Philly, Pittsburgh, or somewhere else in PA to build roots? (comparing every corner) (Philadelphia: fit in, crimes)
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But: Geisinger Health System, which is based in Danville and serves much of central and southern Pennsylvania, has an outstanding reputation as one of the top healthcare organizations in the country. You'd probably appreciate its values and ethics, and most of their service area is comprised of smaller towns, smallish cities and rural communities - you'd be closer to the country you'd want to explore.)
That's Chester COUNTY. The city of Chester is a place you do not want to live. We've lived in four counties in Pennsylvania, including three surrounding Philadelphia: Chester, Delaware and Montgomery, and moved to the Lehigh Valley 20 years ago. Where I live, I can get eggs and veggies from honor stands ten minutes from my house or head into Allentown or Bethlehem within 30 minutes or be in Philadelphia in an hour or Manhattan in less then two. The only downside is increased traffic, which is still better than Philadelphia area, and the lack of rail service.
Toobusy, are you not toobusy to give me your opinion on the area you live and some sort of public transport? I dearly miss the country and things such as honor stands but am also unable to drive at this point and for the foreseeable future. I'm also not able to get out a whole lot so my transportation needs aren't frequent. Basically groceries, medical and occasional thrift store shopping. I'd love to find a smallish city I could be on the edge of, so as to be in nature as much as possible without putting myself into a week-long flare walking too far, but I can still access some basics of life.
It's unfortunately not as creepy as rural PA (obvious comparison being various run down tunnels and our semi-famous permanently smoldering ghost town) and lacks that unsettling air I feel in Massachusetts, but I can appreciate Ravenholm-esque, Gothic horror when I wandered the South Side Slopes. It is excellently topped off perhaps by the wonderful plethora of churches scattered across the hillside.
Of course, "creepy" is inherently subjective, and has to be felt by the stretch of the imagination. I wouldn't pair it with actual uneasiness, such as when I traveled in Camden: that more falls under fear of raw physical safety from other humans. Creepy envokes a more fantastical, supernatural air. A fear, maybe of man, but more of something intangible.
Considering regional dreariness, I may ascribe a song such as this to match the city's creepiness. I consider the song best suited for the Great Lakes, and I would need to be in Pittsburgh to pick a more ideal sound, but I can certainly hear and see it in still images with this score:
To ramble: one thing I have grown to truly appreciate about our state is its creepniess. The weather-worn, time-beaten homes throughout. The thick forests, and the sea brown jaggedness they leave when their leaves fall. The mists turning to fogs bleeding down from the hills to blanket the fields. The old churches against the grey skies. I can go on. True, we are not the Bayou, we are not as spiritually and historically creepy as New England, and we do not have our own 'The Hum' to score our state, but we are incidentally gifted with a creepy beauty unique to our land. I try and fail to capture it in word. It must be felt, walking alone, with a determination to find it. It is in the rain, the sky, the buildings, the topography, the sounds, the history, and the people.
Sadhotline, I actually know what you mean about the creepiness of PA, from videos and photos I have seen, it does have some, as well as lots of natural beauty. A gothic, natural kind, not from people, and not in all seasons or parts of it.
I'd love to know more about that unsettling air you felt in MA! What part/s?
Ah, I believe we can parley at "bizarre". I do very much enjoy the "bizarre": I was just reading up on the PA Abandoned Turnpike. I will certainly have to venture out there sometime.
Wow, I was not aware of Geisinger, nor that it was so highly respected! I shall definitely look into it. I imagine the need is quite great in their area of coverage. Their integrated delivery of care is definitely a plus.
Thanks for suggesting places that try to strike a balance. Over the coming months I'm going to do intensive research into a lot of the areas mentioned in the thread and their healthcare systems, as well as what they offer. More than that though, I have to ask myself what I'm really looking for. I complained when I was in the suburbs, and lo and behold, now I'm in the city and complaining as well. Maybe what I'm looking for, deep down, cannot be found in a place. Maybe it's a person, or group of people? Maybe it's a way of life? Despite all my lists and schemes, I am uncertain what I am truly looking for. I wonder if this is common.
About the trying to strike a delicate balance in a place as well as finding something that is not too urban nor too isolated, I totally get that. I have lived in a town that was like that, around 2,000 people and one of the best places I ever lived.
It well could be a way of life you're looking for, but would say that where one lives shapes one's way of life for the most part.
I think a lot of what people say are the benefits to urban living end up sadly lacking in truth..community, opportunities and so forth.
I think a lot of what people say are the benefits to urban living end up sadly lacking in truth..community, opportunities and so forth.
It depends on what kind of work motivates you and what sorts of opportunities you seek.
I find that one of the chief benefits of city living is something I would call "serendipity." Many urban dwellers live in two kinds of communities: physical ones and communities of common interest. The latter are not confined to a particular place, and their residents are usually scattered across a wide territory, but they gather together in various places from time to time. Or one might bump into a member of one of those communities while walking down the street or going about other business. Or one might find ideas from talking to people one has not met before in either random or planned encounters.
The odds of having things like this happen are greater in places with more people in them. What we may miss in neighborliness rooted in physical place we get back in this kind of connection.
Toobusy, are you not toobusy to give me your opinion on the area you live and some sort of public transport? I dearly miss the country and things such as honor stands but am also unable to drive at this point and for the foreseeable future. I'm also not able to get out a whole lot so my transportation needs aren't frequent. Basically groceries, medical and occasional thrift store shopping. I'd love to find a smallish city I could be on the edge of, so as to be in nature as much as possible without putting myself into a week-long flare walking too far, but I can still access some basics of life.
There really is no public transportation where I live, but just a bit further away there are small towns that are on the LANTA line. https://www.lantabus.com/lanta-system-map/ The two I am most familiar with are Emmaus and Hellertown. Both are small towns with nice downtowns - restaurants, coffee shops, great Sunday farmers markets and within 15 minutes of the cities of Allentown or Bethlehem. Emmaus is to the Southwest of Allentown and is closer to the rural areas of Lehigh County. It's a very walkable town and I go there often. It's within a short drive of Lehigh Valley hospital, the largest hospital in the region.
Hellertown is Southwest of Bethlehem and Southeast of Allentown. It's hemmed in by the outskirts of both cities sprawl, but going South out of town takes you into the country quickly and the northern tip of Bucks county. If I'm going into NYC, I'll take the Transbridge bus from the Hellertown stop. It's the last stop for the bus in Pennsylvania, so a direct trip to Port Authority in Manhattan. It takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on traffic. You can read more about Hellertown by going to Saucon Source on FB - a great on-line newspaper that covers the area.
There are also several colleges in the area and all have offerings for the public. The most well known local college is Lehigh University, in Bethlehem. If you are interested in politics, our area is going to be a hive of activity within the next year as we are very much a swing area. Good luck with your search, as you can see, I'm not too busy (today, at least) to talk about it!
Toobusy, are you not toobusy to give me your opinion on the area you live and some sort of public transport? I dearly miss the country and things such as honor stands but am also unable to drive at this point and for the foreseeable future. I'm also not able to get out a whole lot so my transportation needs aren't frequent. Basically groceries, medical and occasional thrift store shopping. I'd love to find a smallish city I could be on the edge of, so as to be in nature as much as possible without putting myself into a week-long flare walking too far, but I can still access some basics of life.
You live in Pennsylvania, right?
One virtue of living in a state with an aging population - which Pennsylvania has - is that the state government is unusually attuned to the needs of older citizens.
Combine this with vast swaths of rural and lightly settled territory and you get programs that assist older folks in rural areas.
Those include public transportation assistance, which goes beyond the Pennsylvania Lottery-funded free rides for seniors on the state's public transportation systems.
There's a state program that provides direct operating assistance to transit agencies that serve rural territories. It makes possible things like the Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania, the smallest of the state's 37 public transit agencies. It serves a six-county region that stretches from the New York State border down to I-80; its website also includes information about the transit service in Clarion County, which abuts the ATA's territory on the southwest end, too.
There's info on the ATA web site about planning your life so you can get around without a car in rural territory. You might want to check it out.
It depends on what kind of work motivates you and what sorts of opportunities you seek.
I find that one of the chief benefits of city living is something I would call "serendipity." Many urban dwellers live in two kinds of communities: physical ones and communities of common interest. The latter are not confined to a particular place, and their residents are usually scattered across a wide territory, but they gather together in various places from time to time. Or one might bump into a member of one of those communities while walking down the street or going about other business. Or one might find ideas from talking to people one has not met before in either random or planned encounters.
The odds of having things like this happen are greater in places with more people in them. What we may miss in neighborliness rooted in physical place we get back in this kind of connection.
You described it very well.
Unfortunately for me am disabled, unable to work or get out a whole lot so the opportunity I seek at this moment is my own place in which to manage chronic health problems. I'd love be more rural because of such, but also because of stated, I need to be able to access medical care and groceries which can be hard to do rurally...hah.
There really is no public transportation where I live, but just a bit further away there are small towns that are on the LANTA line. https://www.lantabus.com/lanta-system-map/ The two I am most familiar with are Emmaus and Hellertown. Both are small towns with nice downtowns - restaurants, coffee shops, great Sunday farmers markets and within 15 minutes of the cities of Allentown or Bethlehem. Emmaus is to the Southwest of Allentown and is closer to the rural areas of Lehigh County. It's a very walkable town and I go there often. It's within a short drive of Lehigh Valley hospital, the largest hospital in the region.
Hellertown is Southwest of Bethlehem and Southeast of Allentown. It's hemmed in by the outskirts of both cities sprawl, but going South out of town takes you into the country quickly and the northern tip of Bucks county. If I'm going into NYC, I'll take the Transbridge bus from the Hellertown stop. It's the last stop for the bus in Pennsylvania, so a direct trip to Port Authority in Manhattan. It takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on traffic. You can read more about Hellertown by going to Saucon Source on FB - a great on-line newspaper that covers the area.
There are also several colleges in the area and all have offerings for the public. The most well known local college is Lehigh University, in Bethlehem. If you are interested in politics, our area is going to be a hive of activity within the next year as we are very much a swing area. Good luck with your search, as you can see, I'm not too busy (today, at least) to talk about it!
Toobusy, thank you very much! You've given me a lot of helpful information, I'm going to go check out the links.
One virtue of living in a state with an aging population - which Pennsylvania has - is that the state government is unusually attuned to the needs of older citizens.
Combine this with vast swaths of rural and lightly settled territory and you get programs that assist older folks in rural areas.
Those include public transportation assistance, which goes beyond the Pennsylvania Lottery-funded free rides for seniors on the state's public transportation systems.
There's a state program that provides direct operating assistance to transit agencies that serve rural territories. It makes possible things like the Area Transportation Authority of North Central Pennsylvania, the smallest of the state's 37 public transit agencies. It serves a six-county region that stretches from the New York State border down to I-80; its website also includes information about the transit service in Clarion County, which abuts the ATA's territory on the southwest end, too.
There's info on the ATA web site about planning your life so you can get around without a car in rural territory. You might want to check it out.
MarketStEl, no, I live in Oregon, actually, trying to move to PA.
Very good point, as disabled I often feel like I need to plan much like a senior in some ways. Plus most services offered to seniors are to the disabled as well.
I shall check it out, thank you very much. It'd be simply wonderful to be rural or even semi rural once again.
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