How is Altoona for retirement? (Pittsburgh, Erie: rent, low crime, house)

[meo92953]

I'm researching my family & discovered my great a grandparents lived in Altoona. I don't know why my grandparents came to Minnesota but want to see the place we originally came from & investigate.

What is the COL there? Are there senior complexes? I live on social security & investments & would like to be in an area with other seniors.

Thank you.

[PreservationPioneer]

I know a little bit about Altoona, and have visited and explored the city a couple times.

I think the economy there is rather stagnant. It's a small city. The downtown is dead, but the surrounding city neighborhoods seem fine. Has there been any effort to revitalize the city? I know there is a railroad museum. Altoona is famous for being a former railroad town. There is also a Penn State presence.

The COL would be extremely low. You can buy a well-maintained old house for less than $50k, and a liveable fixer-upper for under $30k. The rent is also low. I can't imagine many places where you could live cheaper than Altoona.
I would imagine there is a large senior population there. Pennsylvania in general, and especially these old towns that are past their prime, have many seniors in residence.

From what I have read, Altoona has low crime. It seemed pleasant enough when I was there, but very sleepy. If they could bring some more life, shops, boutiques and restaurants to their downtown, it would be a really nice little city. Hollidaysburg, a small town next to Altoona, is charming and worth a visit. If you like Altoona, you should also check out Johnstown.

You may enjoy my Altoona Photo Tour of historic buildings.

[meo92953]

Thank you. As a senior, I'm kind of sleepy myself, lol. I think I had better plan visiting in the spring.

[HappyRider]

I rode through Altoona on my bike once and came across a humongous structure that was totally out of place in a sleepy town like Altoona. I must add it was somewhat creepy too. It looked like a mosque to be honest. I later learned it was the Jaffa Shrine Center. I still don't know who built it or how they paid for it.

[g500]

Altoona seems alright from the few times I visited. Past its prime like many PA proper cities. Not many suburbs of Altoona due to being located in the mountains, although someone mentioned Hollidaysburg, there is also Duncansville and Tipton, which has a kids amusement/water park and mini golf. Very conservative area politically-speaking. The upside is that it is a cheap area to live there (but then again a lot of PA is cheap, especially in the older areas). Also, not sure about senior living areas. The downtown is very plain and seems rather abandoned. Not much traffic in town, or on the highway. Most of the shopping is at the nearby mall. They do have a nice baseball field. The team is the Altoona Curve, which is the Double A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. May want to look at Johnstown too, like another poster said, it is just a bit more isolated and probably an even cheaper COL. If you can afford just a bit more and want a faster pace of life you might want to look at Pittsburgh, it is really underrated. Altoona has a cultural connection/heavy sports following with Pittsburgh, and Altoona is less than 2 hours from Pittsburgh. Lastly and most importantly, Altoona is the home of Sheetz.

[PreservationPioneer]

The OP would probably like some of the county seats, like Greensburg, Uniontown, Kittanning. Pleasant older towns with low COL. Cumberland, Maryland and Wheeling, West Virginia would probably be up your alley, as well. Erie and Carlisle are nice, too.

[meo92953]

I'm just starting my search. I don't know much about Pennsylvania, only that my grandparents lived in Altoona. I was originally looking at Nevada or Tennessee but I want to explore where my family came from.

I've lived in Minnesota almost my entire life & want a LOC. Where I live now is in a very small town (500+) which is where my other grandparents were from on my mother's side. Talk about sleepy! My bio says Fergus but I am 9 miles from there.

What are some places in the 4 categories in the PA forum that would be close to Altoona? I've been reading the posts all day & can't determine which is closer.

Thank you for your help.

[meo92953]

Here are some facts about me: 63yo white female. I walk with either a cane or walker due to a car accident, otherwise pretty healthy. My love for water, rivers, lakes etc. is extreme. Also my love of nature. Thus, Nevada is not really in the running, Tennessee still is as one of my brothers lives there.

I'm social but private. I like people but my son died last January of heart problems & I still don't know how to talk about it, so I don't. I was staying here for him but there is no reason to stay now.

As I said, I live on social security so am, by necessity, frugal but looking for a place that won't eat up my entire check. Yes, I have investments to fall back on but trying to save that as long as I can.

Looking at PA, I was/am impressed by the lakes, rivers & fishing. Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes & I do love fishing.

[PreservationPioneer]

Pennsylvania is a beautiful state. We have gorgeous rivers and mountains. Erie also has Presque Isle and Lake Erie, which you would probably love. Look at the cities on the rivers. There is usually a riverfront park of some sort, and river trails. Sadly, Altoona is not a river city. I'm intrigued by your interest in living where your ancestors lived. Altoona is a likeable place. Of course, there are better cities in PA (in my opinion), but no place is perfect. Seriously, though, check out Wheeling. It's probably my favorite small city in the region, cheap as dirt, historic as can be, and right on the Ohio River with a gorgeous riverfront park. The only downside is it's in WV, but it's only an hour from Pittsburgh. I think you might really like Pittsburgh, too. You'd pay a little more to live there, but the suburbs are still cheap. If you can deal with some amount of crime and sketchiness, check out McKeesport, where I live. You can get a nice house for nothing, and we still have some good neighborhoods.

[bluecarebear]

Sleepy and conservative is good in PA. It means low COL and taxes! I've been to the Altoona "suburbs" lately and they are very nice. If my job wasn't in downtown Pittsburgh or I could telecommute, then the Altoona/Johnstown region would be a consideration for me. Hiking, biking, whitewater, fishing, boating, skiing, etc. are all activities available in the Altoona/Johnstown/Laurel Highlands region. It's one of PA's best kept secrets.

Erie is a dying city with companies leaving. Crime is high. Yes, there is easy access to the lake but the nature areas require a long drive unless you want to be at Presque Isle 24/7. Erie is the second snowiest city in the US behind Syracuse with an average of around 100 inches of snow a year. Erie is also a bigger city. The problem with the larger liberal cities in PA is that COL and taxes are high.

Pittsburgh has a terribly high COL and is far from nature areas. I wouldn't recommend it as a place for retirement on a budget and if you are someone who likes the outdoors. If you do decide on Pittsburgh, then try to find something in eastern Westmoreland or Fayette County. Ligonier is an amazing little town.