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I would love some help from anyone who might have the time to share. We are looking at relocating to PA and the biggest thing I am trying to understand right now are city names/counties that are family friendly, or perhaps it might be easier to suggest areas that I might want to avoid. I realize this is a big question, so even just a few city names and our counties to look into would be helpful. The forbes's link that was shared in a thread above is awesome, I've been looking at that & becoming familiar with the counties in Pa. Once I have a better understanding of the cities it'll be easier to look into schools/living expenses/rentals.
I filled out the questionnaire that is shared in the "Help for new and potential residents" thread, if that helps
Thanks you guys.
When are you moving? By July of next year, but possibly sooner. Where are you coming from? SLC, Ut Why are you moving? To be closer to family in Ireland, especially my husbands aging mother. Where will you be working? My husbands job follows him Have you been here yet? We plan on visiting in the next 3 months.
Will you buy or rent? We will rent for the first few years. If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? A home, at least 4 bedrooms. Price range $1200-$1500
Are you married or single? Do you have children? Married/7 children Do you prefer public or private schools? public is fine Do you have pets? No Do you want or need a yard? Yes Are you keeping a car? Yes, two. Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Somewhere in the middle - we are very active & love being out doors. My husband and I love going for drinks with friends, and out to dinner/movies. But when we are at home, we prefer a more quiet setting.
What do you want to be closest to?
Work Shopping Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? We love diversity, so that would be ideal.
Phillies, Pirates or Mets? This is a trick question isn't it - no matter which one I answer I'll get a scowl from someone I'm sure But since you asked Phillies it is!
Last edited by PeaceLoveCoffee; 08-01-2012 at 05:00 PM..
It sounds like you might enjoy the Lehigh Valley area. This would be Lehigh and Northampton counties. The areas outside the core cities of Allentown and Bethlehem are family friendly with good public schools. The area is neither too quiet nor too bustling. The Poconos are nearby so you've got the outdoor activities. Finally you're not too far from NYC for airport access to Ireland.
Did you have any preferences to eastern or western pa. I would exclude central pa for the most part because I don't think the job market would be sufficient. If you are looking at western pa I would obviously recommend checking the pittsburgh area. Very affordable, family friendly, though not certain on the public schools within the city. Pittsburgh has a lot of cool big city stuff and rivers parks etc.
If you would prefer Eastern pa, I would suggest Lehigh valley or Philly burbs. I just think any more north and there's job issues.
But a bit of advice I simply do not believe you could take in western pa and the eastern pa regions mentioned in a week.
It sounds like you might enjoy the Lehigh Valley area. This would be Lehigh and Northampton counties. The areas outside the core cities of Allentown and Bethlehem are family friendly with good public schools. The area is neither too quiet nor too bustling. The Poconos are nearby so you've got the outdoor activities. Finally you're not too far from NYC for airport access to Ireland.
Also Lehigh valley area is rather close to The Philadelphia area which is convenient. Allentown is maybe 40 or 45 minutes from Philly area.
Also Lehigh valley area is rather close to The Philadelphia area which is convenient. Allentown is maybe 40 or 45 minutes from Philly area.
I agree that the Philly burbs would also be excellent, but didn't suggest it due to the OP's price range. I think the range will also be a challenge in the Lehigh Valley area but maybe achievable.
It sounds like you might enjoy the Lehigh Valley area. This would be Lehigh and Northampton counties. The areas outside the core cities of Allentown and Bethlehem are family friendly with good public schools. The area is neither too quiet nor too bustling. The Poconos are nearby so you've got the outdoor activities. Finally you're not too far from NYC for airport access to Ireland.
Brilliant, thanks mancat this was helpful & yes, we are very excited to be closer to our family in Ireland
Quote:
Originally Posted by mancat100
I agree that the Philly burbs would also be excellent, but didn't suggest it due to the OP's price range. I think the range will also be a challenge in the Lehigh Valley area but maybe achievable.
So, speaking of rent prices I've been on hotpads.com which is a great visual btw of the cities/counties & how it's laid out. It looks as though we would be better off being able to do $1,500-$2k as rent. Our options as to where we could live would widen with that, if I could go in and edit my original post I'd change that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by new-era
Peace love,
Did you have any preferences to eastern or western pa. I would exclude central pa for the most part because I don't think the job market would be sufficient. If you are looking at western pa I would obviously recommend checking the pittsburgh area. Very affordable, family friendly, though not certain on the public schools within the city. Pittsburgh has a lot of cool big city stuff and rivers parks etc.
If you would prefer Eastern pa, I would suggest Lehigh valley or Philly burbs. I just think any more north and there's job issues.
But a bit of advice I simply do not believe you could take in western pa and the eastern pa regions mentioned in a week.
What is it about central PA that makes the jobs less? And you know, I don't really have a preference (east vs west) just yet simply because I don't know enough about the two sides to know if I do or not. I'm guessing as I continue to learn about Pa I'll begin forming that opinion Good schools are very important to us, so that will be a major factor in where we end up.
I have another question if you guys don't mind - how likely is it to find rental properties that has land/farm land? I'm not finding a lot in my search, but perhaps I'm just not looking in the right places?
And random thought here - I found this link as I was googling things & I found it interesting/helpful, just thought I'd share in case anyone who's relocating happens to read this thread.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
It sounds like you might enjoy the Lehigh Valley area. This would be Lehigh and Northampton counties. The areas outside the core cities of Allentown and Bethlehem are family friendly with good public schools. The area is neither too quiet nor too bustling. The Poconos are nearby so you've got the outdoor activities. Finally you're not too far from NYC for airport access to Ireland.
Brilliant, thanks very much mancat - this is helpful. And yes, we are excited to be closer to our family in Ireland
Quote:
Originally Posted by mancat100
I agree that the Philly burbs would also be excellent, but didn't suggest it due to the OP's price range. I think the range will also be a challenge in the Lehigh Valley area but maybe achievable.
After spending the afternoon on hotpads.com looking at rentals I am seeing that our price range isn't going to get us very much lol It's looking like we'll need to spend $2-$3k on rent for the kind of house we are wanting. That is okay, we'll adjust and make that possible
Quote:
Originally Posted by new-era
Peace love,
Did you have any preferences to eastern or western pa. I would exclude central pa for the most part because I don't think the job market would be sufficient. If you are looking at western pa I would obviously recommend checking the pittsburgh area. Very affordable, family friendly, though not certain on the public schools within the city. Pittsburgh has a lot of cool big city stuff and rivers parks etc.
If you would prefer Eastern pa, I would suggest Lehigh valley or Philly burbs. I just think any more north and there's job issues.
But a bit of advice I simply do not believe you could take in western pa and the eastern pa regions mentioned in a week.
I don't have a preference but only because I don't know a whole lot about either side just yet. I'm sure as I continue to learn about PA I'll figure out which one I might like better Good schools are very important to us, this will be a big point in deciding where we end up.
Are you meaning, when we come visit PA you would advise that we spend a week on each side of the state in order to get to know it better?
PeaceLoveCoffee, first off, good decision to pick Phillies over Mets and Pirates. I already like you. Second, I happen to be from PA but currently live in the SLC metro.
If diversity is what you want, then you'll have to aim for the cities, Philly by far is the most cosmopolitan city in PA, although I am sure pockets exist in Pitt, Allentown and even State College (diversity in grad students).
I am not sure PA actually qualifies as "closer to Ireland" but I guess its 2-3 hours closer than Utah.
I would be happy to answer any other questions you have, although I am completely biased towards the central, northeast and Eastern parts of the state. Happy hunting!
PeaceLoveCoffee, first off, good decision to pick Phillies over Mets and Pirates. I already like you. Second, I happen to be from PA but currently live in the SLC metro.
If diversity is what you want, then you'll have to aim for the cities, Philly by far is the most cosmopolitan city in PA, although I am sure pockets exist in Pitt, Allentown and even State College (diversity in grad students).
I am not sure PA actually qualifies as "closer to Ireland" but I guess its 2-3 hours closer than Utah.
I would be happy to answer any other questions you have, although I am completely biased towards the central, northeast and Eastern parts of the state. Happy hunting!
Gotta love the Phillies!
How do you like the SLC metro area? Very cool to 'meet' someone who lives here but is from Pa. And you're right it isn't that much closer, roughly 3-6hrs depending on the flight, the tickets are often around $150-$200 cheaper per ticket & when you times that by 9 well, it adds up On top of that, as much as I love Ut (sarcastic & serious all the same) I'd really like to get outta here so this is a good excuse
Could you give me a quick low down on why you like the central, northeast and eastern parts of the state over the other areas?
Could you give me a quick low down on why you like the central, northeast and eastern parts of the state over the other areas?
My family is in Philly, I grew up in NE and I went to school in State College. All were great places. The economy is weakest in NEPA, with serious issues of bankrupt cities and high unemployment. Its a beautiful place but I can't say I would recommend it for work. If your husband has stable "work that follows him" maybe thats not a problem. Its very cheap to live there, among the cheapest in the state. Wayne and Pike counties are closer to NYC and thus have better access to the airports there. I've read that there are a lot of 2nd homes for sale in that area.
State College is an anomaly since its the home of Penn State, so it has a lot of diversity and things to do and a sizable population , but its surrounded by mostly farmland and rural areas. Its fairly remote but safe. Another town nearby is Bellefonte and the county is called Centre.
Philly has a ton of great things, including great suburbs to raise a family. I recommend Chester, Montgomery and Bucks county. Plus unlike central and northeast, the Philly airport has many international flights.
I never really lived in Pitt (southwest) or Erie (northwest); only visited. I am sure they have their pros/cons but I am not an authority.
Personally I would live in PA again if a job was there for me, thats why I moved to SLC, for work.
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But since you asked Phillies it is!
