Hershey job- where to live (Philadelphia, Lancaster: transplants, home, employment)

[ArtRo]

I will be moving from an affluent suburban town with 30,000 residents to a job in Hershey PA. My wife and I want to move to a safe, good school systems area, affluent town with housing in the $400,000 to $500,000 range. Our main concern after quality of schooling and safety is that we are not used to towns where everyone knows each others' business, and you need to make a day trip to the local mall or supermarket. Though Philly is too "city" for us, surrounding towns like Hershey, Middletown, Hummelstown, etc may be too quiet and may make us consider blowing our brains out. Any suggestions?

[teachbeach]

You might want to consider NW Lancaster County~Hempfield School District has the type/price of housing you are seeking, with excellent schools. Lancaster is a short drive with plenty of shopping, theatre, sports teams, outlet malls, fine and formula dining, and within an easy drive to Philadelphia or Baltimore for more upscale or diverse entertainment, shopping, culture experiences.

Other options for good schools would be Manheim Township, or Lancaster Country Day (private). You'd have a slight commute to Hershey, but there are many state roads and highways that would get you there. Hershey itself would also have your housing budget, and Derry Township schools are generally rated as above par. With the medical school, tourism, and Hershey plant itself, there are plenty of upscale neighborhoods.

[ki0eh]

Hershey (Derry Twp) certainly has housing in that price range and considers itself an affluent suburban town of about 25,000, home to many transplants beyond just those associated with the medical center and chocolate company. I constantly run into people locally who are ignorant of basic facts about the chocolate company (such as there remain 3 working factories in the township) so the social life is far, far from being the classic company town where the social and work pecking orders are the same.

Honestly more folks in Derry seem to be connected to the medical center than The Hershey Company, and of course Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (separately run from the confectionery company) and the Milton Hershey School are major employers in the immediate area, with many who commute to other Harrisburg area employment as well.

There are 3 chain supermarkets in the township (Giant, Weis, and the local chain Karn's), 2 power centers with Target etc. are on east side of Harrisburg about a 15 minute drive away (either around I-83/I-283/US 322 "Eisenhower Interchange" area, or along US 22 between I-83 Jonestown Rd exit and I-81 Paxtonia/Linglestown exit).

Lancaster's Park City mall in the 500k+/- Lancaster County metro does have a couple of stores (like EMS) that the three-county 500k+/- pop Harrisburg metro doesn't. A number of folks who work at Hershey do live either in Lancaster City or in the western suburbs of Lancaster but it seems they locate there due to intercommutability (i.e. one to Hershey, other to Aberdeen/west Philly suburbs) or family roots concerns for a 45 minute drive. To put it bluntly, if Harrisburg outer east shore suburbs seem too parochial to you, Lancaster County is probably not where you want to be either.

Also some folks do commute to Hershey employment from off the Downingtown Turnpike interchange, these are usually transferees from employment in the Philadelphia suburbs. If you really need to be within half an hour of Nordstrom vs. 1.5 hours one way from an employment site that might be an option, would need to check the Philadelphia sub-forum for community recommendations here.