Need info please!! (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Altoona: low crime, affordable houses, job openings)

[quarsom]

We are looking for a good place to move to in central or western Pa with decent retail (jobs), low crime and low cost houses ( $75,000 or less). Does anyone have any suggestions? We currently live in Philadelphia and need a serious change. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[iamtheonlykittie]

quarsom, it seems you and I are in a similiar predicament. We are looking to relocate to the same general area from way across the country. If you find housing for around the price you're looking for, would you let me know? thanks and good luck to you.

[scottrpriester]

If you are looking to get in to retail and want a quiter environment, check out the Prime Outlets in Grove City. It's a massive outlet chain that is heavily shopped 7 days a week from people all over the east coast. Grove City area is very rural.

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by quarsom

We are looking for a good place to move to in central or western Pa with decent retail (jobs), low crime and low cost houses ( $75,000 or less). Does anyone have any suggestions? We currently live in Philadelphia and need a serious change. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I'm more familiar with swPA, so I can't suggest much in central PA. I've always liked Carlisle, but I have no idea if that is in your price range or not.

In the Pittsburgh area, I would suggest you look into Greensburg. There is a lot of retail in the greensburg area and it isn't that far to Monroeville, which would offer you a lot of jobs. Crime is low in Greensburg and they have pretty good schools, if that is important. If Greensburg is too expensive, or you can't find what you're looking for, then I'd suggest you go south to Uniontown. It is safe, would have plenty of homes without your budget, but it's a small town and jobs wouldn't be plenty. However, it is pretty close to greensburg and morgantown, where west virginia univ. is, so there are several areas around that would have some job openings. I would also check out Indiana, Beaver, Butler, and New Castle. Indiana is a great little town, very safe, and has a good college there (IUP) so I'm sure there is a lot of retail around.

[bluu2000]

can any one suggest good school districts / towns in pennsylvania? I live in nyc and have a child with Autism. I am looking for a town that has good sp ed and programs for children with autism (higher functioning), also has extracurricular programs like music, soccer, or other types of socialization classes, affordable houses/townhouses, shopping areas, clean and safe environment to raise a child. Please let me know, I need help and dont know anything about which town to move into in Pennsylvania that would have all that I am looking for, especially for my son. Thanks all.

trina

[PeterRabbit]

I was thinking about the Grove City outlets like Scott. New Castle has decent properties in your price range.

[ki0eh]

Outside of the bigger metro areas, and other than the Grove City outlets mentioned, and near where you might possibly find low crime houses for $75k, the box stores cluster in:

North end of Selinsgrove (actually Hummels Wharf and Shamokin Dam, between the north end of the US 11-15 bypass and the split of US 11 from US 15)
East of Williamsport, about halfway between Muncy and Montoursville, I-180 exits 15 and 17
East of Johnstown, around the northern PA 56 and US 219 intersection
South of Altoona, exit 32 of I-99
Immediate west side of State College