Moving To West Pittston From Savannah (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: townhomes, neighborhood, school district)

[ArmyWife143]

My husband is retiring from the Army and we have been stationed here in Savannah for the last 3 years (1 year of that he was in Iraq). I am originally from New Orleans and we moved here to Savannah after hurricane katrina. I am done with the South, I suppose. Any advice on how our transition can be a pleasant one?

We have two kids, one 12 and one just turned a year old. I will take any pros and cons, you can give. Thanks a bunch!

[memoriesbre]

Hi! I think you and your family will be fine up here. Everybody is so nice and there are alot of families from different parts of the country moving to NEPA.
I would love to be the first to welcome you!! If you ever want to talk just pm me

[W-B proud]

West Pittston is a very nice, family oriented town in The Wyoming Valley. I think you'll like it alot. I'm pretty sure you'll be in the Wyoming school district which is also good. Nice "Mr. Rodgers neighborhood" type area. I can't think of one negative thing to say about West Pittston to be honest with you.

[ScranBarre]

I live just across the Susquehanna River and just uphill from West Pittston, the "Garden Village," and have relatives and friends who reside there. I would be more than happy to address any and all inquiries you may have about this pleasant little town of just under 5,000 nearly midway between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

West Pittston is a very family-oriented community. Volunteer efforts recently heralded the opening of the county's first public dog park. The West Pittston Public Pool is very popular in the summer, as are the borough's several playgrounds. Nearly every street has a sidewalk, and roughly 60% of the town by my estimation has tree-lined streets, making for a pleasant green canopy while strolling. I even drive over here on occasion, park my car near the northern terminus of Susquehanna Avenue, and then run down this street that is flanked by the Susquehanna River and cherry blossom trees on the east side and beautiful Victorian-era homes on the west side.

Most of the town's housing stock is older, but two newer subdivisions are also in town. You can find River Shores, an upscale gated community, along the river (yet outside of the flood zone) near Pride Mobility Products on the border with Exeter. Across town you will find Ledgeview (named for its impressive view of Campbell's Ledge Mountain), with traditional newer two-story vinyl homes in the $200k range and single-story townhomes in the mid-$100k range. This subdivision sits directly across the street from Blue Ribbon Dairy, a very popular Greater Pittston summer hotspot to enjoy ice cream.

West Pittston is a very walkable community in that you can access various businesses, including but not limited to the ones listed below, within a mile's walk of most homes in the borough (our word for town in PA):

• Agolino's Restaurant (Yummy Stuffed French Toast!)
• Antiques 'N Non
• Bank of America
• Blockbuster Video
• Cheers Bar
• CVS
• Dunkin' Donuts
• Gerrity's Supermarket
• Old Mill Pine Hardware
• PNC Bank
• Rite-Aid
• ...many dentists, physicians, funeral homes, gas stations, churches, and other services as well

West Pittston is part of the Wyoming Area School District, which in my opinion is the best public school district in Luzerne County besides the ones located in the rapidly-growing affluent boom 'burbs like the Back Mountain or Mountain Top. Located on the corner of Wyoming Avenue (U.S. Route 11) and Montgomery Avenue is the Montgomery Avenue Elementary School. Just down Wyoming Avenue in Exeter you'll find the Wyoming Area Catholic School. Also just over the Exeter border is the Wyoming Area Secondary Center. Every May the community hosts its annual cherry blossom festival, which is marked by a parade, childrens' pageant, food, music, games, etc. on the riverfront. I was unable to attend this past weekend's event due to a conflicting work schedule, but I have found past festivals to be great ways to bump into townspeople you haven't seen in a number of years and catch up on old times.

If you haven't done so already be certain to check out my http://www.city-data.com/forum/north...hoto-tour.html for a sneak peek at what you can expect in West Pittston.

If you have any further inquiries, feel free to let us know. We may bicker on here a lot about Scranton's political climate, but overall we don't bite (at least not in public!)

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by W-B proud

West Pittston is a very nice, family oriented town in The Wyoming Valley. I think you'll like it alot. I'm pretty sure you'll be in the Wyoming school district which is also good. Nice "Mr. Rodgers neighborhood" type area. I can't think of one negative thing to say about West Pittston to be honest with you.

"Mr. Rodgers?" I like that! I kid you not when I tell you that last week when my partner and I along with my two out-of-town friends went to enjoy breakfast at Agolino's we were stopped on the short walk between our car and the restaurant by two well-dressed teenaged males giving us literature and inviting us to attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. West Pittston may just be one of the few socially conservative strongholds remaining in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, for better or for worse. I like how friendly everyone there is, but at the same time it does get to be a little too "Leave it to Beaver" or "Mayberry" for my tastes, being that I crave the action of the big, bustling city (a.k.a. Scranton).

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by memoriesbre

Hi! I think you and your family will be fine up here. Everybody is so nice and there are alot of families from different parts of the country moving to NEPA.
I would love to be the first to welcome you!! If you ever want to talk just pm me

I second that. Memoriesbre is my adoptive aunt, and even though we've never met (yet) I think she'd welcome you with open arms if you ever considered the Tunkhannock/Meshoppen area.

[W-B proud]

I've heard that Savannah is one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Why would you want to leave there to move here?

[ArmyWife143]

Hey W-B, You're right, Savannah is beautiful, so is New Orleans (my home). But I am 35 with two kids and with a husband just retiring from the Army, we are ready to settle down. There just isn't any more room for partying in us. LOL. We've traveled quite a bit and we've gotten everything we could possibly get out of "cities with night life". We want to find somewhere we can settle and plant our roots. Quiet, family oriented and definitely great schools, is what we're looking for. Not to mention, if we ever get the itch of a big city, NYC is only a couple of hours away

[W-B proud]

Well, I think you'll find what your looking for in Northeast Pa. Welcome!

[ArmyWife143]

See what I mean? Nice people. I'm so not used to it. I love that people in big cities have the "keep to yourself" mentality but at the same time it's nice to know who your neighbors are you know? Thank you all for the welcome. I really appreciate it, I can get used to this