Town of Clearfield Pa

[supersoulty]

Originally Posted by 15801

Clearfield honestly has almost nothing left and its getting smaller every year and everything is closing slowly.

DuBois or State College are better for what you're looking for.
DuBois has big, but good schools for public schools.. especially for a city..
There are 3 private schools in the DuBois area that i know of..
There are 2 colleges in DuBois that are both growing, especially Penn State DuBois..
There is a decent size mall in DuBois that is changing a lot so who knows what kind of stores they are going to bring in..
There are many plazas, strip malls, and single stores all over the city and there is always something new being built..
There is a movie theatre near the mall that is kept fairly nice and always has i think 5 or 6 movies playing at once..
Traffic is bad like any city.. especially heading towards the mall or Liberty Boulevard/ downtown, and other areas..
DuBois has a skate park right behind a large YMCA in a big park called Memorial Park right outside of downtown, which has all that plus new basketball courts, tennis courts, a football field, 3 or 4 baseball fields, 4 or 5 pavillions, a concert stage, a public swimming pool, and more... and probably more coming seeing how everything there is new.. but it could be in a better location..
It has new commercial developments, many new housing developements, apartments and apartment buildings, and some very nice neighborhoods..
Of course though, it has a lot of crime but mostly in certain areas, just like a major city..
There are 2 major hospitals in DuBois... they're ranked in the top of the country..
Downtown is okay.. part of its kinda run-down but there are some new buildings and many of the old ones are being re-modeled outside.. but its really bad.. more at night than day though.. especially like West Long Ave./ Franklin Street and that area..
uhh.. State College is only about an hour away.. and Pittsburgh is about 2 hours..
but almost everyone that lives in Clearfield, Punxsutawney, Saint Marys, Brockway, Brookville, and all of the towns around DuBois end up coming here to shop, or just to find something to do anyways...
and DuBois is really the only growing area anywhere around
and the DuBois public high school is growing not only with students but the sports are growing and are fun to watch.. Mansell Stadium (behind the middle school, off of Liberty Boulevard) is probably one of the nicest stadiums in the state, and they just added turf to the field and they are adding proffesional NFL/ college scoreboards.. and they are adding another side to the stadium.. its a pretty big stadium already too..
and the highschool is building a new sports complex, turf fields, new tennis courts, an 8-10 lane track, and who knows what else behind the high school

but.. of course it has bad things too.. but overall it's definatley livable (unless you get yourseld tied up in gangs, drugs, etc. haha) and its basically a big city with less people
but.. the DuBois area (DuBois City and Sandy Township) is over 20,000 people.. not including sub-urbs

HA! Suburbs!?

Sandy Twp is the suburbs. Unless you are talking about Reynoldsville (where I happen to be sitting right now sipping on my Vanilla Coke Zero), Sykesville, or Falls Creek as "suburbs". They are no such thing, all of them are just run down former local industry towns that have nothing to offer but bordom and Section 8 Housing.

I came back to this area with the intention of running for office after college and helping to "turn this area around". There is nothing left to turn around. Almost everyone who lived here 10 years ago who had any ambition... or even an orignal thought has left.

DuBois is better than Clearfield only because it is the regional center. If it weren't for that and DRMC Hospital (which owns half the town and is killing the tax base with its tax exempt status) then there wouldn't be anything here at all. There are four kinds of people left in this area: Doctors, Lawyer, Case Workers, and everyone else who, if they have a job at all, do menial labor in the service industry (and by that is I mean working at McDonalds or Wal-Mart). Oh, and there are the "educators" so five groups.

That "new stuff" being built is usually either an addition to the hospital or another chain store... which is not a sign of a healthy economy.

As for your comment about crime in "certain areas" I was unaware that DuBois was even big enough to have "certain areas". It's not like the place has real neighborhoods. I mean yeah, there's Polish Hill and Coke Hill, 4x4 blocks does not a neighborhood make. The "bad areas" are usually just a row or two of rundown houses, and you will run into those in almost any part of town... its not like they are concentrated or anything. And I have never felt unsafe walking around on the mean streets of DuBois. The only place you might not want to walk by is "The Car Wash" (the fact that it is The Car Wash should tell you all you need to know about the town) and that's just because the punk kids there think they're are bad, even though they would last about 4 seconds against a real gang.

The only reason there are "gangs" (excuse me while I laugh) is because the place is so damn dull that there is nothing for kids to do on Friday and Saturday Nights (except go to the watch the DuBois Beavers wreak the Brockway Rovers in highschool football... [sarcasm]wow... my heart-rate is up already[sarcasm]).

And its not only the kids who have a hardtime finding enjoyment... about half the area is on meth, because there is nothing else to do. There is a meth lab explosion about once a month. So, my advice, don't rent unless you wanna get blown up by the guy downstairs.

The only reason people pure in for Punxy, Brookville, Brookway, St. Mary's, etc is because there is even less to do there (oh yes... it is possible, though hard to imagine unless you expirience it).

You comment about bad traffic is laughable. The worst "jam" you are likely to get into will delay you about 10 minutes, if that and the only reason for that is because of poor planning the last time they were building new streets in town, which was about 60 years ago. Also, the swamp that was displaced by the new buildings constricts the layout of the city... and also leads to a really nasty insect problem in the summer, and frequent flooding.

The downtown area is not as empty as it was 10 years ago, but there isn't much going on... a couple of eateries, and some junk shops... that's about it (though they finally chased the Gay Ninja out, which was an improvment... and not because of the "gay" moniker... there were other reasons). The mall is decent sized, but there is nothing in it. There are only about 15 acctual stores and the rest is army recruiting stations, bulk buy stores, Dollar shops, etc. There are other plazas, but Walmart is more-or-less the most popular store.

In short, any attempts to make DuBois look like a paradise compared to Clearfiled ignore the fact that they are both Hell Holes. That's like comparing Bad to Worse.

It's nice that you are trying to be a "Hometowner" but do what's best for everyone and don't try to convince anyone to move here. Get away... far away... NOW!!!

[Jacker]

Anything new going on in Clearfield, see this post has not been updated lately. How is the town doing. Any improvemnts or somethign on the horizon. Is that great small town cinema still there, hows it holding up.
I was thinking of relocating back but just wanted to know in advance how things are going business wise and crime level?

[sirron]

Not much has changed with the exception of a good pizza shop by the name of Scotto's being opened, and the ongoing feud between the (outgoing) mayor and city council. The ethanol plant is scheduled to be up and running early next year. There was a bit of a stink over Mexicans being brought in to build it. Taxes are still low, crime is still small time stuff mostly. I heard a rumor that Penn Highlands community college is supposed to locate a branch there soon. The mall still is a lame excuse for a shopping trip, but the Starr Hill Winery has opened an outlet there. The streets are lit for the Christmas season. Don't forget the live performances that CAST puts on - decent entertainment. Other than that, well, maybe someone else can contribute??

[Internet Superman]

Originally Posted by Dylan D

what is it like in clearfield? do they have alot of commercail developments? is the town pretty nice? how is the resturants and stores? i heard about a sweet HUGE burger from there and what to check it out. Is there alot to do in clearfield? how about a movie theater or skate park? how are the jobs there? it would be nice if i could see some pics of clearfield!

If I may, please let me reiterate this post.

I lived in Clearfield, I worked in Clearfield, I dated women from Clearfield, I know many of the people - both good and bad in Clearfield.

For the most part, other then a few bad apples, you will not find nicer people then the ones in Clearfield anywhere else in Pennsylvania.

The first thing I will say is that there is nothing to do in Clearfield. Yes they do have a Library and a Post Office and a Movie Theater - its called the Ritz!

They have a park and a dock where you can feed the ducks. They have a really nice high school - right next to the country club.

On Friday and Saturday nights we cruised Clearfield. Sometimes it took a hour to make one lap. I was the president of the Downtown Clearfield Cruising Association. Then the little cars came along with the loud exhausts and the loud stereo's and the city put a stop to it. Yes it is a city and not just a town.

They built a alcohol plant that is expected to open next month, but they are not going to hire any local people to work there. It does not take a lot of people to make alcohol, because the plant is pretty much automated. But it does take large amounts of water and fuel to run the plant.

Shawville Electric Station is just a couple of miles down the West Branch of the Susquehana river. It's owned by Reliant Energy.

Walmart has a distribution center just down the road also - 6023.
I know, I worked there also.

They have like 3 beer distributers, West Side, Budget and Jack's.
I know - I worked at Budget.

There is many restaraunts in Clearfield. My favorite place wasn't even a restaraunt - it is Mables Pizza. Mable was my uncle Walts sister. They used to bring me back Pizza when I lived with them in Brockway PA. on Thursday night when they played cards.

St. Charles Cafe has really good food. I know - I worked there too!
'They also owned the Country Garden Six Pack at one time, and were the people who built the Duck Dock.

The only bad bars in town was Scary Mary's, and Railroad Street Tavern.

Denny's has the biggest burgers around, but they do not have the best burgers in town. Billy's Burger Land has the best burgers and the best Stromboli's.

Sid's super subs and six packs has the best baked sub you ever ate.

Like others have said, there are very few people in town who has money that is under the age of 60! Most are professional people who makes their living taking care of the health and legal battles of the poor people who lived there. Chip Bell Esq. represented me more then once.

There is almost no employment opportunities, so people turns to drugs and alcohol. The smart ones leaves and doesn't come back!

Most of the people who lives in Clearfield - almost half of them lives in trailers.

Some of the town has natural gas service, but most all houses are heated by coal, fuel oil or electricity. It makes it very expensive to live there.

If I had to choose between the big shots that lives in Dubois or Brockway or the poor people who lives in Clearfield, I would choose Clearfield every time.

Other then Walmart, there is not a employer that I would not return to work for or one that would not let me return to work for them - if they had the work to do.

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by Jacker

Anything new going on in Clearfield, see this post has not been updated lately. How is the town doing. Any improvemnts or somethign on the horizon. Is that great small town cinema still there, hows it holding up.
I was thinking of relocating back but just wanted to know in advance how things are going business wise and crime level?

Someone told me that the Wal Mart distribution center had closed, true or false? On a recent trip to the Pocono's, I saw noticably fewer Wal Mart trucks on I-80. I hope this is not true, that is quite an operation.

[Internet Superman]

False

The truth of the matter is that their distribution system is like stepping stones. As one area of the country is developed, they use the heck out of them. Then when a new area is opened up - they first ship out of the closest distribution center and then build one closer to the stores.

That takes business away from the distribution center that was doing both their work and the work of another DC.

16 years ago when I worked there, we were shipping products as far north as Maine. There was a DC in Southerland VA - I worked there too, and one out in Ohio, some of my friends were sent out there.

The only way to make it in the Walmart system is to be willing to move every time they open a new DC. After the first year, almost nobody gets 40 hours a week and people start loosing their houses and cars and has to quit or find another job that pays more money or where there is more hours of employment available.

I believe that I was one of the first people fired from 6023. I figured them out a long time ago. The first 5 hours a day, they were yelling over the PA system to go faster and faster. After 6 hours, they were asking people who wanted to take a LOW - Lack Of Work. The ones that was willing to leave before 8 hours - were the brown nosers that they kept. The ones that stayed, they made them clean and do menial chores. We worked 4 - ten hour days. We did not work Sunday. I was stuck on a F S M T schedule.

You couldn't go anywhere, you couldn't do anything, you were pretty much stuck. The night shift was even worse.

Now that business has dropped off, they don't do that anymore.

Yes there are less trucks on the road today, due to the fact that business has shifted to a different area and even the poor people are broke.

I would love to see them go out of business, but someone else would just step into their shoes and might even be worse.

[Str8Arrow]

Isn't Mojo's in Clearfield? I keep hearing about it from a few guys down that way. By the way they talk, it is the place to be in the greater NWPA area. Must be something if they'd rather go there than State College.

[sirron]

Mojo's is in Clearfield, just off the interstate. It may be one of the newer bars, not sure if I'd rate it as one of the best though.

[Internet Superman]

Back when I went there on the weekends, St. Charles Cafe had dances every Friday night.

Saturday night there was a DJ at The Bermuda Triangle - place has been closed for years, and the other little bar just down the street.

Busters and the bar down in Hyde was the place to hang out.

Haversacks Leather and Lace Inn and the bar out near Houtzdale - The Alley Popper.

Or you could go out to the Curwensville Dam or that bar on the other side of Curwensville going towards Grampion - Wildwood.

We tried more then once to drink all them places dry.

Mojo's is ok..

I imagine that they will have some dances at the Top Of The Mountain this weekend with hunting season coming up.