Hey WilkesBarreScranton!! Question for you! (Carbondale, Bradford: crime, homes, live)

[bamboosmom]

Ok, can you advise me where not to look in Susquehanna County? (Flooding, not so nice, etc?)
you can pm me if you want to!

[SteelCityRising]

ALL of Susquehanna County is "nice." As far as flooding is concerned, just be wary of moving too near a small stream or creek (Heavy rains can bring those up to your doorstep in a hurry with flash flooding!) The county saw a lot of damage during last month's major flood as well, but it was mostly just runoff---When you receive nearly a foot of rain in such a short period of time, there's only so much that the soil can absorb before it runs off, down hills, and into homes. I guess just about EVERY area is flood-prone if the conditions are right. Even if you don't live near a small stream or creek, excessive runoff and/or mudslides can still do quite a bit of damage. The best advice I have to give you is to view the sellers' disclosures when you're looking at properties to see if any moisture and/or flooding-related problems have occurred in the past. I mean, I live at around 950 feet above sea level and nowhere near a body of water, but our basement occasionally takes on water from excessive runoff from the mountains (People above us keep on tearing down trees for more homes).

The entire county is basically rural and serene (Not a big-box store to speak of). Montrose, the county seat, is the "city" up there, and even that only has a little over 2,000 people. It's just a quiet, nearly crime free area. Granted, nearby rural Bradford County is noted for its rural meth labs, so I suppose crime can creep up anywhere anymore. My top pick would be to relocate somewhere near the Lackawanna County line---Lenox, Clifford, or Harford come to mind. Here you can have a pastoral setting but still be withing a half hour or so of Scranton's Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Target, Starbucks, etc.

[bamboosmom]

Good to know. Is there any shopping in the small towns? I know Honesdale has a Walmart, etc. Do any of the towns in Susquehanna have some stores???

[SteelCityRising]

Susquehanna County is one of the few local counties to my knowledge that has yet to see any "big-box" retail move in. You're not going to find a Wal-Mart here, nor will you find a Sam's Club, Target, Lowe's, etc. here. Small, family-owned businesses are the name of the game throughout the county. Of course, there is a supermarket in Montrose, and Forest City is just a few minutes from the supermarkets in Carbondale. Other than that, you're looking mostly at small stores.

[bamboosmom]

I saw alot of nice little stores in Forest City. We drove through when we were up in May. As long as the stores aren't too far. 25 min. isn't that bad.