Christian New Yorker wants to move to Lancaster!

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by KevinE

Well if it's Lancaster City then you better be a well armed Christian.

[dawncookie]

Hello everyone,
I would like to say again, thank you for all the responses. Let me give a little bit more of where I am coming from so that the opposition will understand where I want to go and why. I also want to explain that I am not looking for a new town to change my life into a Disney movie. Nor am I looking to bring NY attitude or traditions to Lancaster County.
I am 32 years old. I left New York at 19 years old to broaden my career. As mentioned in my original post, I am a pastry chef. I Lived in las Vegas, Arizona and New Mexico. I lived in New Mexico for 4 years. I found Jesus there, I changed my lifestyle, I mellowed out. I enjoyed the culture, the atmosphere, the general kindness and slower pace of the people. At the end of the day I was happy with my job, my church, my friends, my co-workers and the lifestyle. I did not bring attitude to this town, I did not force any change or complain that they were different in that state. I changed, my lifestyle changed. I did not get angry tell people off because they didn't have good bagels.
I came back to NY at age 23. I moved back to my homwtown, yonkers. I had to adjust to the ny lifestyle, the pace, the talk, the church. Everything was different and I thought I could just jump right in like riding a bike. I got married, in a good job etc. As these past 9 years have gone by, I crave that slower pace lifestyle, that good change. Here in Ny, I don't like who I am, I'm angry a lot, I curse a lot, the pressure, especillay with my job is tremedous, my husband can't find work, etc, etc. I don't even feel comfortable in church and have since stopped going. I believe like I don't fit in. I FEEL LIKE I AM DIFFERENT. My husband has children from a previous marriage, so my options are few. If we move, it has to be so he can see his children. i HAVE WANTED TO MOVE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND THE CHILDREN ARE OLDER SO WE FEEL WE CAN. I remember how relaxed I felt in Lancaster and I know I can get back to that calm person again if I can get away from this crazy place.
In response to gypsiechavi, Thank you, i love honesty, it is what I appreciate most about people. Maybe it is being presumptuous that because I am a christian, a largely christian town would be welcoming but it's got to be better than here, where it seems everybody around me is dancing a slow dance with the devil. I don't even get a door held open for me here most of the time. Sorry, I can't fix NYC, I can leave the hustle and bustle though. I don't think I would bring problems to lancaster and wouldn't be presumptuous to think that I change the people I live around and work with? I can't force my boss to be honest, I can't force somebody to hire my husband, I can't change the attitudes of the people I am around but I can leave them! Also, Just because I want to live in a better place does not mean I'm bringing this with me:, Drugs, gangs, violence, crime, poor attitudes, "you owe it to me" type of behavior, "get out of my way" aggression....the list goes on. That is a little unfair to assume. You are right about the you owe it to me attitude, this is what NY seems to be as you can see about my gripes in my original post. I am a simple person in a complex place, but if you won't let me in that just means I wasn't meant to have it that easy, God has a bigger plan for me. Maybe this blog is a way to show me that I should stick it out. For all you brothers and sisters in Christ, please pray that my husband will find work. It has been 14 months now on unemployemt and our bills are piling up. Please pray for us. Thanks, everybody and God Bless you all.

[Hopes]

You should seriously consider Southwestern PA. People are friendly to everyone here, not just visitors.

Even the city of Pittsburgh is slow paced. Commute times are minimal. It's a very family oriented city.

People are very tollerant. That goes both ways. You won't be shunned. Others aren't in your face about their own agendas.

Your ideal lifestyle will fit right in. You won't feel out of place.

If you must live in a rural area, we have some beautiful little towns and fantastic scenery.

[cocaco]

Well, after reading this post and the responses to them, we have definately decided that Lancaster county is for us. We are traditional republicans who are very friendly but prefer to keep somewhat to ourselves due to past work/lifestyle. We are hard workers who recently sold our business/home and are looking to relocate to a relatively quiet small town where we can buy a small place and relax and enjoy the area. They sound perfect to me - all of it from the self contained citizens to their preference that nothing changes. I think we can sneak in under the radar and quietly enjoy our life (voting republican of course).

[cocaco]

Dawncookie - we may be opening a pastry shop or tea room in E-Town - so there may be work there for you. :-)

[bnepler]

Originally Posted by cocaco

Well, after reading this post and the responses to them, we have definately decided that Lancaster county is for us. We are traditional republicans who are very friendly but prefer to keep somewhat to ourselves due to past work/lifestyle. We are hard workers who recently sold our business/home and are looking to relocate to a relatively quiet small town where we can buy a small place and relax and enjoy the area. They sound perfect to me - all of it from the self contained citizens to their preference that nothing changes. I think we can sneak in under the radar and quietly enjoy our life (voting republican of course).

You'll be welcome here. There are many great little towns here,

[dawncookie]

Thanks everyone. Sorry that I haven't responded sooner, but being a Pastry Chef, I'm knee deep in Thanksgiving prep. I appreciate all the encouraging replies. Cocaco, thanks for the job offer but my husband has to find work first because we won't make it on one salary. All m y bills get paid late now on my NY salary. I think he needs to move down before me for about a month or so to rustle up some money, so we can have a better chance to make it and maybe he can rent a room ofr a while. Of course this all depends on if he can find a decent job! Unfortunately, he recieved a strange letter from Kitchen Kettle Village yesturday saying after interviewing many candidates for the restaurant manager position, we decided to go with someone else. Which is all fine and good, may the best man win but they never even called him for an interview? We are still looking though, I'm not going to give up. I can see the countryside already!

[bryson662001]

I don't understand why some people think their religious affiliation is important when they are looking for a place to live. Does anyone really care if you are christian or jewish or a budist?

[lorandsean]

Dawncookie - good luck with your search and your move, whatever happens. My husband and I moved to Lancaster from central NJ about 18 months ago for some of the same reasons you mentioned; particularly on my husband's part, as he is from Nebraska and could not get used to a New Jersey lifestyle (traffic, crowding, cost of living).

I have to be honest with you, neither one of us is particularly happy here. We have tried our best to meet people - joined a church, volunteered for some community organizations, put out some feelers to people we've met about getting to know each other better. What's been made clear to us is that most people have ties here of many generations' duration - and they are not looking to add anyone to that circle; in fact, we are getting ready for our second straight Thanksgiving of just the two of us at a local restaurant. We have the additional hurdle of being childless, which seems to have many looking askance at us in such a traditional environment.

You may find that you're very happy here, and if you move here I hope you are! Be prepared for a difficult transition however - and it's certainly a very good point that the way you're received as a tourist is most likely going to be wildly different than how people react to you as a new resident.

Good luck!