should i move to scranton,pa? (Philadelphia, York: 2009, apartment, renting)

[Djames9]

i currently live in Fresno,ca...and im really struggling to make a living.....in expensive california..im 19 about to turn 20 in may...and im having real problems with living situation....and im just wondering that moving to the east coast....ive visited it a few times...its' a lot more beautiful then here in california...at least where i live there's no beautiful scenery...and safety here...and im trying to move as soon as possible..... soo it sounds like scranton,pa would be a pretty good fit....not too big not too small a city....anyone have any suggestions?

[cgraz1187]

Originally Posted by Djames9

i currently live in Fresno,ca...and im really struggling to make a living.....in expensive california..im 19 about to turn 20 in may...and im having real problems with living situation....and im just wondering that moving to the east coast....ive visited it a few times...its' a lot more beautiful then here in california...at least where i live there's no beautiful scenery...and safety here...and im trying to move as soon as possible..... soo it sounds like scranton,pa would be a pretty good fit....not too big not too small a city....anyone have any suggestions?

Well I dont think anyone here can tell you to move here, as most of us living here have never lived in California. I will ask a few questions, and give you a few answers to help in your decision.
What type of career are you expecting? What is you background, degree, or trade?
What type of living situation would you like, as you probably have found out, the cost of living here is low, but in most cases so are the wages. A single person can do well here making the average 25-30,000 a year. A typical apartment here runs about $500 a month with sewer, garbage and possibly water included. There isnt a great public transportation system, but the buses do make it to every section of the city during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours.
Are you planning on renting of purchasing a home?
It is rather easy to purchase a home for under $100,000

Scranton is a wonderful city, we do not have the technology jobs which California is known for, but if you are willing to put in a days work for a days pay, you should do fine here.
There are many opportunities and things to do in this area, I think you will find the people for the most part are friendly and caring.

I am sure many others will chime in with some further information, and I hope you find Scranton is a great place to live.

[Djames9]

well i was considering...because...im doing really bad here in cali....and ive really hit rock bottom hard.... but i am only 19 years old soo i have time....and from what you wrote...it sounds like it's really affordable..to live in scranton,pa..... is it possible though...if i can stay in a homeless shelter...for a while..and then get on my feet finding a job...? is that possible out there in scranton? because...out in fresno...the shelters are always full.....and ive really never decided to go to one...but it's just too unsafe here.... i mean i'll work for anything right now? are there jobs out there i can get in scranton? thanks soo much for the help.....

[The Commish]

You can always get a minimum wage job.

What is your education level and skills?

[ScranBarre]

Just out of curiosity, what in particular made you choose Scranton out of the blue? I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but it's just astonishing to me that someone from Fresno would just randomly say to themselves "I want to move to Scranton." How did you hear about the city? Was it "The Office?" Family in the area? My big fat yap on this forum? LOL!

I'll agree with the excellent advice that has already been provided to you. The local economy is rather depressed in that locals consider a $30,000 salary for a 40-year-old male to be "good money," but also realize that you can find a nice home in the city for perhaps $100,000 with annual property taxes of $1,500. Gasoline here is higher than the national average, but it is still MUCH lower than it is in California. You will also want to keep the climate change in mind. Scranton is what I like to call "the mini Seattle wannabe" in that the city is trying to become "trendy" with coffee shops and artists while still having more cloudy and/or drizzly days per year than sunny ones. I can only imagine that Fresno is probably accustomed to 300+ days of sunshine per year; it will be a HUGE change for you in that respect.

Scranton is actually a good choice as a "starter city" for someone trying to work through problems and get back onto their feet. We're only a two-hour drive to either New York City or Philadelphia for an easy escape to the action, yet we are still affordable for families, have relatively low crime, and have enough "fun" things to do to keep you at ease. We're just a tad too far to be feasible for a daily commute into the cities, which means we can enjoy day-trips there but don't have to deal with the massive influx of commuters that the Poconos, which are closer to the cities, have had to endure in recent years.

I'm 21 myself, so I can sympathize with you. I work nearly full-time at $10/hour while going to school full-time, and if it weren't for the financial safety net of my parents who earn comfortable salaries, I'd be struggling to keep my ahead above water as well. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to be out on your own at 19 with very little resources to fall back on, and I give you a lot of credit. Scranton may not be the "Shangri-La" that I've often portrayed it to be, but it most certainly has come a long way since it hit rock bottom in the 1990s, and it has a bright future after 2009 (when we'll hopefully have new political leadership at the helm, but I digress).

Best of luck!