Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi, I am a CT native in nursing school. About 10 years ago I use to stay with my grandparents in the summer in PA for almost 10 years I can remember living with them on the outskirts of Valley Forge. I remember helping my grandmother with Meals on Wheels in Phoenixville, which did have some noticeable poverty. Then we usually make a trip either to Lancaster county or Chester County to Kennet Square to Longwood Gardens. Remember occasional, but not many trips to Philadelphia. Do remember a bike trail that ran from King of Prussia to Philly.
These will probably be broad questions, but a start.
How is traffic in PA? I heard horror stories that roads can clog up. Any truth to this? Heard travel to York to Harrisburg is rough or traveling during rush hour in Lancaster PA is a challenge.
What are some of the top cities in PA? Top communities?
What are some top school districts?
Outside of Philly where are the best colleges in the State?
Is crime really that bad in Philly?
What counties do you feel would be the best market to find housing $250K or under in PA?
Which cities/towns have a good LGBT population?
Now some odd questions:
Bookstores love to read so does my fiancee', where are some cool bookstores/libraries in PA?
Where is a good place to run, hike, camp, and be outdoors in Philadelphia?
Any places in PA known for good music. Fiancee' likes hard rock and metal. I like rock and country.
Also open with Religions? Fiancee' is a practicing Wiccan. Myself I am exploring various Christian religions and Eastern religions.
Outside of the King of Prussia what would be the 2nd and 3rd largest mall in PA?
Hi, I am a CT native in nursing school. About 10 years ago I use to stay with my grandparents in the summer in PA for almost 10 years I can remember living with them on the outskirts of Valley Forge. I remember helping my grandmother with Meals on Wheels in Phoenixville, which did have some noticeable poverty. Then we usually make a trip either to Lancaster county or Chester County to Kennet Square to Longwood Gardens. Remember occasional, but not many trips to Philadelphia. Do remember a bike trail that ran from King of Prussia to Philly.
These will probably be broad questions, but a start.
How is traffic in PA? I heard horror stories that roads can clog up. Any truth to this? Heard travel to York to Harrisburg is rough or traveling during rush hour in Lancaster PA is a challenge.
What are some of the top cities in PA? Top communities?
What are some top school districts?
Outside of Philly where are the best colleges in the State?
Is crime really that bad in Philly?
What counties do you feel would be the best market to find housing $250K or under in PA?
Which cities/towns have a good LGBT population?
Now some odd questions:
Bookstores love to read so does my fiancee', where are some cool bookstores/libraries in PA?
Where is a good place to run, hike, camp, and be outdoors in Philadelphia?
Any places in PA known for good music. Fiancee' likes hard rock and metal. I like rock and country.
Also open with Religions? Fiancee' is a practicing Wiccan. Myself I am exploring various Christian religions and Eastern religions.
Outside of the King of Prussia what would be the 2nd and 3rd largest mall in PA?
Appreciate the feedback and insight can give.
I can't answer all of these but I can answer some. I've grown up in the state but I don't travel here much.
Traffic in the entire state, well it depends on where you are in any state or town. Obviously traffic is more prevalent in big cities such as Pittsburgh and Philadelphia because of high population and more visitors along with other things. By the way, roads here are awful. At least where I currently live, which is Venango County.
Top cities? I don't know. I can most definitely tell you where not to live:
1. New Castle
2. Sharon
3. Franklin/Oil City (I grew up there, both towns I know well. Very derelict, drugs are prevalent and Oil City has much violence)
4. I've heard Reading
5. Farrell
4. Beltzhoover, Pittsburgh
5. North Philadelphia
Towns I like:
1. Cranberry Twp (16066)
2. Wexford
3. Mars
They're so nice, but can be expensive.
For less expenses
1. Chester County, this really does depend on where
2. Montgomery County, again depends on where
Philadelphia? It depends where you are as far as crime goes. As with all cities, there are some bad parts.
LGBT pop., Generally you'd find this more in big cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh.
Bookstores...some good ones like Whistleshop Bookshop (Carlisle), Big Blue Marble Bookstore (Philadelphia), Bindlestiff Books (Philadelphia)
I have no idea of good walking places in Philadelphia, sorry.
I haven't really been to an area known for good music, I'd assume bigger cities.
Uh...where I live nobody is open to religion. Scratch out Venango Co. for that one. But for Christianity ? Oh, almost all towns/cities support that.
Large malls....hm, Ross Park Mall in Pittsburgh with over 145 stores, Millcreek Mall in Erie with
near 200 shops
For growing up in PA, I sure wasn't a good help, I'm sorry lol. But I hoped I helped just a little bit.
Hi, I am a CT native in nursing school. About 10 years ago I use to stay with my grandparents in the summer in PA for almost 10 years I can remember living with them on the outskirts of Valley Forge. I remember helping my grandmother with Meals on Wheels in Phoenixville, which did have some noticeable poverty. Then we usually make a trip either to Lancaster county or Chester County to Kennet Square to Longwood Gardens. Remember occasional, but not many trips to Philadelphia. Do remember a bike trail that ran from King of Prussia to Philly.
These will probably be broad questions, but a start.
How is traffic in PA? I heard horror stories that roads can clog up. Any truth to this? Heard travel to York to Harrisburg is rough or traveling during rush hour in Lancaster PA is a challenge.
Depends on the area, I don't know much about York to Harrisburg or Lancaster specifically but certainly, the big cities and even the suburbs of Philly in general can be a nightmare during rush hour (which is usually more like 2-3 hours). It's a combo of older, narrow roads and increasing population. Drive times can be doubled in some places.
Quote:
What are some of the top cities in PA? Top communities?
Top cities in terms of population or quality? Obviously, the biggest cities are Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh, followed by Allentown, Erie, and Scranton. In terms of quality, there are tons of articles/lists out there about the best places in PA to live, just google it. It's hard to say what would be best for you without knowing what you're looking for or what your budget is.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Quote:
What counties do you feel would be the best market to find housing $250K or under in PA?
Probably more rural areas - something farther away from the biggest cities.
Quote:
Which cities/towns have a good LGBT population?
Any big city is generally going to have an LGBT community. Outside the big cities, New Hope in Bucks County has a large LGBT community - but it is not cheap to live there.
Quote:
Now some odd questions:
Bookstores love to read so does my fiancee', where are some cool bookstores/libraries in PA?
There's probably some in New Hope, like this: Your Local Independent Bookseller Since 1967 | Farley's Bookshop - and I'm sure the big cities have their fair share too. I think Newtown (also in Bucks) has one too - I want to say it was featured in the movie Signs (they filmed part of Signs in Newtown). Also, State College as a college town will likely have some cool bookstores.
But PA is a very big state, especially compared to CT. It's difficult to recommend something so specific because I'm sure there are cool bookstores in many places all over the state. Most people who have lived in PA have only lived in certain areas and aren't familiar with the whole state so you're never going to get a full picture. I'm really only familiar with central PA (Centre County) and Philly/it's suburbs.
Quote:
Where is a good place to run, hike, camp, and be outdoors in Philadelphia?
Any places in PA known for good music. Fiancee' likes hard rock and metal. I like rock and country.
The big cities would likely be best, especially for big name artists. If you're looking for more local music, studenty areas like West Chester would probably be good.
Quote:
Also open with Religions? Fiancee' is a practicing Wiccan. Myself I am exploring various Christian religions and Eastern religions.
Again, you're probably going to get the most diversity in the big cites like Philly, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. Outside the big cities, PA is very conservative and not very diverse - you'll likely only see Christian religions.
Quote:
Outside of the King of Prussia what would be the 2nd and 3rd largest mall in PA?
Millcreek Mall in Erie, PA would be the second - don't know about the third.
Again, you're probably going to get the most diversity in the big cites like Philly, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh. Outside the big cities, PA is very conservative and not very diverse - you'll likely only see Christian religions.
I know that this is the ages-old stereotype, but Pennsylvania, even outside of its major metro areas, is much more "live and let live" than many give it credit for.
Yes, you'd be hard pressed to find substantial religious/racial diversity outside of the major cities (which, honestly, is true of all places), and a practicing Wiccan may be a bit of an anomoly in, say, Shamokin, but it's not Arkansas. We all should remember that Pennsylvania was founded on religious freedom.
I know that this is the ages-old stereotype, but Pennsylvania, even outside of its major metro areas, is much more "live and let live" than many give it credit for.
Yes, you'd be hard pressed to find substantial religious/racial diversity outside of the major cities (which, honestly, is true of all places), and a practicing Wiccan may be a bit of an anomoly in, say, Shamokin, but it's not Arkansas. We all should remember that Pennsylvania was founded on religious freedom.
While I think this is true to a certain extent, the 'live and let live' attitude that you find in many places is more of tolerance than real acceptance, and those with different beliefs and lifestyles, outside the major cities, can find themselves struggling to fit in and make friends. I do think the Philly area is much more diverse than any other part of the state, being culturally aligned much more closely with the NJ area than most of PA, IMHO, and that diversity provides opportunities for social connections that don't exist elsewhere. Yes, it costs more, and you have the typical urban area headaches, but that's the price you pay for the amenities. I have lived in Phiily, Pittsburgh, several towns in central PA, and Northeast PA. All areas pretty much except the northwest and north central areas.
I grew up in PA, except for living in Washington, DC and Manhattan (job related) for 10 years. Most of our lives we have lived in Chambersburg, PA. You should read up on our town. It has very good family values and even has a LGBT community. The nice thing about living here, you have the best of both worlds in that just 90 minutes down the road you have Washington, DC and Baltimore. As for PA overall, in a nut shell, I would rate it one of your more conservative states. But check it out and all the best.
Do you want to live in Lancaster, or is that just where you're familiar with in PA?
Sounds like you might find the Lehigh Valley a good fit, perhaps downtown Bethlehem. Allentown has a newly opened LGBT center. Lots of things to do, especially music-wise, in Bethlehem, even outside of the week of Musikfest. Concerts happening at the Steel Stacks center at least 5 nights a week, in various genres.
The Lehigh Valley Mall is nice, a good mix of upscale and general dept. stores. There's also the Promenade Shops, which is an outdoor "lifestyle center" with upscale stores. Also opening this weekend is the new Hamilton Crossings shopping center, home to the Valley's 1st Costco, Whole Foods, Nordstrom Rack, among other things.
Good school districts would not really be in the cities, but pretty much any aside from Allentown and Bethlehem are good: Parkland, Salisbury, East Penn, Southern Lehigh, Saucon Valley, ..... Southern Lehigh and Saucon Valley are close to Bethlehem.
EDIT: Traffic can be a pain in the Valley. Major highways are Route 22 and I-78. 22 is notorious for random rush-hour back ups, and has some pretty hideously short on-ramps. When 22 is backed up, 78 picks up more traffic, and vice versa. 22 is road all Valley residents love to hate, and at times you really can't avoid driving on it. But, nothing the likes of DC or LA traffic.
I know that this is the ages-old stereotype, but Pennsylvania, even outside of its major metro areas, is much more "live and let live" than many give it credit for.
Yes, you'd be hard pressed to find substantial religious/racial diversity outside of the major cities (which, honestly, is true of all places), and a practicing Wiccan may be a bit of an anomoly in, say, Shamokin, but it's not Arkansas. We all should remember that Pennsylvania was founded on religious freedom.
As someone who grew up in central PA, I stand by what I said. I never said rural PA was intolerant or not accepting, just not very diverse when it comes to religion. And it IS very conservative, that's a statistical fact (and I never said that was a bad thing):
As someone who grew up in central PA, I stand by what I said. I never said rural PA was intolerant or not accepting, just not very diverse when it comes to religion. And it IS very conservative, that's a statistical fact (and I never said that was a bad thing):
Republican voting doesn't necessarily imply conservative ideology (in terms of self-identification, PA is actually more moderate than conservative: Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana Most Conservative States), but I would at the very least I will concede that there's a higher likelihood of Central PA folks being on the conservative side.
Republican voting doesn't necessarily imply conservative ideology (in terms of self-identification, PA is actually more moderate than conservative: Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana Most Conservative States), but I would at the very least I will concede that there's a higher likelihood of Central PA folks being on the conservative side.
You're just nitpicking. Are you really trying to claim that the majority of rural PA has solid Wiccan and Eastern religious communities? I highly doubt it, and yet that's all I was trying to point out. I don't understand why you're being so pedantic about it. The OP asked what areas would be good for diverse religions, I answered accordingly and there is nothing incorrect about what I said in regards to that. This is just devolving into something the OP wasn't necessarily even asking about. Move on.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
