Hershey, PA Bound

[carperry]

I realize that comments are just opinion. If only the letters were based in fact and research! The repeated rant on taxes ignores qualification by comparison with other states. Last week I visited NH. Conversations with residents revealed that the largest complaint is property tax. I was in FL when that desperate state was legislating a homestead property tax to penalize part-time residents. Has any of our contributors recently paid NY taxes or purchased gas in that state? New Jersey, the name is synonymous with property tax. Best colleges in the country, medical care without peer, scenery to make your heart stop. Last week I looked down at the bucolic beauty of the Wyoming Valley from the moutains that surround. Yesterday I drowe the winding back roads of Chester County on my way to Longwood Gardens. Natural beauty to make your heart rejoice at our blessings. I returned through Lancaster County, visiting my daughter, via PA Route 340, the Philadelphia Pike, waiting several times to pass Amish buggies. Lest anyone think I am a tool of state government, I hasten to add that I left the Pocono Mts., specifically Monroe Co., because of the flood, nay deluge, of immigrants from NJ and NY. Denigrate the Keystone state as you may but note that Pike County is among the 20 fastest growing counties in the country.

[momix5]

I have researched Hershey and the surrounding area schools, I have found Elizabethtown, Liltz, Strausberg all to be great choices.

[Katarina Witt]

Roads are bad in Pa. but there are reasons. They get used extremely heavily, probably more so than any other state. Trucks in particular damage roads. I'd like to see a 5 or 10 cent a gallon gas tax and then residents would get it back in a refund after their yearly mileage is figured out. Use that money to fix the roads. Also it gets hot in summer, cold in winter, that leads to potholes. Plus Pa paves its roads whereas many states can get away without having to do pave back roads.

PA roads are in bad condition, period. Almost every northern state goes through the freeze-thaw cycle, so that is no excuse. I know of no states with many unpaved back roads.

[Titanium]

Hershey is a nice area. Conservative, Christian and Friendly.
Is not that diverse. For Diversity check out Harrisburg, or Philly
School taxes are too high.

[bronayur]

I grew up in Hershey and Elizabethtown going to the high schools in both of the towns. I can't say that I like Hershey but this is coming from a perspective of me as a teenager and now a young adult. The schools are very good and the teachers are great, I remember there was a lot of diversity in skin color but everyone felt was the same anyway because most were upper class and very snobby. I just think it is very hard to be different in Hershey, the kids are very preppy most went to private schools in other states (Brown, Yale, and other small schools in NYC and Mass). It was seriously impossible to get into a fight and anyone who caused trouble was either sent to another school or put into a class with kids with behavioral problems. All in all though there was nothing there to distract me, so I did very well in school, the only problem is that kids that grow up in Hershey there whole life do not fit in with a lot of the people from other areas near by, that is why they all move to larger cities, DC, NYC, Boston, I am not saying that all the kids are like this but quite a large percentage are. Taxes are high but not that high I think around $29 per 1,000 which is not as high as HarrisburgCity $70 per 1,000. The place is sooo safe, I used to get pulled over by the cops all the time for the smallest infraction, and I tell you one thing drugs of coarse are available but not the easiest to find. I liked E-Town (Elizabethtown) a lot more, although there was rednecks there was also a lot of hippies kids and punk kids, I made the best friends there people that I could still hang out with. The education was ok but they did not stress attending college and although the crime rate is nothing like Hershey drugs are much easier to come by along with drinking establishments although by no means is like 2nd street in Harrisburg...All in all if you want a super safe place where the education will be top notch and the homes are a bit more expensive then the towns near by and your child might have the potential to be a little elitist, then by all means go to Hershey...=)