What's Hershey/Harrisburg like? (Philadelphia, Lancaster: crime, townhouses, good schools)

[schoolteacher]

My wife and I teach special education in Oregon but our grandkids are in Wayne PA. I may apply to a teaching position in Hershey PA and I am wondering about the quality of life there. We have been quite spoiled by the clear air and clean water in the foothills of the cascades but want to be near our grandkids. Are there places near Hershey/ Harrisburg that are in the country yet within a half hour of Hershey? What is the cost of housing?
My wife somewhat familiar with the cold winters and humid summers of the East Coast - but whatever thoughtful comments you can make about driving to and fro in the winter would be appreciated.

[hinsey86]

We are possibly moving there from the PNW as well. But the Harrisburg area does not seem very popular in that I got no replys to a similar question. I do know the housing market is signficantly cheaper than it is for us in the Seattle area.

[Phish Head]

Harrisburg is an alright place to live. I'm not sure of Hershey. Basically, the best parts of Harrisburg are the lack of major traffic, the low mountains and ridges that surround the city, and a decent downtown. It is cheaper than the areas to the east.

If the Wayne, PA you are talking about is the one in Delaware County, PA, I would recommend some other areas. Harrisburg is pretty far from Wayne. I would recommend living in Chester County as opposed to Dauphin County. Much nicer, more educated, close to Philadelphia but still suburban and very nice. Check out West Chester, Kennett Square, and Chadd's Ford. Really nice areas, much nicer than Harrisburg. Just my two cents from a former resident.

Also, snowfall isn't too bad, front wheel drive should be fine. East coast weather is not as bad as people out west think.....

[paintballer1708]

I use to live in Kennett Square. I now live in Westlake, Ohio. But i will tell you Kennett Square is very nice. About 45 mins from Philly and about 5 mins from Delaware. Kennett Square is safe with good schools. Very nice town.

[just_me]

Hershey Is Beautiful And A Great Place To Raise Kids. Tough Police There,won't Stand For Any Bull. Want To Stay Out Of Harrisburg, Although Some Nice Areas There, Too Close To Bad Crime. Palmyra And Annville Are Close To Hershey About 5 & 10 Min Away.

[bolillo_loco]

Harrisburg isn't a nice place to live. Drugs and crime are all over the place. Sure Harrisburg has some nice areas to vist, but that's about all one can say. The nice parts of Harrisburg are usually a few minutes walk from the ghetto parts. Traffic in Harrisburg is also getting worse each year.

Hershey on the other hand is a different story. The taxes and prices of housing keep the trash out of the town. The two problems I have with Hershey are traffic and expense.

You can move 15 - 25 minutes north of Hershey where it's very inexpensive and so safe that you can leave your home unlocked and the keys in your car while you vacation for a week or two. There is not crime to speak of in areas north of Hershey.

I've lived in Harrisburg, Hershey, Hummelstown, and areas north of these towns. I like the areas north much better.

[Maggie7556]

I lived in Harrisburg for two years and could not get out of there fast enough. Having lived in both the Philadelphia area and the Harrisburg area, they seem to be two different worlds. The only real positives in Harrisburg were cheaper rents and a nice library system. Other than that I despised it.

[loose cannon]

Yes, Harrisburg is a sad dump! Living outside of the city is good but stay away from the town itself!

[jackooboy]

I work in Harrisburg but live in Lancaster and go to school in Philadelphia. Harrisburg has a strange feel about it. It seems that most people work/live in the area because it is the state capital as there are thousands and thousands of state jobs. The city gives me a feeling of being non-authentic/ fake. Perhaps it's because I work in the capitol, but the city just doesn't seem to have a true cultural base. It is as if it is searching for an identity like an insecure teenager hitting puberty.

Hershey is great. You might want to consider living in E-town or metro Lancaster/Philadelphia.

Are you looking for urban, suburban, or rural living?

[GypsySoul22]

We lived outside Harrisburg (in Camp Hill) in 1994-95. Harrisburg City is a dump as others have stated. 2 times someone came up to my husband and wanted to sell him stolen goods! No one has ever done that during our trips to NYC!!

It is a very racist area (Central PA). Althought we are white, we did not want to raise our future family in a place where people toss off the "N" word so casually!

We were stared at constantly and people were distrustful of us simply because we came from NY! (suburbs).

One genius said to my husband, "You drove through Brooklyn and didn't get shot?" (What sort of stupidity is that?)

If you must live near Harrisburg, stay in Camp Hill which has nice houses and good, reasonable townhouses.