Is PA depressing? (Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg: homeless, vehicle, friendly)

[NWPAguy]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

It's spring. It's supposed to rain.

Ohiogirl, I could live with the rain if it were actually warm enough. I refuse to run a furnace in the month of May, which is supposed to be a WARM month. It has been about 20 degrees below average for this time of year. Let it rain, as long as I can wear a tank top and shorts in my own house while I'm doing housework or whatever when I'm not working. In the end of May, I shouldn't have to be sitting in front of a space heater in sweats. It should be WARM, end of story. (I think global warming is a crock of bullcrap, but if it isn't, GIVE ME MORE OF IT!)

I'm moving to Texas. At least they get 80s and 90s regularly in May. Yeah, it gets really hot down there. Extreme heat isn't as bad as extreme cold, for any of many reasons. It may be 100 degrees in the middle of a day, but it'll be 75 in the morning and in the 70s/80s at night. If it's cold in the middle of the day, it'll be coldER in the morning and at night.

[Josh1985]

I lived in NW Pennsylvania for 21 of my 22 years and I have lived in Elk Clearfield and McKean Counties and I have to say that the area just smells of Depression. It is run down,full of druggies and hicks. Hunting season is a holiday up here. I hate the small town mentality of letting no new industry in . In all the towns the downtowns shops are empty and big wal-marts supercentres have took there place. You have two choice in this area Leave or work in Powered Metal factories. Oh did I mention the weather it the end of may and It snowed on Wednesday. It is 10 months of winter no spring or fall and two months of semi-warm weather with 1.5 months of it rain and cloudy weather.

[Acevaz]

I like PA but then again I only go there for vacation and weekend trips. I live in NYC so the quick trip to the country is nice. I do have to add that the job opportunities seem minimal and the people seem a little bit weary of city folks...

[toobusytoday]

The job opportunities in any of the rural areas of the US are low, it's not a PA thing. Go to the pretty upstate part of NY and you're not going to see alot of help wanted signs posted. According to the Department of labor website, the unemployment rate in my county, Lehigh, is 5.7%. That doesn't sound too bad. Unemployment by County in Pennsylvania

As far as weary of city folks, I'm all for people that move here/visit here and are excited about this area and appreciate what's here but I don't like it when people bring their bad driving habits (stop signs mean stop, not yield) or shopping habits (shopping carts belong in the corrals - they are not to be just left in a parking spot), or horn beeping with them. I moved here myself and fell in love with the small town area. I didn't miss the shopping or the traffic.

Can't say I liked the cold weather in May but we just layer up and know that warmer weather is coming. I don't find PA depressing at all.

[makeroffinewands]

They say the "grass is always greener". I lived in the Erie while attending Edinboro University. I have been living in Las Vegas for the past twelve years and have begun looking at moving back to Erie. The dearest friends I have made over the years still live there and although it's hardly a city of nonstop excitemen it is one of the most down-to-earth places I've ever lived in. Living out west I've come to realize that Pennsylvania was always home in my heart. Of course the snow can be like something out of a Hollywood movie set and the challenges of owning an older home can be many but this is part of life in PA and it keeps you on your toes. I've lived all over the country and Pennsylvania will always be a great place to live as it has it's own traditions and personality that are bred out of a long history. I'm excited about returning home after so long and would recommend Pennsylvania to anyone who is looking for a true old fashioned "home town". When I decide I need some big city action I'll jump in the car and make the two hour drive to Toronot! What more can you want?! It's easy to get bored and discouraged when you're young (many was the day I curse myself for going to school in PA) but once you've gone out and about in the world and have experiences from which to make comparisons you look at things differently...

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by makeroffinewands

When I decide I need some big city action I'll jump in the car and make the two hour drive to Toronot! What more can you want?!

Wow. You drive fast. Watch out for the OPP. I'm just sayin' ...

[The_soul_controlla]

It's very depressing. It got me to the point where I was actually suicidal...which is very hard for me to admit. It's not just the weather, or the lack of diversity, or the general rugged aesthetic of the place, it's the whole atmosphere that the combination of the three exudes in this place. Sometimes, I look at all the places that I've been to, compare them to this state, and wonder why the hell I'm even here.

I like color, flavor, style, and vibrance to life an PA definetely is void of those.

[aperfectbass]

I second what makeroffinewands say. I moved out to Minneapolis for a job, and if it weren't for my job, I would be back to PA in a heartbeat. The people are friendlier and down to earth. Being a musician from a smaller town in south central PA, I thought the big cities music scene would have more opportunities, but it doesn't. The weather in PA is nice, four seasons, none of which are too extreme. Unless you live in the north part of the state, you are with in a short drive to a bigger city, and depending on where you live, you can easily make a weekend trip of the beach. People seem to care about history, preserving it and learning about it.

[$$ KOM. $$]

I dont know if any other part of Pa. is depressing, but I do know that Harrisburg is the most depressing city is America!!!!!!!!!!!! Harrisburg,Pa. is so boring. The people in Harrisburg are so COUNTRY and SLOW and they have nerve enough to call people in the south slow and country. There is nothing to do here for fun all the people do is go to bars people here sit at home and watch BET and other tv shows and then try to act like what they sawe whole city is so fake. The people here will stabb you in your back like its nothing.they have a ridiculous government system.All the government here does is sit in office and come up with ridiculous ways to take your money but they try to do it in a slick way so you want know but its always in the open.If it was a way to vote and we could get rid of any city in the US this would be my first choice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Idont know what it is but there is something REALLY REALLY WRONG with this city and its people too...

[john_starks]

i don't know anything about PA outside of Philly