Schuylkill Haven OR Bernville (Lancaster, Lebanon: homes, purchasing, Mennonites)

[aphahorse]

I think we finally made the final decision that we are moving from NJ to PA, and are sort of narrowing down areas....our realtor is going to show us 2 homes/farms next week. We have been going back & forth to look at different areas ourselves, but we are limited to only Saturdays and the occassional Sunday to travel out there- the drive is over 2 hours one way for us right now.

We do aerial searches, and online searches about areas, and we drive around towns, etc.... but it's just so overwhelming to me Hubby doesn't get as overwhelmed about it as I do.

Anyway...the areas she's showing us next week are Schuylkill Haven and Bernville. Which areas, in your opinions, do you feel would best fit our criteria?.....

What we are looking for in an area is:
--Rural, surrounded by Farmland (we are purchasing land, and have horses/chickens)
--Amish/Mennonite areas (hubby is new order Mennonite, we want to be around that culture)
--Within a 20 minute drive to town - target/walmart/restaurants/etc (where we live now we drive 20+ minutes to town so we are used to that kind of drive)
--Hubby will drive up to 45 minutes to work (trucker)
--I will drive up to 20 minutes to work (secretary)

Also, how are the winters in these areas? Are they horrible, or for those of you who are familiar w/NJ...would you say the weather is somewhat similar to Central NJ?

[Icy Tea]

Schuylkill Haven is just south of Pottsville which is the gateway to the Coal regions. There are farms there but also more mountains and hills and woodland compared to Bernville. Its not like Lancaster. Its got some nice quiet areas but is getting sort of removed from places for shopping, restaurants, etc. Weather will be the about the same as midland New Jersey. The Jersey areas next to the Poconos would get more snow and cold weather.
Have you looked at the areas around Wernersville/ Robesonia/ Womelsdorf? You'd be closer to the Lancaster area and eastern Lebanon County has mennonites. Its rural and farmland with some pretty upscale housing developments around. The Gosseilins from John and Kate plus 8 lived there.

[Jeanie Beanie]

I don't know much about Schuylkill Haven. Having passed through the town, I'd say it's nice enough. Some coal towns look pretty sad, but Schuylkill Haven seems nice. Bernville I know much better. I don't think you could go wrong there.

As I said on a previous post of yours, I think it would be a good idea to stay close to your husband's job in Bethel, but on the Berks County side. On the other hand, my son lived for several years in Myerstown, and, really, any town that has Amish buggies going up and down Main Street, has the Mennonite feel. The Dutchway Markets around there are closed on the Sabbath; heck most everything is closed on Sunday. The local businesses are overwhelmingly Amish, Mennonite or Brethren. So, yeah, check out Northern Lebanon County. Good land for farming might be a premium, though. I second the Womelsdorf, Wernersville areas, too.

[brn623cl]

stumbled upon this page and as a proud Schuylkill Haven and Schuylkill County resident reading your criteria i would suggest the Bernville area. Both rural, but a higher Mennonite population in Berks county. Also Bernville area has you very close to tons of shopping and eating opportunities that we lack up here. And in winter the trek over the mountain to the Bethel area can be a handful sometimes. Good luck.