Young Couple Looking to Relocate... (Philadelphia, Allentown: apartments, rentals, insurance)

[gykihrt]

Hello,

My wife and I are looking for a change of scenery. We're 21 & 22. She is about to finish her BA on Business with a minor in French. I almost have a minor in Network Admin. We are both adamant about hiking and general outdoor excursions. Also I do Kyokushin Karate and love to compete.

So I guess my questions for the area, maybe Scranton in particular are these.

Job market?

Are Decent, Quiet, Safe, apartments for roughly $750 ish a dream the norm???

Are there Karate Dojo's in the area?

Are there abundant hiking trails in the area?

I used this site Cost of living: Compare prices in two cities - CNNMoney.com to do a cost of living comparison. To live the same life in PA we would need to make 18,904 compared to the 21,000 here in VT. Thanks again for all the useful advice!

-Matt

[pocopc]

As someone in the IT field i can tell you, you will be hard pressed to find anything outside of Philadelphia or NYC that pays you anything decent. I'm from Albrightsville which is about 45 minutes or so south of Scranton.. But i frequently search the area for jobs in IT.

I cannot comment on the scranton area just albrightsville/brodheadsville/stroudsburg areas.

Albrightsville you can rent a whole house for about 600-900 a month. There is hiking in this area as Hickory Run State Park is just miles down the road. Beltsville State Park is not far either. Albrightsville is however a much smaller town then scranton and you would likely have to commute 30+ minutes for a job. However it is beatiful on top of the mountain!

[weluvpa]

Originally Posted by gykihrt

Hello,

My wife and I are looking for a change of scenery. We're 21 & 22. She is about to finish her BA on Business with a minor in French. I almost have a minor in Network Admin. We are both adamant about hiking and general outdoor excursions. Also I do Kyokushin Karate and love to compete.

So I guess my questions for the area, maybe Scranton in particular are these.

Job market?

Are Decent, Quiet, Safe, apartments for roughly $750 ish a dream the norm???

Are there Karate Dojo's in the area?

Are there abundant hiking trails in the area?

I used this site Cost of living: Compare prices in two cities - CNNMoney.com to do a cost of living comparison. To live the same life in PA we would need to make 18,904 compared to the 21,000 here in VT. Thanks again for all the useful advice!

-Matt

NONE it doesn't exist.

Probably

Yes

It depends on what you consider hiking.


Huh ya ok sure your going to compare VT to Scranton? I would work harder or get a second job and stay in Vermont......Its definitely worth the extra cost. Visit, but I think that you'll find Vermont to have better standard of living then Scranton and hands down the recreation around here pales in comparison.

[littlebunnie69]

For a Couple so young, you might find there an't much of a 20 something area. MOst people your ages are moving out of here to places that are more happening and with more jobs opportunities

[memoriesbre]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

NONE it doesn't exist.

Probably

Yes

It depends on what you consider hiking.


Huh ya ok sure your going to compare VT to Scranton? I would work harder or get a second job and stay in Vermont......Its definitely worth the extra cost. Visit, but I think that you'll find Vermont to have better standard of living then Scranton and hands down the recreation around here pales in comparison.

You really need to come and see for yourself. There are many people that are moving to this area.. NEPA.. You can work in NYC or Philly if you want to consider commuting. It is being done...

[scrantonluna]

I think you might have some luck as a Network Administator at some of the local insurance or telemarketing companies. They employ a large number of people and may be suited to your skills. Places like Cigna pay 24k right off the bat, and that's just to work the phones.

I don't think you would have any trouble getting an apartment for $750, including all utilities, in a decent neighborhood. You might want to look at surrounding areas to Scranton. Also, take a look at the listings yourself, at scrantontimes.com

We DO have several karate dojos in the area, so that is not a concern.

If you are into hiking, I think you would be very pleased with the Scranton area. There are many good trails within an hour's drive or so, plenty to keep you busy. There is also a climbing gym in Wilkes-Barre which might interest you.

I would recommend a three day weekend to check the place out. I'd be happy to provide you with some hiking destinations should you decide to visit.

[gykihrt]

Wow so many replies in such a short amount of time. I'm pleased to know at the very least the people in the area are hospitable and helpful. We've looked into other location on this forum and and we've gotten 0 replies...

We don't mind an hour commute we've just purchased a reliable fuel efficient vehicle. Is the commute worth driving to Bethlehem, Allentown areas? Or would you suggest living in the Bethlehem Allentown areas and communting to Phily?

Thats great to know that there is an abundant source of hiking locations in the area not to mention Karate Dojo's. Thanks for that.

I kind of expected us to be able to to find cheaper housing down there VT is ridiculous. Our $750 2 br 1 ba 1100sqft apratment is pretty much unheard of in our state. Most 1 br go for 600-800.

Also although I have a degree in IT I'm not so inclined to work in that field. I'd be willing to do manufacturing, front desk, Administrtive assistant, and security jobs.

On another note, My wife and are not fans of Vermonts 300 days of overcast and 8 months of cold. So what is the weather like in PA? Similar to NC? How severe are your winters?

Thanks so much for you help so far!

-Matt

[ArtSpooner]

Lots of wide open spaces here in NEPA..! I commute to Florida and work there from Nov to April. There are a lot of jobs here compared to the hard hit areas of the country like Florida. 750 will do you alright here. Check out the suburburbs of Scrantoon for rentals. Scranton can wear you down as far as negativity, potholes and taxes...

Originally Posted by gykihrt

Hello,

My wife and I are looking for a change of scenery. We're 21 & 22. She is about to finish her BA on Business with a minor in French. I almost have a minor in Network Admin. We are both adamant about hiking and general outdoor excursions. Also I do Kyokushin Karate and love to compete.

So I guess my questions for the area, maybe Scranton in particular are these.

Job market?

Are Decent, Quiet, Safe, apartments for roughly $750 ish a dream the norm???

Are there Karate Dojo's in the area?

Are there abundant hiking trails in the area?

I used this site Cost of living: Compare prices in two cities - CNNMoney.com to do a cost of living comparison. To live the same life in PA we would need to make 18,904 compared to the 21,000 here in VT. Thanks again for all the useful advice!

-Matt

[I LOVE PA!]

Weather like NC???? Not by a long shot.

There are many winters that I feel last 8 months. It is cold here, no doubt about it, and the sun doesn't exactly shine either. Days are definitely shorter as we are further from the equator tha NC. It gets dark by 5 and not light out until 7 on the shortest days.

I live about 30 miles outside of Scranton and we get a lot more snow than the Scranton area. Usually over 100 inches per year.

[scrantonluna]

If you might end up near Allentown, take a look at Schulykill Haven (sp)