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.
My husband & I have been in the Boulder/Denver area for 7 years. We are very active outdoors & love the mountains & lifestyle out here. But our family is all back east in VA & OH.
We're looking for an area that is very active, a bit artsy & more on the liberal side of things. I don't give a damn about outlet malls!
I am a teacher & therefore poor but would like to own a house sometime before I'm 40. So we are also looking for a good area to teach that is also affordable. OR an affordable area close to good schools. I have taught in north Denver so i'm not afraid of areas that are a bit of a challenge. My current district is rated as average & has about 40% English Lang. Learners & about 45% of the kids receive free/reduced lunches. Our acheivement on the state tests is a bit depressing.
Any suggestions?
My husband & I have been in the Boulder/Denver area for 7 years. We are very active outdoors & love the mountains & lifestyle out here. But our family is all back east in VA & OH.
We're looking for an area that is very active, a bit artsy & more on the liberal side of things. I don't give a damn about outlet malls!
I am a teacher & therefore poor but would like to own a house sometime before I'm 40. So we are also looking for a good area to teach that is also affordable. OR an affordable area close to good schools. I have taught in north Denver so i'm not afraid of areas that are a bit of a challenge. My current district is rated as average & has about 40% English Lang. Learners & about 45% of the kids receive free/reduced lunches. Our acheivement on the state tests is a bit depressing.
Any suggestions?
PA is a rather large state (not as large as CO), so did you have a specific corner of the state in mind? I'm only knowledgeable about the northeastern quadrant of the state (about as far West on I-80 as Lewisburg, as far East as the NJ border, as far North as the NY border, and as far South as Schuylkill County), so if you're looking perhaps in the south-central or southwestern portions of the Commonwealth (to put you within reasonable driving distance of both VA and OH), then you'll have to ask someone else.
Here are my suggestions for the NE and North Central parts of the state: Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Bloomsburg, Clarks Summit, Milford, Scranton.
Lewisburg: A small college town dominated by Bucknell University, Lewisburg sits about ten minutes south of I-80 and is home to a charming Main Street area replete with antiques stores, restaurants, art galleries, mom-and-pop shops, etc. There is a lot of Victorian residential architecture in town, and crime is very low, with the exception perhaps of some off-campus party issues from the university. The public school district has a solid reputation. Also, Lewisburg has largely-resisted urban sprawl, save for a spattering of smaller housing developments in the neighboring townships (Kelly, East Buffalo, Buffalo, etc.) The lack of a mall near the town has probably helped to keep the Main Street area thriving, but you're still within a reasonable drive of the big-box shopping areas in Williamsport/Muncy and the Selinsgrove area. The town is located smack dab in the middle of the state, not far north of Harrisburg or east of State College (Penn State University).
Selinsgrove: Located about twenty minutes south of Lewisburg in Snyder County, Selinsgrove is another small college town (Susquehanna University) with a thriving downtown that is a bit smaller and less "chic" than Lewisburg's, but still adequate nevertheless. The Susquehanna Valley Mall is located just outside of town along Route 15, along with other "big-box" stores. Crime is also on the low side here, but I'm unsure about the quality of the local school district. This is the hometown of forum member "Dawne", so I'll let her fill you in on the blank spots I have on Selinsgrove, as I've only been there once. Considering it's located just outside of "coal country", I'm surprised by how well both Lewisburg and Selinsgrove have fared while other nearby communities in Northumberland and Schuylkill Counties have collapsed.
Bloomsburg: Located around a half-hour east of Lewisburg, Bloomsburg is yet another college town along Route 11 with a restored Main Street area and a quiet yet artsy flair. The community is home to the Bloomsburg Fair, which is the state's largest annual fair, as well as the Columbia Mall, Lowe's, Home Depot, Panera Bread, Wal-Mart, and a few other "big-box" stores. There's also a small airport here. Bear in mind though that the town is quite flood-prone; I believe 25% of the community was inundated when the Susquehanna River went over its banks back in
June 2006. Be sure to inquire with your realtor as if to whether or not a prospective home is located within the "flood zone." Bloomsburg also has the distinction of being the only "town" in Pennsylvania, as every other community is either a township, borough, or city.
Clarks Summit: Located as the "hub" of "The Abingtons", which is Scranton's largest bedroom community, Clarks Summit is home to a quaint Main Street area (State Street) with a jazz cafe, organic foods store, exotic gift store, hobby shop, Talbot's, etc. I'm very fond of the town itself, but be leery of the rest of the Abingtons, much of which offer very little else besides cul-de-sacs, overpriced tract-housing, chain stores, and traffic congestion. The Abingtons, in general, draw my ire as being the reason why middle-class families are being "fleeced" from Scranton at a time when the city is trying to undergo a major cultural rennaissance. Nevertheless, the Abington Heights School District, has been rated in a national publication as being among the "Best 100 Public School Districts in the Nation" (but I suppose academic "overachieving" comes naturally to the children of the lawyers, doctors, politicians, bank executives, etc. that populate the Abingtons).
Milford: Since this up-and-coming little "artsy" town is located at the extreme northeastern part of the state, nearer to NYC, I'll spend little time on Milford, as its distance from OH and VA will probably rule it out for you. Located in a part of the Pocono Mountains that has been untainted by urban sprawl, Milford is the county seat of Pike County and is part of the very good Delaware Valley School District. The community is located not far from I-84, yet it's still a good haul to Scranton or Middletown, NY for "big town" amenities. There's a grocery store in Milford, one in Matamoras, and one across the river in Montague, NJ.
Scranton: I'm not sure if you'd be up for urban living, but Scranton (pop. 76,000), offers a number of neighborhoods that have a suburban flair to them. The Scranton School District is surprisingly good for an inner-city school district, and the Scranton High School just opened a few years ago with state-of-the-art upgrades. Crime issues in the city are minimal; Scranton has gone around 18 months without a murder now (and we want to keep it that way!) LOL! Traffic is usually free-flowing, and housing prices are within financial reach for most folks. The city had a negative reputation up until the 1990s, but since 2000, Mayor Doherty's administration has truly succeeded in helping the city to "round the corner" towards a brighter future with his "Restoring the Pride" slogan. The city's arts/cultural scene is growing monthly, and we're among the most Democratic cities, per capita, in the state, if not nation.
Well, I hope this information helped you out a little bit. The NE quadrant of the state may not be the best choice if you want to be within a reasonable drive of both OH and VA, but all of these communities I listed certainly fit all of your other criteria. Feel free to ask any more questions.
I was in Scranton back in the early 90's. It was hideous. Has it really changed that much? I didn't consider it urban; I considered it scary - and I grew up in Cleveland!! So I am really curious to know how much it's changed. I have seen many other postings that mention Scranton positively. Is there a good web site to check out? How are the taxes & housing costs?
What about cities in the SE corner?
Thanks for your help!
I was in Scranton back in the early 90's. It was hideous. Has it really changed that much? I didn't consider it urban; I considered it scary - and I grew up in Cleveland!! So I am really curious to know how much it's changed. I have seen many other postings that mention Scranton positively. Is there a good web site to check out? How are the taxes & housing costs?
What about cities in the SE corner?
Thanks for your help!
It depends on your definition of "hideous." Are there still icky-looking rowhomes near the Central Scranton Expressway and a spattering of vacant commercial and industrial buildings throughout the city? Yes. Is it "scary?" Not by any means. In fact, there hasn't been a single murder in the city since mid-2005, which I consider to be quite an accomplishment for a city of 75,000 souls. To see some of the beauty in Scranton, check out the three following photo tours that I posted a few months ago:
Taxes in the city itself are a bit steep in relation to the area as a whole, as Scranton's 3.4% wage tax is supposedly the third-highest in the country. This past year, the city's taxes are rising 25%, the county's taxes were raised by about a third, and the school district also raised their taxes. In my opinion, the tax burden in the city is one of the few remaining factors as to why its population continues to decline, as the downtown has rebounded so greatly since 2000 that I know of many of my "twenty-something" peers who'd love to live near the heart of the action.
A good resource to check out is the Scranton Chamber of Commerce at http://www.scrantonchamber.com. From there, click on "Community Information" on the top toolbar, and you'll be taken to an informal sort of online relocation guide.
Scranton is your typical "Rust-Belt" city. However, its rebound has been more occurring more quickly than many other smaller cities that are still "biting the dust" (Reading, PA, Binghamton, NY, Elmira, NY, Altoona, PA, Johnstown, PA, etc.)
As far as the SE corner of the state goes, the Philly area is very liveable, but housing prices can be a bit excessive, in my opinion. The community of New Hope is a liberal, artsy paradise that might fit your bill, but it's also a "steep" area. Hopefully, other members from SE PA will chime in soon! Good luck!
Pittsburgh's east end may be of interest, especially Shadyside , Regent Square, or Oakland. 'Liberal outlook and a lot of students , especiially in Oakland where you'll find the Univ. of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon , among other institutions. You'll be just over an hours drive to some serious kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and (less serious) skiing. Your not far from W.VA which has all of that plus rock climbing opportunities also. Outside of the city it will be more difficult to find what you want....there are some liberal enclaves here and there...State College or Aaronsberg come to mind; this area has a strong economy but it is small. Look at the college towns.
Lower school teaching positions are generally hard to come by from what I understand. Good luck!
State College would be great for you! So would all of Centre County. They have great school districts and affordable housing. It's kind of in the middle of no where, yet i think you would like that. There are State Parks all over for camping, hiking, and fishing. Penn State is also located here.
Last edited by Lauraferg; 01-20-2007 at 12:36 PM..
I'm For Dingman's ferry PA. Not sure where you are specifically looking but I can tell you Deleware Valley school district is totally awesome. I grew up in Ny and have known that most of my life, that's why when I adopted 4 kids I moved here 2 yrs. ago. We are right next to Milford a very quaint artsy town that is vey diverse and adorable. As for the strip malls thay are probably about 30 to 50 min. away. It is extreamly afordable here since my Hubby is a working stiff {Way too many hour not enough pay} also. houses can range from about 200 thousand on up. Sometimes you can even get a gorgeous house alittle cheaper if your willing to do alittle fixin'. If you love the country and Winter sports then I vote for Pike county PA. ( Dingmans Ferry PA.)
I'm sure if you looked up Deleware Valley schools you would definetly see that they are rated in the very top as far as acidemics are concerened. Hey, they even have tremendous programs for thre kids and the teachers are great. All my kids have staight A's. Good Luck!!
Funny, I just posted a similar letter to yours, only mine was more location-specific (I was looking for a liberal town spitting distance to Hazleton). But coincidentally, we just moved from Boulder/Denver too! (From the sounds of your school district, you may even be in our old neighborhood: Berkeley Park) We are currently in Bloomsburg, which is quaint but everyone is so closed down and xenophobic compared to the Boulder Bubble -- as a lesbian family with 2 kids, we are searching for somewhere a bit more open. And Bloomsburg is Anglo, Anlgo. We really miss Spanish language, Hispanic culture. The nearest tortillaria is in NYC, and many people here are outwardly hostile to Hispanics. But there is a FANTASTIC Mexican restaurant in Hazleton, which has been a breath of home-air for us: El Mariachi. Anyway, best of luck, and I hope we land in the same town!
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.
Part One
Bloomsburg also has the distinction of being the only "town" in Pennsylvania, as every other community is either a township, borough, or city. 
The Abingtons, in general, draw my ire as being the reason why middle-class families are being "fleeced" from Scranton at a time when the city is trying to undergo a major cultural rennaissance. Nevertheless, the Abington Heights School District, has been rated in a national publication as being among the "Best 100 Public School Districts in the Nation" (but I suppose academic "overachieving" comes naturally to the children of the lawyers, doctors, politicians, bank executives, etc. that populate the Abingtons). 
Another ex-Coloradan
