MOVING TO PA! Scranton or Stroudsburg, PA?? (Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre: middle-class, ski resort)

[hevenz]

im a young 23 year old man that recived a job offer to work at Tobyhanna Army Depot makin 60k. What is it like in this area? is there stuff to do at night? Im comming from the midwest where things are open 24 hours, big malls, really crowded night clubs. From my brief research it looks like Tobyhanna is in the middle of nowhere. A quick search on Rent.com show apts. in only Stroudsburg, PA or Scranton so i assume this is my choices of where to live. any pro's or con's ?


Thank you!

[hevenz]

ok... after reading and searching this forum i think i have found my answer... would it be correct to say stroudsburg is more rural and if im wanting big city luxuries it would be best to go to Scranton. is this right?

[SteelCityRising]

I'd recommend Scranton to you anyday over Stroudsburg. Both Scranton and Stroudsburg would be right around a half-hour commute to Tobyhanna via I-380, so the distance truly isn't the deciding factor for you. You truly can't compare the two communities. Stroudsburg has less than 10,000 residents and is the commercial center for approximately 150,000 residents in parts of Pike, Monroe, and Northampton Counties. Then you have Scranton, with a population of 74,000. Together with its nearby sister city of Wilkes-Barre, these two cities are the commercial hub for over 600,000 residents.

Here are some amenities that the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area has to offer:

AAA Minor-League Baseball (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees)
AAA Minor-League Hockey (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Penguins)
Arena 2 Fotball League (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Pioneers)
F.M Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
Scranton Cultural Center
Sno Mountain Ski Resort
The Shoppes @ Montage Outlet Center (Opening in March)
Mall @ Steamtown
Viewmont Mall
Wyoming Valley Mall
Nearly Every Big-Box Retailer (Lowe's, Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, etc.)
Ditto for Chain Restaurants (Olive Garden, TGI Friday's, Applebee's, etc.)
Ethnic Restaurants (Thai, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Vegetarian, etc.)
Revitalizing Downtowns in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre
Several Night Clubs (Woodlands, Twist, Flashbacks, Tink's, Mardi Gras, etc.)
Two-Hour Drive to NYC or Philly; 1.5 hours to Harrisburg
Relatively-Low Crime (No Homicides in Lackawanna County Since Mid-2005)


Finally, if you don't mind my asking, is there any reason why you're opting to rent vs. buying? Is this position only temporary, or do you not envision yourself staying in the region for more than a few years? I ask this because $60,000 is more than adequate to purchase a very nice home in our area. I was leaning towards recommending that you look into purchasing a home somewhere near Moscow, PA, which is about 15 minutes to either Scranton or Tobyhanna. Moscow doesn't have many apartments, so if you are insistent upon renting, then basically the Scranton and Stroudsburg areas would be your main options.

Before purchasing their home in Exeter, my sister and her fiancee lived for a year in the Tall Trees Apartments near Lake Scranton along Route 307, and they loved the setting very much. I also see much interest in a complex in Scranton called "The Lofts @ The Mill", which is a former industrial mill converted into NYC-style loft apartments with various amenities overlooking Nay Aug Park.

Let me know if I can be of any further help to you!

-Paul

[I LOVE PA!]

In my opinion, $60,000. for a single man would go real far here. Of course I recommend Scranton too. If you come from a bigger city, also keep in mind, there is basically never traffic here. That says alot when you have to drive 25 miles to somewhere. Traveling on major highways will get you there in about 25 minutes with no delays. Tobyhanna itself might be in the middle of nowhere, but it the most beautiful middle of nowhere in my opinion. Scranton is the place for you!!

[hevenz]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Finally, if you don't mind my asking, is there any reason why you're opting to rent vs. buying?

The main reasons is im young, and it is a contract job for 1 year. If things work out then i wouldnt mind staying.A point of interest you might be able to help me out. I have seen a little bit about the lofts at the mill in Scranton. Although a quick search for them leads to nothing, since their website no longer seems operational. Do you have any information that might be usefull to me such as a local number that i could contact them? I think you helped me make up my mind as to where ill be wanting to stay! Just one more question.... which part of the city is the nicest? North? South?East? or West??

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by hevenz

The main reasons is im young, and it is a contract job for 1 year. If things work out then i wouldnt mind staying.A point of interest you might be able to help me out. I have seen a little bit about the lofts at the mill in Scranton. Although a quick search for them leads to nothing, since their website no longer seems operational. Do you have any information that might be usefull to me such as a local number that i could contact them? I think you helped me make up my mind as to where ill be wanting to stay! Just one more question.... which part of the city is the nicest? North? South?East? or West??

Okay. I understand now. Given that this is just a one-year contract job, it would be much more sensible to rent. If you were to buy a home, you run the risk of both not liking the area and being unable to locate employment in your field after the one-year contract, and then you'd be saddled with the added burden of having to sell your home while trying to scrape by without work. On the other hand, you may like the city and be offered a permanent position at Tobyhanna, at which point I say "buy, and buy quickly" as our local housing prices have been steadily increasing over the years.

As far as the Lofts at the Mill are concerned, I believe they are just about at 100% occupancy. Actually, if you go to http://www.normandyholdings.net , you'll find plenty of information about this complex, including their phone number of (570)504-1555. I'm very interested in possibly leasing a unit here myself for when I'm at the University of Scranton in a few years for my Master's Degree, so you'd be in good company.

As far as which part of the city is the "nicest" is concerned, this is obviously a subjective, opinionated question. In my OPINION, the "nicest" parts of the city are in East Scranton, which include the "Hill Section" (Home to Community Medical Center, Nay Aug Park, University of Scranton, The Lofts @ The Mill, and Victorian architecture), and "East Mountain" (Home to Lake Scranton, Tall Trees Apartments, a blend of established neighborhoods and newer homes, and great views of the city and mountains). Also, this part of the city is also the costliest, as most homes can easily exceed $200,000 in these areas. South Scranton is probably the ugliest side of Scranton, with few trees, drab little white houses everywhere, and some crime issues as of late. Nevertheless, it is also the most affordable neighborhood, and the Minooka part of South Side is a great area. West Scranton is rather massive and remains an enigma to me. There's "Keyser Valley" (Home to a few newer tax-free single-family housing developments along Keyser Avenue), as well as "Hyde Park" (grid-shaped neighborhood full of well-kept older homes). North Scranton is home to "Green Ridge" (Victorian homes), and "Providence" (established, safe, middle-class neighborhood).

Here are some photo threads I've posted that showcase some of the finer parts of the city:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...-part-one.html
Center City and a few shots of the "Upper Hill" near Nay Aug Park

http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...l-section.html
More of the "Hill Section", home to U.S. Senator Bob Casey

A New Photo Tour For Your Enjoyment!
Historic "Green Ridge" neighborhood, home to Mayor Christopher Doherty

http://www.city-data.com/forum/penns...-aug-park.html
Nay Aug Park, "Upper Hill" neighborhood


Good luck!

[Retired Law 08]

yes scranton would be the best choice