons. How Kool!
My heart soars everyday in Pa. The scenes take my breath away.

i just moved to PA this weekend. reading what you have to say makes me feel like i have a whole lot to look forward to. i just don't understand why more of those attractions are hardly considered by people interested in moving here.

[Summering]

So happy you moved to this wonderful place Mr. Jimmylane.
And.......Wow.........Just this weekend.
You know what? It took me a while to get use to a new state, and to learn all there is to do. But now having been here 13 years.........I have just had the most enjoyable times, and I hope to keep posting things to do. Sometimes I am away for extended timeframes. But, I hope to keep posting when I can. Believe me, there is so much that goes on that I could never write it all.......I skip over much,and put the main things. You might like the Engine Show that is in Bangor on the 20th and 21st. It is a combination of old time engines, as they worked back when ( the little guys are amazed by it) Some nice home cooked foods, music, and a flea market craft area. Also, a cute train ride for the little ones.
In Pa I actually stood by the President of the United States in Wilkes Barre, and I shook hands with the Vice President and his wife.( In Nazareth) I would never have been that close, nor gotten within a birds-eye view in NJ. I was looking at history live and personal, and it was stunning.
I think even if one doesn't ski, they could enjoy one of the lodges in wintertime.
If its cold, windy and a bleak day..........go into the Great Wolf Lodge for lunch, and be cheered up. Just in the beauty of it. The gift shop, the restaurants, the massive construction........so well done.
WELCOME TO PA. AND TO ALL THERE IS TO ENJOY...........
(ps Did you see the State Theater List of entertainers, some great people coming our way)

[Suzer]

Dear Summering,

My comments reflect what I am accustomed to. One of things that drives me nuts in PA is the absence of freeways, the one lane and two lane banged up country roads to get to many venues in PA simply wear me out. Where I'm located in Dingmans Ferry, it's a good 70 miles to get to the retail establishments I prefer, and even the items you've listed (which sound very nice) also average 70 miles from me. I don't think it's any surprise that I'm exasperated, isolated, and bored and affiliate more with NY and NJ.

I'd really like to find a professional position in PA, but salaries are 50% of what I was earning, even the lower paying positions simply do not appear. Our expenses have not decreased in ANY AREA except gasoline (which we fill up in NJ)!

Some friends and I went to Honesdale last weekend, and I enjoyed that. Sometimes I just get my fill of Poconos kitsch and want my city back!

[go phillies]

Originally Posted by Suzer

Dear Summering,

My comments reflect what I am accustomed to. One of things that drives me nuts in PA is the absence of freeways, the one lane and two lane banged up country roads to get to many venues in PA simply wear me out. Where I'm located in Dingmans Ferry, it's a good 70 miles to get to the retail establishments I prefer, and even the items you've listed (which sound very nice) also average 70 miles from me. I don't think it's any surprise that I'm exasperated, isolated, and bored and affiliate more with NY and NJ.

I'd really like to find a professional position in PA, but salaries are 50% of what I was earning, even the lower paying positions simply do not appear. Our expenses have not decreased in ANY AREA except gasoline (which we fill up in NJ)!

Some friends and I went to Honesdale last weekend, and I enjoyed that. Sometimes I just get my fill of Poconos kitsch and want my city back!

Why would you move to a rural area if you prefer freeways over country roads? That's what kills me about transplants in the Poconos....they move there to get away from the city, then complain that there's not enough city conveniences. DUH! you moved to the mountains, not to north Jersey! Do your homework before you move somewhere.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by Suzer

Dear Summering,

My comments reflect what I am accustomed to. One of things that drives me nuts in PA is the absence of freeways, the one lane and two lane banged up country roads to get to many venues in PA simply wear me out. Where I'm located in Dingmans Ferry, it's a good 70 miles to get to the retail establishments I prefer, and even the items you've listed (which sound very nice) also average 70 miles from me. I don't think it's any surprise that I'm exasperated, isolated, and bored and affiliate more with NY and NJ.

I'd really like to find a professional position in PA, but salaries are 50% of what I was earning, even the lower paying positions simply do not appear. Our expenses have not decreased in ANY AREA except gasoline (which we fill up in NJ)!

Some friends and I went to Honesdale last weekend, and I enjoyed that. Sometimes I just get my fill of Poconos kitsch and want my city back!

Dear Suzer.........You are right!!! I know I will get kicked here........but......
I checked out Dingmans, Milford area with my husband and grown daughter before making my choice. We immediately knew, so very quickly.....that it was going to be too isolated, too far from any hubs, Malls, main attractions, to suit us. Within a half hour we returned to our home in NJ Then we took the route into Stroudsburg over 10 years ago, it was fine, not as it is now.
We knew this would give us access to NJ, Lehigh, Phillipsburg, Easton, and routes to Lancaster, Hershey.........This would be our new home.
Granted after 8 years I had to move a bit further down route 33, south of Stroudsburg.........as the influx of "inner" city people changed our community that I had been in. Many don't like to hear that either. But, it did change.
It went from a quiet, some vacation homes, some year round homes, lots of room in the pool.......to a loud, full pool, unsafe environment.......I was not going to be my home any longer, nor would my neighbors stay.
Pocono kitsch.......yes, in places and at times, certainly.
But, I go into NJ for many things, into Lehigh for other entertainment and shopping, even into NY for all the shows and glamour I want.
( Rachel Ray show our daughter goes to next week, and me, into the city next month)
I personally love small roads, and always have. I like to meander about, without the push of the racing freeways, and highways.
I think your biggest mistake is your location..........IMO.
You are far from everything. But, since your there you should do all you can to enjoy what surroundings you have. Don't you think?
PS I fill up in NJ too........and also its been known forever around here that this state just does not pay a good wage. Its pure laughable!

[MsMilford]

I echo the location issue.

We moved to the area about a month ago from the DC area and are currently renting a house in Matamoras. My husband really, really wanted to live in Dingman's Ferry, but we weren't able to find a suitable rental there in the time we had available before we had to move.

I am SO glad we didn't move to Dingmans. Many people in my office live out there and they complain constantly about their lack of proximity to shopping and services. All their errands have to be done either on the way to work or on the way home from work because everything is so far. Believe me, I enjoy my privacy, but it's not worth being isolated over. I have been told that our office NEVER closes due to weather, but it will be interesting to see how many Dingman's residents will make it in to the office when the blizzards come...

I think because we live in Matamoras (and are pretty much right off I-84) and work outside the home, we don't really miss the old rat race. Where we now live is quite a lifestyle change for us from DC, and feels just slow enough.

[Suzer]

Short of divorcing my husband, I did not have a choice. I would never have moved to a small town on my own accord. Milford/DF is the closest location in PA to my husband's job in Newburgh, and he has a colleague to carpool with in this area, the taxes and real estate are reasonable. On paper it looks great! We have a beautiful home as well.

I'm trying to keep up a good attitude (I know, it doesn't show at the moment), but I may have to have a bi-coastal marriage if I can't find a job soon. I've been looking since January.