Huntingdon, PA Info? (Altoona, State College, Lewistown: mortgage, travel, rent)

[JenniferAixa]

Hello there! Appreciate all of your help...

We are looking at the Huntingdon, PA (Huntingdon County) area to live and can´t find much information on the town/downtown/way of life. Am a nature lover and know that it is rural. We have two young children. Basically looking for a nice little town to settle into (but at the same time some activities for the children and a fairly cool coffee shop or two??). My husband likes restaurants and a little more of an exciting downtown life...do people just drive to State College for that? Think we would like it...can you tell us more??

Thanks so very much!

[openless]

regarding huntington county. i have friends who live in southeastern huntington county. shade gap / rockhill / orbisonia / saltillo / mt union area. They basically have to drive to Lewistown (30 - 45 min drive) to find work. many people are dairy farmers and do construction seasonally. taxes are very very low in this area. however, there are not many jobs at all and almost the entire community has to drive out of county for work. Altoona and Lewistown are the two main job markets. However, rent (or mortgage) would ony fetch you about 225 - 300 a month. I dont know where you're coming from, but thats not too bad for me. That area has a lot of nature and outdoorsy things to do. Broadtop Railroad, Shade Gap Electric Railway, ThroughCreek State Park is beautiful, it has an ice mine, balanced rock, coppras rock, tons and tons of nature trails and lots of area to walk and hunt if you like that. There is also raystown lake and nearby canoe creek state park. Huntingtown the town itself has some newer stores and shops. Sheetz gas station, giant foodstores, weisfoodstores and lots of hardware stores. they are basically a town that is rebuilding after being emptied out decades ago. it is fairly cheap to live there, but i cant say anything else. very very far northern huntingtown county is very beautiful, mcalevy's fort and greenwood furnace are nice, but no jobs in that area also.... ~Dan~

[openless]

i was talking about extreme southeastern huntington county, mostly. it is nice, mountainous, and is right on rt 522 (how to get to lewistown or pa i-76), it snows a lot in the winter, so its nice to have a truck or a vehicle that can gop thru snow if you want to travel. i'd say its a nice place to raise kids, very rural and peaceful, low crime, but you know there are drugs to be found there, jsut like anywhere. dan ~OPENLESS@AOL.COM~

[JenniferAixa]

Thanks so much for your reply. Really appreciate your help, Dan!

[sherrijean981]

Originally Posted by openless

regarding huntington county. i have friends who live in southeastern huntington county. shade gap / rockhill / orbisonia / saltillo / mt union area. They basically have to drive to Lewistown (30 - 45 min drive) to find work. many people are dairy farmers and do construction seasonally. taxes are very very low in this area. however, there are not many jobs at all and almost the entire community has to drive out of county for work. Altoona and Lewistown are the two main job markets. However, rent (or mortgage) would ony fetch you about 225 - 300 a month. I dont know where you're coming from, but thats not too bad for me. That area has a lot of nature and outdoorsy things to do. Broadtop Railroad, Shade Gap Electric Railway, ThroughCreek State Park is beautiful, it has an ice mine, balanced rock, coppras rock, tons and tons of nature trails and lots of area to walk and hunt if you like that. There is also raystown lake and nearby canoe creek state park. Huntingtown the town itself has some newer stores and shops. Sheetz gas station, giant foodstores, weisfoodstores and lots of hardware stores. they are basically a town that is rebuilding after being emptied out decades ago. it is fairly cheap to live there, but i cant say anything else. very very far northern huntingtown county is very beautiful, mcalevy's fort and greenwood furnace are nice, but no jobs in that area also.... ~Dan~

Hi, I live in Mifflin County, PA (Milroy) and we get to Huntingdon by Rt 605 through BiG Valley or Rt 220/22 from Lewistown. We like to go there for the 2nd hand shops and to go to Raystown Lake, beautiful!! We went through town and I do believe there is a little coffee shop/book store on the corner, turn at the Sheetz store on Rt220. We also like to go to the flea markets and anitque shops. You can get to State College 2 different ways and they are over the mountains. Previous writer was correct about needing a good car for the snow but then again the last couple years it hasn't been that bad in the winter. Check out Huntingdon County, Pa on the web site. or a map of Huntingdon, Centre, Blair and Mifflin Counties and look further into the towns leading from Huntingdon to those counties. Found lots of info doing that in different counties I have looked at.
Jeannie

[JenniferAixa]

Thanks so much Jeannie...you are great to help us. Does the town seem to be empty...is it pretty? Sure that the surrounding area is gorgeous. Just would like to know if it looks "alive." Thanks How do you like living in Penn.?

[sherrijean981]

Hi,
Actually the road I come up from 22/220 is not very attractive. There are a lot of businesses from Mount Union and up to Huntingdon and car lots. At one time I couponed cigarettes for RJ Reynolds and went further into town and it was attractive, I like the one way streets. There is a prison at the end of town. The one road that goes out of town to State College is pretty, lots of country to look at. You go to McAlevy's Fort and over Pine Grove Mountain. Raystown Lake is just miles away from Huntingdon and goes toward Saxton with turnoffs and a nice swimming area and a lot of boating docks. It is really pretty out that way.

I am partial to the area I live in because the mountains are so close. Milroy is at the base of the Seven Mountains, right off Rt322. They have a lot of activities here too. A lot of Amish families and Mennoties up throught Big Valley. That would be the road we usually take to Huntingdon, Rt 605. It is beautiful and mostly farm country. My daughter just bought a home in Belleville. They have a flea market, farmers market right down the street from her. And we get our annual plants from Peachey's Greenhouse just outside of Belleville on the road that goes over the mountain to Mcalevy's Fort. There is also Greenwood Furnace Park with a swimming area there and before you get to the Pine Grove Mountain Rd to go to State College there in another Park with swimming area. I don't remember that name at the moment. There is also Stone Valley at the foot of the Pine Grove Mountain on the Belleville side, that has a lot of outdoor activities. Greenwood Furnace has an archeaology dig for the kids in the summer time and are always doing something there. This area is big time into sports for the kids, boy and girls both. Not to the point the kids are doing lessons in school either. They put the honor rolls in the paper and it is loaded with names. Also the area colleges list the kids names who are on their list and this area has a lot of kids going on to other schooling. But most of all the areas in this region also go to South Hills School, which is for computers, accounting, some medical fields and so much more. They have an out school in Lewistown now.

I guess I was pushing Mifflin County wasn't I? Sorry but I love it here.
Jeannie

[Cyndy]

I've lived just outside of Huntingdon for 23 years and have raised my family here. It's a great place for raising a family!

The town itself is small, yet very active. There is Juniata College with an art musuem, sports, musical and drama performances. There is a business college in town, too. There is a public library, a community swimming pool (indoor and outdoor), a sports complex, and a community center. The community center sponsors sports for all ages from soccer, swimming, track, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and more. There are also baseball and football leagues.

The downtown area has many speciality shops ~ jewlery, electronics, computers, gym, candles, Christian book store, dog grooming, hair and nail salon, office & scrapbook supplies, resturaunts, internet cafe, second hand stores, candy store, and more. It has a 5 screen movie theatre. The main street is lined with trees (as is every street in town ~ it's designated as a "Tree City, USA") and the sidewalks are well maintained.

There are lots of churches of different denominations and lots of community outreach programs like a food pantry and a soup kitchen. As for other volunteer opportunities, there is Habitat for Humanity, a crisis pregnancy center, a hospital, United Way, Pride, etc.

And besides all those benefits, the views are just gorgeous!

[Richard163]

I have lived in both counties and prefer Mifflin over Huntingdon.

[warriorjp2006]

look the other post on here make huntingdon sound awesome, well it aint!low taxes, yes rent 500 to 700 drugs lots, downtown lol come on its a joke no life there not alot of things to do. i lived here for 6 years from md and i am heading back. if i was you i would look else where mifflin county is way better but lots of drugs in lewistown, good luck to you