can anyone give me some advise (Scranton, Stroudsburg: home, find a job, school districts)

[tbear1350]

Ok i can use some help . my family and I are from staten island ny. I am going to retire next year from teaching and move to PA. in the poconos area. My age is in the 50s
i am a native new yorker my fiance and step son are from Minnesota. my step son is a special needs child.
here are my questions
1- what is a good school dist. that will be safe for him .he is 11 and will be 12 when we move he will be in 6th grade going into 7th grade. we are planning on moving to the poconos in june 08.
2- what are the jobs in the area like for my fiance?
3- please dont tell me run lol i can use your imput i hate new york and cant wait to leave.

thanks in advance

[christina0001]

What line of work is your fiance in?
I grew up and still have family in the Pike County, PA area...it's the outskirts of PA, and borders NY and NJ. The school district was and is very good, but I cannot say specifically how good it is for special needs children. It's very quiet there, peaceful, with a lot of people like yourself who grew tired of NY and moved out. However, because it is rather rural, job opportunities can be limited, but it depends on what sort of work you do.

[Retired Law 08]

what area of the poconos are you moving to? I am also from staten island and will be retiring in oct. 07, my wife and i purchased a home in clarks summit, which is past the poconos, approx 134 miles, 2 hrs from S.I, the schools are great, both elementry, and high school, the area is very nice, also the people are friendly and civil, if you have any questions feel free to ask

[elkangel2u]

Originally Posted by tbear1350

Ok i can use some help . my family and I are from staten island ny. I am going to retire next year from teaching and move to PA. in the poconos area. My age is in the 50s
i am a native new yorker my fiance and step son are from Minnesota. my step son is a special needs child.
here are my questions
1- what is a good school dist. that will be safe for him .he is 11 and will be 12 when we move he will be in 6th grade going into 7th grade. we are planning on moving to the poconos in june 08.
2- what are the jobs in the area like for my fiance?
3- please dont tell me run lol i can use your imput i hate new york and cant wait to leave.

thanks in advance

Congradulations on you retirement! My suggestion since you no longer are in the ranks of the employed, is to move beyond the Poconos. Its too full of people who so love the city that they feel compelled to commute there every day. it holds the same attitudes and ideas that NYC does. North into Wayne county or northwest towards Lackawanna & Luzerne counties is your best bet. The schools of the Poconos leaves a lot to be desired and at present are experiencing a lot of problems. one being many people in their districts refuse to admit there is problems. Jobs are a rough go in all rural and suburban areas,and not the same you have been accustomed to in the big city (depending on what kind of employment your Fiance is looking for). there is employment at different levels available though. The areas I had directed you to have a multitude of different living arrangements from very rural to medium urban. these are your choices. Again I will explicitly advise against the Poconos Proper (Monroe & Pike) counties for they are either exactly what your seeking to escape from or will be in a few short years.
Happy hunting

[Pat Lindemeyr]

We are looking for a home in Fyetteville PA and work in Westminster MD. It is off Rt. 30 and into Gettysbug. What do you think??? Help!!! A big move.

[jfeagin]

Originally Posted by Pat Lindemeyr

We are looking for a home in Fyetteville PA and work in Westminster MD. It is off Rt. 30 and into Gettysbug. What do you think??? Help!!! A big move.

That is about 42 miles going through G'burg. During the summer it can take 20-30 minutes just to go through town with all of the tourists, then down 97 or MD 144 to Westiminster through Littlestown or Taneytown respectively. If you have the time and $$$ for gas OK but I am thinking an hour minimum each and Westiminster traffic can be no picnic as well.

[greentown]

Originally Posted by elkangel2u

Congradulations on you retirement! My suggestion since you no longer are in the ranks of the employed, is to move beyond the Poconos. Its too full of people who so love the city that they feel compelled to commute there every day. it holds the same attitudes and ideas that NYC does. North into Wayne county or northwest towards Lackawanna & Luzerne counties is your best bet. The schools of the Poconos leaves a lot to be desired and at present are experiencing a lot of problems. one being many people in their districts refuse to admit there is problems. Jobs are a rough go in all rural and suburban areas,and not the same you have been accustomed to in the big city (depending on what kind of employment your Fiance is looking for). there is employment at different levels available though. The areas I had directed you to have a multitude of different living arrangements from very rural to medium urban. these are your choices. Again I will explicitly advise against the Poconos Proper (Monroe & Pike) counties for they are either exactly what your seeking to escape from or will be in a few short years.
Happy hunting

As a resident of Pike County, I can tell you that alot of Monroe County and some of Pike County is as described above. There are developments, such as Pocono Country Place and Pocono Farms and some of the Stroudsburg school districts that have become undesirable in the past years.

However, the problem areas are concentrated near Stroudsburg and Mount Pocono, so you might find areas near Wallenpaupack and Delaware Valley School Districts more to your liking. My children have attended Wallenpaupack schools for the past eleven years and we are very happy with the district. This is about as safe of a school as you will find and they do have special needs programs (I have a friend with an autistic child and she is very satisfied with the program). Without more specific information, it's hard to tell you whether your husband would find a job quickly, but I will tell you that from my area near Lake Wallenpaupack, I can drive 30 minutes and either be in Milford, Honesdale, or Scranton, so I would think that somewhere in that area there is some job availability.

You would probably be able to find alot more info regarding this topic if you do a search in the Northeast PA section.