Looking for open minded / conscious area in pa please help. (Harrisburg: schools, college)

[organick]

We are thinking about moving to pa to be closer to family. The area we would like is somewhat open. if you drew a circle from gettysburg to harrisburg and back down through say oxford? We have lived in missoula mt and asheville nc. We want a community that is open minded, rural housing available thats not super expensive, access to organic/ natural foods and farms, preferably a waldorf or other type alternative school, maybe a community of artists. Hopefully this gives a picture of what we want. Not a conservative area, etc. I can give more info if it will help. Thanks for your help. We are not dead set on this exact area so any other ideas are welcome also.

[danwxman]

Rural south central Pennsylvania is by in large quite conservative. However, you may find the area around Carlisle and Boiling Springs to be surprisingly open-minded and nice. The most liberal areas are Harrisburg (city) and probably the boroughs of Gettysburg and Carlisle.

[organick]

thanks danwxman. I know the area tends to be old school conservative, Part of the reason we left probably. Correct me if I am wrong but is the carlisle / boiling springs area more of a suburban type area as oppossed to a rural feel? Thanks, if anyone else has any ideas we would appreciate it. Thanks again.

[mattjd]

To answer your last question, I have been to Carlisle tons of times and yes, it does feel like the suburbs to me. However, it's really a 10 min drive to extremely rural farm country. If you are really looking for a liberal area, I don't know if Carlisle would be the best fit for you. I mean, it's Carlisle! lol. Harrisburg and Carlisle aren't exactly full of liberals. Democrats, yes, but socially conservative Democrats. Have you thought about going more north towards State College? Obviously with Penn State there you are going to get a more artistic and liberal vibe, plus you could live a few miles away in a very rural part of Centre County. Honestly, what you're describing sounds more like a hippie area, with the natural foods and alternative schools. I really don't know of many hippie areas of PA. Maryland is certainly more liberal though, so I'm sure they would have something there. Have you tried New York? Sounds like Ithaca might be what you're looking for, but that would probably be too far from the family.

[organick]

thanks matt, have thought of state college, might check it out. We cant find anything in that area of maryland, from what we found its very conservative also and doesnt offer access to things we want except rural location. Thanks again.

[ki0eh]

Boiling Springs is a beautiful area, as in much of central PA you can turn the corner from suburbs and move back a century and a half (check the zoning for sure). The surrounding South Middleton Twp has a progressive form of conservatism.

But with the level of weighting for your other criteria that I'm reading into, I think I would second looking into State College area (especially Penns Valley east of there, Spring Mills/Millheim/Coburn/Woodward), but it would still be relatively conservative compared to the other areas you mentioned; or Ithaca (defined widely as Tompkins County, or any Town bordering Tompkins County, or the next Towns bordering this zone to the north in Seneca or Cayuga counties, including Moravia and Poplar Ridge/Aurora).

Sample links: http://www.elkcreekcafe.net/ http://www.ithacamarket.com/home.php

[organick]

Thanks all

[organick]

its to bad its hard to find open minded people in pa, its so beautiful.

[mattjd]

Originally Posted by organick

its to bad its hard to find open minded people in pa, its so beautiful.

Honestly, I don't mind helping you find a place at all, but that was kind of rude and totally uncalled for. Pennsylvanians are great people and just because all of them don't think exactly like you on every issue doesn't mean they aren't open minded. Perhaps you need to be a little more open minded and accepting of different people? Living in an area with a diversity of views might do you some good.

[organick]

matt

i didnt mean to offend you or anyone. I am also not saying that everyone is closed minded. I was just saying from what I know (i lived in pa for 5 years) and what others tell me with the exception of philly and pittsburgh pa is a overall very conservative minded place. I dont want people to agree with me on everything however having people around who you think like makes it easier to make friends with common interests etc. That being said an are like that of pennsylvania is hardly what i would refer to as more diverse than anywhere else. Again its very conservative and that doesnt really go hand in hand with change and openness to change. Again i dont mean to offend anyone I am just trying to explain myself.