Christian New Yorker wants to move to Lancaster!

[dawncookie]

This is a call out to the christians of Lancaster! I'm a frustrated, tired, fed-up Christian New Yorker. I live in the suburbs of westchester county but work in the crazy, crowded, rude, step all over you NYC! I want to get out so bad. I need peace of mind, peace and quiet and just need to be around more like-minded people. Everybody I work with, work for and serve(I'M A PASTRY CHEF) has an every man for himself attitude, will not help a person in it's smallest measurement, and just don't care about anything but themsleves! I am surrounded by comfortable liers, thieves and just lazy people who don't want to work, help their fellow man or even say God Bless you when I sneeze. Is this too much to ask? I am tired of working like a dog and have no quality of life and no money to show for it. It's hard to make ends meat and my husband has been out fo the work for over a year. We are both in the food industry and NY is so competitve that he can't find work. The money is running short, my patience is running short and quite frankly, so is my attitutde. I am angry all the time and I just want to get out, I don't like who I am becoming here at all. I need a better life. The work wouldn't be so bad if the people around me were more human. I have been asked to lie to customers which I refuse to do, lie about what is in a product, which I refuse to do, my boss is a thief, etc, etc etc. How much more should I take! I have asked the Lord to get me through the day every day fo the past 3 years but I can't take it anymore! Selfishness is rampid here and lawlessness is not far behind.
So now, here is my dilema. I want to move to the country. I want to live amoung like-minded people. I want to be in the clean air with-out the fumes of taxi cabs and delivery trucks in my throat and cars honking at 5:00 am and the screaming and the rudeness and the being pushed over on the sdiewalk! I want to be around the lovely people I experienced in Lancaster County when I visited for vacation. I went there on my honeymoon, I went back 3 times for vacation. I loved it, I loved the peace, I loved the simple life, I loved the goodness that seemed to be Lancaster county.
Please, somebody tell me that I'm not crazy for wanting to move there! I have read so many posts about the unfriendliness to outsiders, about how nobody even says hello to you, about how New Yorkers can't fit in. I am so upset that this can be true. I want to leave NY for this reason, and I was born and raised here! I am a christian, born again, we serve the same God, The same Jesus. Am I to believe that because I am not Amish or Mennonite, that I would be unwelcomed? If I pronounce Lancaster wrong, will I be shunned? I am married to an older man, will people ridicule us? I have a New York Italian accent, does that mean I am mafia? Why is there so much negative comments about living here among the locals. I don't understand how christians can be this way! Are we so different that we can't see beyond our differences? I know that Lancaster in heavily christian especially in the suburbs, so how is it that so many posts speak of unfriendliness and rudeness and just plain being ignored by those who live there? Please locals, give this New Yorker a chance! Let us be blessings for each other should God's will lead me to move to your great county!

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by dawncookie

Everybody I work with, work for and serve(I'M A PASTRY CHEF) has an every man for himself attitude, will not help a person in it's smallest measurement, and just don't care about anything but themsleves! I am surrounded by comfortable liers, thieves and just lazy people who don't want to work, help their fellow man or even say God Bless you when I sneeze. Is this too much to ask?

No matter where you move to, welcome to life in the 21st Century.

[jma5]

I too am from NY (LI) and am considering Lancaster. I agree, life in NY is getting too stressful -- for me it's time to make a change. I have visited Lancaster a few times over the last 12 months. If you haven't already, may I suggest spending a few days in Lancaster doing what you would do if you actually lived there (grocery store, church, visit a park, library, haircut, etc), to get an idea of the people and how welcomed you and your husband may feel. I have done this once with my kids, had a nice experience and plan to do it again before I take the leap to Lancaster, or anywhere for that matter. Hope this helps.

[LivingMoon]

Even more important than checking the quality of haircuts is the availability of jobs. And if a job is available, can you -- or do you want to -- live comfortably at the lower pay scales in PA?

You will meet welcoming people and standoffish people anywhere you live. But you should be aware that a tourist town makes money by showing the friendliest possible face to visitors.

Just because an area is rural does not mean the air and water are pollution free and always healthy for humans. It means that your concerns could be agricultural chemicals and waste products rather than taxi cab exhaust.

Everything is a compromise.

[dawncookie]

Thank you all for the kind replies and suggestions. My husband is looking for a job in the area and has some prospects but not really any bites. The pay scale will be less but the cost of living in less. I'm only interested in paying my bills on time not becomig a millionaire. I checked the rents for apartments and they are about half of what i pay now in NY. I have also considered the gas usage and traffic. In general, I live 20 minutes form the city and more times than not, it will take over an hour and half to get home with traffic from the city. We drive to and from the city from the suburbs of westchester county and sped loads of money on gas. I do beleive I found that the utilites are less as well over there. We have to do something. My husband has been out of work for over a year and can't compete with younger more desireable candidates in NYC. I don't know what the competition is like in Lancaster but if somebody calls him for an interview i his field, we are definately going to go check it out. My salary isn't getting us through the month here and I do not live beyond my means, just the basics. The stress of my job is hard on my body, mind and spirit, I need to get out. I don't mean to sound whimpy but it is really hard. Of course we would both have to find work but i have seen many ads for bakers in Lancaster, so i think, I'll be fine but it's my husband that has to find something over there before we take the leap or we won't be able to afford Lancaster either.
Living moon, if you have any other advise, I should would appreciate it!
Oh, by the way as far as air quality, as I said I live in the suburbs of westchester county and as soon as I open the car door when my husband drops me off to work in the morning I smell the difference. NYC is crowded, it smells and you almost can't find the sun there. I at least have lots of windows in the bakery so some sun does come in, but I am indoors pretty much from dawn to dusk-ugg!

[soulsurv]

Hi. I don't live in Lancaster, but visit often. I, too, am a Christian. It's probably a good idea if you were to check out church websites, see their proximity to various neighborhoods, and ask if the church body there knows of any openings around. you never know where you might be led. Best of luck and blessings to you.

[bnepler]

I live in Lancaster county in the middle of the Mennonite and Amish farms near Strasburg. I was born and raised in central PA, lived in Tampa, FL and find the people here will treat you fine here. Most of them like to keep to themselves and are friendly. They don't go out of their way to talk to you.

[Kit624]

wanting to move there! I have read so many posts about the unfriendliness to outsiders, about how nobody even says hello to you, about how New Yorkers can't fit in. I am so upset that this can be true. I want to leave NY for this reason, and I was born and raised here! I am a christian, born again, we serve the same God, The same Jesus. Am I to believe that because I am not Amish or Mennonite, that I would be unwelcomed? If I pronounce Lancaster wrong, will I be shunned? I am married to an older man, will people ridicule us? I have a New York Italian accent, does that mean I am mafia? Why is there so much negative comments about living here among the locals. I don't understand how christians can be this way! Are we so different that we can't see beyond our differences? I know that Lancaster in heavily christian especially in the suburbs, so how is it that so many posts speak of unfriendliness and rudeness and just plain being ignored by those who live there? Please locals, give this New Yorker a chance! Let us be blessings for each other should God's will lead me to move to your great county!



I'm born and raised PA stock, and I have to answer some of your questions above. PA is no 'happy town' kind of place. The reason you hear about people being unfriendly, is because many of them are. Note I did not say all. Most people in PA are born here, raised here, and ... stay here. As a result the family roots go WAY deep, and people aren't interested in outsiders. I'm not saying that's right...it drives me INSANE, but it's how it is here.

As far as being close minded and judgemental, it is somewhat. Most people are Republican WASPS who are insanely conservative both religiously and even moreso, politically. It is not common for Christians to be Deomocrats, for example, and though I am one, I normally get ridiculed for it. I am one of the few I know, as well. The Mennonites tend to be kind people, but they have their own community and traditions. It's not diverse, so the people around here tend to seek out people who think the same way...which is everybody. (I have been told before that it stood to reason that because I voted for a democratic candidate, I could not possibly be a Christian. I have also been told that I am not a Christian because I am Armenian rather than reformed--that kind of attitude is common.)

Honestly, I think most parts of PA (excluding Philadelphia) view change and progress as a threat. IT is getting better, though, so don't let that scare you off. This is only my opinion; there are others, for sure. It would be a good place to raise children and you can take trips to Philly easily...although personally, I'd choose philly.

[KevinE]

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

[gypsiechavi]

Originally Posted by KevinE

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

Oh that's a good one!

Truthfully, I was born and raised in Berks and Lancaster counties. Both are fantastic counties with beautiful scenery and very large German, Polish, Italian populations as well as the Amish and Mennonite communities. People are correct when they say that locals will smile and be welcoming to all "visitors." However, once you decide to move here things change.

Most folks here do not like change because change brings people with the attitudes that those same people are trying to escape in the first place.

Example: The Pocono Mountains, Monroe County. The area was at one time a beautiful place. Clean, interesting, and unique with fun tourist type things to do. Then the exodus from NYC began. Housing prices skyrocketed as did other costs. Now some neighborhoods have transformed into exactly what those same New Yorkers were trying to escape but brought with them in the long run. Drugs, gangs, violence, crime, poor attitudes, "you owe it to me" type of behavior, "get out of my way" aggression....the list goes on.

Of course these places were not perfect before, but it is true that what some try to escape is inescapable if only due to the fact that one cannot escape him or her self.

I think it would be an interesting and brave thing to attempt change where you currently reside instead of looking for some other location to promote change for you that can honestly only come from within. Basically, if you think moving somewhere else is going to solve all of your problems, you will be disappointed. Stay where you are. Fix your own neighborhood. Do not bring your problems to mine.

And THAT is the attitude of many in PA towns where the exodus has begun. Like it or not. Fair or not, it is completely true. Many locals feel their rights are of little regard to newcomers. Hence the unfriendliness.

Let me add a little food for thought. You live in a town in which you know your neighbors. It is a pretty okay place. You grew up here. People feel some type of civic responsibility. You know your kids friends and their parents. The food, fairs, and local activities celebrate your heritage. You have a say in how your community develops. It is your home.

Suddenly someone decides to tell everyone from ....oh I don't know....East LA (I only use this reference to demonstrate prejudices or preconceived notions) that your home town is the best thing since sliced bread. It will solve all of their problems and if they move to your town, their kids and their own lives will be magically changed like some disney movie. They will get to have (covet) what you have. The peace. The quiet. Their children would suddenly become polite. Everyone would live in perfect harmony with one another. Let me ask, how would you react? Is any of this "dream" really possible? Being Christian and expecting others to automatically open their arms to you is presumptuous, is it not?

I realize many will not like this post. Please note it is not my intention to tell people what they want to hear, but rather to be honest. My opinions are not a factor in this reply. I am only sharing what I know to be true from many in my area.