Should I move to Williamsport? (State College, Bloomsburg: crime rates, attorney, homes)

[dholsinger]

I grew up in Muncy, PA, and I remember thinking it was possibly the smallest town on the planet. Really nothing much to do there that didn't involve school, fish, getting into trouble, or some combination of the three. On a recent return visit, I found that things were starting to pick up. The downtown is looking very victorian. The streets are clean, the Ritz is still in business, The local Weis market offers a variety of good produce, and Orlando Noviello has expanded to add an italian deli in the space next to his restaurant. The Lycoming Mall now boasts a Borders and a Best Buy, and I was shocked(!) to find a few coffee shops and a very good micro-brewery in Williamsport. The area was so depressed for so long, I'm allowing myself to hope that it's finally rebounding.

Now I'm a web application developer trying to live in DC on a Virginia Beach salary (I telecommute), and I'm considering moving back to the Williamsport area with my wife and child. My research shows some of the school districts are still pretty good. But if something happens to my job, I'm not sure what we'll do. Obviously, the 'opportunity' for good web developers is there - much of the area seems to have so far ignored the internet - but I'm really not interested in starting my own business. Penn College and the other universities around are providing lots of technichal education for the area. Where does it all go? I'm just not sure if it's at that tipping point quite yet.

Lewisburg, Loyalsock, Muncy - We're looking at all these places. I'd love to live in an old vicotrian mansion in Williamsport, and we could probably find one for $150,000, but the schools don't look so hot. Does anyone have any insight into living on the West Branch, especially if you've moved from a bustling suburbia? And can anyone provide insight into the general direction the area's taking? I'm fascinated by the changes I've seen. I'd just like to hear some life stories

[Criterion]

I have lived near Williamsport for a while and I would not recommend it. Better nearby options would be Lewisburg, State College or Bloomsburg.

[DebThomasPhoto]

I would stay out of Williamsport itself due to the drugs and crime. Muncy and Hughesville would be quieter, safer options. Lewisburg and Bloomsburg and beautiful college towns. Danville has Geisinger Medical Center. All of these have much lower crime rates.

[Coleen C.]

I moved back to Pennsylvania after living in major metropolitan areas for years. Talk about culture shock. I dated a Latino attorney and everywhere we went people stared at us for being a mixed cultural couple. I had to move back to a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan environment.

[turboredcart]

Better nearby options would be Lewisburg, State College or Bloomsburg.-- i agree with this.

Willamsport took a dive in the 80s. mayor jesse bloom as i may recall.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Coleen C.

I moved back to Pennsylvania after living in major metropolitan areas for years. Talk about culture shock. I dated a Latino attorney and everywhere we went people stared at us for being a mixed cultural couple. I had to move back to a more sophisticated and cosmopolitan environment.

Some people run away from their problems; others confront them head on! My ex-boyfriend and I would elicit rude stares and comments from a lot of people when we held hands in public, but we didn't allow that to deter us. I want to help our area to thrive and become an excellent place to raise a family. I feel as if those of us who do have the ambition and capability to rectify an area's ills have the responsibility to put their abilities to good use for the common good. I know that I could move to another area and not get treated any differently for being gay as I am here in "Republican Heaven", but if I were to leave the area I've grown to love so much, then I'm just letting the uneducated rednecks win!

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't take a more poignant approach towards those who were treating you miserably just because you were "different." If I had a dollar for every time I've told somebody off for trying to meddle in the affairs of me or my ex-boyfriend, then I'd be quite the wealthy stud! Our area has too many fine qualities to abandon all hope just because we have a large intolerant hick population.

[turboredcart]

-I dont think I could hold hands with a male companion anywhere in PA except maybe new hope.

These rednecks arent as nonsexual as they let on. The best sex I even had was here in PA, in a red neck area. ;-) [they just dont talk about it]

small towns are full of snafus that can last 20 years. pettiness. take your pick, drive by shootings, yuppiville overpriced, or small town pettiness.

right?

[Lindy1950]

No do not do it, spare yourself the aggrevation.. I live in one of the old victorian homes here on what is called millionaires row (real name is Fourth Street) I was born and raised here and it is NOT the town it was 50+ years ago, crime and drugs are sky rocketing.. Also the employment is about zilch.. If you have ever listened to Paul Harvey on the radio he once said if you want to committ a murder and get away with it go to Williamsport, PA.. If I where you I would check out Lewisburg there is a lot of the old victorian there and a much nicer community..

[wstaib]

I come from a family of lifelong Williamsport residents. I spent much of my childhood here, but I also had the opportunity to move away for a while and gain exposure to the real world. The only reason I'm in Williamsport now is because I want to spend as much time with my 96 year-old grandmother as I can. When she's no longer with us, I'll be moving to a more metropolitan area. I can't stand the homophobes, the racists, the petty, small-town mindset, and the terrible job market (I've seen ads looking for licensed, college-educated applicants for a psychologist and they wanted to pay all of seven dollars an hour! And those positions are rare - more often than not, the job openings are for factory workers and convenience store cashiers...). I'm very fortunate to have the job I do right now, but I can't live on it forever, and I'd like to have options.

Regarding the IT industry around here, if you don't know someone, you're almost out of luck. Penn College churns out more cheap labor than the local IT businesses know what to do with. Anyone with real experience and skill would have a hard time being fairly compensated in Williamsport. You might find something with a salary suitable for a beginner on his or her own, but anyone with a family to support could possibly have some difficulty.

Have you considered Leesburg, Virginia? I lived there for a little while. It has all the modern amenities you could possibly want or need (including a great outlet mall!), there are plenty of cultural events to attend, the schools are excellent, and it's got a neat old-fashioned feel to it in the historic district. It's about an hour's drive from D.C., the job market is fantastic (the Dulles corridor isn't far away, and there are tech jobs out the wazoo there, as you may well know), and if you get nostalgic for Williamsport, it's about a 3-hour trip via route 15. If you're into horses, you're pretty much in the heart of horse country. The property costs are considerably higher than in Williamsport, but you'd be making enough money to afford it, and you get what you pay for, know what I mean?

[susquehannock]

Williamsport was completely destroyed by former Mayor Jessie Bloom.

I avoid it as much as possible. A few decades ago, it was the economic hub of central PA. Now, it is a drug and crime infested shell of its former self.

Don't move there....please.