Sunbury area (Allentown, Reading, Lancaster: section 8, real estate, to rent)

[smkjr]

How is the Sunbury area doing with jobs? I want to move up around that area to start my life. Is there good employment there? Also, are there many churches? I've been through there several times and it seems like a nice place. Thanks...


Steve

[Schwab]

I love Sunbury. My father and I bought a property on Market Street that we're trying to rent out and we're looking to buy more just because of how pretty the town is. It's a pretty lively place compared to most places I've been and the quality of the housing stock we've been looking at is pretty good. Our local real estate agent told us the town is starting to make a comeback.

As for your questions, Sunbury has Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian and Catholic churches plus a synagogue and a mosque and I think there is a Kingdom Hall in Northumberland, the next town over. For a town of about 15,000 people, Sunbury has a lot of religious diversity.

For jobs, you can try the classifieds of The Daily Item. Their web-site is www.dailyitem.com. If it helps any, I asked my contractor once if there is a lot of unemployment in the area and he told me, "There is and there isn't." My father then said "There's a lot of laziness is what there is" and my contractor said "Yeah, that's what it is". So if you're interested in working you should be able to find something. The town is pushing property owners on Market Street to fix up their places so if you are in construction you might be able to find work doing that. If you work in the medical field then the Geisinger Medical Center is pretty close by.

Good luck to you.

[bmega]

Alas, Poor Sunbury,

Home of religious diversity BUT---- a downward spiraling quality of life. It was a mid 20th century Mayberry... Safe, clean .. moderately bustling... Not so now. NYC and similar metro area drug dealers, out of state welfare people and gangs are the primary new influx of people. Most everyone who could move away did, hence the population has droped from a high of over 13,000 in 1970 to 10,000 or less now. Housing is cheap.... for a good reason.... very few jobs, one of the lowest ranked school systems in PA, rising crime, little activities for youth... one of the greatest numbers of cloudy winter days in the USA.... think twice before relocating.
If you already have a great job in the area, a great retirement already and don't mind driving in ice and snow ... you can find some nice properties in the outlying areas... Mile hill, Sun Valley, Northumberalnd... Safe... but a little drive. IF you want to live downtown in a small town and walk to anything... think somewhere else. Market St is crumbling in spite of some wonderul 11th hour projects to clean it up. Recent gang wars have caused persons to try to sell their TWO STORY 1700 sq ft homes just off Market street for $26-$35,000. It makes me so sad to see my hometown in such death throws

[Dawne]

My opinion is somewhere between the two noted above. I wouldn't live in Sunbury for anything, but there are signs that it's making a comeback. I just don't feel it's a safe place to raise children. I also don't think the job market is very good. Lazy people or not, most of the jobs pay minimum wage or just a little more, and you certainly can't raise a family on that. If you want a good-paying job be prepared to commute to Harrisburg.

If I were looking to move into this area now, I'd concentrate on Lewisburg or Selinsgrove. Both are beautiful communites with much to offer. Both are college town with cultural opportunities and both have excellent public schools. Both have many denominations of churches to choose from.

Good luck to you!

[Icy Tea]

Geez, the place looks pretty good everytime I drive through it. Sure, its pretty much a boring backwater like the coal region towns nearby, but you almost never hear about serious crime. Compare it to cities like Lancaster, Reading, Allentown and now even Lebanon and all you hear about are drug dealers shooting each other and/or spanish gangs. Maybe crime happens and outsiders don't hear about it, or maybe it just is blow out of proportion, I don't know.
Jobs might be somewhat scarce but they are within a commuting distance to other areas. I understand there are correctional facilities up there that employ alot of people.

[Dawne]

Sunbury does look nice when you drive through on the main streets, and they are working on revitalizing the downtown. They have several festivals throughout the year in their downtown park. It's a very active community.

As far as crime, there are drug issues, rapes, murders and all the other stuff that goes along with a city. Even though Sunbury is a small city they certainly have their fair share of crime.

There are a number of prisons in the area for employment. There's the federal penitentiary in Lewisburg (the baddest of the bad) and then there's the Allenwood federal prison system, with minimim, medium and maximum security buildings. There's a state prison in Frackville and there's a juvenile facility near Shamokin.

There are medical facilities as employers, too, with Evangelical Hospital in Lewisburg, Geisinger in Danville, Bloomsburg Hospital in Bloomsburg, and many medical offices and clinics scattered through all the communities.

There are lots of retail and restaurant jobs, with more on the way, and quite a few manufacturing facilities for modular and mobile homes, furniture, etc., banks, schools, universities, and other places for employment opportunities.

There are jobs here but they're not "get rich" jobs unless you're in management, and those jobs are hard to find as there's not much turnover.

[susquehannock]

All I can tell you about Sunbarrio is that it's shell of what it once was. The economy is gone, the stores are closed, and many of the factories are gone. They used to have two movie theaters that are gone and did I mention the crime rate? I hate to even drive down Market Street anymore. It used to be the place to go on a Friday or Saturday. Sunbury brought a lot of it on itself. The local government actually erected a bill board near NYC advertising for people to take advantage of their section 8 housing. In essence, they've imported a lot of their problems. The local government encourages it and so does the local newspaper which is based in Sunbury.

They're trying to bring it back, but all the celebrations in world won't reduce crime or bring back good paying jobs. It won't open the shuttered store fronts either. I get saddened when I think about how Sunbury used to be and what it is now.

I don't sugar coat things and a lot of people don't like it but I feel that's it's important for folks who want to move here to know what they could expect.

[bri123]

I'm originally from Sunbury area...Selinsgrove to be exact. Growing up we used to refer to Sunbury as "Scumbury." I know that sounds immature but we called it that for a reason. It has been 6 years since I've lived in that area, but my whole family is still living in Selinsgrove and I'm looking forward to the day I can move my family back. Lewisburg is also very nice. Both have great downtowns and that small town feel. I've read recently in the Daily Item (Selinsgrove newspaper) that there are many gangs moving into Sunbury. So I'd be concerned with that if I were you. Hope this helps and good luck.

[Dawne]

Originally Posted by bri123

Growing up we used to refer to Sunbury as "Scumbury."

And we still do. Of course, there are always rivalries with neighboring towns. I grew up in Montoursville and our neighboring towns referred to us as Manuresville, at which, of course, I took great offense!

[ScranBarre]

I'm much more partial to Selinsgrove and Lewisburg, for what it's worth.