Considering IUP (Philadelphia, State College, Carlisle: house, neighborhood, middle school)

[longhall]

Thanks again everyone! My hubby's program will be part time so he would only need to be in Indiana on weekends. Because of this, we are willing to have a little of a commute if we are able to get a better job in a bigger city that was still safe with good school. A bit of a list I know!

This research is so fun and I can't wait to hear what others have to say!

[JayDiFiore]

I grew up in Indiana and went to IUP before moving to Pittsburgh. I actually just had a chance to visit the town again last weekend. It's a great place to raise a family. Pretty good school district (I can personally attest that I felt well equipped for post secondary education and the following career track--though there is a lack of diversity if that's something you want for your children).

Because your husband will be a student, your family should also be able to take advantage of a lot of the programs and activities the university has to offer... to be honest, if IUP wasn't there, the town would probably be a bit more of a cultural vacuum.

As far as finding a place to live, every time I go back, I can't help but shake my head at all the new housing that's going up... so there are plenty of new-construction condo opportunities, but there are also opportunities to rent houses in White Township and far enough away from campus that you're not dealing with the constant hubbub created by a large undergrad population.

Finally, as far as potential employers, there's always the University itself. You could also consider freelance work, since that field is more or less perfect for it.

If you have any specific questions, send me a PM and I'll do my best to give you objective answers.

[Augie6]

Originally Posted by longhall

Thanks again everyone! My hubby's program will be part time so he would only need to be in Indiana on weekends. Because of this, we are willing to have a little of a commute if we are able to get a better job in a bigger city that was still safe with good school. A bit of a list I know!

This research is so fun and I can't wait to hear what others have to say!

Hmm.. That can really change the scope of things... You might want to start looking at job openings "with in x miles " of Indiana, Pa to determine your best bet. I still would say Indiana is a great town in Western PA , that offers ALOT more than what is given credit. However, job market probally isn't too large.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

Here's a link to compare school districts by stats - SchoolDigger.com - School Rankings, Reviews and More - Public and Private Elementary, Middle, High Schools



MeinGlanzendMotorrand, You do realize that 2008, 2009 is just two or three years ago, don't you?

Exactly. So I haven't been following the housing trends since then.

(Also you should see how short my memory is sometimes.)

[villageidiot1]

Originally Posted by longhall

Hi everyone! My husband and I are seriously considering moving to Indiana, PA (from Utah) for him to do his Ph.D. at IUP. Though the prospect is fairly recent, we are really excited about it. However, we have never been to the area and don't know much about it. Rest assured, we would never move anywhere without extensive research and visits, but that research has to start somewhere! My husband is 32 and I am 29. We have 3 children ages 1, 4, and 6.

Here are my questions...
1. How are the elementary schools in the area?
2. Is it a fairly low crime town?
3. Where is the best area/surrounding town to look for housing?

Thanks for your wisdom in advance, and I would be happy to hear any other info or suggestions you would like to share!

You will find Indiana has one of the nicest downtowns for any small town in the country. In PA, I would rank it 2nd only to State College. The downtown has managed to stay nice even though most of the stores that had been on Philadelphia street moved out when the mall opened in the 80's. The mall doesn't have much and any serious shopping will require a trip to Monroeville Mall or Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg (both about a 45 minute drive). As for your other questions:
1. The elementary schools are excellent. I would stick with the Indiana SD but the surrounding districts also have good elementary schools. The Indiana SD has a very diverse student population because of the university. BTW, there is one SD and one high school that covers the town of Indiana. There is a Catholic elementary school but no Catholic high school.
2. Crime is low except for the typical college stuff. Don't move in next door to a place that rents to students. The borough has a large and professional police department. White Township, which surrounds the borough, does not have their own PD and depend on the State Police.
3. The best area/surrounding town to look for housing would be in Indiana Borough and White Township. The next best would be Homer City, which is very close. There are a lot of apartment complexes in White Twp., which allow you to be far enough away from most college students but close enough to the campus. Be careful about looking in Blairsville because of the Wyotech students. Wyotech is a trade school whose students have a reputation for daring the police to chase them. The majority live in Blairsville but some live in Indiana.

[Benzman66]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

S&T Bank is headquartered there. I am guessing it is a fairlly big employer.

Kinda, but First Commonwealth Bank is even bigger.

[longhall]

Thanks again everyone! We've got the IUP app in so once (if) everything is confirmed I will be back!

[Sealtite]

Indiana is a bit of a vacuum. It's centered around the college, which is a "party school". I wouldn't wanna raise kids there....Especially teenagers....Teenage girls in particular.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by Sealtite

Indiana is a bit of a vacuum. It's centered around the college, which is a "party school". I wouldn't wanna raise kids there....Especially teenagers....Teenage girls in particular.

I'd agree but in Pittsburgh they will still party anyway; at least not with only 20 something year old kids though.

[CHIP72]

Originally Posted by Benzman66

Kinda, but First Commonwealth Bank is even bigger.

To me, Indiana is an interesting town for a few reasons, one of them being that it is a banking center of sorts (with two relatively large regional banks in First Commonwealth and S&T Bank and one local bank in Indiana First). I know that was a pleasantly surprising eye-opener when I went to IUP in the late 1990s and wanted a bank with a lot of local ATMs and relatively low checking account balance requirements. (As a destitute grad student that low balance requirement was important.)

For the original poster - if money isn't too tight and you want to live in Indiana, IMO you should shoot for the north side of town (north of Philadelphia Street); that's the side of town away from IUP and it's a little quieter there (though the high school is on the north side of town).

Unless you want to live in/near Pittsburgh and/or in a nice, larger town (like Greensburg), living in Indiana itself (or right outside of town in White Township) is a good bet. IMO it is one of the nicest towns in western PA (though I do think saying its downtown is second only to State College in the entire U.S. is a stretch). Also, Indiana is the largest town for 30 miles (and a lot more than that if you go north), so your housing options in other reasonably nice and reasonably built up areas are limited.