Is there any place in PA that resembles Queens N.Y. ? (Philadelphia: transplants, real estate)

[Mr.Retired]

Is there any place in PA that resembles Queens N.Y. ?



Queens is a beautiful hub second to Manhattan.
As a matter of fact Manhattan is not all that it's cracked up to be nowadays.
Can anyone suggest any place in P.A. that resembles a Queens N.Y. neighborhood.
This includes walkability , real estate taxes,crime statistics.
Yes I know, there are many apps that can provide that information but it is
not the same as when you hear it from the horses' mouth.
Would love to hear from Queens N.Y. transplants.....

[Nyfinestbxtf]

NEPA? None that I’m aware of. Queens is a massive boro with many different kinds of neighborhoods. For instance, the Korean neighborhood of Queens? Are you asking if there is a Korean area of NEPA? If you are, no. There are no Korean neighborhoods in NEPA. What about the Jewish neighborhoods of Queens? You will not find that either in NEPA. NEPA does have different neighborhoods and areas. For instance, some areas may be more Italian than others or Polish than others, but the vast majority of NEPA is made up of Caucasians. NEPA isnt as ethnically diverse as Queens. The main differences from one neighborhood to the next, from one area to the next would be socioeconomic.

Walkability? Maybe Scranton and Wilkes Barre, but compares nothing to like Queens. Outside of there you have mostly residential (suburbs of those cities), then subdivisions (just homes), and rural that is mixed with many HOA gated type communities (many vacation rentals), farm land, state game lands, state parks, and everything else in between.

Real estate taxes? If you want comparable real estate taxes that you pay in Queens, you will not find it. Taxes are much cheaper in NEPA than they are in Queens. Not sure why anyone would want to pay that Queens amount in taxes, but if you are inclined to, I’m sure the county wherever you live won’t turn your extra paid taxes down.

Crime: overall, the crime is low in NEPA, except in a few small pockets. Like anywhere else, there will be drugs. There is probably more meth in NEPA than you would find in NYC, but nothing to the extent of being alarming.

If you want something that more resembles Queens, you may have better luck looking into the Philadelphia area.

To move from Queens to NEPA, you will experience a bit of a culture shock. Though you have many NY/NJ transplants, people are different than what you will be use to in Queens. Imo, it’s in a good way. It will take time to get use to, but you will acclimate and come to enjoy those differences or you will hate it.

[Mr.Retired]

Thank you.

I have visited some places in P.A.

I visited Carlisle,Mechanicsburg,Stroudsburg,Camphill,Harris burg,Hershey,Hamburg,Milford, Matamoras so far.

I felt the most comfortable in Camphill, Milford and Harrisburg.

Harrisburg: Plenty of people walking around........... Love to see people.
Camp Hill : Plenty of Amenities close by.
Milford : Walkable neighborhood with charm.

Any Suggestions?

[Wells5]

The Borough of Queens is almost all flat. PA is just a succession of hills. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Queens landscape, check the video linked below (start at 5:30 when the train exits the tunnel).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RErFCQDyU0E

[Mr.Retired]

Thankyou
but this video fall short on solution.
Great for train buffs !

[Chefkey]

Not anywhere around here that's for sure. You might find that West Philadelphia reminds you of Queens. Say, around 46th and Market? Maybe you will find a similarity around Temple University up North Philly as well but in Center City it is different. I can't think of any other town that even would come close to Queens but I can't speak for Pittsburgh or Harrisburg and they may have their areas of similarity. But in NEPA? nope

[briantroutman]

Next to Staten Island, I’ve been to Queens the least of all N.Y. boroughs, so I’m not in the best position to answer your question. But that said, I understand that there are a number of different flavors of Queens within Queens, so I suppose the answer depends on what Queens you’re looking for.

Perhaps I’m biased from seeing All in the Family, but when I think of Queens, I think of street scenes like this. Now if that’s the Queens you’re looking for, let me offer a few thoughts.

Topographical differences notwithstanding, you’ll find similar looking residential neighborhoods in many Pennsylvania cities. To my native Pennsylvanian eyes, the picture linked above could be straight out of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, or any number of other places across the state: Fairly unglamorous twins and single family homes spaced tightly and close to the sidewalk, built c. 1900-1920 to house a growing population of workers. But even if they look similar, what separates Queens from these mid/small city neighborhoods is its proximity to a major urban center, the availability of comprehensive public transit, and as a result of these two factors, the increased reliance on walking to neighborhood amenities rather than driving (one of the attributes you mentioned).

In mid-sized/small PA cities, these neighborhoods, which once housed factory workers and other blue collar professionals, largely deteriorated in the postwar period. Through waves of suburbanization and deindustrialization in the ensuing decades, home values stagnated or declined, and many such neighborhoods became merely sources of cheap housing for those who couldn’t afford better. Corner stores, little lunch counters, and the like faltered and frequently folded with the fortunes of the neighborhood.

Today, the status of these neighborhoods varies depending on the city in question, but I think you’ll find that the current residents fall into one of a few categories. Some are long-timers, the surviving elderly who didn’t flee to the suburbs (or the South or West) as their city’s economy declined. Some younger residents are those whose educational or job prospects didn’t allow them to either get a nicer home in the suburbs or move away from their hometown altogether. Another large and growing group are relative newcomers, people seeking relief from high rents or crime (or both) in New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere, and this is the driving force behind a major demographic shift in many eastern PA cities.

If you’re looking for a walkable and somewhat urban environment with a reasonably vibrant local business community, I think you’ll find that to varying degrees in Allentown, Lancaster, and Harrisburg. These cities have followed a similar path (deindustrialization, neglect, a tide of newcomers), but I think they’re further along than, say, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and Reading in terms of attracting people back into the city to live, shop, eat, and do business—because they want to, not because it’s all they can afford.

Smaller towns that would offer as much of a walkable in-town business scene would likely be touristy—Jim Thorpe, New Hope, Lititz. You mentioned Milford, which I’d put into the same “touristy” category as the others, so if you’re OK with that, you might check out the others. All of these would have much more of a small town feel and arguably aren't much like Queens on the whole, but again, Milford has that kind of a small town feel as well. If you’re “cashing in your chips” and retiring, the local job market won’t matter much to you, but if employment is a consideration, the touristy towns probably aren’t a good place to be job hunting.

There are numerous walkable small towns surrounding Philadelphia: Media, Phoenixville, Ambler, Doylestown, West Chester, and others. Many of these offer the combined benefits of mass transit into the city, access to the city’s cultural and commercial scene, a vibrant local business community, and quick access to suburban amenities as well. But since you have access to Philadelphia’s job market, you’re also competing with many other families and young professionals who also want to live in a walkable town. For example in my town (Media), a shabby half of a twin home will easily run you $300K—a nicely renovated one would cost closer to $500K.

Is there any reason that you wouldn’t consider living in the City of Philadelphia itself? You might be surprised to learn that property taxes in Philadelphia itself are among the lowest in the state. This is partially because the city levies a heavy personal income tax on residents (nearly 4%), but if you are planning to retire, that won’t matter to you anyway. (PA does not tax retirement income, by the way.) Philadelphia neighborhoods tend to have more tightly packed row houses than the twins and single family homes I generally associate with Queens, but in terms of offering comprehensive transit, walkable neighborhood businesses, and quick access to the urban core, it’s much closer to being comparable to Queens. Prices are rising but still lower in many decent parts of the city than in many of its suburbs, and as mentioned, property taxes are low. In addition to parts of West Philadelphia, you might consider residential neighborhoods like Roxborough and Mount Airy.

I hope this has been at least somewhat useful. Good luck, and let me know if I can be of any further help!

[PAhippo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Retired

Is there any place in PA that resembles Queens N.Y. ?



Queens is a beautiful hub second to Manhattan.
As a matter of fact Manhattan is not all that it's cracked up to be nowadays.
Can anyone suggest any place in P.A. that resembles a Queens N.Y. neighborhood.
This includes walkability , real estate taxes,crime statistics.
Yes I know, there are many apps that can provide that information but it is
not the same as when you hear it from the horses' mouth.
Would love to hear from Queens N.Y. transplants.....

If Queens is so wonderful, why look for something you've already found?

[Mr.Retired]

PAHippo: Queens is wonderful. Gorgeous. Taxes are the reason. Troubling.
My taxes have doubled in 8 years. They will double again within 5. City needs the revenue.
This does not go well with folks on fixed income. This hurts middle class retiree pensions the most
as we do not fall in the categories of getting a helping hand from food pantries or public assistance.
Do not let anybody fool you. N.Y. is not friendly to the average blue collar retiree. You better generate $ 100,000 a year
and own your own your home and have no outstanding bills if you want to live in some sort of comfort.
House Insurance ,Car Insurance are very expensive as well as taxes. Pensions are taxed unless on a city pension.
City pensioners ( Consulted with my fireman,policemen,board of ed friends.They are safe). N.Y. is redesigning itself to house the
very upper middle class incomes or the very impoverished. The average working stiff is left holding the bag. My humble opinion.
I discuss this with the locals and most non city hired blue collar if not all are on the same page as I except they are tuned to
migrate towards Florida,Carolinas,Delaware, tax friendly to retiree havens. I just don't like hot weather. I prefer the 4
seasons. Plenty of sunshine and a slight bit cooler ( colder ) is fine by me.

[Mr.Retired]

Thankyou for such detail.



I had my eye on Lititz especially the surrounding towns and Lancaster.
Not sure on Allentown and Philly. Need to research the crime stats.
In Queens crime varies from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Shopping strips ,cemeteries,highways,parklands and other physical structures contains
crime or lack of crime between each.

Is this the same in the PA locations you mentioned ?
Or does crime follow or increase along the interstate and its exits?