Best, So-So and Worst Towns in PA (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: condo, cheap house)

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by judd2401

If you want a mid-sized city, Harrisburg would be your city.

I don't know about that, unless you're talking about the general Harrisburg area as opposed to the city proper. Harrisburg city, apart from downtown, to me is no better than the ghettos in Philly. Harrisburg schools are downright horrible....I believe at one point, the state had to step in and take them over.

For safe, liveable medium-sized cities in PA....your best bets would be Bethlehem or Scranton, by far.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by conorsdad

I don't know about that, unless you're talking about the general Harrisburg area as opposed to the city proper. Harrisburg city, apart from downtown, to me is no better than the ghettos in Philly. Harrisburg schools are downright horrible....I believe at one point, the state had to step in and take them over.

For safe, liveable medium-sized cities in PA....your best bets would be Bethlehem or Scranton, by far.

How much time have you really spent in the city? Downtown, midtown, Shipoke, Bellevue Heights and parts of uptown are beautiful city neighborhoods with very few crime problems. Yes the city schools are horrible, but there are plenty of private options around. The Harrisburg region probably has the strongest economy in the state right now, and Harrisburg is the *only* second tier city in the state with skyline altering mid-rise buildings currently under construction, not to mention empty lots being snatched up left and right for construction projects. Scranton could probably learn a thing or two from Harrisburg.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by danwxman

How much time have you really spent in the city? Downtown, midtown, Shipoke, Bellevue Heights and parts of uptown are beautiful city neighborhoods with very few crime problems. Yes the city schools are horrible, but there are plenty of private options around. The Harrisburg region probably has the strongest economy in the state right now, and Harrisburg is the *only* second tier city in the state with skyline altering mid-rise buildings currently under construction, not to mention empty lots being snatched up left and right for construction projects. Scranton could probably learn a thing or two from Harrisburg.

Harrisburg's economy benefits from being the state capitol and having tons of state jobs readily available. That makes for a very stable economy, and is a reason why a city of only 40,000-something has as impressive of a skyline. But the fact is, a majority of those downtown workers are living in Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Hershey, etc, as opposed to the city. If it wasn;t a state capitol with a great number of stable good-paying public-sector jobs, Harrisburg would be another Pottsville or Hazleton, at best. I will agree that the Harrisburg economy is much better than Scranton. I'm just referring to overall safety and liveability of the city proper. And when considering a place to live, a family will not want to move to a city where they have to send their kid to an expensive private school, just to avoid a gang-ridden poorly-performing public school system. Scranton has one of the best city school districts in the state....my son's public elementary school in Scranton fares as well academically as the best suburban districts in our area.

I wouldn't advise against living in the Harrisburg area...its just that if I had a job offer there, I wouldn't live in the city.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by conorsdad

Harrisburg's economy benefits from being the state capitol and having tons of state jobs readily available. That makes for a very stable economy, and is a reason why a city of only 40,000-something has as impressive of a skyline. But the fact is, a majority of those downtown workers are living in Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Hershey, etc, as opposed to the city. If it wasn;t a state capitol with a great number of stable good-paying public-sector jobs, Harrisburg would be another Pottsville or Hazleton, at best. I will agree that the Harrisburg economy is much better than Scranton. I'm just referring to overall safety and liveability of the city proper. And when considering a place to live, a family will not want to move to a city where they have to send their kid to an expensive private school, just to avoid a gang-ridden poorly-performing public school system. Scranton has one of the best city school districts in the state....my son's public elementary school in Scranton fares as well academically as the best suburban districts in our area.

I wouldn't advise against living in the Harrisburg area...its just that if I had a job offer there, I wouldn't live in the city.

The state government has a lot do with it, but that's not all. The Harrisburg region has NEVER been dependent on manufacturing, it's always been more government/transportation/business dominant economy, in which there will always be jobs. Harrisburg was never hit hard by the decline of manufacturing like a lot of other cities in the state...so to say it would be another Hazleton or Pottsville is completely out of line and not true. Harrisburg's last two office buildings built (1996 and 2005) were not government related at all, but private industry. Currently under construction are two four-story office buildings in midtown, a six-story office building on a brownfield along Cameron street, and a 16-story new University building. Another private sector office building is currently proposed at 18 stories.

I agree the majority of the state workers live outside the city, as a matter of fact...most of the people moving into the city's downtown and gentrifying midtown are actually working for private industry (that can be seen from this forum). The city schools are horrible, no doubt, and need a lot of work. I think if you combine Scranton and Harrisburg you have a pretty good city!

[coourtney xoxo]

Growing up and still currently living there, Clifton Heights can be a very nice place to live. I live in Westbrook Park, and my neighbors are all white classy Christian/Catholic people. Although the school district may not be award-winning, it's still liveable. The Catholic schools there a awesome and my neighbors are like family to me. I just wanted to say this because I keep on reading on this website how bad Clifton Heights is when not all of it. And yes Clifton Heights is a section of Upper Darby.

[paddy205]

Originally Posted by bap64

Hello to all. I am originally from New Alex/Blairsville area and have lived in central Florida for too long, 16 years. Florida sucks and crime is too high and I am thinking about moving back to Pa, preferably Latrobe area because I have always liked it there. What is crime like there? How much has that area grown, if any? Any input would be appreciated.

I grew up and went to HS in Latrobe and my family still lives there. It has not changed in 20 years except there are less blue collar jobs since all the mills and factories basically closed. There never really was an business downtown and still isn't. Crime is low but there is a big heroine problem- won't affect you if you aren't a part of that scene. I wouldn't move back there if you paid me. I'd move to a closer suburb of Pittsburgh though. I am outside NYC now and the cost of living is outrageous.

[Chad2002]

Saw your mention of Sullivan County, which is in my neck of the woods. It's actually a very nice area, but dominated by seasonal residences and retirees. Laporte, Eagles Mere and Forksville are very overpriced for our region, more similar to what one finds in the Poconos. The school system is good, but small which can be limiting.

I'd have to agree that Westfield/Coudersport/Galeton could be difficult areas to live. However, Covington-Mansfield-Wellsboro are very nice, affordable, accessible to larger areas such as Williamsport, Elmira, and Corning.

[couldntthinkofaclevername]

Originally Posted by coourtney xoxo

Growing up and still currently living there, Clifton Heights can be a very nice place to live. I live in Westbrook Park, and my neighbors are all white classy Christian/Catholic people. Although the school district may not be award-winning, it's still liveable. The Catholic schools there a awesome and my neighbors are like family to me. I just wanted to say this because I keep on reading on this website how bad Clifton Heights is when not all of it. And yes Clifton Heights is a section of Upper Darby.

I just found this site off of Google so I have no idea what any other threads say, but I grew up in Clifton too, moved out a week or so after my 15th birthday and I don't think it's a bad place to live at all, infact, it's somewhere I'd want to raise kids later in life. It's extremely friendly, the neighbors are definitely like family like you said and aside from a few punks who watch too much BET and smoke too much weed and suddenly think they're gangbangers(which is a lot more prevalent in the higher income areas than places like Clifton), it's a great place to live.

People probably talk about how bad Clifton is the way they talk about how bad Folcroft is, the people who always say how bad it is are people who live there who just want to ***** about something to somebody because they are pretty much trash and don't want to work hard at anything ever. The majority of people from Clifton are very classy, hard working, go out of their way to help out somebody who needs it types who don't cause any trouble with anyone. Sure there are a few douchebags, but every town has them and most others probably have more

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by nocturnal rooster

Stay outta York, Harrisburg, Reading, Allentown, Pottstown, Scranton, and Lancaster

You have decided to lump Scranton in with these other cities for what reason, exactly? Our crime rate is much lower than these other cities, our public school system is much better, and while urban sprawl is a huge issue here, it is less so than in those other areas.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by reztrop

I don't like the sprawl that's crawling through far eastern PA. Lots of beautiful farmland are being paved over with concrete to accomodate housing/strip malls. Nazareth is just one of many examples.

PA has one of the slowest population growth in the country, but it has the 5th highest loss rate of open space.

Unfortunately most of our fellow Pennsylvanians are too uneducated to understand what urban sprawl truly is. It's amazing to me that a state with nearly stagnant population growth can be paving over its farmlands and woodlands at the 5th-fastest rate in the nation while nobody seems to care. When all of Eastern PA resembles NJ you'll FINALLY start to see people waking up---too late that is.