Areas around Altoona

[preciouspunk]

Well I'd recommend if you want rural looking into Bedford County. They have grocery stores and Wal-Mart, it's only 45 minutes to Altoona, Johnstown, or Cumberland, MD. They recently opened the Bedford Springs which is gorgeous. Housing costs would be less and low crime for sure!

[hempfield mania]

Did you pick a place yet? If this house is for your retirement, may I suggest you stay away from 2 story houses or houses with lots of stairs. As you get older, those stairs will make life more difficult for you.

Inlaws live off of Rte. 22 right before you get to Ebensburg (Beulah Rd.) and I love it up there. Lots of decent houses up that way with property. Glendale Yeararound is nice. If you want to stay off the mtn. and be a little closer to Pittsburgh, you can live in Blairsville, New Alexandria or the surrounding area.

[badguykc]

Originally Posted by clem16

Thanks, Bob and Badguy! I think the areas we are gonna concentrate on are south of Altoona as far as Bedford and east as far as Huntingdon and maybe as far northeast as Lewistown. Hope my PA geographic memory serves me correctly. I had an uncle who used to live in Philipsburg and I loved to go visit him, but am thinking that is to the west of State College and the winters must be brutal.
Is Tyrone the town that used to have the paper mill?

You are absolutely correct. Philipsburg is about 24 miles west of State College on U.S. Route 322.

As for the winters, they're not any worse than what you'd run into in Altoona or Patton. They're not good either, but NOWHERE near Erie-like standards.

[Mr Siegal]

I dont know your definition of pricey, but you can get a lot of house for $200k in State College and it has twice the shopping, restaurants, amenities, etc as any of the areas mentioned in these posts. i would pay an extra $50k for my house just to be within short distance of Wegmans

[mcorrales]

I live in Galltizin and I too wished I had known about "up the mountain" winters before I moved here, although I love it here, the winters up on the ridge are a little different than SoCal (where I used to live). I retired here from CA and the housing prices are cheap!! If I had to do it over again my choices would be Ebensburg, Cresson (really like Cresson) Hastings, Alum Bank, Glendale Yearround, Patton etc. I love it here, have three dogs, a large garden damned sciatia out again so right now cannot do anything. Thors - where in Galltizin does your son live? Who knows, I might know him.

[Gloria1946]

mcorrales, I grew up in Hastings. We have a place there we hope to retire to. The country is just so beautiful. And peacful. Live near a big city and will be happy for the peace and quiet of a small town again. I can live without the Wegmans close by. Will go over to Northern Cambria to the Giant Eagle instead. And Altoona and Johnstown are not that far if you want the shopping, etc. You are right about the ridges though. You are a bit high there. Hastings is in a valley, so not quite so bitter. But since they are all in the mountains, it is cooler than other parts of the state.

[Pureblood]

I know this post it old, but i would recommend morrisons cove. The towns of Martinsburg, Roaring Spring, and Martinsburg. Very rural, little crime, and just a short drive to Altoona. Cheap living and houses aren't that expensive eaither.