Looking for opinions on where to call home... (Allentown, Scranton: for sale, apartment)

[alfonseJ]

We're considering a move to Pennsylvania, and would love any advice!!!

When are you moving? WITHIN 12 MONTHS

Where are you coming from? CALIFORNIA (ALTHOUGH WE'RE ORIGINALLY FROM NEW JERSEY AND AUSTRALIA)

Why are you moving? I'M AN EAST COASTER... I NEED TREES!!!, NEED GREEN...NEED THE LAND, NEED TO BE NEAR MY FAMILY (THEY'RE IN NJ)

Where will you be working?
WE RUN A GRAPHIC DESIGN/WEB DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - VIRTUAL OFFICE - CLIENTS WORLDWIDE AND EMPLOYEES WORK REMOTE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO MAJOR CITIES (PHILI, NYC, DC) FOR BUS. DEV., MTGS, CONFERENCES - BUT MOSTLY WORKING FROM HOME. NEED HIGH SPEED, RELIABLE INTERNET!!!

Have you been here yet? MANY PARTS OF IT, YES.

Will you buy or rent? BUY

If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
HAVE SKILLS TO FIX, SO LOOKING FOR FIXER, PERHAPS NOT COMPLETE REHAB, BUT NEEDS TLC, LOOKING FOR BEAUTIFUL AREA, LOTS OF TREES, .5+ ACRE, HOUSE BUILT BEFORE 1950, 1500+ SQ FT LIVING, NEAR ENOUGH TO A VILLAGE/TOWN TO BE ABLE TO DINE/SHOP, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS... BUT NEED SOME LAND AND OPEN SPACE --- HMMM, I'M NOT TOO SPECIFIC EH? WOULD LIKE TO SPEND UNDER $200K SO WE HAVE FUNDS FOR RENOVATION. LOVE TO SAVE OLDER HOUSES AND BRING THEM NEW LIFE - ITS WHAT WE DID IN LA TO 1923 CRAFTSMAN (WHICH, BY THE WAY IS FOR SALE FOR A GREAT PRICE IN A FANTASTIC NEIGHBORHOOD...)

If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Are you married or single? Do you have children?

MARRIED, NO CHILDREN.

Do you prefer public or private schools? DOESN'T MATTER

Do you have pets? YES
Do you want or need a yard? YES, YES, YES
Are you keeping a car? YES
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? CALM AND QUIET

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) YES
Nightlife
Train or subway stations, IDEAL, BUT NOT NECESSARY

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?
WE LIKE DIVERSITY

Phillies, Pirates or Mets? DOES IT GIVE IT AWAY THAT I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF '86?

[ki0eh]

I would recommend communities around the Harrisburg area, the truckers know it's close to, but outside, all of NYC, DC, Phila. Applies too to Lancaster and to some extent York. Area code 717.

One issue here is that "historic neighborhood" and "land and open space over half acre" can be mutually exclusive since pre-WW II lot sizes are pretty small in southern PA. Not just in the cities, in the small towns too. Even in Camp Hill Borough and old Hershey which are leafy and all, you'd be hard pressed to find 1/2 acre especially for under $200k.

Without kids and without daily commute needs it might be interesting to look at the edges of safe but a little run down boroughs (that's what PA calls small incorporated towns, might remember similar from NJ).

I noticed something like what you are looking for in Duncannon (except for the price, I think they think it's fixed up already) - have to search yourself, can't specifically link properties.

If you can stand being a little further out from the I-95 corridor the areas surrounding Selinsgrove, Lewisburg, and Bloomsburg are mostly nice with a scattering of smaller colleges and older lot sizes tend to be a bit bigger than in area code 717, or Allentown, or Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Another hour further out gets you into the more New England-influenced zone with larger lot sizes in town. This would be such towns as Montrose, Towanda, and Wellsboro in the Northern Tier counties. Applies even more so to the Southern Tier and the Finger Lakes region of NY State but then you're 5-6 hours from I-95 which is why these beautiful communities are stagnating at best.

In the small towns of PA Verizon is not always the land line provider - check Embarq and Frontier as well for speeds.