Warren County Pennsylvania?my Dad Heard It Was A Nice Area? Any Insight? (Pittsburgh: best towns)

[deeds]

My Retired Dad Heard Great Things About Warren County Pennsylvania? Good Schools, Low Crime, Nice Housing? Any Info About This Area That You Could Share Would Be Greatly Appreciated!

[ScranBarre]

Dee, I think you'd better whip out your road atlas! LOL! Warren County is way over on the other side of PA, not far from Lake Erie. It is quite a nice area with plenty of natural scenery along scenic U.S. Route 6, and it is the northwestern gateway to the Allegheny National Forest, but you couldn't be further from Pike County or the North Pocono School District, the two areas you had been inquiring about. Warren County is a good four hours or so from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area! I don't know if you had your heart set on being near to NYC, NJ, etc., or not, but Warren County should be ruled out if you had hoped to be near to these areas.

[soulsurv]

Today, on one of AOL's little Top-Ten blurbs, Warren County was listed as one of the tops for rurual, bucolic settings, away from the rat race. I'll see if I can dig up the link for you.

[soulsurv]

Here we go...I think it's listed under the third slide and has an additional link for more info at the bottom http://money.aol.com/progfarmer/real.../bestrural2006

[Dragonchaser]

Deeds,

I live in Jamestown, NY which is about 15mins away from Warren. Most of my family lives in that area and I have been living in this area mst of my life. Warren (the city) is the home of United Refining...they own the "Kwik Fill" convenience store chains if you are familiar with them. The Northern part of the city smells like burning oil, but the other areas of the city are decent. The downtwon area is beautiful, not much to do, but cosmetically the houses are amazing. They are the old victorian mansions that are jaw dropping. As far as the rest of the county, it is VERY rural. The schools are not that good, as they are lacking in funding. It seems like everything is outdated. Crime is almost non-existent, other than kids stuff (grafitti, etc.) The city of Warren has a little higher crime rate, but not that bad as it is a small city (pop. 10,000 I think).

The area is very beautiful, there are huge hills and sprawling farmlands, plus you are very close to Allegheny forest, which is amazing! There are quaint amish communities and most people seem to be kind and helpful (in the country that is). The only real bad thing I can say other than the area being extremely rural and the towns seeing better days; is the fact there is nothing to do. Now, I am primarily talking bout shopping, movies, the arts etc. The mall in Warren is very pathetic, something like 15 stores and you can hear yourself walking in there. They just built a Lowe's, and are in the process of building a Walmart, but other than that you are going to have to drive 30 min to find a good movie theatre, good food, and good shopping. You can message me if you have more questions. I hope this helped.

[openless]

Very rural, along rt 6. in nearby mckean county they have the kinzua bridge. you should check it out. lack of employment is a major problem.

[colorman]

I moved to Warren from a popular destination city in another state a handful of years ago. I can say that yes, because the city's industrial base is about 20 years behind everywhere else in the US, the largest employers are shrinking or becoming rare. That is a sad fact all around America with few exceptions. However, this is more a result of a shift in global economics than of local depression. AND there is a whole lot more to this "city" (hey, it's only about 10,000 people) than whether manufacturing jobs are easy to find.
I have my own small business which is not dependent on the local economy, and I find Warren an exceptional place to live. It is the kind of place people want to go after they make it big elsewhere, to cash in their chips for the good life. I used to read all the magazine articles, buy all the books that had a new list of the "hundred best towns to live in", looking for the ideal place to live. I actually visited several of them (unlike, famously, the author of one of those books) and I have to say, I have never found one more appealing than Warren. (In case you are wondering, I didn't find Warren this way, it was a fluke, really.) I have traveled to every state and lived in several different regions, and I think Warren offers the best combination of all considerations.
It is gorgeously set along the banks of the Allegheny River and is bordered by Pennsylvania's only National Forest. This fact brings in people from all over for the outdoor activities. Fishing, hunting and hiking are all big. The USCA National canoe and kayak races are here again this year, and may continue to return, as they too have fallen in love with the place. The houses, as pointed out by a different poster, are indeed beautiful. And BECAUSE of the current dip in jobs, you can find a great Victorian for a bargain. The upside of the downturn. For anyone who is self-motivated or self-sufficient, this town is ideal. There are small-town crimes, like anywhere else, I suppose, but not much of it. And thinking hard, I cannot remember ever seeing graffiti here, like the other poster mentioned. The arts are thriving for a town this size. A grand old theatre houses a local theatrical group, has a regular season of music from around the world (Tibetan throat-singing monks were here not long ago, for a far-away example), a civic orchestra, a burgeoning traditional music scene (I don't know what the electronic music scene is like here for younger people, honestly) and traveling theatre groups have seasons here, there is non-profit art gallery and coffee shops and ... the list goes on.
My one complaint - being an appreciator of fine cuisine, and a vegetarian at that - is that there is a dearth of quality restaurants. Or even a good bakery. But that could change anytime. (Maybe YOU will start one!) OK, another complaint: no university or college (there are extension courses offered from several institutions, but it is not the same) with its attendant lectures, and academic vibrance. Of course there is a huge downside to hosting a seasonal influx of college kids as well, so maybe I should count the blessing. Aside from that, this town has all the most important ingredients of what most people would call "it", I think. Great houses, scenic location, great climate, great people, low crime.
And yes, the mall does look like a ghost town, but I am not sure that is necessarily a bad thing! Other than the small city of Jamestown (which has only marginally better shopping and restaurants) across the border in NY, there isn't a more populous, nearby town to count on for jobs, so this isn't the kind of town you move to, assuming you will simply find a job. But if you are "portable" and want to be part of something growing toward the good -- you will like Warren.

[dissident]

Originally Posted by colorman

(Tibetan throat-singing monks were here not long ago, for a far-away example), a civic orchestra, a burgeoning traditional music scene (I don't know what the electronic music scene is like here for younger people, honestly)

The Tibetan singers really WERE amazing. I keep wishing they would come back. As for electronic music - forget it. As a scene, that's pretty much dead in all of Western Pennsylvania and Western New York. There are two gay bars in Erie as well as two in Jamestown, NY. But unless it's a weekend, there isn't much dancing. The Chippewa-Delaware district in Buffalo can be fun, but it's nothing cutting-edge. (Although The Continental is a blast.) Pittsburgh has a little more to offer on the Strip and at a few of the city's gay bars. Check out The Pittsburgh Eagle in particular. There used to a place called Sanctuary on the Strip that was pretty hot for a while, but I don't know if it still is.

[carlieisodd]

Originally Posted by deeds

My Retired Dad Heard Great Things About Warren County Pennsylvania? Good Schools, Low Crime, Nice Housing? Any Info About This Area That You Could Share Would Be Greatly Appreciated!

The high school is awful. period.

Every now and then you'll hear about a drug bust or assault but for the most part..there isn't any "serious" crime. Housing is alright, very affordable. The job market isn't the best but there are usually quite a few openings around town. The summer is probably Warren's best season, there are alot of places to go swimming, hiking, etc. In winter, it can get depressing. Throughout the year there are some local shows where you can listen to a couple bands for 5-10$, there is music in the park which is free and a little more popular with the older portion of the population. There's the county fair in the summer, the Christmas Walk in December. There's a new "Warren Commons" in North Warren which holds a Wal-mart, Dollar Tree, Sally's Beauty Supply, Fashion Bug, Applebee's, Maurices, and i think a videogame shop and a store that sells hiking/outdoor gear. There is a movie theater and a mall (the mall is almost empty now).

It can be a nice little town.

[pcity]

Have family up there, it's a nice place. Absolutely beautiful country. The National Forest is one of the best places for outdoor recreation in the entire US. Definitely low crime and your housing dollar goes a long way.

Biggest negative is the economy. As manufacturers have closed their doors or moved overseas, Warren County has been hurt in a big way. As a result, most of the people there are older and retired. Young people move away first chance they get, looking for better jobs and more exciting places.