moving to southcentral PA - York, Adams, Lancaster Co.?? (Philadelphia: real estate, rentals)

[Joy10]

I have read various threads from people moving to certain areas; and many, differing views and opinions from those acquainted with a given place; however, my own situation is this: I am currently residing in south Florida with limited finances to purchase a home in Pa. In the coming months I am looking to rent a 2 bedroom Apt. or townhome in a well-established and/or upscale neighborhood...in Pa. But I do not wish to spend more than $1,200 max, in rent and utilities, each month, while becoming familiar with the area - ( a year later I will reassess my progress. ) But I am a youthful person in my early 50's - a tremendous animal person; currently I have a wonderful cat, with special needs, and will soon be adding a dog to our family; so they are a TOP priority. I desire a pet-friendly residence with a yard, in a known-to-be safe and relatively spacious area, close to culture and shopping needs, etc. Over the winter ( getting used to the cold! ) I may be studying at home for a vet tech degree, and probably looking for a casual part-time job. I love country life, organic natural foods, the arts, and much admire the Amish culture. Overall, I am looking at York county or Adams County, possibly Lancaster County. However, recently, I was reading that the city of Lancaster is the most watched city in the U.S. with its use of surveillance cameras in every neighborhood! I would like to live in an area that employs neighborhood "crime watch" where everyone looks out for their neighbors, as well as their own, but I am turned off by the seeming invasion of privacy in Lancaster. I was thinking to live there. So anyone who could help with honest, sincere advice as to a beneficial place to settle ( perhaps suburbs ), I love the country but do not wish to feel isolated.

[CHIP72]

It may not be big enough for your needs, but Gettysburg would be a good bet based on your description.

[Joy10]

Hello CHIP72, Could you tell me a little about the town of Gettysburg? I know the Civil War history is rich; it might be enjoyable to work as a tour guide, at some point, if I were residing in the area. As previously mentioned I love the country life, but also like cities that are 24/7. I know Gettysburg has a college, so there must be some kind of culture there, but what time does the town close up at night? Anything else you could tell me about the area, as well as the city of York? Pros and cons...thanks.

[firefightermom]

PA really is a state of small towns with just a few very large ones...I live in Franklin County, further south than where you're looking, and it is definitely not a 24/7 type of place. I would think Harrisburg might be more so, since it's the state capital. Gettysburg is also a college town, and can be hell in the summers because of all the tourists. Nice town, though, only 30 minutes from me, but not off a main highway either. Also a bit more pricey than some surrounding areas.

[itsajourney]

Hi Joy, you sound a lot like me. Just turned 50, currently in Orlando, love the country, but also love the city.

For the past few years I have been searching for that next place to call home. Most of my search has been in the southeast as I am not sure how much winter I want to go back to--but I know I don't want year-round summer any longer. Because I cannot find all of what I am looking for in many southern cities, I just returned from a trip up to Philadelphia last week. The ONLY think keeping me from making the decision to go back is really figuring out if I want those winters.

I lived in Mechanicsburg, PA for 11 years--until 2001--and we loved it the entire time we were there. Mechanicsburg is between Harrisburg & Carlisle.

I guess I would need to know what brought you to the conclusion of Adams, York & Lancaster counties before I could really give you some good recommendations.

I am considering returning to Pennsylvania because I LOVE all of the history up there. I am really big on the Colonial era. In PA--you have it all--colonial, civil war, Victorian, etc. When living in most of the cities in Pennsylvania, getting to the country really is a quick drive. Living in Philadelphia is the only place I can think of where it might take longer than 20 minutes to get to the country. However, many/most of these smaller cities are not going to have 24/7 nightlife. It just doesn't exist up there. Granted, I used to do my grocery shopping up there at a 24 hour Giant and my other shopping at a 24 hr. WalMart, but I doubt that is what you are talking about.

Living near York puts you very close to Baltimore and living in Lancaster puts you very close to Philly. That was something I loved about living there--within a few hours drive I could be in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York City.

Adams county will be the most rural of the 3 counties you listed. You wouldn't be all that far from Frederick, MD or the fringes of Baltimore & DC.

[Joy10]

Hi! It is a journey, alright, and thanks for your message.

Since I posted I have decided to relocate here in FL, just for the winter months, and during that time, research where I will go around Memorial Day wknd. I still have my heart set on Pa. except that I, also, am leary of those cold winters. Right now I live in Key West...sooo hot in the summers. But of course the winters are spectacular, as you know, as it is FL. I've been looking into rentals along the 'Treasure Coast', or else more inland - perhaps Ocala. It seems like a great place near the National Forest...hiking, biking, horse-back riding. I just learned that the area is called the 'Horse Capital of the World'...one of four so named in the U.S., and apparently, one in France. I thought that that was only reserved for the Lexington, Kentucky area ( a place I have wanted to visit! ) So I am intrigued about the possibilities. Though I like to be near a locale that is 24/7 ( yes... for theatre, restaurants, etc. ), I know I do not want to move to Dade or Broward Counties. Too hectic and populated. I look to mid-November for my move...to somewhere.

Last January I went to a dog show in Brooksville, just north of Tampa -stayed for one week. I loved the rural area; what some have called the "original" FL. My grown son went along with me. One day ( with the cat in stroller ) we went out along the Withlacoochee State Trail. My son had brought his bike; it was great. Maybe you know...a rails to trails path, extending about 40 miles or so, where horses are also allowed. It was as cold as 29 degrees at night, during the nation's cold front, and chilly during the day, but no snow! The trees along the scenic highway reminded me of a fall day. So I am open to many places as a possibility. Beach or Forest ??

But, as for Pa., I was looking to York, Lancaster, and Adams Co's. for a more permanent move, because of the rolling hills and idyllic setting, and as you mentioned, the proximity to major cities in other states. At the moment I am single, but I hope for not much longer. In a close partnership, I think this whole journey of possibilities would be easier. But at least I've a strong sense of my own self, what I like, and where I belong.

By the way, I had been to Mechanicsburg in 1979 when my son was only 1 year of age. Indeed it is a beautiful area. My son's father used to reminisce about a place called 'The Gingerbread Man', and he too loved the area - had friends living there. But 30 years ago ( hard to believe ) we went to the Hershey Museum during a family reunion wherein Pa. was a midway point for everyone. I know there's a huge amusement park there now.
You mentioned you had just returned from Philly; I almost took a trip to Harrisburg in August. I was going to attend an annual dog show Event at the Radisson Hotel, in Camp Hill; it would have been a good time to explore the region a bit, too, so I had booked my flight and then chose to cancel due to unforeseen expenses; however, I now have a non-refundable plane ticket for anywhere I might decide to visit, up until July 8th.

Thanks again for your message!

[itsajourney]

Joy, I enjoyed reading your above post....and right now it is really bugging me--I know I have heard of The Gingerbread Man & have seen it--but for the life of me--right now I can't place it. I can see the sign and everything....duh...I just hate that.

You, like me, have become accustomed to having all of the ammenities of a city close by, but love to be able to be in the country also. I absolutely love southcentral PA. Because I have gotten used to being in the city, I would have to consider someplace closer to Philadelphia or Baltimore if I were to return there.

I too have grown so weary of the looooonnnnnnnnnngggggg, hot, sticky summers in Florida. At first we moved down here thinking that with 4 kids, we could spend a lot more time outdoors than in PA. Boy were we wrong. It is just too darn hot and humid. I spent 2007 going to school in Miami--so I know what that's like also.

After spending 2 years + searching the SE states, I believe that I am about to make the plunge and head up to the north Atlanta area. I have loved Atlanta for years and find that its location near the north Georgia mountains amidst the rolling hills, with a 4 season climate, but mild winters, might be just the thing. The one thing that Atlanta lacks that I would love to have is all of the colonial history. If I find that is something that I just cannot live the rest of my life without, I suspect that I will find my way back up to Pennsylvania.

I grew up in Illinois, but during the 11 years that I was in PA, I really felt like I had been there before--that somehow it was a part of me. I absolutely loved it. Beautiful, beautiful country--and without the extremely high cost of living that some of the northeastern & mid-atlantic states have.

It's funny when you talk of your personal situation. Mine is reversed. Married 29 years--but not the best relationship, tho certainly not the worst either. My life has focused on raising the kids--which has kept me from moving on until now. I, on the other hand, yearn to discover "myself" again and pursue my passions in life without any judgements from anyone else. I want to be able to say that the only thing holding me back is me--no one or nothing else. It's been a long journey to this point, but I accept that we are right where we are supposed to be--and we will get to where we are supposed to go.

Good Luck in making a decision and finding your "right" place.

[Joy10]

Hi, I am very glad I discovered this site and that we are able to compare notes on similar themes...
Soon I am going to have 'Locators, Inc.' help in finding a suitable apt./house in an area of my choice; I can choose three counties from which they will send "leads" depending upon the criteria I specify. But now you have me thinking about Atlanta! ( for the next 6 months ). Are the north Georgia mountains part of the Smokey Mtns. extending up into Tennessee? Without a map in front of me I am thinking they must be connected. You say that you have spent 2+ years searching the SE states; I have wanted to travel in the southeast but have yet to do so.

I moved to Florida in April 2008 after living in Ft. Wayne, Indiana for many years; I really wasn't happy there, but as you know, it isn't always viable to change plans until an opening presents itself. I had nothing more than my beloved cat and a single suitcase on the evening I flew from Ft. Wayne to Chicago, and then from Chicago to Miami. I still have some things stored back in Indiana.

But since I flew here I haven't seen any of the landscape, firsthand, that exists in between - only in pictures - which of course includes Georgia. I had been to FL only one time previously; in 1987 my son and I had been to Disney World at Christmastime, and to Melbourne Beach for several days. So there's a lot I've yet to explore...sometimes I think of owning a small RV because I really would love a mobile lifestyle, in part; being on a long roadtrip, that is fun and educational, makes returning to a real home that much sweeter.

As for Pa., I imagine Lancaster, for example, to be a lovely place during the holiday season; the ambience similar to a picture from 'Currier and Ives'. And yes, the historical beauty that makes you feel that you are somewhere back in time.

I grew up in a suburb of Boston, Ma., the Revolutionary War town of Lexington. Every year for the 19th of April there was ( and is ) a town celebration; a re-enactment of the "shot heard 'round the world" is demonstrated on the battle green, at 6 am for the early birds; both a morning and afternoon parade follow; back in the day my sisters' and the other kids would decorate our bicycles with streamers - red, white, and blue. Two of the major historical taverns in town are the Buckman Tavern and Monroe Tavern, attracting many tourists through the years. But all of the stores in the center of town have completely changed since those days, as most things commercial always do. But the true heritage remains. Concord, Ma. from where the 'British Redcoats' were marching to Lexington, to fight the 'Minutemen', is more of a rural kind of town. There is a wonderful restaurant and inn in Concord I haven't been to in many years - 'The Colonial Inn'. I once read that the Inn is haunted ( by a friendly ghost, a former soldier ); that people who have stayed in a particular room have all sensed his presence. The former home of famous author Louisa May Alcott is also there; among her many books was one entitled 'Little Women', you may know of. Also, Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden Pond' where in the fall it is a beautiful place to walk around. Although New England has innumerable charms I wanted to visit other places, as many people do, and somehow life situations grounded me in the Mid-West.

So I too am looking forward to a new chapter in my life, hopefully, long and fulfilling...I understand very well your sentiment, that you yearn to discover yourself again, pursue your passions in life, without any judgment from others!

But it is a wonderful thing, also, to raise a family. I hope your children are doing well. My son is a talented artist with many, varied interests. We are going to stay together while I make this move, for the next six months, and in the spring will be heading out to California where he has some friends, and plans to enroll in college.

I wonder what courses you were studying, in Miami in 2007, and if you gained results you had hoped for. I am really looking forward to studying, online, for a vet tech degree, over the winter months. The entire course will probably take around 14 months though, to complete, depending on no-one other than my self and my own discipline. I am enrolling with Penn Foster; the course is accredited by the AVMA so I believe I am headed in the "right" direction.

I may travel to NYC in mid-February ( to make use of my non-refundable plane ticket ); I am thinking of going to the Westminster dog show, just for two days; I have to be careful of the money I spend, of course, but still have a good time! In the meanwhile, within the next few weeks, I am certain to discover my new location.

It is fun to hear from you too! Take Care.

[SatomiRoberts]

Hey everyone,

this thread has been helpful is narrowing down places to relocate to, but I was wondering which you might suggest is best for a young couple to move to. My boyfriend and I are relocating from Virginia and was interested in the York/Harrisburg/Lancaster areas. I have an aunt and uncle living is Downingtown and grandparents living in the Poconos, not to mention half my family lives in either New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. So ideally I'd love to live in PA. I'm just not sure how the cost of living is in these areas and what the job opportunities are like. I'm still doing lots of research and we both plan on having jobs before we move.

I also had a question regarding...and this is going to sound weird...bears. I have a phobia of bears. That's the only downside I have to visiting my grandparents in Pocono because they have so many incidents involving bears. I just want to know if human contact with bears is frequent or not as much as one may assume.

Any additional information to what I've read on this thread would be greatly appreciated, especially since our moving date is sometime in January.

Thanks!

~Amanda~

[itsajourney]

Hi again Joy, I love your story....Of course you know I LOVE colonial history--so I anxiously read the parts about Lexington & Concord. I love Massachusetts--It is a gorgeous state full of rich history. All of those old-time celebrations that still go on are such wonderful reminders of our country's rich heritage and history. I have been to Massachusetts many time, but it has now been quite a while. I was actually supposed to be in Boston last week, but my plans changed and I had to return to Florida a bit earlier than I had intended. If I thought I could do winters up there and could somehow afford the cost of living, I would give it a shot. I love New England.

I am reassessing my decision to go to the Atlanta area just because there is a great deal of hostility in the north Georgia mountains towards outsiders. At this point in my life, I'm just a little beyond playing those kind of games and do not feel the need to deal with such animousity or hostility--just because I have Florida tags on my SUV. No thank-you, life is too short for that stuff.

Atlanta is a huge city and is NOT inclined to have such narrow-minded attitudes, but I do love my mountains and the quaint towns and shopping--so if I can't enjoy them, it's probably best to reassess and choose another locale. Because my kids will still all be in Florida, part of my decision was based on finding a locale which would enable me to quickly and easily get back to Florida for the things I need to get back for. I really do love Atlanta tho. I think it's a great city with one of the prettiest nighttime skylines I have ever seen.

My kids are doing well. All of them were honor students and they are great, multi-talented kids. They all have or will have Florida Bright Futures Scholarships--which is why they are here for now. Eventually, I believe that all of them will end up leaving Florida. They all want to go some place north--meaning anywhere from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. Possibly Illinois--where our families are from. I can no longer force them to go with me--and they have their educations to finish, but by me going ahead and leaving, it will make it an easier stepping stone for them to re-locate after school if they so choose.

It's funny that you mention a motor-home--honey, that has been my dream for years. Scan all of my books and pictures onto CD's to stick into a computer and I would be outta' here. There used to be a big RV show up in Harrisburg every year that we used to go to--yep, every year I knew which one I would buy should I ever win the lottery--which I never did. I would still do it--just because I would never, ever have to worry about being homeless. I might be stuck in one place for a while, but I would never be sleeping on the street.

I went to Florida College of Natural Health in 2007 and studied to become an esthetician and electrologist. I liked my experience very much and did very well. I finished school with an overall 103+ GPA--which thrilled me because I knew I wasn't too old to keep things in my brain. Years ago I had studied nursing for a while, so I did have some basic knowledge of the body--which did help. However, teaching me all about electricity---LOL--that was a whole 'nother story! But I taught myself tricks to remember which was which--and did well.

Because I may well not be considering Atlanta & Georgia any longer, it puts me back to Looking at North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, & Pennsylvania. Tennessee could be a possibility in Chattanooga or Knoxville, both in or near mountains--but lacking in rich Colonial history that I so yearn for. I would say at this point, Virginia would be the strongest possibility--esp. Williamsburg or Fredericksburg. I love Williamsburg with a passion!!! The drawback is that I am not crazy about the Hampton Roads area (Chesapeake, VA Beach, Newport News, etc.) or Richmond--the 2 closest & largest metro areas to Williamsburg.

Oh yea, to answer your question, the north GA mountains do meet the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. There are many beautiful areas in the southeastern states, but I do have issues with the fact that many of these areas are VERY CONSERVATIVE--some to an extreme degree. I am a more moderate, middle-of-the-road person. My decisions are based solely on the issue at hand. Becomes more difficult for me because I have learned to view an issue from most all sides--so I usually don't bother getting all stressed out over anything.

Lancaster will tend to be a little more conservative as the Mennonite and Amish presence does influence the county a great deal. Seeing the horse-drawn buggies does have its charm, but to me its not so much Currier & Ives in the way that I think of New England towns with town squares, etc. Lancaster is also a little more pricey real estate wise than the Harrisburg, York, Reading areas. Though Lancaster is indeed a very historic town, there are many towns in the other counties that give me more of the Currier & Ives feel than Lancaster County does. All of the counties in SE PA have many beautiful and historic farmhouses & other historic buildings. There is hardly anywhere you can go that history does not present itself in obvious ways--very much as in MA.

I grew up in Illinois--right on the Illinois/Indiana state line. My Dad's family was from Kentland, IN and my Mom's family was from Watseka, IL--both very small towns. I appreciate my small-town heritage, but have no desire to return to Illinois or anywhere in the midwest. I am totally a colonial history gal--and found that being in those environs are all I need to be happy. Just need to pick a spot and settle-in I suppose. Otherwise, I'll spend my whole life looking--would be ok if I could afford it. Since I don't play lottery anymore--not sure how that's going to miraculously happen.

If you want to send me a private message, click on the blue I dot under my name above. Then choose send a private message. I'll then be able to reply to you that way.

Talk to you soon I hope!