Considering a move to PA from NC (Lancaster, Harrisburg) (Pittsburgh: apartment, to rent)

[codygreen]

When are you moving?

Preferably in the next two years.

Where are you coming from?

Chapel Hill, NC

Why are you moving?

1. Climate - The heat is relentless from May to September and spring and fall time are short lived.
2. Local politics - My partner and I are a conservative gay couple and we feel like total outcasts here. This area has an in-your-face liberalism that permeates all aspects of living. See the recent Silent Sam protests for just a glimmer of how politically extreme it is here. We don't need to be in a "conservative" area per se, just an area that is more tolerant of all types of people (oh the irony).
3. Geography & outdoors activities - We enjoy outdoor recreation and camping on our weekends. NC is a beautiful state but there's nothing interesting to do within a 2 1/2 hour drive in the Piedmont. There is nothing aesthetically appealing about this area.


Where will you be working?

My partner and I both work in the service industry. I am currently working at a fine dining restaurant at a resort, so I would be looking for similar work at a high end establishment.

Have you been here yet?

Just got back from a week long road trip through PA driving from Ohiopyle across the state to Lancaster County. We have also been in the past to Pittsburgh and thought it was beautiful city with interesting history.

Will you buy or rent?
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend?
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?

Looking to Rent at first but definitely interested in owning down the road. One thing we like about most of the PA towns we drove through were the charming older homes. The Triangle is just one tract housing development after the next - zero charm whatsoever. We do have a Pit Bull dog pretty popular breed in this town at least. Schools are not a concern for us at this time. We don't plan on living anywhere we can't keep a car.

Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet?

I prefer calm and quiet but need to close enough to some activity given my career. Need to be close enough to a place with great restaurant scene but also rural enough to meet requirements for outdoors activities and interesting topography.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood?

I'm leaving Chapel Hill because it is a bubble full of like-minded people so I suppose diversity. Definitely not interested in living in another college town.

So I'm sure there are plenty of places in PA to consider. Lancaster city seemed like a great small city that might fit the bill. We enjoyed the surrounding countryside greatly, although it does seem a bit removed from some of the bigger mountains in PA. I think I could easily find work in this area. But are there other options that might be a good fit? Harrisburg area? Perhaps some nice areas on the outer fringes of the Pittsburgh metro area? The only concern I have about PA is the economy versus NC.

[Gerania]

Is Philly out of question?

[ddavidv]

Lancaster economy seems to do better than Harrisburg unless you are in government or law. The county used to be wholly evangelical conservative but has shifted quite a bit since I grew up here. Most people I know are accepting of the gay community but you will find the 'religious abomination' crowd especially in more rural areas.

Lancaster and Harrisburg both have some terrific dining establishments.

If you want to live in the city I think Lancaster has far more nice areas than Harrisburg or York though you can find nice neighborhoods in any of them. I just feel Lancaster has less riff-raff having traveled around the mid-state quite a bit.

Bigger mountains aren't far away, really. An hour drive will get you there and two or three hours will have you deep in the woods upstate. Lots of rail trails for biking and many of the small towns along the river offer something. Just don't live too close or you'll get flooded out every few years.

Some nice smaller towns nearby are Ephrata, Lititz, Elizabethtown to name just a few. Property and school taxes are high anywhere in the mid and eastern part of the state.

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by ddavidv

Some nice smaller towns nearby are Ephrata, Lititz, Elizabethtown to name just a few. Property and school taxes are high anywhere in the mid and eastern part of the state.

The towns are enclaves of Mennonites, fallen away Amish, Moravians, etc. You wouldn't like living in those areas. State College and New Hope are the most gay friendly areas in PA.


Have you looked into San Diego?

[ki0eh]

State College area is more conservative by college town standards. Of the four state-related universites (Pitt, Temple, Lincoln, PSU) the southwest has one, the southeast another, and Penn State is the campus for the middle "T". Plus there is farmland and mountains right out of town. State College Borough itself (very constricted boundaries, doesn't even cover the entire University Park campus) might be getting more liberalish, but the surrounding townships are full of offices supporting the fracking industry, etc. You're probably less likely to encounter the "you will Burn in HELL!!" types there than if you step out of the few blocks around F&M in Lancaster.

Around Harrisburg, Hershey tends to be more conservative politically and less in your face Christian religious, although Dauphin County has tipped narrowly as a whole into the blue column in national elections the county and most townships remain GOP run. The West Shore suburbs (Lemoyne, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, etc.) tend to be more politically conservative and somewhat socially tolerant. Carlisle adds a bit of ethnic diversity - though there is an economically challenged couple of blocks of a historically minority neighborhood, outside of there they are used to seeing differently colored folks who are colonels in US and foreign armies training to be generals at the US Army War College.

[codygreen]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

State College area is more conservative by college town standards. Of the four state-related universites (Pitt, Temple, Lincoln, PSU) the southwest has one, the southeast another, and Penn State is the campus for the middle "T". Plus there is farmland and mountains right out of town. State College Borough itself (very constricted boundaries, doesn't even cover the entire University Park campus) might be getting more liberalish, but the surrounding townships are full of offices supporting the fracking industry, etc. You're probably less likely to encounter the "you will Burn in HELL!!" types there than if you step out of the few blocks around F&M in Lancaster.

Around Harrisburg, Hershey tends to be more conservative politically and less in your face Christian religious, although Dauphin County has tipped narrowly as a whole into the blue column in national elections the county and most townships remain GOP run. The West Shore suburbs (Lemoyne, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, etc.) tend to be more politically conservative and somewhat socially tolerant. Carlisle adds a bit of ethnic diversity - though there is an economically challenged couple of blocks of a historically minority neighborhood, outside of there they are used to seeing differently colored folks who are colonels in US and foreign armies training to be generals at the US Army War College.

Perhaps living in Chapel Hill for the better part of the last decade, I have come to unfairly associate college towns with a radical liberalism. I grew up in the deepest backwoods of the NC mountains, and had always considered myself liberal -- that was until I moved to my current location! Here if you don't participate in political marches or support the right causes you will feel alienated. Even nonpartisan entities like businesses traffic in politics and political oriented events because it actually boosts business to openly discriminate against conservative causes. I prefer more of a live and let live mentality. If that is the case in State College, I'll certainly give it a look because it seems like a beautiful area.

I haven't spent any time in the Harrisburg area except twice to stop at Wegman's in Mechanicsburg. That alone gives it a thumbs up in my book. I prefer a nice walkable town over city. That could certainly include driving 5-10 minutes into town and parking then walking. We actually really liked Lititz -- is it really that backward?

[codygreen]

Originally Posted by ddavidv

Lancaster economy seems to do better than Harrisburg unless you are in government or law. The county used to be wholly evangelical conservative but has shifted quite a bit since I grew up here. Most people I know are accepting of the gay community but you will find the 'religious abomination' crowd especially in more rural areas.

Lancaster and Harrisburg both have some terrific dining establishments.

If you want to live in the city I think Lancaster has far more nice areas than Harrisburg or York though you can find nice neighborhoods in any of them. I just feel Lancaster has less riff-raff having traveled around the mid-state quite a bit.

Bigger mountains aren't far away, really. An hour drive will get you there and two or three hours will have you deep in the woods upstate. Lots of rail trails for biking and many of the small towns along the river offer something. Just don't live too close or you'll get flooded out every few years.

Some nice smaller towns nearby are Ephrata, Lititz, Elizabethtown to name just a few. Property and school taxes are high anywhere in the mid and eastern part of the state.

Thanks for the informative post. We enjoyed Lititz but did not visit the other towns you mentioned. Are property and school taxes cheaper in unincorporated areas further out of town?

[codygreen]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Is Philly out of question?

I haven't been to Philly so I can't say if it is or isn't, but I never gave it much consideration. I would prefer to have a bit of elbow room, since I have a decent size dog. Care to suggest some areas around Philly that would be worth checking out on a future visit?

[Wells5]

Originally Posted by codygreen

Are property and school taxes cheaper in unincorporated areas further out of town?

Unlike the southern and western USA, there are no unincorporated areas in PA. There are cities (actually 3 classes), boroughs, townships (several classes) and 1 or 2 towns- all incorporated. Small townships without a paid police and/or fire department but with a locally elected mayor and council usually have the lowest tax burden although school district taxes can be high. There are townships that have large populations (Upper Darby, Bensalem, Lower Merion, Abington, etc.) with all of the government services of a big city and a tax burden to match. So choose carefully.

[Pilot1]

I have lived in Central PA (Harrisburg, and Lancaster) and suburban Philly which isn't that far away. I much prefer suburban Philly.