What's Hershey/Harrisburg like? (Reading, Lancaster: lease, schools, live in)

[CarlaP37]

i live in harrisburg born here the city is what you are in too i am not into drugs so dont have problems living here i have raised 4 children in the harrisburg school district there doing wonderful it is a real safe place too live we do not have gang problems like other cities if you do crime here you will be caught are cops are the best so its all what you make it.

[CarlaP37]

harrisbug isa very safe place too raise children lived here all my life never had a problem we do not have problems with gangs its all what you make it

[GTSNINTC]

pfft one of my parents work in the Harrisburg school district and that place SUCKS!!!!!!! don't ever take your kids to the harrisburg school district if you have to take your kids to that area of town have them go to Bishop mcDevit Harrisburg's school district is pretty corrupt the teachers try but the Students are pretty bad there and a lot of the parents of the students make it worse. It has a Very "In crowd" effect

Harrisburg itself has bad parts to it the outer suburbs when you start getting to linglestown and lower Paxton or across the river to the Mechanicsburg area its alot better

Hershey itself always felt like a small town with a lot of rich heads *I'm probably wrong thats just the vibe I get from it* it looks great and seems like a great place to live but feels very fake or something

Also yeah the people here can also be wierd I think we have some of the most racist black people ever down here and this is coming from a black person himself I've been born and raised here in HBG but the people here are hit and miss..

[partpaer]

After reading so many comments about Hershey and the Central Pennsylvania area, I now have many concerns about relocating there from Richmond, VA. I lived in a small town in Northwestern PA for many years and liked it before moving to VA for my job. NW Pa is pretty well closed up with much of the industry gone some place else. In fact, I still can't sell my house there after 4 years.

There have been two conflicting views about the Hershey/Lancaster/Dauphin area expressed: 1) Manufacturing is gone; and 2) the area is growing slowly. What type of industry/commercial operations are causing the growth? Or is the growth just some form of urban sprawl spawned by the need to have more box stores and "green roofed" restaraunts?

And is accurate to say that regardless of whether or not one lives in Hershey or moves to a surrounding area that an average home price is in the $200 range (for a decent place)? If so, may I be better off to stay in Richmond where the average home prices are similar?

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by partpaer

After reading so many comments about Hershey and the Central Pennsylvania area, I now have many concerns about relocating there from Richmond, VA. I lived in a small town in Northwestern PA for many years and liked it before moving to VA for my job. NW Pa is pretty well closed up with much of the industry gone some place else. In fact, I still can't sell my house there after 4 years.

There have been two conflicting views about the Hershey/Lancaster/Dauphin area expressed: 1) Manufacturing is gone; and 2) the area is growing slowly. What type of industry/commercial operations are causing the growth? Or is the growth just some form of urban sprawl spawned by the need to have more box stores and "green roofed" restaraunts?

And is accurate to say that regardless of whether or not one lives in Hershey or moves to a surrounding area that an average home price is in the $200 range (for a decent place)? If so, may I be better off to stay in Richmond where the average home prices are similar?

Manufacturing in the Harrisburg area never took as big of a hit as the rest of the state, as a lot of the jobs are transportation or government related which tend to be steady suppliers of growth. There isn't much in the way of "industrial age" manufacturing (steel plants etc.) around anymore, just like pretty much everywhere else in the country, but Harrisburg never had that much to begin with so it wasn't as big of a loss.

Does Harrisburg have suburban sprawl? Absolutely, and but last I visited Richmond it had its fair share as well. Harrisburg also has a bustling downtown and growing high-tech sector, however...that (mostly bio-tech) has been fueling the job growth, as well as transportation-related jobs which are booming right now.

[Hbg23]

Hi,

If you have been offered a teaching job in Hershey I would have to say it's a very, very nice school district. I think it does have a stigma for high taxes but living in the suburban parts of Harrisburg the taxes seem just as high. Hershey is very clean and well-policed. It's accessability from highways is poorer than Harrisburg and it seems like snow plowing is a lot worse. Forget trying to go anywhere if there's a concert or some other major event in that area - I once spent 1 hour to make a 3 mile drive because I forgot Aerosmith was in town. The housing is overpriced and anything that's newer is a townhome.

I actually prefer suburban Harrisburg (I'm probably unique in saying this) - I definately like the increased conveniences and no cow smell (when it gets hot in Hershey you could smell the pastures). We found a cheaper home here and it seems as though a lot of the crime is contained to the city.

However, it seems as though you would prefer a more country setting so Grantville may be a great place for you to check. It's very close to Hershey, so is Elizabethtown and I've heard good things on both from people who prefer a more rural setting.

Good luck.

[abloodragon]

Wow, I have concerns about moving to Pa, after reading all these posts. I have lived in rural North Carolina for the past 10 years...It is red neck, backward, and very closed. After living here for 10 years, and my last 2 kids born here, they are still considered outsiders at school. Mainly because they never developed the southern accent. I was told by the elementary school principle that my daughter talked like she was from Boston and that's a problem. I was born in NJ, but both my brothers were born in Pa, most of my cousins, nephews and family live in Pa (Allentown area). I want to move somewhere in the Reading/Lebanon area. Our goal is to have 1. good school system 2. Access to local hospitals (I'm a nurse, and my Husband is an X-ray tech) 3. Somewhat rural area 4. Be more accepted in the community. You cannot even begin to imagine how bad the southern Baptist churches are for 'outsiders'. Our kids are honor students in the 'gifted program' and band, so school system is important.

Any input?

[Marodi]

Originally Posted by abloodragon

Wow, I have concerns about moving to Pa, after reading all these posts. I have lived in rural North Carolina for the past 10 years...It is red neck, backward, and very closed. After living here for 10 years, and my last 2 kids born here, they are still considered outsiders at school. Mainly because they never developed the southern accent. I was told by the elementary school principle that my daughter talked like she was from Boston and that's a problem. I was born in NJ, but both my brothers were born in Pa, most of my cousins, nephews and family live in Pa (Allentown area). I want to move somewhere in the Reading/Lebanon area. Our goal is to have 1. good school system 2. Access to local hospitals (I'm a nurse, and my Husband is an X-ray tech) 3. Somewhat rural area 4. Be more accepted in the community. You cannot even begin to imagine how bad the southern Baptist churches are for 'outsiders'. Our kids are honor students in the 'gifted program' and band, so school system is important.

Any input?

If you go for reading, choose something on the western side of the river. Shillington, Wyomissing (my recommendation), Kenhorst, etc. East side has crime or is becoming crime ridden.

[stuck]

I moved to Harrisburg almost 3 years ago and I hate it. I am here only for employment. I worked in the travel industry for many years and have been many places. Why does this area rate so low? The people who live here make it that way. Many are the most ultra-conservative, bible thumping, cold and judgemental people I have ever been around. I can't and won't speak of everyone,but in my honest opinion the majority of people I have met fall under this. I am NOT the only person who feels this way. Shortly after I moved here, another family moved into my neighborhood from my old hometown and they were here a total of 3 months before they packed up and left because of being treated so poorly by the people and it simply was not worth living here to them. I am currently looking for another job anywhere but here so I can get out and never look back at this miserable place. I do not recommend moving here to anyone. What a cold and cruel hearted city.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by stuck

I moved to Harrisburg almost 3 years ago and I hate it. I am here only for employment. I worked in the travel industry for many years and have been many places. Why does this area rate so low? The people who live here make it that way. Many are the most ultra-conservative, bible thumping, cold and judgemental people I have ever been around. I can't and won't speak of everyone,but in my honest opinion the majority of people I have met fall under this. I am NOT the only person who feels this way. Shortly after I moved here, another family moved into my neighborhood from my old hometown and they were here a total of 3 months before they packed up and left because of being treated so poorly by the people and it simply was not worth living here to them. I am currently looking for another job anywhere but here so I can get out and never look back at this miserable place. I do not recommend moving here to anyone. What a cold and cruel hearted city.

That sucks...I am liberal and have no problem living here because I surround myself with liberal friends. Sure the area is conservative overall but I would never describe it as cold and cruel hearted. As a matter of fact, in my line of work I speak to a lot of people who have just moved into the area and not *one* has told me they didn't like it overall.