Future NE Penn. residents looking for personal opinions and experiences! (Scranton: for sale, apartments)

[tb1981]

The Southern Part of NEPA is a wasteland. Also known as the Coal region which consists of The Greater Hazleton area in Luzerne County, most of Carbon, Northumberland and Schuylkill counties which include the Larger Cities and small towns such as Shamokin, Lansford, Pottsville, Frackville, Tamaqua, Shenandoah and Mahanoy City just to name a few they are becoming rough rough places. For having two major interstates nearby these are pretty bad off. They are full of drug use, illegal immigrants (especially Hazleton and Shenandoah), blight, rising local and school district taxes and mass local government corruption.


These towns are in the mountains mostly made up of coal banks and mountain laurels, that are surrounded by a landscape of windmills, littered roadways and Co-generation plants. The main industry is Schools, state prisons and Distribution Centers. Some of the roads are terrible here and don't match up to the high Gas tax prices Pennsylvanians pay for infrastructure. Hazleton area has the best shopping and restaurants. the rest of the area has pretty much nothing anymore. Schuylkill Mall in frackville is closing in a few months and Fairlain Village mall in Pottsville is pretty much dead. Depressing area I grew up in and it gotten much worse since high school when I graduated in 1999. The weather is not the best in NEPA in general alot of cloudy days, so the scenery and weather make it a pretty somber atmosphere overall.

[mr.magoo]

Originally Posted by fisheye

It might be difficult; but they are looking everywhere. It's hard to say what might be available. Like you got lucky; they could get lucky.

There are so many that have come on this forum looking for direction. There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all when it comes to making a major life change like moving. On person's heaven is another person's hell. Maybe I never got over Warren Zee and Sheena?

I was told from reliable sources that Warren Zee and Sheena were in financial difficulties, they had to 'beat feet' and get outta town..thus they fabricated a good part of their troubles with gang members, and beatings, and how they tried be 'urban pioneers' and 'gentrify' WB ...but the hicks in NEPA were Not ready or willing to accept their largesse.

Typical New York scam artists..IMO.

[auntieannie68]

Originally Posted by ASRGUY

Dee,

The best performing school district in Lackawanna County is Abington Heights. Also very strong sports programs in both boys and girls sports. Abington is comprised of North and South Abington Townships, Clarks Green, Clarks Summit, Newton Ranson and Waverly Township. I believe I captured them all.

So if safety, schools and proximity to lots of box store shopping then Abington area makes sense. Crime is virtually non existent you jear of some drugs and DUIs on the main drag but thats about it.

In full disclosure, it lacks diversity not sure if that's a problem. I would venture to guess Abington is 95% or more white with some asian, Indian mixed in. Just throwing that out there. Also have a budget in mind ?because it is considered a higher priced area but there are deals to be had.

As another poster states you are 10 mins from downtown Scranton and the same to all Dickson City shopping. Also very easy access to 81 and the Pa turnpike.

Only other area with children I would even consider is Moscow. It is pretty rural there though while Clarks Summit has a bigger town not big by any means but ok. Clarks Summit has chains, Dunkin, Starbucks, Krispy Kreme the usuals a DQ being built. It's becoming pretty developed actually.

Don't mean to offend some here but id avoid Scranton. Higher crime, poor schools, high taxes for little return and I believe it's down and out. The mall is an eye sore with almost no occupancy.

If you aren't hell bent on NEPA, I would consider the Lehigh Valley. It's on the rise much closer to opportunities in Philly and Philly burbs. Also closer to NYC. Tons of colleges there as well. I would imagine a bit more expensive but also has good schools in the burbs. I've made it from there to Philly in 45 mins so that's nice.

Please feel free to ask away I won't sugar coat anything.

excellent advice! avoid luzerne county at all costs! also recommending philadelphia suburbs such as jenkintown,horsham,or mainline area such as media,wayne,etc

[mrsfixit99]

[quote=MamaDee333;48389622]

Originally Posted by mrsfixit99

Stay. Out. Of. Monroe. County.

WOW! Thank you so very much for your insightful reply! These are the types of things we are looking for... Photos and numbers can only tell you so much! I will certainly be wary of anything in Monroe county now!!! We are looking for a forever home; a place that my kids will miss when they are gone and my grandkids will be excited to visit! I'm so sorry to hear that you're so unhappy and hope that you're able to get to your Florida getaway soon. I know exactly what its like to feel trapped where you live!!! I have felt that way about our current residence for many years and it can be devastating.

Thank you again and good luck to YOU as well, darlin!

Thank you sweetie. I get a lot of criticism from some people on this forum because of my views on the area.

If I can stop one person from making the same mistake I did and moving here, then I will have done a good thing.

Please do check out the Hellertown area. It is really beautiful there, low crime, lower taxes, cleaner, less crowded.

And if you're into theater at all- nearby DeSales University hosts the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, which isn't only Shakespeare.

Their theater department is second only to Broadway AFAIC- and beats it in many ways like parking, open green space, and the sheer beauty of the campus and being able to have a picnic dinner on the lawn before the show.

We are really into theater and I can't say enough good things about DeSales. I love going there and we have seen many productions there- all nothing short of fabulous. :-)

Also, I would avoid anything in Carbon county right now because they are going through a similar problem with high property taxes. Some folks in Jim Thorpe- which is a very pretty quaint town- just had their property taxes triple. I saw a homeowner on the local news burst into tears because his taxes had gone from $3700 to $11,000 and he couldn't afford to stay in his home anymore.

And BTW PA has the highest gas taxes in the country, so gas is expensive here, as is heating fuel and electricity, which just went up 14% for us (PP&L).

As with any area you are considering- find out the cons first and then make your decision.

I wish you luck! :-)

[mrsfixit99]

Originally Posted by auntieannie68

excellent advice! avoid luzerne county at all costs! also recommending philadelphia suburbs such as jenkintown,horsham,or mainline area such as media,wayne,etc

I agree with the other poster- Scranton is a sewer.

It's dirty, crime-ridden, lots of drugs and boarded up houses, and an economy that's in the toilet. More stores close every day.

Avoid it.

[tb1981]

Scranton is the Ritz Carlton compared to Southern NEPA places like Pottsville, Tamaqua, Shamokin, Shenandoah and Frackville. They cant even support chain restaurants that set up shop in the worst ghettos and smallest backwoods towns of America. What an American Tragedy. One mall in the coal region is closing, Schuylkill that's been open since 1980 and was almost at full capacity in 1995. Fairlane Mall in Pottsville is hardly treading water.

[ASRGUY]

Mamadee,

Poster is 100 percent correct that entire Monroe County and Pocono area in general is a mess. Poor schools, influx of ny-nj thugs causing crime and gang issues run from there. Also avoid southern nepa. If you are doing NEPA as in Luzerne or Lackawanna County focus on back mountain,dallas,mountain top of Luzerne co and I recommended the Abingtons in Lackawanna County also some other decent places but id start there for simplicity.

Since miss alluded to it yes Scranton is a mess it just isn't desirable in any way. The university of Scranton is the only nice part about it. But just scratch that off the list.

I agree with Hellertown and Lehigh Valley in general. Primed for more growth while Scranton is looking like the Bronx lol.

[charmed hour]

[quote=mrsfixit99;48425730]

Originally Posted by MamaDee333

Thank you sweetie. I get a lot of criticism from some people on this forum because of my views on the area.

If I can stop one person from making the same mistake I did and moving here, then I will have done a good thing.

Please do check out the Hellertown area. It is really beautiful there, low crime, lower taxes, cleaner, less crowded.

And if you're into theater at all- nearby DeSales University hosts the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, which isn't only Shakespeare.

Their theater department is second only to Broadway AFAIC- and beats it in many ways like parking, open green space, and the sheer beauty of the campus and being able to have a picnic dinner on the lawn before the show.

We are really into theater and I can't say enough good things about DeSales. I love going there and we have seen many productions there- all nothing short of fabulous. :-)

Also, I would avoid anything in Carbon county right now because they are going through a similar problem with high property taxes. Some folks in Jim Thorpe- which is a very pretty quaint town- just had their property taxes triple. I saw a homeowner on the local news burst into tears because his taxes had gone from $3700 to $11,000 and he couldn't afford to stay in his home anymore.

And BTW PA has the highest gas taxes in the country, so gas is expensive here, as is heating fuel and electricity, which just went up 14% for us (PP&L).

As with any area you are considering- find out the cons first and then make your decision.

I wish you luck! :-)

Jim Thorpes taxes have not gone up. It's currently under review. How do I know? I live there. Believe me I'm well informed on the issues as mine would go up to over 15k.

[mrsfixit99]

[quote=charmed hour;48428080]

Originally Posted by mrsfixit99

Jim Thorpes taxes have not gone up. It's currently under review. How do I know? I live there. Believe me I'm well informed on the issues as mine would go up to over 15k.

$15,000? Dear God...

But saying they're "under review" is kinda like saying they're going to raise them anyway, but they'll just wait a few months and maybe not raise them quite as high.

It's a bad situation for you and for us here in Monroe as well...

I wish you the best.

[2nd trick op]

You might want to look a little further south and west; counties like Columbia, Montour, Lycoming, Snyder and Union. this area is home to Bucknell University and a major hospital network (Geisinger - Danville), has a low crime rate, and taxes aren't too bad (yet?!) in most areas.

I excluded Northumberland County (Sunbury and Shamokin) because of its legacy of anthracite mining, but there are a couple of townships that aren't affected. The single biggest drawback is the unwarranted power of the public employee and teachers' unions in Pennsylvania politics which, unfortunately, you'll encounter everywhere.