Does NEPA have a "Culture?" (Philadelphia, Scranton: houses, job market)

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Suzer,
I have some friends in Matamoras and the one thing I like is that everyone is friendly; noticed that right away....it's a real welcoming place. Had I known better, I would have moved there in the beginning. I like the fact that it is flat and you can walk just about anywhere.

The hat

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

I still go to the Garden State Plaza, the Palisades Mall and the Naunuet Mall when I shop. I have family there and that is where I prefer to shop. Once in awhile I will head to Middletown Mall, but I prefer the selection further south.

The Hat

[Suzer]

I think Matamoras would be a good choice to live. Once you get off the "main drag", 6, there are some very nice homes.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Yes, I agree with you Suzer, Matamoras has a great reputation because everyone is friendly. The homes are quaint and have much charm.

The Hat

[AmeriKenArtist]

Originally Posted by JimmyLane

Scrantonluna: lol!

tsedeski: to add to what you said about coal mining being the foundation of whatever culture the area actually has, much of NEPA hasn't changed all that much. Towns like Shamokin and Danville, for example, still have that coal town esthetic. and for the exceptional pockets of gentrification like Honesdale and Milford (perhaps), i think what NEPA lacks is a "center" in the spirit of Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.

NEPA is a land without a soul. the bigger problem is the region's economy. "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." if there's any culture, look east of the NEPA border. at least for now.

With all due respect, Danville has a history rich in Iron and The Canal system. The "T-rail" was rolled in Danville in 1845. Danville has a very popular Iron Heritage Festival, and will celebrate its tenth year in mid-July of 2008!

ironheritagefestival.org


Danville is located west of the "anthracite region" in PA.

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by AmeriKenArtist

With all due respect, Danville has a history rich in Iron and The Canal system. The "T-rail" was rolled in Danville in 1845. Danville has a very popular Iron Heritage Festival, and will celebrate its tenth year in mid-July of 2008!

ironheritagefestival.org


Danville is located west of the "anthracite region" in PA.

i actually like Danville and lived there for about a year---they have a terrific summer festival along the Main Street with great food and live music. PA culture at its finest.

i lived in NJ for many years and very few towns actually have festivals like that. Rutherford, NJ has a "Sidewalk Sale" every summer that gets a good turnout though.

[beesweet]

I don't mean to offend anyone here, but being familiar with the area around Montrose is what attracted me to the thread. Over thirty years ago I came to this area and fell in love with it's rural charm. During the last ten years I've seen the rural charm slowly crumble away as the population in the area increases. And as this conversation shows...it seems that the majority of people are more interested in having a trendy place to shop, and need some kind of entertainment to occupy themselves. What happened to moving to the "country" to get away from it all, if you think that you need shopping malls and entertainment 24/7?
What once was available in this area was a culture rich in farming. An area where you knew all of your neighbors by name and were willing to help when you were needed. During the warmer months we have local fairs to attend and even have a little friendly competition. Everyone had a garden and trips to the grocery store were mainly for the staples that you couldn't produce for yourself.
I find myself day dreaming about moving to a place where these things are still available. I hate to think that we've lost all the simple things that attracted me to this area. Time's are changing and I'll have to look elsewhere for the place out there that still cherishes it's rural rustic charm.

[JimmyLane]

Originally Posted by beesweet

I don't mean to offend anyone here, but being familiar with the area around Montrose is what attracted me to the thread. Over thirty years ago I came to this area and fell in love with it's rural charm. During the last ten years I've seen the rural charm slowly crumble away as the population in the area increases. And as this conversation shows...it seems that the majority of people are more interested in having a trendy place to shop, and need some kind of entertainment to occupy themselves. What happened to moving to the "country" to get away from it all, if you think that you need shopping malls and entertainment 24/7?
What once was available in this area was a culture rich in farming. An area where you knew all of your neighbors by name and were willing to help when you were needed. During the warmer months we have local fairs to attend and even have a little friendly competition. Everyone had a garden and trips to the grocery store were mainly for the staples that you couldn't produce for yourself.
I find myself day dreaming about moving to a place where these things are still available. I to think that we've lost all the simple things that attracted me to this area. Time's are changing and I'll have to look elsewhere for the place out there that still cherishes it's rural rustic charm.

fantastic post, sweetbee. to answer your question, "what happened to moving to the country to get away from it all..." i can only speculate. part of the problem is undoubtedly the spell of materialism most are under in today's "globalizing world." this integrated economy thinking has stirred a sense of entitlement wherein individuals singlemost interest is on the acquisition of things---it's all about surrounding oneself with things to the point of gluttony. products that were once only owned by members of the upper class are now available to all. what's unaffordable is purchased with inflated credit lines and payment holidays. the illusion is that people actually own anything.

sense of community is reduced to a night out at Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, or a drive over to so-and-so chi chi neighborhood for an overpriced dinner and then home in your leased car to walk in your living room to turn on the HD plasma screen that you bought with your BestBuy Card. simplicity is unattractive to most because it doesn't allow for showcasing, embellishment, or waxing on how this one or that one doesn't have the latest gadget, like you. rural rustic charm is still out there--there's just less of it and requires some patient searching.

a montrose local told me that the number of farms here in the last 30 years has gone from over 500 to around 250. the end is close enough, truly. i'll eventually have to look elsewhere too.

the hogs are coming.

[beesweet]

I agree with everything you say Jimmy. But I've already started to look elsewhere because this area's change (progress?) is not what I'm interested in.

[WasPA]

Originally Posted by 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.

What's wrong with this picture? Newburgh is quite a hike...and surely there's plenty of affordable real estate/ jobs in that direction so that you can be closer to activity...and your husband...and can leave the rural area to people that truly respect & appreciate its qualities; you don't seem to be having the life you wish as matters stand. What you're having to sacrifice cannot possibly begin to be worth the lower taxes, etc. that you cite as being the sole reason you're situated in Dingman's................