NE PA - should I look to move here? (Philadelphia: ski resorts, transplants)

[njforlife92]

Hello all,

I am at a point in my life where I can choose where I want to live - be it stay where I am, or move elsewhere.

So a little about me:
- I'm single, in my 20s
- I am very politically active, Republican
- I can see pros and cons to living in rurual, urban, or suburban enviornments. I'd probably be happiest in a small city with suburban communities as well
- I enjoy hiking, exploring new places, restaurants/bars (not a partier though), scenery, and history

What I'm looking for in a place:
- affordability
- safety
- plenty to do
- welcoming people
- ability to be active in politics
- economic opportunity

Is NE Pennsylvania the right place for me? If so, where in particular?

[DavidWebb]

Where in NEPA specifically would you consider moving to?? Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Honesdale, Milford, Stroudsburg/E. Stroudsburg, Poconos.....a little more details would give more better responses....

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by njforlife92

Is NE Pennsylvania the right place for me? If so, where in particular?

In a nutshell, no. My suggestion (if you can tear yourself away from the NYC metro area) is the Dallas, Texas metroplex. Look up Carrolton-Farmers Branch, Addison, Richardson or Grand Prairie. Very affordable housing, very low unemployment, friendly folks (sometimes too friendly) and very conservative.

Try asking your question in the Dallas, Texas C-D forum.

[auntieannie68]

if you wanted to be taxed up the wahoo with little to show for it and deal with dangerous to the good public barney fifes then this is the place!(scranton-wilkes-barre)


haven't been motivated to see other areas in pa

[Sugashane]

To me , the Poconos has always resembled the old west.Lots of small cities with little restriction and rules, open country, lots of guns and enthusiasts, lots of crime because of the economy in ne pa which is mainly tourism and manufacturing, the people aren't overly nice or mean, but separated. into home grown pa people and out of state people from NY and NJ who are considered transplants, city slickers etc while, pa natives are considered backwoods hillbilly's just a weird vibe all round.

[jtab4994]

Check out the Stroudsburg area. Most offices are held by Republicans at the local and county level, although the Democrats come out to vote in the big state & national elections. Stay away from the big old coal cities like Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, unless you have a particular charisma like Lou Barletta has, because they will always be controlled by the old Democratic machine.

The crime is lower in the Stroudsburg area now than it was during the days of out-of-control growth in the mid-2000's.

But if you come to PA be prepared to change your name from "njforlife92" to something else, LOL

[Jackie2008]

Susquehanna County has all of what you are looking for but the economic opportunity. In fact, NEPA in general isn't good for economic opportunity, sorry to say.

[auntieannie68]

Originally Posted by Jackie2008

Susquehanna County has all of what you are looking for but the economic opportunity. In fact, NEPA in general isn't good for economic opportunity, sorry to say.

sure it is--if one has the right political/criminal connections(here they tend to be the same

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Stay away from the big old coal cities like Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, unless you have a particular charisma like Lou Barletta has, because they will always be controlled by the old Democratic machine.

You do realize that many of the Democrats in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Metroplex are the religious, socially conservative, pro-union types, correct? I wouldn't have been in such a rush to have left if by "blue" it meant "progressive" in terms of social policy, and Wilkes-Barre was the "Boulder of NEPA". I met some social liberals in the valley, of course---namely in Kingston, Pittston, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Clarks Summit---but they were the exception---not the rule.

There is indeed limited economic opportunity in NEPA, especially for those with a college degree. People line up for jobs at a new Walmart, for crying out loud, and they laud a criminal, Rob Mericle, because he brought thousands of relatively low-paying warehousing jobs to the region.

The area does, of course, have many perks, too. It's nice to leave at 6 AM and head to NYC or Philadelphia for a day-trip, do all three meals that day in either city, and then come home for the 11 PM news before bed. The mountain backdrop is stunning. Traffic congestion, except for I-81, which needs to be widened to six lanes, is nearly non-existent. Violent crime is generally low and tends to involve people who know one another. Public schools are average to above-average. Taxes are average to above-average (although not "sky high" like people in the valley love to bellyache about). There is some gorgeous urban architecture in places like Green Ridge, The Hill, West Pittston, Downtown Wilkes-Barre, and Kingston. It's a very family-friendly area with a lot of festivals, bazaars, minor-league sports, ski resorts, state parks, etc. nearby.

The fact that a highly urbanized area in the Northeast, such as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, functions more like it belongs in the Deep South in terms of social policy is what keeps me from moving back.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

You do realize that many of the Democrats in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Metroplex are the religious, socially conservative, pro-union types, correct?

Yes, which is precisely why I characterized those places as "big old coal cities". I wouldn't want to be the idealistic 20-something Republican from New Jersey who moves up there only to be met with "Ah, dem Repullikins is only fer da rich!"