Is PA depressing? (Philadelphia, Allentown, Erie: houses, schools, camping)

[blauskies]

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails a native of Mercer, PA sums it up:

Reznor has repeatedly acknowledged that his sheltered life in Pennsylvania left him feeling somewhat isolated from the outside world. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he makes reference to his choices in the music industry, "I don't know why I want to do these things," Reznor says, "other than my desire to escape from Small Town, U.S.A., to dismiss the boundaries, to explore. It isn't a bad place where I grew up, but there was nothing going on but the cornfields. My life experience came from watching movies, watching TV and reading books and looking at magazines. And when your culture comes from watching TV every day, you're bombarded with images of things that seem cool, places that seem interesting, people who have jobs and careers and opportunities. None of that happened where I was. You're almost taught to realize it's not for you." However, Reznor later confesses, "I don't want to give the impression it was a miserable childhood."

[covebound]

Originally Posted by MovingBack2PA

Hi ScrantonWilkesBarre and covebound.
Well said....
You are only getting depressed if you WANT to be. I currently live in FL, and I am DEPRESSED NOW!!!
Why?
No jobs, rude people, same weather over and over and over without change. Here we don't even know our next door neighbor, and even if we would, we couldn't talk to them, because we don't speak spanish!!!
That was all different up north. My husband is from Hazleton, and I used to live in Dunmore, Scranton, Taylor, Drums and Hazleton, before moving south.
I had the best times "painting" Wilkes and Scranton red with my friends....lol. So, I much rather think it's the people you surround yourself with rather then the city itself. Some sunday mornings we all got together and drove up to the poconos. Everyone keeps on talking about the 2 hour thing to Philly, NY and NJ......OMG, there is so many other areas to go to, right from NEPA!
And, yes, I have met a lot of football crazy people (which I am not), but, the bbq's and get togethers are priceless, and so much fun. Hey, it's the PEOPLE, people ! And, people from NEPA are one of the best worth meeting !!!!
People from NEPA still remember being curtious, mind their manners, help out even if you are a stranger, still say "hi" to people. Yeah, tell me what you get in NY, NJ or here in FL..... Most of the time they look at you and don't reply, because everyone is afraid of so many nutty people walking freely.
Somebody mentioned before that PA is depressing, and moving to the south. LOL!!!
THAT's exactly what we thought, and we didn't just talk about it, we DID IT!!! And regret it ever since.
What bothered us the most in PA, I think, was the snow. Guess, what, we are moving back ASAP, just waiting for the house to be sold. And guess one other thing....EVERYONE from PA kept in touch with us, writing or calling, and it's been 3 years now. That's what I mean about loyal people/ friends....my loyal friends are in NEPA!!
Can't wait to move back...and be (quote):"depressed" again in PA....LOL!!!!
Quote: " another nice day in NEPA"

We are doing the same thing. Getting out of Florida. Our home is sold.
We can't wait to move back up north. We are from the Tri-state area and you can't beat that. People don't even come out of the house down in Florida. It's way too hot!

[kitty71]

I think anywhere can be depressing, can't it, if you don't try and make it a positive experience? My opinion would be NO, it isn't depressing.

[covebound]

Originally Posted by kitty71

I think anywhere can be depressing, can't it, if you don't try and make it a positive experience? My opinion would be NO, it isn't depressing.

I agree with you Kitty. People need to get outside and enjoy themselves again. Take a walk and see what the area has to offer. It's beautiful up in Pennsylvania.

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by covebound

We are doing the same thing. Getting out of Florida. Our home is sold.
We can't wait to move back up north. We are from the Tri-state area and you can't beat that. People don't even come out of the house down in Florida. It's way too hot!

I hate to say it but your right, but not just during Summer but Winter too, I have plenty of neighbours who don't leave their house or go outside and do anything even when it's cooler out, they have bicycles hanging in their garage and I never see them riding them.

I scratch my head in disbelief since I know of plenty of people up north making snow pops who would love to be able to live here and enjoy the lifestyle but can't. Believe or not I know some of them probably never go to the beach either!

I think unlike PA for example, the weather is crappy most of the time, when its' nice out people have cabin fever and enjoy it while it last, here it's always nice for the most part and people get spoiled and think, ah there is plenty of time to do it.

[covebound]

You get to appreciate the nice days. Too much of the same thing is no good.
Too much sunny days can make you fall into a dulldrum. Really!

[blauskies]

Not me, I love being able to go outside and not wear a jacket most of the year. Too much gray clouds and staying in the house up north = cabin fever, some times it's just too cold out to go out. Depression and natural light somewhat are related. Maybe the people, my neighbours, are from up North and are like Bears, still think it's winter eventhough it's 80 degrees F out?

[turboredcart]

my place is on the 2nd floor. i dread 100 dregree high humidity days. of course winterizing and summerizing tricks are diff- just when i get in the groove it changes.

there is a sense of emptiness- in me. you hit an age and hit the hard wall- that says "that is all there is". i know alot of people are on anti depreeents.

i think being that western culture we are trained to be a good consumer...not a citizen. so we have plenty of "stuff", but less in the way of human relationships or back to the earthiness- the tribal thing traded for malls and freeway gridlock.

it is idiotic and moronic- and collectively- we fell for it.

right>

[*Sweetkisses*]

No PA is not depressing. Anywhere can have overcast days and on top of that, no matter where you move if you dont feel happy with yourself on the inside then you will never be happy. Real talk.

[FightinPhils]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Life for Scrantonians has gone from DESPONDENT to NEUTRAL. We've gone from being a city where everyone spouted out nothing but negativity and anger over being "stuck in that dump" for decades after the collapse of the mining industry to being a city where people are becoming encouraged by recent revitalization efforts and have upgraded themselves to a "wait-and-see" approach. I think, in a few more years, the general mood of the populace will grow happy again. Just look at the optimistic NEPA residents on this forum, including ConorsDad, WilkesBarreAdvocate, WilkesColonel, and myself, among others, who all see nothing but glorious, endless POTENTIAL in our area's renaissance. With Wall Street West, a new medical school, a new high-speed commuter rail line to NYC, a new film office, and being host to "The Office", among other current and upcoming attractions, how could you not be excited for NEPA? It's another beautiful day here--the rain has moved out, and the clouds are thinning!

agreed. There are negatives here, to be sure, but that is true everywhere. The positives outweigh the negatives, in my opinion, and there is momentum in this area than ever before in my life. I'm 32, and the difference from my childhood in the 80s to now is amazing. When I was a kid, there was nothing to do in the Scranton area. Downtown Scranton was a ghost town of boarded up buildings, homeless people, and the occasional tumbleweed. You had to drive to Binghamton or Philly to see any type of concert or show. The only sporting events were high school football. It actually was bad around here in the 1970s-1980s. Actually, Wilkes-Barre at least seemed much better to me in the 1980s.....downtown Wilkes-Barre seemed great next to downtown Scranton, and it was a big deal to go to Wilkes-Barre then and go to the Wyoming Valley mall, which was the biggest mall in the area at the time. The tables have turned, although it seems that Wilkes-Barre is making some strides in the right direction, at least downtown. Since I was a child, things have exploded around here...from Steamtown and Montage opening in the early 80s, the Lackawanna County Stadium in the 90s, to the Steamtown Mall in the early 90s....to all of the little shops, plahouses, galleries, townhouses, etc of today.
Its a good thing that you see the potential of our area, Paul, because most people in your age group do not. If they had remembered the Scranton of the early 80s as I do, they wouldn't be so negative about our area and see that we are heading in the right direction.

Also, SWB, nice letter to the editor today.

Anyways, to the person above who is bashing Pittsburgh...I would say the same thing to you that I say to the Scranton naysayers.....open your eyes and look for the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives that will always be there if you look for them. Everything I have heard about Pittsburgh is that its on the rebound just like Scranton. Give it time, you don't get over a dead industry over night (steel in Pittsburgh, coal in Scranton). And if you ever do move away from Pittsburgh, you will probably find yourself missing that "pittsburghese" that you are making fun of now. Quirks like speech in an area give it its own identity...Even though it sounds bad, I find local dialects interesting and add to the distinctive culture of an area.

Hayna er no?