Considering a move to PA from NC (Lancaster, Harrisburg) (Philadelphia: chapel, job market)

[Dequindre]

Mechanicsburg is a lovely town.

[PCakes572]

I live in the Harrisburg but, last year I visited Bethlehem in Lehigh Valley. It's a multiple university town, very walk-able, artsy and has a small town vibe. And it's only and hour or two from Philly, NJ or NY.

[Flyers Girl]

Originally Posted by Wells5

Unlike the southern and western USA, there are no unincorporated areas in PA. There are cities (actually 3 classes), boroughs, townships (several classes) and 1 or 2 towns- all incorporated. Small townships without a paid police and/or fire department but with a locally elected mayor and council usually have the lowest tax burden although school district taxes can be high. There are townships that have large populations (Upper Darby, Bensalem, Lower Merion, Abington, etc.) with all of the government services of a big city and a tax burden to match. So choose carefully.

This is incorrect. I live in an unincorporated community in Haverford Township -- Havertown.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

This is incorrect. I live in an unincorporated community in Haverford Township -- Havertown.

You are a resident of Haverford Township, which is incorporated. In the south and west, what is not incorporated as a city is an unincorporated part of the county and the county government departments serve those residents.

[Flyers Girl]

My mail does not come to Haverford Township, PA. It comes to Havertown, PA.


From Wikipedia:

Havertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083. "Havertown" is a postal address. The name "Havertown" does not appear until the advent of the ZIP Code. Prior to the ZIP Code each community was known by its local name: Brookline, Penfield, Beechwood, Llanerch, Manoa, Oakmont, Coopertown, Ardmore. Under William Penn's land divisions these communities were part of the Welsh Tract and comprised the area known as Harford, a Welsh contraction of Haverford.[SIZE=2][1][/SIZE]

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

My mail does not come to Haverford Township, PA. It comes to Havertown, PA.


From Wikipedia:

The name of the P.O. is irrelevant. You don't live in a post office. If a lawyer were to write your last will, it would start out as: I, Flyers Girl, a resident of the Township of Haverford, County of Delaware and Commonwealth of PA being of sound and disposing mind and memory... It would not denote that you are a resident of the Village of Havertown since it's not a legal entity.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by codygreen

I haven't been to Philly so I can't say if it is or isn't, but I never gave it much consideration. I would prefer to have a bit of elbow room, since I have a decent size dog. Care to suggest some areas around Philly that would be worth checking out on a future visit?

East Falls and West Mount Airy. They border Wissahickon Valley Park.

[boney89]

Come to poconos man

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

My mail does not come to Haverford Township, PA. It comes to Havertown, PA.
From Wikipedia:

Pennsylvania is generally very odd in its municipal/postal naming structure. There are tons of places like "Havertown," which aren't a municipal entity but are either simply for postal purposes or what are referred to as "Census Designated Places": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census-designated_place.

But Wells is right, like the rest of the Northeast, all of Pennsylvania is spoken for by some form of incorporated government (township, borough or city), regardless of whether it's reflected in a postal address.

[Flyers Girl]

Not trying to be difficult and I don't dispute what Wells said in his follow-up posts, but his initial post said that there are "no unincorporated areas in PA," which is just not true. Yes, my incorporated government is Haverford Township, but my town is referred to as an unincorporated area just about everywhere on the web.