Lancaster County - Changing for better or worse? (Reading, Chester: crime, homes)

[movetopa]

I am thinking of moving to Lancaster County, and I have visited there before. I like the laid back culture.. and the calm and friendly personalities that abound. This is a good thing.

But with so many people supposedly moving into Lancaster County from out of state & large city areas, is the good quality of life Lancaster County changing for the worse?

[KoZmiC NinJa]

Im a native PA'er living in Vermont.
I say Lanco is changing for the worse.
In the city its due to the usual stuff that wrecks every city,
crime, mean people etc.......
In the rural areas its development gone wild !! The developers
have been allowed to run amok over common sense. The plague
of WAL*MARTS, McMansions and people driving BMW's SUV's and
minivans too fast on roads shared by Amish Buggies and not
understanding farm culture has really taken a toll.
OK, that being said, there are still many nice areas that havent gotten
slapped as hard. They are there. I miss it so much it is my goal to get
back as soon as it is possible, development or not .

[Icy Tea]

Lancaster County has 3 Wal Marts, 2 of them are supercenters. They are also in the top 5 counties in the country that are protecting farmland, Berks and Lancaster keep trading places for the number 3 spot. So over development isn't as big an issue as it is in Montgomery or Chester County, but you hate to see the best farmland in the country go to housing developments even if they are upscale homes. Lancaster city itself is another smaller version of Reading, but like Reading, most of the problems stay in the city. Let's hope high gas prices continue so people won't want to drive 40 or 50 miles each way to work so they can live in the country.

[Positiveone]

Hi movetopa,

Where are you from? Maybe that will help others compare it to where you are now.

We are originally from NY, currently living in Nevada but we are also considering a move to Lancaster. We were there last October and Lancaster is nowhere as busy , crazy, or built up as here in Vegas or as Long Island is. And we drove through the Lancaster city area at night , the crime wasnt even close to how bad Vegas crime is. Actually we didnt feel unsafe at all.

But i guess like any suburb its growing for sure, hard for me to say if its for the better. Someone pointed out there are only 3 super walmarts there, while here in Vegas we have like 10.

Depending where your from LAncaster might be a great place.

Do you have kids ?

Good luck

Originally Posted by movetopa

I am thinking of moving to Lancaster County, and I have visited there before. I like the laid back culture.. and the calm and friendly personalities that abound. This is a good thing.

But with so many people supposedly moving into Lancaster County from out of state & large city areas, is the good quality of life Lancaster County changing for the worse?