Thinking of retiring in Elizabethtown PA (Lancaster, Harrisburg: real estate, rental, neighborhood)

[Messbeth]

My husband and I are thinking about moving here in 5 years when we retire. Would love to hear from folks who know the area what it's like to live there. We currently live in South Jersey. Thanks so much!

[ddavidv]

Lived here all my life. Grew up in the next town over (Manheim). Curious why you chose Elizabethtown? It is nicely located, easy travel to Harrisburg or Lancaster as well as Hershey.

Lancaster county as a whole gets quite a few people moving here from NY/NJ. I'm used to dealing with such folks but many locals can find the brusque attitude of New Yawkers and Joisey folks a bit off-putting. You have to be prepared for a slower, quieter type of person around here.

E-town itself has several grocery stores, a movie theater, restaurants of some caliber that you need not travel for most things. Traffic on the main street can get a little backed up and E-town post office is the worst I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with but that is the worst I can think of. Downtown is a lot of rental properties too so I'd probably venture a few blocks outward for a quieter experience in a better neighborhood.

We have a chocolate factory here also and if the smell of cocoa bothers you...well, you may need to look towards Mt. Joy.

[ki0eh]

Elizabethtown has surprisingly little retail for a town of 10k population. If you come from a metro suburb or even an independent small town, you might find a frequent need to drive over towards Lancaster for any items beyond the very basic. (Lancaster tends to have better, and more centralized, box-store shopping than Harrisburg.) There is no Walmart even in E-town.

The Amtrak stop with frequent service to Phila/NYC is a big plus. After a stimulus project the waiting room is actually serviceable and might actually compare with a town of similar size in, say, the U.K. for passenger rail usability. That's especially true if you are looking into the Masonic Village complex which is right next to the station (downtown isn't, it's a few blocks away).

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by ddavidv

We have a chocolate factory here also and if the smell of cocoa bothers you...well, you may need to look towards Mt. Joy.

Another alternative would be to move eight miles northwest to Hershey, the new largest chocolate factory in the world does not emit cocoa smells, although roasting peanuts at the Reese's plant still sometimes is noticed.

[HappyRider]

But don't you WANT to smell chocolate in Hershey?

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Another alternative would be to move eight miles northwest to Hershey, the new largest chocolate factory in the world does not emit cocoa smells, although roasting peanuts at the Reese's plant still sometimes is noticed.

Taxes in Dauphin County are higher than Lancaster County in general, and real estate in Derry Township is more expensive than in Etown.

I grew up in Etown. There is not much in the town itself. And it is kind of in a strage no-mans-land between Harrisburg and Lancaster. Personally, I'd look into Lititz or Ephrata before Etown.

[Messbeth]

Thanks so much for all responses. Looking for a quiet small town like the one I live in now but NJ taxes are killing us! I've heard good things about Lititz too and Etown. Thanks again

[thunderkat59]

Originally Posted by Messbeth

Thanks so much for all responses. Looking for a quiet small town like the one I live in now but NJ taxes are killing us! I've heard good things about Lititz too and Etown. Thanks again

If you are homebodies, E-Town is a sleepy bedroom community. Pleasant. Not a lot going on. Maybe you prefer that. Lititz on the other hand, has a great main street community and has festivals, restaurants and things like that. I prefer Lititz by far . . . Come see them both, they are not that far apart in very nice countryside for the most part.

[Messbeth]

I'm hoping to come in the next few weeks. I checked into Lititz and it looks great. Thanks so much for the tip!