Any Former Long Islanders Here? (Scranton, Lancaster: crime, houses, college)

[lialleycat]

Hi everyone! I'm currently on Long Island (Rocky Point) and hoping to complete a move to PA soon. Since I still have family on the Island, I'd like to be close enough to be home in a few hours and have been looking at eastern PA. I was wondering if there are any former Islanders here that can give me the ups and downs of their move, why they chose the area of PA that they did and if they would choose somewhere else if they could. I'm a young, single woman, so I'm not looking for a retirement community - but on in which I can work and live happily.

Thanks!

[Dawne]

There are several in the Lewisburg area, but since they've moved I'm not sure how often they check the forum. Hopefully they will soon.

[lialleycat]

Originally Posted by Dawne

There are several in the Lewisburg area, but since they've moved I'm not sure how often they check the forum. Hopefully they will soon.

I hope so! I'm hoping to get out to the area of Lewisburg/Selinsgrove and such on Oct. 25th to check it out.

[J5K5LY]

Be prepared for a huge culture shock. In fact, I am from Manorville and have been living in Pa for over 10 yrs now. I am moving back to Wading River in less than a month.
If you are coming here because you love nature and wildlife, then you will love it- mostly. But the hunting season is heart wrenching. Locals and hunters will crucify you if you don't accept their way of life. I posted once here-simply- that if you are an animal lover and decide to move here be aware of how painful that is and I was not only told to wear brown and hit the woods but the thread had to be locked for horrible hostility and animosity. There's alot of blood lust in these mountains.
Selingsgrove is a gorgeous area and Knoebels is not far from there. I love Knoebels! Bloomsburg is a college town so there are some intelligent people around.
Pa is very backwards in alot of ways but if you are looking for peace, no traffic, deer and bear in your yard, snow, and a new way of life, then go for it! That area is so affordable compared to LI it's not even funny. But then wages are way below LI standards.
Like I said, be prepared for major culture shock!
Good luck to you and I hope you find it better than I did!

[lialleycat]

Thank you J5K5LY, this is the kind of info I'm looking for!

I do love nature and wildlife, and though I'm a vegetarian and support animal rights, I do support hunting if and only IF the animal killed is used for food. I do not support trophy hunting. If you kill the deer, bear or whatever and eat it, that's great. Heck, make a rug or a trophy from what you don't eat, if that's your thing. So, if the hunters are trophy hunters, I might have serious issues with that.

What other reasons, if I may inquire, factored into your decision to leave PA and return to Long Island? Wading River is a lot different than it was 10 years ago. You have to go further and further east to find what used to make Long Island great.

I'd like to be able to have a nice little homestead, grow a lot of my own fruits and veggies, raise some chickens for eggs and have a few horses. I'll never be able to do that on Long Island. IF I could afford the land, the taxes would do me in. I was looking to PA since it's still close to family on the Island (though I think my Mom would follow me and my Dad will probably retire to MI or TN - where he has other family) and seemed to be more to my liking, but I've only visited half a dozen times.

What else can you tell me, I really want to know the good, the bad and the ugly in order to make the best decision I possibly can for my future. What could someone have told you 10 years ago, that would have made you stay on the Island OR perhaps consider somewhere else?

[I LOVE PA!]

LIalleycat....I moved from LI to Northeast Pa about 15 years ago. If I won the lottery, I'd stay right where I am. I love the people, the stress level is much less, no traffic, the scenery is beautiful and everything is considerably cheaper. I no longer worry about if I am safe, home robberies, car thefts, crime in general. After 15 years...nothing could have made me stay on LI. You will not appreciate how bad you want to get out of there until you do, live a different life and then go back. I went back after 6 mnoths and was STUNNED at what people tolerate on a daily basis. It is mind boggling!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by I LOVE PA!

LIalleycat....I moved from LI to Northeast Pa about 15 years ago. If I won the lottery, I'd stay right where I am. I love the people, the stress level is much less, no traffic, the scenery is beautiful and everything is considerably cheaper. I no longer worry about if I am safe, home robberies, car thefts, crime in general. After 15 years...nothing could have made me stay on LI. You will not appreciate how bad you want to get out of there until you do, live a different life and then go back. I went back after 6 mnoths and was STUNNED at what people tolerate on a daily basis. It is mind boggling!

..and we're happy to have you here, I LOVE PA!

[I LOVE PA!]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

..and we're happy to have you here, I LOVE PA!

You are too kind Scranbarre...amongst all your other wonderful attributes! And some people wonder why I love Pa! Who wouldn't love a state with all these wonderful people!

[lialleycat]

Thanks ILovePA. I'm just so tired on LI of struggling to make ends meet. I think so many people struggle day to day that they just become bitter and nasty. I hate driving here, even gave up my motorcycle because I feared for my life - there are so many SUV driving cranky people on cell phones doing 30 mph OVER the 55mph speed limit, that I eventually went back to my own SUV. Traded 50+mpg for 21mpg! The beaches here are beautiful, if you can ignore the garbage strewn across them, but the rest of LI is just strip mall after strip mall. I'm still in the narrowing down process, and am considering the Lehigh Valley, Lewisburg, Harrisburg and Lancaster areas. What made you decide on the area outside of Scranton?

[I LOVE PA!]

I decided on here after visitng my parents who retired here. My Dad was born and raised in Swoyersville, a coal mining town way back. They picked this place after 2 of my Dad's sister's and one of my Mom's sisters all decided to come here. I live in a large (4500 houses) 4 season recreational community that is basically in the woods, every lot is about 1/2 acre. Probably 1/2 are summer homes with the rest comprised of young folks raising kids to retirees. A nice mix of people. Every ammentity you can imagine. Arond our community is a small town, Hamlin and also Lake Ariel.. for those not wanting to live within the development. It is a beautiful area...definitely THE COUNTRY, but close to major shopping areas and the best hospitals.
I'm no fan of L.I.....I could go on and on about it but don't want to sound like the few PA bashers here. It is very unbecoming! But...I understand the need to get out. Hey...you only live life once!