Considering relocating to Eastern PA From the Deeeeeeep South. Crazy? (Philadelphia: transplants, real estate)

[Pullenaway]

When are you moving? In the next 3 years, ideally. Want to get 20 years in my state's TRS first, currently on year 17.
Where are you coming from? Alabama, Gulf Coast
Why are you moving?Want to go back home and take my family with me. Wife and kids love PA.
Where will you be working?Grades 7 - 12 Mathematics Instructor; also can teach AP Computer Science. Wife has a MS in mathematics (BS in Secondary Education) and is willing to teach part time until our youngest 3 are in school. She would probably work full time if the right job came up, especially if getting a teaching job in Eastern PA is as hard to get as I'm worried it is. All I need for my PA cert is the qualifiying Praxis Score and the paperwork that goes with it. I have an NYS Permanent Teaching Cert as well. Did my MS Ed at Hofstra and taught on LI for 2 years before moving to AL. Not interested in NY as it's too expensive to live unless someone here knows otherwise. Am not opposed to living in PA and teaching in NY, but that's not my first choice. If I do that, I won't be teaching in NYC, so I'd have to look at NEPA.
Have you been here yet?Yes. I have family in Philly and Pittsburgh. Have visited Bloomsburg and Washington. I love the state and my family and I think it's beautiful. Lots of other perks as well.

Will you buy or rent?Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?House, max $265,000; gotta be careful with property taxes as that's a HUGE jump coming from AL


Are you married or single? Do you have children?Married, 7(!) children ages .5 years - 11 years. Don't judge!
Do you prefer public or private schools?Currenly, kids are in Catholic School, but not adverse at all to Public Schools. School choice has more to do with faith education than academics although the academics are extremely important to us as well.
Do you have pets?7 kids. Who needs pets?
Do you want or need a yard?Would love a small yard for the kids to run around in
Are you keeping a car?2 Cars; mine and my wife's
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?Prefer calm and quiet, but could definitely handle the hustle and bustle.Calm and quiet would be an eaiser sell to my wife (she's born and raised in the deep south, but we have spent time in the Northeast (we vacation here from time to time since I'm from the region) and she could make the adjustment.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) as well as the school the kids attend
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?No real preference here; it's what is inside that counts to us. Would like to live in an area with at least one Catholic Church in driving distance

Phillies, Pirates or Mets? Yankees. Originally from RI, my dad (a Bronx native) "raised me right".

Read more: //www.city-data.com/forum/penns...#ixzz4z5gihCpA

[mstelm]

im from York PA, and i'd tell you don't come here but i don't know about further east. The reason i am replying is i wanted to say im form PA and want to move SOUTH lol .. TN maybe?

Best Wishes

[Pullenaway]

Originally Posted by mstelm

im from York PA, and i'd tell you don't come here but i don't know about further east. The reason i am replying is i wanted to say im form PA and want to move SOUTH lol .. TN maybe?

Best Wishes

To be fair, that doesn't surprise me.

I teach at a large (1700+ student) high school on the Gulf Coast and we get A LOT of kids that move in from PA (and OH and IN, TBH). I had three last year...one from Lancaster and the other 2 from suburbs around Pittsburgh. There are quite a few PA transplants at the church we attend as well.

TN is okay I guess; it's just that I am originally from the Northeast (Rhode Island) and I have never felt at home in Alabama. It's where my wife and kids are, so I tolerate it but I really want to get back north. My wife is open to the move, hence I posted on this forum.

One pro to TN is that you're still within a day's driving distance to points north if you have family there.

Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. I am happy to help.

Why not York? I hadn't really been considering it, but why do you say that?

[mstelm]

well york question first, i refer to the city, been here a year and there's been 4 ( or 5? ) shootings simply on my street, a stones throw ( literally ) from our rental house. So much so that my family members asked for a house hold firearm.

i can relate to moving TO the wife, i'm originally from farm-land areas of Maryland, only been out west as far as WI and far south as NC, so TN is a pin tack on a dream possibility. PA doesn't ( at least york) give me a -home- peace of mind

[mstelm]

also in the city there is no place to stretch out. no space, we both have kids and there's no where in tow i'd let mine go play. have to drive out of town for that. i know that york is only a small part of PA tho, so i digress

[rowhomecity]

Pennsylvania is a lovely place, with much to offer at an relatively affordable price given its Mid - Atlantic geography. Based on your price point and the size needed for a home I would consider these areas:

1) Lehigh Valley. This is a great area, with a high quality of life and a growing economy. Downtown Allentown has had over $1Billion in new projects in the past few years alone. There are many excellent school districts, and housing prices are more affordable than Southeast PA, which tends to have the highest housing costs. I am only familiar with the Urban Areas such as Bethlehem (which is absolutely gorgeous). So as far as more in depth recommendations on suburban areas I would post a separate thread.

2) Pittsburgh. Now my recommendations are considering real estate affordability and cost of living while maintaining the highest quality of life. Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs are absolutely beautiful, the topography is hard to match in the Northeast, let alone the USA. Tons of rolling hills, 3 rivers, trees galore, and beautiful architecture. Pittsburgh is a vibrant city, and has a host of amenities that would surely entertain your family. The cost of living is the real sell point. Real Estate for a Metro of 2 Million, is EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE. School Districts are great. The one con is you are a bit further west, BUT IMO it is 100% worth considering. Within Pittsburgh I would consider South Hills neighborhoods like Bethel Park. Just to show you how affordable Real Estate is in a top performing school district I provided a Link. A 5 Bedroom, Updated 2 story colonial in an excellent district. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...4-45367#photo0

3) Fringes of Southeast PA. Real Estate in Southeast PA is the most expensive, and therefore you are going to have more limited options for housing within your budget. (Mind you teachers in Southeast PA can make 100k). The quality of life though in Southeast PA is among the highest in the USA. It is an extremely beautiful area, well educated and has some of the top performing school districts in the USA. There is tons of character, and a whole host of amenities for your family. Many suburbs though can be pricey. Places like Phoenixville, Kennet Square, Lansdale and Downingtown would be great recommendations. And even though they are about one hour outside the city, each place has its own central town, with all the amenities you need. And you are still close enough to Philadelphia to take advantage of its amazing list of cultural and family offerings.

4) Lancaster,PA and Harrisburg, PA (Both at #4) . These are great areas, each Lancaster and Harrisburg each have their own identity even though each are about 45 minutes from one another. Cost of living is modest, and quality of life is high. Both have strong economies and are experiencing economic growth.

Lancaster is very historic, and has an absolutely beautiful downtown. It is one of the most historic inland cities in the USA. Places like Manhiem TWP and Litiz and Ephrata would all be attractive around Lancaster.

Harrisburg is a city that feels much larger than it is, and has a whole host of amenities that make it attractive for families, and tends to outrank Lancaster in this regard. Cost of living is low, with great districts. I would consider places like Camp Hill or Mechanicsburg, Hershey, Hummelstown and Lower Paxton Township and West Hanover Township. All are in excellent school districts.

5) State College, PA. This is a left curve ball, but State College is in an absolutely beautiful area, with a very strong economy and modest cost of living. The area is very vibrant with a host of offerings, and extremely well educated. You are also in the middle of the state and therefore are very accessible.

Also keep in mind that Pennsylvania is one of the top 10 states in terms of educators and compensation. Teachers typically make 75k - 85k (depending on the district) and are offered a premium benefits package. With that, teaching jobs can be challenging to find.

[MarketStEl]

Of course, I'm sure you've heard James Carville's notorious remark about this state:

"From Paoli to Penn Hills it's all Alabama in between."

He's referring to the part of the state some derisively refer to as "Pennsyltucky" and more refer to simply as "the T", so called because this largely rural and culturally (and politically) conservative area has that shape once you carve out metropolitan Philadelphia ("Paoli," the western end of the Main Line) and Pittsburgh ("Penn Hills," an eastern suburb).

I wouldn't let that deter me from considering some of the small cities in the middle of the state, though. State College, home to Penn State's flagship campus, is a blue island in a red sea, if that makes any difference to you. Regardless, "Happy Valley" has a very high quality of life.

rowhomecity didn't say this, which surprises me given that he's from here, but I wouldn't rule out the city of Philadelphia itself either. The public schools need work on the whole, but there are some very good ones out there (and two of the state's 10 best high schools are in the School District of Philadelphia, including #1 Julia Reynolds Masterman). There are neighborhoods in the city where you can find homes with ample yards and parks and playgrounds nearby; if you settle in the city's northwest quarter, you may be able to find one of these within spitting distance of the Wissahickon Valley section of Fairmount Park - perhaps the finest urban wilds in the country, great for hiking, biking and exploring. Property taxes in Philly aren't all that high by either East Coast or metropolitan area standards, but there is a wage tax of just over 4 percent. The city is shot through with both Catholic churches and parochial schools, so you should be able to find one of each near wherever you choose to live. The median house price in Philadelphia is below $265k, and there are some homes in that price range that aren't in marginal neighborhoods.

[mstelm]

Yea,??
I'm now upset I've ended up in only one of the few blemishes of of the coastal state

I guess I'm just angry

[rowhomecity]

Originally Posted by mstelm

Yea,??
I'm now upset I've ended up in only one of the few blemishes of of the coastal state

I guess I'm just angry

Yea Pennsylvania is a large state. One of the largest in the USA. And I will be honest. York is very small. What 50,000 people? Do not be short sighted. Its like you are trying to call an entire state an awful place based on one very small city. Pennsylvania is pretty great. I think you are judging a bad experience you have and I do not discount, on a place that is so much larger and has so many amazing places you have never seen. Literally. Pennsylvania is absolutely gorgeous.

[mig1]

Originally Posted by rowhomecity

Literally. Pennsylvania is absolutely gorgeous.

I wholeheartedly agree! Also, a great place to live, work and play (all-around)