Artsy and CULTURAL, Liberal cities in the poconos??? (Scranton, Washington: crime, unemployment rate)

[NaturalWhispers]

I am an african-american female musician and jewelry designer whose ideal living location would be in the breathtaking natural scenery of the Poconos ..however i would also love for it to be wihin or very close to a multi-cultural, young professional population... Is there any city in the poconos that would fit the bill?....or am i daydreaming?

[julian17033]

Originally Posted by NaturalWhispers

I am an african-american female musician and jewelry designer whose ideal living location would be in the breathtaking natural scenery of the Poconos ..however i would also love for it to be wihin or very close to a multi-cultural, young professional population... Is there any city in the poconos that would fit the bill?....or am i daydreaming?

The inherent problem with your request and wish list is that the Poconos area in unto itself is an economically depressed area.

Scranton proper is in bankruptcy and can only pay it firefighters, police and other city personnel minimum wage due to their ongoing economic crisis.

The unemployment rate for Scranton/Wilkes Barre as of August of this year was reported at 9.4 percent compared to the overall PA unemployment rate of 8.1 percent.

There is a transient population that uses East Stroudsberg as a commuting point to points east like NYC.

Because of this there is a significant upswing in crime in that area.

You have certain small concentrations of wealthy enclaves but nothing that would constitute a town that could sustain life as your searching for it.

The remaining parts of the Pocono's are very sparsely populated and very poor.
It is quintessential Appalachia.

I wish I could paint a brighter more vibrant picture but reality dictates otherwise.

Good luck to you.

[nepaexpat]

Milford, Pa. has a really good art, music vibe.

[Cpt.Trips]

Need to ask..what does being "African American" have to do with the fact you are a musician and jewelry designer? If you're talented in either of those fields, you will be a success. Why the need for people to preface things by labeling themselves just escapes me. That being said, good luck in your search.

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by julian17033

Scranton proper is in bankruptcy and can only pay it firefighters, police and other city personnel minimum wage due to their ongoing economic crisis.

That's no longer true, that was just for one pay period. And they have not declared bankruptcy, although they probably should.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Cpt.Trips

Need to ask..what does being "African American" have to do with the fact you are a musician and jewelry designer? If you're talented in either of those fields, you will be a success. Why the need for people to preface things by labeling themselves just escapes me. That being said, good luck in your search.

I assume that she stated that she was African American to avoid places where she would not be welcome. Let's face facts, prejudice still exists and if you've never experienced it, you can't know what it's like.

Natural Whispers, if you want to move to a vibrant diverse community with really breathtaking natural beauty where your talents can be fully realized, I recommend the Seattle/Puget Sound area of Washington State. The Poconos are basically an upland area with a rolling terrain, not spectacularly pretty and populated by displaced Brooklynites.

[MatildaLoo]

Originally Posted by NaturalWhispers

I am an african-american female musician and jewelry designer whose ideal living location would be in the breathtaking natural scenery of the Poconos ..however i would also love for it to be wihin or very close to a multi-cultural, young professional population... Is there any city in the poconos that would fit the bill?....or am i daydreaming?

How big of a town are you looking for? Jim Thorpe might be a good match but it has a population of less than 5k. However, it is fairly liberal, multi-cultural, and there is a young professional population--it's just very small.

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by julian17033

Scranton proper is in bankruptcy and can only pay it firefighters, police and other city personnel minimum wage due to their ongoing economic crisis.

That is FALSE, the city has NOT filed bankruptcy and only paid the minimum wage during 1 pay period.

The city is a financial disaster and heading for the bottom, but at least be accurate please.

[noellestar]

Delaware Water Gap is cute and very artsy, right in the heart of nature (and fall foliage at this time of year).

[julian17033]

Originally Posted by Mr Yuk

That's no longer true, that was just for one pay period. And they have not declared bankruptcy, although they probably should.

Wow, perhaps I didn't hear WNEP news correctly then.
If I have misquoted I apologize to the OP and everyone.

Regardless, Scranton/WB is in dire financial straights and someone thinking about moving to the general area needs to think about that prior to making a decision.