Moving to Scranton (Pittston, Valley View, Hyde: house, neighborhoods, school district)

[erniro]

Hey all...

Im moving from AZ to Scranton next summer. Im really excited! Any advice on which areas I should avoid? Or some really nice areas I should consider? My sister and I have been looking for homes in Greenridge. Is that a good area? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sure I will be on here a lot. So, I hope to get to know some of you. Thanks for the help! --Jen--

[Southwb]

Greenridge is the best area in Scranton the lower end would be sothside, but that is still nice. Greenridge was for the upper class in is hayday.

[kvysmom]

Well, Greenridge and East Mountain areas are both very nice, but nothing beats you just looking all around. There are many neighborhoods in Scranton, and all seem to have an area that is very desirable, and an area that is a little less desirable. My advice to you is to be open to more than just Greenridge, etc., while South side may get a bad rap, there are some very nice pockets of nicely kept homes within the area. Same goes for any of the neighborhoods. Generally you will find some very nice homes in Green Ridge and East Mountain areas of Scranton. Keep yourself open to a city outside of Scranton as well, you will save a lot of money in wage taxes...Scranton's wage tax is 3.2% I beleive (if not someone correct me pls)...most other areas near the city are at 1%. I was a Scrantonian for many years before leaving for a community in the Mid Valley area (15 mins from Scranton) and we get a lot more for what we pay in taxes (which is much less than what we paid in Scranton). Best wishes on your move!

[NYRangers 2008]

I agree with kvysmom. The wage tax is the highest in the state and the taxes are too much for a city this size. They will only get higher to try and pay off the debt the current mayor has inflicted on Scranton. There are some nice communities in the Scranton area with lower taxes where you get a lot more, like kvysmom has stated. I say look in the city and the surrounding areas and then decide for yourself. Good luck.

[61scout80]

I may be a good help to you since i moved from the wilkes-barre/scranton area to phoenix metro, but i could use more info from you.

Do you have a job lined up? what area? if not, what do you do?
What made you choose scranton out of everywhere else in the world?
What do you do in your free time?
Do you prefer to be in the thick of things, or out on the outskirts?
Need a yard? garage?

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by kvysmom

Well, Greenridge and East Mountain areas are both very nice, but nothing beats you just looking all around. There are many neighborhoods in Scranton, and all seem to have an area that is very desirable, and an area that is a little less desirable. My advice to you is to be open to more than just Greenridge, etc., while South side may get a bad rap, there are some very nice pockets of nicely kept homes within the area. Same goes for any of the neighborhoods. Generally you will find some very nice homes in Green Ridge and East Mountain areas of Scranton. Keep yourself open to a city outside of Scranton as well, you will save a lot of money in wage taxes...Scranton's wage tax is 3.2% I beleive (if not someone correct me pls)...most other areas near the city are at 1%. I was a Scrantonian for many years before leaving for a community in the Mid Valley area (15 mins from Scranton) and we get a lot more for what we pay in taxes (which is much less than what we paid in Scranton). Best wishes on your move!

To be fair, while Scranton's wage tax is high, the property taxes are reasonable and lower than the Mid-Valley, at least lower than Valley View School District, which has one of the highest school property taxes in the area. Plus, you get more house for the money in Scranton and living 15 minutes north of Scranton can add up to burning a lot more gas in your car because you'll be driving further to get places.

[ScranBarre]

Welcome in advance to the region.

In case you haven't already noticed we here on the NEPA are like an extended family who will embrace you with open arms (even though we do squabble quite a bit). I'm planning a move myself from Pittston, just south of the city, into Scranton over the next two years, and my top choice thus far is Hyde Park, in the city's West Side. West Scranton has its own high school, which receives better ratings overall from most parents than Scranton High School. Hyde Park has its own "downtown" district along Main Avenue with a lot of neighborhood conveniences---barber shops/beauty parlors, restaurants, pharmacies, churches, gas stations, etc. Green Ridge, in the city's northern reaches, is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the Electric City. Parts of the Hill Section, to the east of downtown, are nice as well, although it's very easy to go from one block that is gorgeous to one block that is sketchy. In the far southern part of town you'll find the neighborhood of Minooka, which I've also always been partial to. There are some rougher areas of South Side, but even then a lot of it is over exaggerated; some old timers regard the sudden mass influx of Hispanics in that neighborhood, especially around Cedar and Pittston Avenues, to be reason for alarm.

We have probably nearly a dozen current or former city residents lurking around this forum, so they'll all help you to the best of their abilities I'm sure. Most of them are concentrated in West Side, but there are a few others in other parts of town---weluvpa lives in Lower Green Ridge and CHS89, who has been AWOL as of late, lives in South Side. I'm in the city quite frequently, and my father works downtown, so I consider myself to be somewhat knowledgeable about the city myself.

If you haven't done so already, check out the "Photo Tours" link in the announcements section on the top of the NEPA forum. You'll see a few links to several photo tours I have done in 2006 and 2007 of parts of Scranton (with more to come as either fuel prices decline or my income climbs).

[61scout80]

I don't think the photo tours are still in the announcements section. I only see the announcement about the new weight loss section and the terms of service...

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by 61scout80

I don't think the photo tours are still in the announcements section. I only see the announcement about the new weight loss section and the terms of service...

Oh. I hadn't even noticed that they had been removed. You can always do a search for them I suppose.

[Retired Law 08]

I just noticed that they are gone at top.I guess doing a search,photo shoot
in the nepa forum...