Considering relocating to PA! (Philadelphia, Allentown: middle-class, for sale, apartment)

[Annie Diamond]

Hi All,

I am considering relocating to Pennsylvania. Currently, I live on Long Island and commute to Manhattan which I would still do when I relocate to PA. I am a single mom with two children ages 2 and 4.

I have been viewing the following four counties; Bucks, Lehigh, Monroe and Pike. I would like to know out of all four counties which one and which town would be the best to live in considering my situation. I need an easy commute and the best schools for my children (one of which has severe language and speech delays). Overall, a nice neighborhood that I can raise my children in and that's close to all.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

[turboredcart]

im practically crying over moving from central PA. i love it here. you wont miss new york prices- i guarantee you that.

[Annie Diamond]

Any specific reason why you are moving? Can you tell me anything about the areas? I know that I am not going to miss NY prices. What I am paying for an apartment now, I can be paying a mortgage in PA.

[turboredcart]

yes- my place is up for sale.

my 1st thought is any of those counties you mentioned is fine. im familliar with central pa. the pocano area has seen tremendous growth -had some growing pains.

2 towns i dont recommend Reading and Hazelton. Readings taxes are too high. Hazelton has ethnic problems-and it always snows in Reading.

one thing to consider.

PA has "occupational prvidlge tax" - this can range from $300-$1200 A YEAR. a clerk would be assessed $300, a nurse $1200, even if the income were the same.

ii dont know enuff to advice you. Scranton has had a bunch of problems.

Bloomsburg, Lewisburg, Danville, Selinsgrove are all great school districts but not commutable.

if you work in the medical field- Geiseinger is in danvile. it is a world class med facility.

[Annie Diamond]

Thank you for all of your insight. I appreciate all of the information that you provided to me.

Good luck with your move and all of your future endeavors!

Anne

[SteelCityRising]

Good morning Annie! I'd highly-recommend that you scratch Monroe County off of your list. As Turbo alluded to, there have indeed been "growing pains" in Eastern Monroe County with frequent traffic tie-ups, school overcrowding issues, and escalating crime rates. Northwestern Monroe County is still a nice place to raise a family (Blakeslee/Tobyhanna/Coolbaugh Twp. area), but you'd be tacking another 25 minutes at least onto your already-lengthy commute. However, Pike County, just to the north, is still feasible. Milford is a quiet, quaint country town along the Delaware River and is in the Delaware Valley School District, which another City-Data member, who is an alumnus of that district, rates very highly for its college preparation excellence. Matamoras would also be a good bet, as it is nearer to the "big-box" stores, but also be advised that nearly the entire town gets submerged when the Delaware River decided to flow over its banks.

There are a growing number of PA-NYC commuters arriving annually in Bucks County, but I'd advise you to steer clear due to the high housing prices and relatively-high property taxes as compared to Pike County. If housing expenses aren't necessarily a pressing issue for you and your family, then Bucks County may very well be a nice location due to its excellent public school districts and proximity to Philadelphia for arts, culture, great shopping, and nightlife. (Once again, these bonuses come with a price tag).

Finally, I think if I were you I'd shift gears from looking at Lehigh County (Allentown area) to Northampton County (Bethlehem/Easton) instead in your relocation-planning process. Traffic along commuter-crazed Route 22 and I-78 is horrific, so lessening the amount of time you'd be stuck on either of those two highways into NJ would greatly reduce your commuting stresses. There are a lot of nice, upper-middle-class suburban communities in and around the Northampton County/Lehigh Valley area, but housing prices here have risen phenomenally over the past decade as well, just as they have in Bucks County. One often-overlooked area is extreme northern Northampton County, in towns such as Bangor, Bath, Portland, and Wind Gap, which are on the fringes of Monroe County and have similar commuting conveniences without all of Monroe County's sprawl-related issues. (As of yet at least; ten more years may breed a different story for these areas).

If you're looking in the long-term, then you may also want to consider Lackawanna County (Scranton Area), as a new commuter rail system is currently in development between Scranton and NYC. I myself plan to utilize this new system around 2010 or so when I'm out of college and seeking employment opportunities, as I'm sure many others will be doing as well. Contrary to what Turbo said, Scranton doesn't have a lot of "problems." Currently, the worst problem facing the Electric City is its red ink, which may lead to a tax hike in order to balance the budget. Other than that, crime is very low for a city with 75,000 people, nightlife and urban conveniences are on the rise, housing prices generally hover right around $100,000 (and are expected to continue moderate gains for an excellent ROI) and the rail commute to NYC would probably take about two hours (Perhaps longer depending on the number and frequency of stops in NJ). If you're looking in the pre-2010 climate, then rule out Lackawanna County, and I'd put your two best bets as either the Pike County/Milford area or the areas of Northampton County between Stroudsburg and Easton. Best of luck to you! ;o)

[Annie Diamond]

Thank you so much for all of the information on PA! I truly appreciate all the time and energy that you put into your post. I will heed your advice and hope to relocate within the next five years. I wish you the best of luck in college and all of your future endeavors. Sounds like your off to a great start! Best wishes!

Annie

[NSHL10]

Originally Posted by Annie Diamond

Hi All,

I am considering relocating to Pennsylvania. Currently, I live on Long Island and commute to Manhattan which I would still do when I relocate to PA. I am a single mom with two children ages 2 and 4.

I have been viewing the following four counties; Bucks, Lehigh, Monroe and Pike. I would like to know out of all four counties which one and which town would be the best to live in considering my situation. I need an easy commute and the best schools for my children (one of which has severe language and speech delays). Overall, a nice neighborhood that I can raise my children in and that's close to all.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

The NY/PA commute can be quite difficult. In addition to housing, you must consider childcare options. A good site to go to is Moderator cut: link removed. The speech is done via centralized IU divisions not the local school district, so make sure you get correct info regarding what scores on what specific tests would qualify your child for services. I have 2 speech delayed kids, and have decided to put PA on hold for now because I wasn't happy with the answers I was getting regarding eligibility for services.
Good Luck

[Annie Diamond]

Thank you for the info. The schools in the district where I live now are notorious for being Blue Ribbon schools and are widely known as Schools of Excellence. Families purposely move into this school district because of the special ed services it provides. That is probably one of the only reasons why I am still here. I will look into that website and see what I come up with. I am only in the beginning stages so I still have a way to go.

I appreciate your response.

Annie

[onmywaytoPA]

Hi there -- I also posted a reply to micahgirl that would apply to you. I am getting ready to move home in retirement to my beautiful hometown of Carlisle, which I think you would like. Please read that post, and good luck!