Relocation from Erie, PA to State College, PA (Altoona, Whitehall: real estate, house)

[bobbiejudy]

My husband has been offered to move from Erie, PA to State College PA. We have 2 kids- 9 & 7- & are avid outdoors folks-- mountain biking, X-country skiiing, etc. We drove to SC yesterday & were impressed w. the beauty of it. We want to make sure it is worthwhile to go through the pain & agony of moving as 1) moving expenses are on us & 2) not sure if a raise in pay will be involved for hubby. Seems like housing will be more expensive-- would like a house w. bit of land 1/2 acre or larger but don't want to be so far out that commute to town is too much. (Kids take piano lessons- need to be near teacher for that) Husband is a repair tech (driving anywhere from Altoona, Dubois, State College & points east as well. From appearances, SC seems to be growing in a good way w. tech jobs & the like. Erie is, well, an industrial town w. much loss in jobs & depressed. Are the people friendly to out-of-towner families who can't afford to live in $250000 + neighborhoods? In other words, we'll be living w. the regular folks & some smaller communities don't warm to "outsiders."

[vetegnc]

We just moved to the area in March, and love it. We are also looking to eventually buy a house under 250K (we still haven't sold our home in NC), and there are lots of us here! We've met a lot of awesome people and very much enjoy the area.

LOTS of nearby parks to hike at (I'll hike after work before picking up kids!), walk, ride bikes, etc. Tons of kids activities. Great YMCA. As long as you're not a "big city" person, I think you'd like it.

PS - a friend of mine does piano lessons. Can't say how good she is, but I know she does them.
and, Moderator cut: link to a real estate site removed is where we set ourselves up an account, so we can monitor homes, etc.

Let us know if we can help you out. It is a wonderful area!

[twinmma]

State College is wonderful and the "townies" are very nice. I don't think anyone would look at you as on outsider...MANY are "outsiders" themselves who have come to live in State College to work at the campus.
There is a pretty decent development in Houserville (in State College) that the homes are reasonable...about $150 ish, give or take $25K. My aunt lives in that development...they are somewhat starter homes, but decent price. Now with a yard...that might be tough...you could look in Center Hall or Boalsburg which are right next to State College.
Another option, if not State College area, is Bellwood. it is between Altoona and State College. Great school district, land, and good home values. There you would be about 20 minutes from Altoona and right now about 40 minutes from State College BUT, they are working on the highway that will give you a straight shot from Bellwood to State College and they have finished a portion so that shaved about 10 minutes off the time, so now Bellwood is about 30 minutes from State College. When it is finished it will be even faster.
I have lived in Altoona, State College, and Bellwood. For the cost of living and the land, I would check out Bellwood.
Good luck

[Rtom45]

Both our kids went to school at Penn State, they've graduated and moved on. While they were there, we spent a fair amount of time at State College. I work for Penn State in Erie and occasionaly make trips down. We also travel thru on our way to visit my daughter in Hershey. State College is a great area. A little pricey compared to Erie, but I guess you'd expect that of a College town. It has a lot to offer in the way of activities and events. Lots of new stores, restaraunts, new highways opening, .... It seems to be a growing area. The summers are about the same as Erie, the winters are colder, but with much less snow. State College is the largest residential area in Centre County, you'll have to travel some if you're looking for a bigger town.

[Lion11]

Ooops... my post was deleted. The point I was trying to make was that I think you could find what you wanted in State College or the outlining areas. Sorry about that.

[joannd3]

We just moved away from State College and were very sad to leave. We weren't able to buy a home there - were there for too brief a time. I think that you should be able to afford something, though. I highly recommend the west side of State College, just north of Whitehall Rd. There are bike paths and parks throughout. There is also a great place for music/dance lessons on Cato Rd - Arts Conservatory of Central PA. Very professional.

State College is very welcoming to outsiders, and there is a surprising international flavor there for such a small town, as a result of all the international graduate students. My daughter had THE most diverse class - kids from Korea, India, Mexico, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway. The flip side to this is that people you grow to be friends with are always moving away! But boy, do we have a lot of countries to visit now.