Moving to Meadville ... any tips? (Erie, Warren: crime, buying a house, job market)

[don]

Well, I'd be driving just south of the meadville walmart, and I'd hope to live on the northwest side of franklin.

Would that be a bad drive in winter?

- k

[Autobot032]

It can be a treacherous drive in the winter. Venango (Franklin) gets freezing rain from time to time, but about 50% or less snow than Crawford (Meadville.) Travel is not impossible, but on a night like tonight...I wouldn't recommend it.

In fact, we're covered under an inch plus of snow, and my Aunt called just over the Crawford border, and there was none on the ground at that time.

Venango would be your best choice. If travel is to be considered as well as everything else I mentioned in my previous posting.

Good luck!

[tmtm]

Don,
Actually, it's not a bad place to live. There are many things within a 30 min. drive. If you are a sportsman, there is fishing either in tamarak, conneaut lake, and pymatuning lakes, as well as, french creek. There are also thousands of acers of game commission property to hunt on. There is also a small wild life refuge nearby. Meadville also has a small theater for plays and a new modern theater for movies. The local college has music productions and very nice library. There quite a variety of churches to choose from, and it can be a nice way to meet people trying out the different churches. If you are raising children, Meadville schools have a pretty diverified sports program. Also, our county fair is one of the nicest around, which also books many famous country singers during the summer. Along the same thought, down 19 somewhere, there is the Sun Dance Arena that has a rodeo from time to time. If you are a golfer, there are many courses to choose from. One other thing, Conneaut Lake Amusement Park is a nice little park with a some rides for the kids and a few for adults. The fall is probably the nicest time since most of the little towns have little pumpkin fests and apple fests. The last thing is, it's nicely located between Erie and Pittsburgh.

[Elementaryteacher]

Gee, I rather like where I live. I live in Espyville, a 20 minute drive to Meadville depending on where you are going. We like the rural living the area provides. There isn't much employment opportunities but if you have a job already there then you don't have to worry. I live on the lake and I find the laid back lifestyle relaxing. It is true, everyone knows your business, but you find that in any small town. I taught in Greenville and I loved the school district, at least at the elementary level. Meadville is becomeing more infested with crime and drugs, more than you would suspect of a smaller town.

[mystree]

I haven't been in the area since 2000 so alot may have changed since then but I always liked meadville,franklin,oil city,conneaut lake,saegartown,cambridge springs and waterford and always felt relatively safe. The problem would be lack of good jobs people know it's a good job and are smart enough to keep them. These are small towns and everybody does know your business this is good and bad,it is easier to spot a stranger in the area but somethings you would like private and people love gossip.
It does snow aloooooot in these areas slightly and I mean slightly less in meadville and conneaut lake.
Like I said it has been 6 years and alot can change in 6 years.

[Elementaryteacher]

I live outside of Meadville in Espyville. Although it is true, our neighborhoods are definitely predominantly white. I have never, ever heard of KKK in our area. I also do not know of anyone treated poorly because of race. I probably don't have a true perspective becuase I am white. . .and I am not a redneck. This is a rural area. We are in driving distance of Erie, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. There is little business right now depending on your field. We don't offer a lot of cultural activities but we do offer small town charm (depending on where you are talking). I will drive to Pittsburgh to the theater even if it is a drive in order to have my solitude in my wooded 2 acres that my house sits on.

[s&d]

Hi Don, best of luck selling your home. I was raised in Meadville and moved away after college. We relocated back to the area (from Pittsburgh) and found the move to be a bit tough at first only because we liked the size of pittsburgh. Once we adjusted to that, we enjoyed the affordability of restaurants, housing, shopping and so on. The biggest attraction for us was the fact that Meadville is close to Buffalo, NY, Niagara Falls, NY, Cleveland, OH (beechwood mall, legacy village, amongst others), Grove City, PA (grove city outlets of course) and Erie, PA (wine country, ocean like views of lake erie, shopping / dining). Living in meadville is only difficult during the toughest months of winter (jan/feb) and if you plan accordingly (drive during the day), it can be managable even during those cold months). We learned to appreciate and welcome the serenity of being indoors jan/feb and calm b/c it made spring/summer/fall/early winter more enjoyable. We are both professionals and from our standpoint, meadville is a very affordable place to buy housing b/c you can just drop by Conneaut Lake and Lake Erie, etc. and return to your quiet home in Meadville. The same holds true for working people. They can commute N,S,E,W of meadville and do well. I understand the meadville economy is not so exciting, but thee are ways around it if a person is willing to drive to their job in the surrounding counties. Meadville would be an ideal place for someone running an internet business or Ebay business (tons of antique and thrift stores to buy and resell stuff on Ebay)where their work comes from everywhere as opposed to someone walking in off the street b/c with the internet, location doesn't matter.

The history of meadville is fascinating and there are interesting victorian homes that are worth a look if you enjoy restoring and appreciating older homes (i.e., the Schwab house is a good example). I have seen the home listed through Caldwell Banker and it is remarkable (as are the larger homes near the college and on chestnut street). I think you'd have to run a search on caldwell banker (4 bedroom, $150-250K just to see all the stuff available). That's what we did so we didn't miss anything. Many small towns are affected by downsizings, etc., but it can be more noticable in small towns vs. cities. I am not here to argue with anyone about economic issues, it's just our take on the area and we have worked for a almost 20 years. Best of luck to you and remember to just go where it feels like home and hopefully somewhere that is conveniently located near larger shopping areas (erie pa, mentor ohio & cleveland ohio).

[don]

We're still planning to move to the area, but we have to sell our house first. And when we do, we'll likely end up in Saegertown.

Any thoughts?

Are there any good hiking or biking trails in the area?

- Don

[Autobot032]

Originally Posted by don

We're still planning to move to the area, but we have to sell our house first. And when we do, we'll likely end up in Saegertown.

Any thoughts?

Are there any good hiking or biking trails in the area?

- Don

Plenty of good hiking/biking trails just east of Saegertown. Problem is, there is cancer causing materials in the water. Proven fact. We learned it when we lived there during my childhood. In fact, The Lord Corporation has a plant on the outskirts of town, and it had an accident over a decade ago. Left a pink haze over everything for about a day's worth of time. People were asked to either leave town (if they were out) or stay in their house until the haze left the area.

Saegertown is one of the nosiest towns as well, everyone knows everyone and there are no cops when you need them. You have to call for a State Police Cruiser to attend to you. (Which can take as long as 30 minutes depending...)

I'm not trying to be a terrible naysayer, but seriously, there's nothing in Crawford County anymore, nothing of any good use. All the towns look like they're pre-industrialization. Dilapidated buildings strewn in with brand new Condos that no one can afford. Taking crap and putting it in a box with a nice bow doesn't change a thing. It's still crap.

I just moved to Mercer County (Greenville) to be exact, and with Hermitage, Sharon, etc...it's a much nicer location and the public seems to be more accomodating.

It's your life, and I can't tell you what to do, I just hope for your sake that you make the right decision and don't regret it later. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that jazz, but it does nothing to help you when you're depressed because you made a bad move and there's no way out.

[Mel36]

I must agree with the previous poster. Stay away from the seagertown area, especially if you have or plan to have children.

The unfortunate thing is, Meadville has had a hard last few years. As many towns and cities do. What do the majority of meadville citizens do about it? Absolutely nothing. The town is trying to revamp it's down town area to include houses. Every so many years Meadville gets a down town strip club that throws the town into a frenzy for some oddly insane reason.

Another poster complained of the unemployment rate, by the sounds you already have a job. If you are looking at the unemplyment rate it normamly around 7 to 11 percent wihich is extremely high.

What I love about the area other than it's beauty, it low Cost of living!

I would hold off on buying a house for a bit, maybe rent for a few moths to get a feel for the area.