Oil City, Pennsylvania (Meadville, Columbia, Franklin: low crime, homes, school)

[srsmail1]

Responding to m4birchtrees. i'm only upset by the fact that apparently you still won't do some research to answer your own questions.

don't get me wrong, you aren't alone. although city-data is a vast forum, i have only viewed posts relating to oil city/northwestern pa; and for the most part they're just hot air with little substance. however, many are entertaining.

if you would like to know more of what i think about oil city, visit my posts by left clicking on my user name, "select find all posts by srsmail1" and fur-ther selecting "Calling everyone who knows about Oil City, Pa", Parts A & B.

just for the the record, i'm in agreement, at least conceptually, with some of your statements. just invest some time and effort and you will find answers to form conclusions of your own that may or may not match mine.

scott

[hikingotter]

I have visited Oil City 2 times in the last month and will be going there again
next week. Overall I liked it. I checked out 2 houses, one with 3000 sqft. I
loved it but between the tax $2800 and the heat - 275 budget per MONTH!
I have to think a little more on it. I will check out smaller houses next week.
I have to say even with the heating bill I am still considering it. I love the
River, the bike path. the old neiborhood. Went over to Franklin and loved that.
By accident when my son and I were driving around we found the Walmart
and the Hospital,(I am a medical biller). There were very close, Hospital maybe 3 miles and the Walmart another 3.
I think if you were a working class family who had a hunk of change to pick
a house, you could be very happy there.
I myself am looking at selling my house on the other side of PA (by the Delaware Water Gap, then paying cash for a house in Oil City or the surrounding area, working part-time and slowing life down.
Otter

[lainie]

Otter-

I hope you will post your impressions once you settle in Oil City. I grew up there and often think of returning to the slower pace of life, but my husband is a California boy and cannot imagine living anywhere but in the West.
Have you checked out the places outside of Oil City, such as Cranberry? I think the hospital and other amenities are located there. Best of luck on your relocation.

[Deborah53]

I have been on this forum looking to move to a warmer climate and happened on the Oil City thread. I know all about this area. I do not live in OC but have lived my entire life with 30 miles of it.
The town is full of old victorian that are amazing, wouldn't want to heat them though. Oil City is in Venago County and has two old oil towns with 12 miles of each other (Franklin and Oil City) both lovely in their own rite. I find Franklin more pleasing.

Yes, the hospital, mall, and Walmart are all in Cranberry easy 10 minute drive from OC.
The negatives(in my opinion)
The job market in this part of PA is not great, most jobs are low paying.
Winters can be long and summer cool.
Some areas are difficult to penetrate the social groups.
Areas of OC are pretty run down.
Drug rings are in some areas.
Not a great medical facility.
Lack of shopping, Walmart is about it, there is a small mall with a nice Sears, average Pennys and Bon Ton.

The positives:
Green trees, the Allegheny River in summer (spring can bring flooding)
The Rail to Trail bike paths.
Barrow Theater in Franklin
Branch campus of Clarion University
Quaintness of the area
Close to Allegheny National Forest and Cook Forest State Park.
Midway between Erie and Pittsburgh (great medical centers and good shopping)

We live in a 2000 sqf new house, well insulated during cold months our heating bill can be $350, we don't keep th temp above 70.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

[speedracer1]

I can't even recall what I was searching when I stumbled on to city data because I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of posts about Oil City on a number of different threads. Most entertaining were the ones posted by folks who have no real knowledge of the area. Small town living is not for everyone and it may be an acquired taste but in the genre you can't do much better than Venango County (which includes Oil City, Franklin and Cranberry). Yes we have our challenges and the condition of Real Estate is one, folks have been working on diligently. Franklin is a great little town and has a nice wide victorian main street they work very hard to maintain, but they too have empty houses and storefronts.
Much has changed since the Quaker State Era and as the county communitys have been working more closely together than ever, things should continue to improve. That being said, living here still beats most other places hands down.
There are intelligent, sophisticated, accomplished people here but they're generally pretty humble about their accomplishments. You won't find many status seeking shoppers here and not because noone has any money. It is because the folks who choose to live here tend to value different things like clean air, clear water, and little or no traffic. With an abundance of fishing,hiking,camping ,kayaking,biking and hunting as well as great music,art and theater,all you need to do to go on vacation in Venango County is to have a day off of work.

[grewupinoilcity]

Originally Posted by lainie

I grew up in Oil City and left in the mid 70's for California. At one time it was a vital area due to the oil industry. I have often considered moving back to the Oil City area but would probably experience culture shock.
Joann, in what part of Oil City did you buy a home? I grew up on the South Side...there were some beautiful homes there. I am curious about the growing arts community, too, and would love to hear about your impressions of Oil City.

I also grew on the south side of Oil City.
Oil City is like the twilight zone. It was like running in place. I like Oil City but my wife...well we won't go there.
I would love to talk about Oil City with past residents or anyone considering a move to Oil City.

[lainie]

I, too, grew up on the south side. Although my childhood had some rough patches, I still cherish my years in Oil City. We had so much freedom as children...we could come and go with very little adult supervision. I remember swimming at Hasson pool, sledding down some of those steep hills (we would pour water on the snow to make it more slick), attending playground activities in the summer, going boating and water skiing on the Allegheny, and watching the Fourth of July fireworks over Hog Back.
Crime was non-existent, and people never locked their doors or their cars. The town was fairly prosperous in those years.

I left Western PA in 1974 and was back for a short visit in 1997. I was saddened by the changes brought about the decline in the economy. If I could recreate the Oil City of my childhood, I might return to live. But that Oil City only exists in my memory.

[goodgirl49]

Lainie, I can relate to what you are saying. I didn't grow up in Oil City, but in Aliquippa which is a shadow of its former self due to the decline in the steel industry. Crime is also rampant there today, which it wasn't when I lived there. I think I remember that you also live in CA. I left the area in 1974 also and moved first to VA where my husband was stationed, and then to the San Fernando Valley when he got out of the Navy. We've been here ever since. There is a possibility that we may retire in PA but we aren't sure at this time. I think I'll send you a PM.

[grewupinoilcity]

Originally Posted by TriMT7

Hello,

I often see BIG homes for sale on the MLS for "Oil City" Pennsylvania... like 7 bedroom homes for $30-50K. Is Oil City an "up and coming" place to live? Why are the homes so cheap? Would they require a lot of work and remodeling?

Plus, if anyone is from the area, what could one expect to be a gas/oil bill in a TYPICAL winter in the city? Any help is appreciated, thanks!

I grew up in a big house in Oil City PA. We had 6 bedrooms. The heating bills were very high. I seem to remember my Dad complaining about paying 180 per month year round and that was 20-30 years ago! I can't imagine how high they go now.

One thing I loved about Oil City was the tap water. The city water came from deep artesian wells below the river and city. The water was delicious right from the tap. I wonder if any of that has changed since I left town.

[grewupinoilcity]

Originally Posted by grewupinoilcity

I grew up in a big house in Oil City PA. We had 6 bedrooms. The heating bills were very high. I seem to remember my Dad complaining about paying 180 per month year round and that was 20-30 years ago! I can't imagine how high they go now.

One thing I loved about Oil City was the tap water. The city water came from deep artesian wells below the river and city. The water was delicious right from the tap. I wonder if any of that has changed since I left town.

The homes in town are almost entirely gas heat. They have unlimited amount of gas in the ground in Oil City.