If you could own a home anywhere in NEPA, where would it be and why??? (Scranton: cul-de-sac, real estate market)

[irishLASSIE333]

I was originally going to ask "If you could live anywhere, where/why?" but then realized it would not necessarily be relevant to this particular forum, so instead I am posing the question:

If money was NO object, where in NEPA would you choose to live and why?

I am sure our answers will all be incredibly varied and may even give us ideas about visiting places in the area we have never been to or have not seen in quite some time.

If I had no monetary limitations, I would just LOVE to renovate an old farmhouse at the base of Elk Mountain, somewhere on the Wayne/Susquehanna border...with a nice parcel of land so that I could have a sprawling garden to grow flowers, herbs, vegetables and different kinds of grasses. Of course, sweeping views of Elk would be a priority.
It would be important for me to purchase an established property. It is so lovely and serene up there that I would not want to bulldoze any woods or fields -- then again, I wouldn't need to!

I love the idea of living in an old home with updated, up-to-code interiors with the charm and character and history of the place preserved. I would probably deck out the inside WAY above what the real estate market up there would be able to handle, but then again, this is a dream home, so I wouldn't have to worry about resale value; I'd never leave!!!

I would love to lead a quiet existence up there: taking long walks, trying out recipes with the veggies and herbs from my garden, filling my home with the flowers I grew myself, skiing in the wintertime, and of course enjoying a meal at Stonebridge several times each month. Sounds good to me!

Sooo. . .what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them!

[to570717]

I'd buy Marworth and live there.

There are a few ther places n Waverly that are similar but the fact that it has an Estate name that is soo familiar adds to its charm.

[MermanMike]

Lassie--I think you pretty much just summed up my dream, too! Sounds beautiful.

[poconosmama]

I'd be on top of a mountain somewhere around here, probably Newfoundland. Has to be at least a few acres and have some of those 360 degree views.

[ScranBarre]

I'd live in a small Victorian fixer-upper in the Lower Hill neighborhood of Scranton that I'd painstakingly renovate to its former grandeur. The home would have three bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms along with a living room, kitchen, and dining room. Preferably there would also be a rear alley that would permit me to build a detached one-car garage for vehicular storage that I'd design to match the exterior decor of the home. The home's exterior would have a turret, a large front porch, a small front yard that would still be large enough for me to do some landscaping, and a rear patio or deck with room for a hot tub. The interior would have stained glass windows, natural woodwork, French doors, hardwood flooring, original bath fixtures, and high first-floor ceilings. The home would preferably cost no more than $150,000, and then I'd spend no more than $50,000 on renovations.

The neighborhood would offer convenience to various city amenities. I'd be able to walk downtown to my office, restaurants, bars, shops, the movie theater, the cultural center, Steamtown Mall, etc. I'd be within walking distance of the University of Scranton and Lackawanna College to see various guest lecturers. I'd live on a tree-lined street with sidewalks that would be perfect for me to run along and train for the Steamtown Marathon. My children would be able to walk to their elementary school, escorted by me or my partner of course. We'd be within a mile's walk of Nay Aug Park where the kids could cool off in the pool in the summer and where I could take them to see the gorgeous gorge.

I'd like to strive to improve the image and appeal of the Lower Hill neighborhood, a part of the city riddled with drug trafficking issues in the past that I believe could very easily turn itself around given its close proximity to downtown and the university. I'd like to do so by splitting the Hill Section Neighborhood Association into the "Upper Hill" and "Lower Hill" at which point I'd like to become president of the Lower Hill Neighborhood Association. We'd have an aggressive neighborhood watch that would encourage people to leave exterior lights on all night, increased vigilance, and random police saturation patrols to weed out crack houses. We'd have one major annual block party to help bring the neighborhood together, and that would be supplemented by bi-monthly neighborhood barbecues in my backyard, pilgrimages to Yankees or Penguins games, and "free swim days" in which parents would pool their money together so that disadvantaged kids in the neighborhood could swim at the Nay Aug Park pool.

For as much as people slam Scranton into the ground for its high wage tax, unavoidable potholes, inept politicians, etc., it's a dream come true for folks who are tired of suburban living with no sidewalks, no shade trees, traffic congestion, and most importantly---no sense of community spirit. I'm tiring of going for runs and nearly getting plowed over by vehicles because I have to run in the street. I'm disgusted that folks in my neighborhood aren't friendly at all and are obsessed with "keeping up with the Jones's." For as much as people in Scranton whine that they want to live in the suburbs, I can tell you that they're not all they're cracked up to be. My sister and brother-in-law moved into an older home in a nice in-town neighborhood. I plan to do the same in 2009. My parents are also contemplating selling our homestead due to concerns about congestion with a mall moving in next-door in 2008. Many others in our subdivision aren't very happy.

I want my own children to grow up in a tree-lined walkable neighborhood like the Hill Section so they can have neighborhood friends to play with and to walk to one another's homes, walk to school, walk to the park, etc., all of which I was unable to do living at least a five-minute drive from everything.

[FightinPhils]

I'm perfectly happy where I'm at in West Side, but I wouldn't mind buying my neighbor's house and knocking it down to extend my yard and put a small addition onto my house. I'd be more than happy with that. I don't need a status symbol house on an Abington cul-de-sac.

[irishLASSIE333]

Originally Posted by MermanMike

Lassie--I think you pretty much just summed up my dream, too! Sounds beautiful.

Thanks! I admit, it sounds great to me, too. I really like it up there.

Poconos -- I hear ya about wanting 360 degree views! There are definitely some beautiful views to be had in the area.

SWB -- Sounds idyllic, and I hope it becomes a reality for you in the near future.

Conorsdad -- That's awesome that you are happy with where you are!

[hopbottomhal]

Olyphant, grand old Olyphant, where the evening stars shine brightly!

[Summering]

I'll stay on my mountain, if someone would come and plow me out, without me going through 20 plowers and getting a zero answer......
I love the views too.......

[61scout80]

bear creek. grew up there and miss it, but that winter thing you people do is keeping me away