Best, So-So and Worst Towns in PA (Pittsburgh, Mountain Top: to rent, mortgage)

[newmarlig]

Heatam - where were you from in Philly? I live in center city and I think it's the best. There is so much to do, great restaurants, etc. New condos going up all over.

[heatam]

I grew up in the Northeast, but went to school in South Philly, taking 2 buses and the el to do so. I went to college in the northeast, in center city and then in North Philly. I taught in the northeast, and in North Philly. My best friend lived at 15th and Lombard, or 15th and Pine, I forget which. She had bars on her windows, hookers on the corner and living directly across the street, and drug dealers immediately next store. She loved her area for the culture, but the positives with the city-abundance of jobs, culture, don't outweigh the negatives: high crime, high violence, filthy neighborhoods (I hated driving through those, especially when I was scared), finding dime bags right on my front lawn and having to tell my 5 year old that no, it wasn't a pretty pink jewelry bag, having his bike stolen off of my own front lawn right in broad daylight and chasing the 6 year old and 3 brothers who rode away on them (and getting it back!)...high taxes, overpriced housing for what you don't get (not much yard, smaller square footage); having lockdowns in my school because of a gun shooting right out front...these are things that in different areas, do not happen. Now some people still love Philly, but I just had to state some things that I did experience (oh, I forgot to mention the two cars that were stolen!) Oh-and the time me and about 12 other co-workers were held up by 6 people holding shotguns at a restaurant!

[phillyman]

I live in SE PA, travel to the poconos once or twice in the summer, and I love both places. I live in Worcester, which is near Lansdale in Montgomery county. I moved from Norristown, also in Montgomery, and in the poconos there is a development called the Hideout that I go to. I cant say too much about pocono winter, but summer is beautiful. Its not too cold nor is it too hot. Down here in SE, it's great. Winters are not horrible, summers get nice, and if its too hot there are some public pools to go to, my favorite being Markley Farms. Anyway being in SE you have a nice, easy commute to the greatest city on earth, Philadelphia, and where I live theres a modest population and some farms so you get a lot of land and it's not too expensive.

[GreenGuyJ]

I always liked Chambersburg and while I'm biased (since I grew up nearby), I thought the people there were nice enough. When I moved to a Philly suburb, people said that I was too nice to have been from Philly.

[ccheronis]

If you have never considered Warren, PA as a place to work and live, check it out! Lots of great things are happening there and alot of new development. Lots of recreational opportunites and a BEAUTIFUL area!

[ScranBarre]

I notice nobody responded to your inquiry about Sullivan County, so I figured I'd do so. Sullivan County is EXTREMELY rural---At only 6,000 residents, it may just be the least-populated county out of the 67 counties in PA! There's not a single chain business anywhere in the county (a positive in my opinion), but you have to drive a good 45 minutes to the Williamsport area in Lycoming County for most of your "urban" conveniences such as the mall, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, and even decent jobs!

There are only a few towns of interest here:
EAGLES MERE: A rustic tourist trap, Eagles Mere is home to only a few little country stores and a large town park. It's a nice community, but it has the mindset that it's the "Paris of Central PA" when our family was bored in about an hour when we came up for a visit last year. The town is also host to an annual ice sledding festival that has been canceled in recent years due to very mild winters (Global warming...cough...Bush doesn't care...cough...LOL!) This is the closest town center to Lycoming County.

LAPORTE: The county seat, Laporte is located a few miles north of Eagles Mere. Not much to see in this town of only a few hundred souls besides the beautiful court house, some nice homes, and a mom-and-pop shop or two.

DUSHORE: The largest "city" in Sullivan County, Dushore has a population hovering near 1,000 and is home to what I believe is the county's only traffic light. Dushore has a very "Mayberry" feel to it---One of those small towns with its own bank, barber shop, etc. where "everybody knows your name."

Overall, the quality-of-life is outstanding in Sullivan County, but it is also TOO ISOLATED for most tastes. Real estate is so cheap here because there is very little industry and not many people are willing to commute from Eagles Mere to Williamsport or from Dushore to Towanda for work. If you are retiring and don't have a desire to spend your days doing anything other than fishing, hiking, hunting, etc., then this is a PERFECT place for you! If you are trying to raise a family, then your kids and spouse will be bored to death, and you'll go nuts trying to commute everywhere. I believe the county also has the lowest percentage of high-school graduates in the state---Keep that in mind if you are craving any sort of cultural opportunities.

[ScranBarre]

Just to let you know, there are some very nice areas of Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties that you may be interested in considering. Granted, the reputation of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre to the rest of the nation is one of mockery, jeers, and snickering, but as more and more of these NY/NJ people jam themselves into our area, you're going to see a huge surge in cultural opportunities, better-paying jobs, etc. I just took a drive today to vist my ex down in Tobyhanna via I-380---Nearly EVERY other car on the stretch of highway between Scranton and the Monroe County line was from out-of-state, indicating just how much investment there truly is in our region. If you're interested at all in Northeastern Pennsylvania, feel free to hit me up for inquiries!

[micatee]

Small little town in Western Pa....New Castle..........economy bad and city is dying. No where to shop other than Walmart and a few other businesses. You maybe able to get housing resonable and they did build a new beautiful high school, but jobs are pretty much at a minimum.

[Phish Head]

Worst town in PA: easily Centralia, PA. An underground fire started back in the sixties, and the government would not pay to put it out. It spread throughout the whole town and everyone had to leave. Now, its a ghost town, the fire rages on, and they just built a bypass around the town once the road got engulfed by the fire. It is expected to burn another 300 years. The town smells like sulfur, smoke pours out of the ground, smoke even comes out of some of the graves in the cemetary. The trees are bare from the air pollution, and no snow falls here.

Nearby, the rivers run orange from acid mine waste, and there are heaps of coal slag surrounding the town where no vegetation can grow. You will rarely hear birds or see any wildlife near this town. Truly a testament to what damage man can do to the natural environment.

[I'minformed2]

Actually the eerie thing is it isn't totally abandoned; there are still about 20 people living in the town.... all of them white, and most over 65. I would imagine it would have to be almost like a cult or something to stay in a place like that.