Lititz, PA (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lancaster: transplants, crime rate, house)

[fllover]

Is Lititz a good suburb to move to?....We're looking at areas around Lancaster and heard that this as well as Manheim were good areas (low-crime, etc). Any info would be appreciated!

[lititzman2003]

Lititz is a great place to live. We came here 3 years ago from Philadelphia and it was the best move we ever made. Manheim, I hear, is okay too, although I have heard the crime rate is slightly higher there then in Lititz. Ephrata is also a nice place to live. Either way you can't go wrong by moving in this general area. Good luck to you!

[fllover]

Thank you for the information litizman! =D

[chupiechow]

I grew up in Pittsburgh lived in Philly for a little while, the weather is very humid year round. Lancaster is NOTHING but Amish. Which I know lots of people have the misconception of them being good people. Well wrong, they run tons of puppymills, abuse their kids and are so inbreed at this point it's ridiculous.
Sorry to be a downer....just being honest

[lititzman2003]

Chupiechow, you should come back some time soon! I grew up in Philly, and yes, the city is hot and humid during the summer, but Lancaster County is completely different. We're normally 3-5 degrees cooler then Philly and when the sun goes down it cools off here quickly. There are ALOT of people here who are not AMISH and they are from different parts of the country, and very friendly, I might add. As far as the puppy mills go I've only seen 3 since we've been here. Don't believe everything you hear on the news. We don't regret moving out here at all.

[mjk1093]

Vegas girl you should also be aware that Lancaster is a very, very religious area. When I lived there I was accosted numerous times by people talking about the end of the world, fags go to hell, etc.

And, yeah, unfortunately all that stuff about the puppy mills and the Amish being inbred is true. I guess they justify it because animals don't have souls in their view. Oh and they have a big drug problem in the Amish community too.

Sorry Lititz but even you'd probably have to agree only certain kinds of people will ever feel welcome in Lancaster Co. Lancaster City is a different universe alltogether, but there is that crime problem there...

[Oldiebutgoodie26]

^
I concur. Having lived other places, I would have to say this is the most unfriendly place I've been. Overall, this area is not welcoming to "transplants". I know you have some of that every place you go, but I was surprised to find this in almost every aspect of life here. If you do not mind people being rude/unfriendly to you, then come on over. There is a BIG problem with that in this area. The City of Lancaster is heavy Latino, which gives it a different flavor altogether. Never had any problems with any Amish folks (and I grew up around them)- they kinda keep to themselves. It's the local people (born and raised) that seem to want to shut out others. I found this quite hippocritical, considering all the "good Christians" who live here. I dunno- come visit. I would not reccomend this area to "outsiders". Interesting place to visit- not to live. JMO from being here. I'm glad to see that others have called it home, but, my experience has been different.

[lititzman2003]

I will agree about the how, in certain areas, outsiders are treated. I live in Newport Square, a development east of downtown Lititz, and we've found it difficult fitting in. Strange, since there are few Lancaster County natives here. My thought is that someone wants to move to Lancaster County they should try moving into an established neighborhood. We do plan moving out of the development but staying close. Too much pettyanne backstabbing here.

[mjk1093]

Glad I have some backup here! Usually when I talk about how negative my experiences were in the Lancaster area people look at me like I have two heads - on the media the area is portrayed as paradise.
Actually it sort of is, I guess, if you're the churchgoing cookie-baking Ozzie & Harriet type, but if you're not, then you are emphatically not welcome. And I'm someone who most people would call quite conservative in terms of lifestyle.

Oh yeah, and the traffic is murder - I feel safer driving in Manhattan (which I used to do a lot).

Find somewhere else, Vegas, if for no other reason than it's too crowded already. The population is almost 500K and there isn't the infrastructure to support half that number comfortably.

[lititzman2003]

Not beating a dead horse, mjk, but I will admit when I'm wrong. I do want to clarify that Lancaster County, like most places, does have alot of good things going for it. I love my house and the town in general, but yes, the people can be trying at best. And they're not as good as they think they are. Trust me, these people in this development are faaaar from Ozzie and Harriet. More like Sesame Street and Wisteria Lane rolled into one. However, I just assumed it was only here in wonderful Newport Square. Bottom line: try to meet your potential neighbors before you sign the papers; I wish I had.