Considering a move to Montoursville/Williamsport (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: violent crime, house, buying)

[lakeman]

My wife and I were born and raised in upstate NY. After tiring of fighting with taxes and the economy, we sold our house and moved our 3 kids to North Carolina. After being here for a year now, we have decided it's not really for us, and is definitely not the best place to raise our kids. My wife is an RN and the company she works for has several locations throughout PA. The main area we're looking at is Montoursville/Williamsport. From what I've seen on the internet, Montoursville looks like a nice little town. Good schools, no crime, descent economy. Any info on this area would be greatly appreciated. Other areas we're considering are Elizabethtown, Huntingdon, and Kingston.

[nk0171]

Originally Posted by lakeman

My wife and I were born and raised in upstate NY. After tiring of fighting with taxes and the economy, we sold our house and moved our 3 kids to North Carolina. After being here for a year now, we have decided it's not really for us, and is definitely not the best place to raise our kids. My wife is an RN and the company she works for has several locations throughout PA. The main area we're looking at is Montoursville/Williamsport. From what I've seen on the internet, Montoursville looks like a nice little town. Good schools, no crime, descent economy. Any info on this area would be greatly appreciated. Other areas we're considering are Elizabethtown, Huntingdon, and Kingston.

What area of NC are you moving from?

[lakeman]

Pinehurst area........

[scubafly]

I just bought a nice medium size house in Montoursville. Been here about 9 months. While it is a second house, I am there quite a bit. I am completely satisfied with the downtown and the proximity to the airport and also the friendly people. I am trying to get used to the humidity and the cold/snow as I still maintain a residence in far west Texas and it has a high desert climate. I grew up in DC and suburban MD so the climate is similar to North Central PA's. I would recommend Montoursville !

[Dawne]

Sorry I missed this post earlier. I grew up in Montoursville and graduated from HS there in 1980. The only reason I moved to Selinsgrove was due to buying a business. When we sold the business our kids were in school so we decided to stay. (Selinsgrove and Montoursville are quite similar demographically anyway.)

I loved growing up in Montoursville and my mom still lives there. You could walk around the town at night and feel safe. The neighbors know each other and look out for each other. There are some stores (more with the new Wal-Mart area, Lowe's, Scot's, etc) and a few restaurants (OIP downtown is great!). The airport is right there. The creek and river provide recreation activities. Indian Park and the community pool are also great places in the summertime.

The one drawback to Montoursville would be for anyone looking for a more multicultural community. There were absolutely no minorities there when I was growing up. The only minorities we saw were the foreign exchange students who came to our school occasionally. Williamsport is much more multicultural, with a large black community.

Lakeman, if you have any more questions, please post them.

Scubafly, did you move into town? What kind of work are you in? Do you have kids? I hope you have a very happy life in Montoursville.

[WasPA]

And remember, pitcher Mike Mussina lives there in the off season! I know, I know, that might bother as many people as it thrills....heh depending on your like/dislike for the Yankees......

It looks like an awfully nice place to me as I drive through en route to 'Bills'port two or three times a year......typical PA small town great rural atmosphere nearby...the smell of the warm earth of the farms as you drive around in the summer...windows open AC off.......

The Amish population is increasing, especially between Williamsport and Millville to the east....they've bought some of those old farms and are bringing them back up to snuff...and them some....

[Dawne]

Originally Posted by WasPA

And remember, pitcher Mike Mussina lives there in the off season! I know, I know, that might bother as many people as it thrills....heh depending on your like/dislike for the Yankees......

My sister was in school with Mike's younger brother and I kept telling her to get in with that family, but did she listen to me? Nooooo!! LOL!

Mike actually lives outside of town in a very nice development that wasn't even there when I was growing up. If you go to Cellini's Sub Shop in town you might run into him during the off season.

I remember when Route 180 was just being built. It was all concrete and we rode our bikes on it for miles and miles before it was opened. Talk about the ultimate bike path! Oh, that's another thing - there's a great bike path that starts near the Montoursville Wal-Mart and goes all the way into Loyalsock Township, at least.

[Gerania]

There's a thread entitled "Should I Move to Williamsport" launched 10/05/06 in this forum. Check that for some additional information.

I don't know a thing about Elizabethtown or Huntingdon. If the Kingston to which you refer is the one near Wilkes-Barre, I can offer some addition information. I grew up in the area and visit family members there regularly.

[mamaeck]

I was born and raised in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In 1990, my family moved to Loyalsock but they have a Montoursville address. I would never, ever encourage anyone to move to Williamsport due to the influx and the crime that has overtaken the city since the mid 80s. Plus, no one can afford the outrageous taxes any longer.

Loyalsock is a suburb of Williamsport (it's actually a borough). Therefore, I would certainly look for a home in Montoursville or Loyasock, but you should definitely stay away from Williamsport.

Good luck.

[ScranBarre]

I'll agree that Montoursville is a very nice small town. Williamsport itself is the largest city in the region and is attempting to make am economic comeback, but it's been facing some violent crime issues as of late, which has soured many suburbanites in Loyalsock Twp., Old Lycoming Twp., South Williamsport, Montoursville, Muncy, etc. on the prospect of venturing into town at night to eat at the microbrewery or see an off-Broadway show at the Community Arts Center (CAC). In order for "Billtown" to bounce back in the way that Scranton has begun to in the past few years, it has to reshape its reputation from one of being "gang-friendly" to one of being "family-friendly."

21 residents of Montoursville, mostly high school students, were killed when TWA Flight 800 exploded into a fireball off the coast of Long Island back in 1996. After this tragedy, the entire community fell into a state of shock and mourning. Ribbons were hung throughout the town, people prayed for one another, and people from across the country saw just how "closely-knit" this community of about 5,000 was. It's certainly a nice place to call home, in my opinion.

Also, if the Kingston you mentioned is in Luzerne County, near Wilkes-Barre, then I can also be of help there, as I live nearby and work and attend college a mile away.