Advice about Lancaster? (Harrisburg, York, Hershey: fit in, best neighborhoods, sales)

[n.o.saintsfan]

My wife and I will be moving to the Millersville/Lancaster area in August for my work. We have both lived in the south all our lives and suspect there will be some things to adjust to up north. If anyone here lives in the area could you possibly give me some feedback about the best neighborhoods, school districts, restaurants, etc? We would be looking for an apartment, so if anyone knows of a particularly good complex that would be much appreciated. For that matter, if any advice could be given to help us avoid a really dismal one all the better. Thanks so much in advance.

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by n.o.saintsfan

My wife and I will be moving to the Millersville/Lancaster area in August for my work. We have both lived in the south all our lives and suspect there will be some things to adjust to up north. If anyone here lives in the area could you possibly give me some feedback about the best neighborhoods, school districts, restaurants, etc? We would be looking for an apartment, so if anyone knows of a particularly good complex that would be much appreciated. For that matter, if any advice could be given to help us avoid a really dismal one all the better. Thanks so much in advance.

N.O Saintsfan,

I will go by the assumption that you are coming from the Crescent City, which is where I am from and lived in Baton Rouge as well. I will give you my best and personal scope of things to expect.

I will say that weatherwise, expect it to be cold here for winters, so I would definitely prepare accordingly by purchasing the appropriate winter apparel, snow shovels and "winterizing" your vehicle. Additionally, driving in winter weather is something I was never "taught" per se, but just learned in time. The biggest thing is if you are a safe driver, then this is a skill that will come eventually. The best thing is not to panic if you get caught in a snowfall while driving.

People-I will tell you right off the bat that people here are not immediately warm and openly friendly, especially to "outsiders" like at home. If you are used to being waved at by your neighbors and strangers, don't expect it here, but that's not to say it won't happen. It's just not the "norm". You won't find the open friendliness that you did in N.O., but people here have their own way of expressing themselves.

I WILL say, though that these are not the worst people in the world, either and once they get to know you, they will open up more. Also, from experience, if you need a hand or help, people will accomodate you. I will add and give thanks and credit to the folks here in south central PA who poured their hearts out to those in need during Katrina. That event really changed my perception of the area for the better.

Food-I don't have to go into detail here. The food here is not heavily seasoned and you are not going to find the abundance of seafood and places here like back home. However, there is a restaurant called Prudhomme's Lost Cajun Kitchen in Columbia, Pa which is a small town on the Susquehanna outside of Lancaster. The owners are from La. and if you are longing for a taste of home, this is the place to go. I am sure they would be glad to meet you. If you have a taste for crabs, then Baltimore is the place to be and they will be considerably cheaper in that area than here. There are also numerous chain and local establishments in the Lancaster region for almost every taste bud and liking.

As for housing, there are decent and safe complexes in the area if you are not interested living in Lancaster City in addition to private rentals of houses. Regarding schools, we don't have children yet, so I will leave that up to others who are well versed in that aspect.

You will also have some nice cultural ammenities in the area and be near a lot of urban centers such as DC, Philly, Baltimore and New York. There is also plenty for sports fans here as York, Lancater and Harrisburg have their own baseball teams (Revolution, Barnstormers and Senators, respectively) and you have Hershey Bears hockey. Of course, you have plenty of Eagles, Steelers and Raven's fans. Just be careful where you wear your Saints jersey, lol.

As for crime, it happens, but moreso in the city. It's not the amount in New Orleans and overall, it's a relatively safe area. Like any urban area, just keep your wits about you and you will be fine.

Not trying to scare you, but hopefully I can at least give you a bit of what to expect.

In summation, if you make an effort to adjust, you will do fine.

Also, Litizman and Danwaxman will hopefully contribute, as they are excellent sources of info on the South Central PA area.

Good luck.

Gil

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by Gil3

The food here is not heavily seasoned

Understatement of the day on the City-Data forums! Folks native to southern PA seem to me to think pepper is an exotic spice that they might have tried once and don't care to again. (And no I don't mean hot peppers. I mean pepper, the stuff that's usually in the shaker next to the salt.)

[n.o.saintsfan]

no pepper? Gulp! My taste buds are scared. Thanks for the replies guys.

[lialleycat]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Understatement of the day on the City-Data forums! Folks native to southern PA seem to me to think pepper is an exotic spice that they might have tried once and don't care to again. (And no I don't mean hot peppers. I mean pepper, the stuff that's usually in the shaker next to the salt.)

I fit in then. I don't like pepper at all. Never noticed it missing before, but now that you mention it I don't ever recall seeing it on the table when I've gone out to eat.

[BackToTheCityMouse]

The Central Pennsylvania seasonings are salt and sugar, and the condiments of choice are peanut butter and whitish gravy. Not the good 'ol white gravy, which is supposed to have some pepper in it at least!

The thing that shocked me most was seeing the oregano shaker on the tables in a pizza shop...pizza sauce had no pepper, oregano, fennel, basil, garlic, etc etc in it

It wasn't like that when we moved to PA in 1999. In some areas, the blanding down is a continuing process. Don't know if this is true in Lancaster. It's true in suburban Harrisburg: the local supermarket chains stopped carrying my favorite specialty spice blends a few years back in favor of the mass market ones with...salt and sugar mixed into all of them. Thank the spice deities for internet sales and free shipping!

Bring a bunch of spices with you when you move!

[lialleycat]

Originally Posted by BackToTheCityMouse

Bring a bunch of spices with you when you move!

Or better yet, grow your own! Most herbs and spices are easy to grow. I have basil, chives, cilantro and parsley growing in my window now. After Memorial Day, I'll put in a few more types in the garden. Love fresh spices - nothing like it! And you can process and freeze them in ice cube trays for the winter too! There's no need to be spice-less!

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Understatement of the day on the City-Data forums! Folks native to southern PA seem to me to think pepper is an exotic spice that they might have tried once and don't care to again. (And no I don't mean hot peppers. I mean pepper, the stuff that's usually in the shaker next to the salt.)

lol..True

[dancingbear]

I would not recommend any of the apartment complexes in and around Millersville.. that area is heavily congested due to the university students and employees' commute during rush hours as well as afternoon. It can take 15 minutes (sometimes up to 30!) just to get out of Millersville, and it's a very small area. 741 and Columbia Ave. also tend to be very slow and there are quite a few developments along that area. Just wanted to give you a heads up!

West Lancaster city has some very nice apartments, and even though that's the university side of the city, it's the more safer and beautiful part of town.

[n.o.saintsfan]

Well, I will be teaching at the university so the closer I could get to it, the easier it would make my commute. I had been looking at the Millers Crossing complex. Any thoughts on the place? Anyone live there?