Ellwood City or Vandergrift (Apollo: city hall, rent, to buy)

[johnnytang24]

There is no toll between the Ellwood City and 79 on 76. Ellwood City is about 30 min to Robinson any time of the day and over an hour to Pittsburgh any time of the day.

[WILWRadio]

I will give Hyde Park and Leechburg a look. Thanks for the tip.

[Serabellum1060]

Don't leave me is suspense...where did you choose?

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by Serabellum1060

Don't leave me is suspense...where did you choose?

I am going to see if I can make this happen in Vandergrift. With the economy being what it is, I have to position myself stronger financially before I can commit to anything. Most notably I will have to save enough money to live for a year to two years while I search for a job (any job) and can develop some advertising revenue from the radio station.

I still have a couple of other locations in mind in NY and Maine but if I do wind up in your area it looks like it will be Vandergrift. I had a chance to visit it over the winter and I have a favorable impression of the people there. I went into a couple of stores and noted they were friendly and I didn't get any nasty looks or comments like I do in some parts of Missouri and Kansas.

You can thank the current state of the economy for my indecisiveness. But I will have a firm decision by sometime this Summer.

[youngabe]

I posted on another thread about Apollo (which neighbors Vandergrift) just a few minutes ago telling about the revitalization programs in place.

Quick recap, I commute to Station Square with an Apollo address via the Parkway East and find it to be quite an easy drive, but maybe I'm just used to it?

If you're serious about relocating to Vandergrift, good choice. The town does have a positive future. PLEASE check out www.officialvandergrift.com Its the Vandergrift Improvement Program's website. The organization has assisted new residents in the past and continues to do very positive things for the town. The organization is managed by Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and is trying to put Vandergrift on the map so to speak. The VIP has worked with the University of Pittsburgh and Sustainable Pittsburgh and is currently looking for a sustainable way to use the river as a primary energy source for the town. Also, the VIP is doing façade improvement work in the downtown business district as well as attempting to lure new tenants. SO...what's happening behind the scenes is quite positive!

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by youngabe

I posted on another thread about Apollo (which neighbors Vandergrift) just a few minutes ago telling about the revitalization programs in place.

Quick recap, I commute to Station Square with an Apollo address via the Parkway East and find it to be quite an easy drive, but maybe I'm just used to it?

If you're serious about relocating to Vandergrift, good choice. The town does have a positive future. PLEASE check out www.officialvandergrift.com Its the Vandergrift Improvement Program's website. The organization has assisted new residents in the past and continues to do very positive things for the town. The organization is managed by Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and is trying to put Vandergrift on the map so to speak. The VIP has worked with the University of Pittsburgh and Sustainable Pittsburgh and is currently looking for a sustainable way to use the river as a primary energy source for the town. Also, the VIP is doing façade improvement work in the downtown business district as well as attempting to lure new tenants. SO...what's happening behind the scenes is quite positive!

Agreed. I have been acquainted with the VIP site for quite some time and have found it to be up to date and informative.

I expect to get back in touch with the President of the Strongland Chamber of Commerce in the very near future and if the welcome mat is still out then I will be actively seeking to move there.

[dislusive]

Did you decide on a place yet?

To keep your options open, you may want to also look at allegheny and washington township, both right next door to vandy.

[bethany12]

I actually know a couple families that have or will be moving out to southern Lawrence county and making the commute to Pittsburgh, so I am not sure why people don't have positive things to say about the area.

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by dislusive

Did you decide on a place yet?

To keep your options open, you may want to also look at allegheny and washington township, both right next door to vandy.

I'll be in Vandergrift over Labor Day weekend to meet with a former local resident now working at a Butler radio station. I also plan to do a drive by (not shooting mind you ) of a few properties to see if they might work for what I intend to do. The gent from Butler said Vandergrift is the best place out of a few that I named for my little radio station. Since he is well acquainted with the entire region I trust his judgment.

I've also got a community in northern Maine and one in western NY where I may also locate. It will come down to which community will offer the path of least resistance with the radio station. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The community in WNY has no local radio just like Vandergrift. I also have the President of the Health Association in that town to handle Sales and a weekly talk show on health issues. And finding volunteers to work at the station will be a cinch there. But the corruption there can be a real problem especially with the local police force. And the economy is woeful to say the least.

Maine is my personal favorite because I could live among the mountains, forests and be close to the ocean. But finding someone to handle Sales (even paying commission) and volunteers for the station will be a problem. And this past week, having read several news stories in the mainstream media about potential quarantines and even martial law over the flu scare has me hesitating a great deal where moving to Maine is concerned. I could buy a property there but when I am ready to move, I may not be able to get there because the northeast corridor could be locked down. It will take over two days to get to that part of Maine from my current home in KC. In contrast, I can get to Vandergrift or the community in WNY in one day. A no brainer really...

Vandergrift has a lot of plusses in my eyes. I do see signs of a comeback and from what I've read on the VIP site, it appears that community spirit is strong, just like the community in WNY. Housing prices are cheap and I can even purchase a small commercial property to house the radio station, if desired. It is also close enough to commute to the Pittsburgh area for employment opportunities which may be necessary until I can find someone to handle sales and enough revenue is generated to allow the radio station to stand on its own two feet. And the radio guy from Butler will obviously be a real asset.

If everything goes extremely well over Labor Day I may simply forgo the other locations and work on buying a property in Vandergrift this Fall. A move to Vandergrift may offer the quickest ticket out of KC. I want out of here ASAP because I am sick and tired of these idiots.

In a nutshell, Vandergrift is still very much in the picture and we'll see how things go after my Labor Day visit.

[dislusive]

As far as property taxes and the purchase price of a house, vandy would be the best. It's literally cheaper to buy a house here than to rent one. There are plenty of commercial spaces to rent, and cheap, too.