Relocating to Central PA - (Danville, PA area) (Williamsport, Washington: for sale, rental)

[PAFlyfisherman]

I just recently accepted an offer to work at Geisinger up in Danville and will be starting in mid September. I was wondering if I could get some sound advice as to where I can stay affordably in the general (towns) area (and also an area that is safe, and quiet), at least until my house sells and I can complete the relocation process.

I have seen some posts on here from others whom have relocated under the same circumstances and was hoping to pick the brains of those individuals, specifically, your relocation experiences thus far, especially in cases where you had to sell your house and have had to live somewhere up there temporarily. How long the process took etc?

I'd also like to hear from locals, or former locals, who know the area well, and ultimately, once I can move my family up there, towns/areas we should consider. To note, I have seen some positive posts about Danville, Catawissa and Lewisburg...

To give you a little background about myself, I am going to be relocating from Southeastern PA, Zieglerville, PA (Montco) to be exact. My area is semi-rural and looking ahead my wife I would like to find a nice home (newer or older) with at least an acre as we currently live in a development now, which while it is nice, I think moving to the Danville area, we'd like to find a bit more "country" living space.


Thanks

[ScranBarre]

Hello!

Washingtonville, which is a rural hamlet not far to the north of Danville, might be a consideration for you.

[afdude2018]

Danville is a nice area. I haven't been to Sunbury in ages and have only traveled thru Northumberland on my way to Danville so yeh can't say too much for that town either. I was born at Geisinger and went there for my dr. appt's the first half of my childhood. Couple of the wife's family members live in Danville. I always enjoy going to Danville.

[Dawne]

Do you have children, as that is a big consideration? All the school districts in the area are excellent, but some are better than others. You absolutely cannot go wrong with Danville, Catawissa (Southern Columbia School District), Lewisburg, Bloomsburg (either Bloomsburg or Central Columbia, depending on where you are). These would be the closest for your commute. Route 11 between Northumberland and Danville is like a drag strip in the morning with people commuting to Geisinger.

When you get here, team up with a local realtor who can help you find your dream property. There are many areas with stand-alone homes on an acre or so of land. And of course there are tons of developments, if you decide to go that route again.

Best of luck to you!

[tcesni]

I relocated to Danville this past winter from Bucks County. My wife and I had to live for several months in a small apt. after selling our house (quickly) but having to wait to move into the house we bought. Finding a decent rental can be tough, Villager Realty has a rental specialist that we found useful.

The housing stock in the area is quite variable with people living in a number of area towns. If you want a "country" home you should be able find one easily.

[PAFlyfisherman]

It's definitely good to hear about locals (Montco, Bucks etc) moving to the area. We just put our house up for sale about a week ago, had a few visits but nothing imminent. I will be staying in Danville temporarily starting the end of this month (and hope the house sells soon!).

So, in the time you've been up there, how do you like it so far?

[NWPAguy]

Danville seemed like a neat little town when I went through it... very quaint around Christmastime. Sunbury is said to have drug issues but I was thinking of moving there and the Sunbury cop I talked with said that he and his family lived in town and it was fine. They have an amazing Christmas display and a really cool Victorian-era eatery on the main oval in town...!

That being said, I think you could go just about anywhere and find affordable housing. Catawissa looked like a neat town but they have an animal feed factory there and depending on the day, the entire town can smell like cat food.

[graysmom8]

I will tell you that Catawissa is RURAL. The only grocery store is a Weis Markets that is not much bigger than Wawa. Shopping is nonexistent other than CVS and Weis. They currently don't even have a gas station. It is a cute little farming community, but you will have to drive a ways to get to shopping.

The other thing to consider is how the roads will be going to work in the winter. Do you have 4-wheel-drive? Catawissa's roads are quite hilly, w/o much of a shoulder in the mountainous parts, and they get treacherous in the winter w/snow and ice.

A big local event is coming up http://www.bloomsburgfair.com/ at the end of September. Tons of good food!

[yellowflower]

We are from NJ, but move to Wichita 2 year ago and want to get back east.

Where should we move? I am looking for good public schools and activities for my kids. My son plays tennis and golf and my girls do dance and swimming. Lewisburg looks nice on the web. What about Williamport?
Also, we don't have a 4 wheel drive.
My Kids go to a catholic school is there any good Catholic schools there? Also, we would like to rent a 4 bedroom house. We made a big mistake when we move here and purchased a house before getting to know the area.

[Dawne]

Hi, yellowflower

Lewisburg would fit your needs very well. It's a nice place to live and there's an excellent Catholic school (up to 8th grade) just across the river in Sunbury (St. Monica's). However, I think there's no high school so you'd have to go public for that.

Williamsport would also be good, or you could live in one of the nearby areas of Loyalsock Township or Montoursville. Williamsport has Bishop Neumann Catholic schools (including high school). I think the name may be a bit different now from when I was growing up in the '70s but if you do a search I'm sure "Neumann" is still in the name.

Renting a 4-bedroom house would probably be easier in Williamsport than in Lewisburg, but you could check out local newpapers, Craig's List and local realtors.