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Thanks even more for all the replies. Gives me a lot to think about. I'm going to look into precipitation maps too and see where it rains more. I want to sit on a porch and watch the clouds roll in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageGurl
Sadhotline, I actually know what you mean about the creepiness of PA, from videos and photos I have seen, it does have some, as well as lots of natural beauty. A gothic, natural kind, not from people, and not in all seasons or parts of it.
I'd love to know more about that unsettling air you felt in MA! What part/s?
PA has more of a bizarre twang in the air you have to ponder a bit. It doesn't exactly hit you upfront, and most people just ignore it. I feel it when driving along in the dense fog in central PA, the lights from tiny passing towns with their massive churches piercing through in a Silent Hill-esque manner. Or when you walk along the hillsides and stare up and see the juxtaposition of gray, patterned sky and the incredibly dense trees. I think the people do contribute in some way- an incredibly high % of people in PA (around 70-75%) were born in PA and have mostly stayed there. It gives a static character to the culture and a psychological gestalt amongst the people, as opposed to a state that may have a large % of people from other states.
MA is a bit more blunt. It springs from the ground and the trees and lingers in the air. It is felt strongest when you watch the storms roll in over the cape, or just sit silently in the extremely aged home and listen to their creaks. Something once terrible happened in the 1600s, and while not really pertinent at all anymore, it has left a strange air. I feel uncomfortable at night in MA when I try to sleep, and I cannot describe why. It's not all creepiness though. It has an incredible balm on the soul, like this:
PA is a bit more like this. I absolutely agree that the influence of PA's people is lesser on this than MA's. A lot of MA's unsettling is from the people and architecture, while PA is a bit more wild, untamed, and natural:
I welcome you to PA! You will [hopefully] love it here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageGurl
About the trying to strike a delicate balance in a place as well as finding something that is not too urban nor too isolated, I totally get that. I have lived in a town that was like that, around 2,000 people and one of the best places I ever lived.
It well could be a way of life you're looking for, but would say that where one lives shapes one's way of life for the most part.
I think a lot of what people say are the benefits to urban living end up sadly lacking in truth..community, opportunities and so forth.
I highly recommend Sayre. Quaint little town I much enjoyed. I may visit it again.
Erie
+ Cheap food
+ Friendly people
+ Beautiful towards the coast
-------- Winters test your mortal will - Dangerous drivers
Curious about your dangerous drivers comment.
I will say I live just a bit south of Erie, and can not recall for such a small population, such inconsiderate, rude, angry, ahole drivers... Routinely vehicles greatly exceed posted limits in town by 20-30 mph, with the police fully in the know when I ask them to do something... I'm told: " Yeah, you're right some folks are doing 60+ in a 35 mph zone, but we have to have PenDOT complete a study and authenticate and certify lines across the road, and radar guns are not legal? Nice bull***t for doing Jacksh*t. Tailgating is absolutely crazy, crossing the street is dangerous, etc, etc.
So many seem to have an angry chip on the shoulder, and my experience is friendliness is completely binary - People either seem very kind, or grouchy, rude, trash. Place has a very strange vibe, even its crimes are completely bizarre. Can't wait to get out of the area, and simply not a fan of NW PA from my experience. I wish you the best of luck, and hope you find a great place to live.
We are also looking at PA to relocate to. I have a few questions based on my family's needs.
My husband and I are progressive democrats.
We have 3 adult kids who will be out of college and needing jobs. They still live with us but would like to be able to live on their own. One is a transgender male, the other two are cis females. We support LGBTQ.
We have a fourth child who will have his AA when we move but needs to attend a state university to get his bachelor's degree; they are gender-questioning, born male but questioning.
I stay home, my husband will be a retired teacher who might want to substitute teach. Both of us have Master's degrees; his in education with teacher certification from Arizona, and mine in human relations.
My husband and I have traveled and lived out of the country when we were young; I am an Army Brat, lived overseas, Third-Culture Kid adult so I don't fit in very well anywhere. My husband was a professional clown for some years and he traveled out of the country with circuses in Norway, Austria, Belgium, and Taiwan. So we are "different," if you get my meaning. None of us is religious; we are secular and firmly believe in the separation of church and state and we believe in LGBTQ rights, refugee rights, and a woman's right to choose. Yet both of us have very strong family values and love tradition and history. Would our family be a good fit in PA? Or would our kids be mistreated because of the LGBTQ or progressive outlooks they have?
Is PA a filial responsibility state where kids are forced to pay for the care of their elderly parents?
Are people in PA generally closed minded or open minded and if the latter; where in the state are they open minded?
Any progressive, blue, democratic socialists in PA and where are they?
Where are the public universities in PA? Are people more open to making friends there? We have lived in Flagstaff, AZ for 20 years and despite trying, have no friends here, just acquaintances.
I used to visit my grandmother in western PA, near Delmont and Greensburg and though the people in banks and professional offices seemed nice; everyone else seemed rather closed minded, Bible-focused, even rude and judgmental. I realize that may just be a Delmont/Greensburg, regional thing, or I may have just been unlucky that week I was there, though. The only reason we are even looking at PA is because we want to move back east for our kids to have better job opportunities (two are in theater, one is in documentary film making, the fourth may be into psychology or counseling) and they have zero opportunities in Flagstaff, AZ where we live now.
We are also looking at PA to relocate to. I have a few questions based on my family's needs.
My husband and I are progressive democrats.
We have 3 adult kids who will be out of college and needing jobs. They still live with us but would like to be able to live on their own. One is a transgender male, the other two are cis females. We support LGBTQ.
We have a fourth child who will have his AA when we move but needs to attend a state university to get his bachelor's degree; they are gender-questioning, born male but questioning.
I stay home, my husband will be a retired teacher who might want to substitute teach. Both of us have Master's degrees; his in education with teacher certification from Arizona, and mine in human relations.
My husband and I have traveled and lived out of the country when we were young; I am an Army Brat, lived overseas, Third-Culture Kid adult so I don't fit in very well anywhere. My husband was a professional clown for some years and he traveled out of the country with circuses in Norway, Austria, Belgium, and Taiwan. So we are "different," if you get my meaning. None of us is religious; we are secular and firmly believe in the separation of church and state and we believe in LGBTQ rights, refugee rights, and a woman's right to choose. Yet both of us have very strong family values and love tradition and history. Would our family be a good fit in PA? Or would our kids be mistreated because of the LGBTQ or progressive outlooks they have?
Is PA a filial responsibility state where kids are forced to pay for the care of their elderly parents?
Are people in PA generally closed minded or open minded and if the latter; where in the state are they open minded?
Any progressive, blue, democratic socialists in PA and where are they?
Where are the public universities in PA? Are people more open to making friends there? We have lived in Flagstaff, AZ for 20 years and despite trying, have no friends here, just acquaintances.
I used to visit my grandmother in western PA, near Delmont and Greensburg and though the people in banks and professional offices seemed nice; everyone else seemed rather closed minded, Bible-focused, even rude and judgmental. I realize that may just be a Delmont/Greensburg, regional thing, or I may have just been unlucky that week I was there, though. The only reason we are even looking at PA is because we want to move back east for our kids to have better job opportunities (two are in theater, one is in documentary film making, the fourth may be into psychology or counseling) and they have zero opportunities in Flagstaff, AZ where we live now.
Thanks for any info you can give.
Most of the things that resonate with you are found in the highest concentrations in Southeast Pennsylvania, especially in Philadelphia.
Especially democratic socialists, who are thin on the ground in the rest of the state, even other liberal enclaves.
Of the five counties that comprise Southeastern Pennsylvania and the seven that surround those (including Dauphin, the county where the state capital of Harrisburg is located, because of its ties with Lebanon and Lancaster counties), I'd rank their progressivism thusly, from most to least:
but would go on to note that the cities in even the more conservative counties lean left (Reading, Allentown, Bethlehem, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Easton). But it's more center-left than progressive.
Generally speaking, even the more conservative residents of Philadelphia's collar counties are supportive of LGBT equality, though you won't get them to agree on the entire package. As this state has a long tradition of political centrism, you won't find a lot of full-throated opposition to the things you like, but you may not find as many kindred spirits, either.
We are also looking at PA to relocate to. I have a few questions based on my family's needs.
My husband and I are progressive democrats.
We have 3 adult kids who will be out of college and needing jobs. They still live with us but would like to be able to live on their own. One is a transgender male, the other two are cis females. We support LGBTQ.
We have a fourth child who will have his AA when we move but needs to attend a state university to get his bachelor's degree; they are gender-questioning, born male but questioning.
I stay home, my husband will be a retired teacher who might want to substitute teach. Both of us have Master's degrees; his in education with teacher certification from Arizona, and mine in human relations.
My husband and I have traveled and lived out of the country when we were young; I am an Army Brat, lived overseas, Third-Culture Kid adult so I don't fit in very well anywhere. My husband was a professional clown for some years and he traveled out of the country with circuses in Norway, Austria, Belgium, and Taiwan. So we are "different," if you get my meaning. None of us is religious; we are secular and firmly believe in the separation of church and state and we believe in LGBTQ rights, refugee rights, and a woman's right to choose. Yet both of us have very strong family values and love tradition and history. Would our family be a good fit in PA? Or would our kids be mistreated because of the LGBTQ or progressive outlooks they have?
Is PA a filial responsibility state where kids are forced to pay for the care of their elderly parents?
Are people in PA generally closed minded or open minded and if the latter; where in the state are they open minded?
Any progressive, blue, democratic socialists in PA and where are they?
Where are the public universities in PA? Are people more open to making friends there? We have lived in Flagstaff, AZ for 20 years and despite trying, have no friends here, just acquaintances.
I used to visit my grandmother in western PA, near Delmont and Greensburg and though the people in banks and professional offices seemed nice; everyone else seemed rather closed minded, Bible-focused, even rude and judgmental. I realize that may just be a Delmont/Greensburg, regional thing, or I may have just been unlucky that week I was there, though. The only reason we are even looking at PA is because we want to move back east for our kids to have better job opportunities (two are in theater, one is in documentary film making, the fourth may be into psychology or counseling) and they have zero opportunities in Flagstaff, AZ where we live now.
Thanks for any info you can give.
Every transgender person I know have left the state or are looking to leave the state. Many move to the west coast like WA and OR and CA. Look to states east of PA: New York, New Jersey, CT, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. They will suit your left wing politics far better. Those states have already embraced much of what you believe. Many Pennsylvanians will stand against some of your beliefs. People in Vermont are very friendly. PA is not as strong as other states for theater and film, look to NY/NJ/MA for that.
You said it yourself. You don't fit in well anywhere, so you aren't going to fit into a state where most people are natives. You have 6 hyper-liberal states in the Northeast to choose from, go with those.
Last edited by scarecrow6; 08-17-2019 at 03:38 PM..
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
3,887 posts, read 5,520,768 times
Reputation: 3107
Quote:
Originally Posted by sad_hotline
Thanks even more for all the replies. Gives me a lot to think about. I'm going to look into precipitation maps too and see where it rains more. I want to sit on a porch and watch the clouds roll in.
PA has more of a bizarre twang in the air you have to ponder a bit. It doesn't exactly hit you upfront, and most people just ignore it. I feel it when driving along in the dense fog in central PA, the lights from tiny passing towns with their massive churches piercing through in a Silent Hill-esque manner. Or when you walk along the hillsides and stare up and see the juxtaposition of gray, patterned sky and the incredibly dense trees. I think the people do contribute in some way- an incredibly high % of people in PA (around 70-75%) were born in PA and have mostly stayed there. It gives a static character to the culture and a psychological gestalt amongst the people, as opposed to a state that may have a large % of people from other states.
MA is a bit more blunt. It springs from the ground and the trees and lingers in the air. It is felt strongest when you watch the storms roll in over the cape, or just sit silently in the extremely aged home and listen to their creaks. Something once terrible happened in the 1600s, and while not really pertinent at all anymore, it has left a strange air. I feel uncomfortable at night in MA when I try to sleep, and I cannot describe why. It's not all creepiness though. It has an incredible balm on the soul, like this:
PA is a bit more like this. I absolutely agree that the influence of PA's people is lesser on this than MA's. A lot of MA's unsettling is from the people and architecture, while PA is a bit more wild, untamed, and natural:
I welcome you to PA! You will [hopefully] love it here.
I highly recommend Sayre. Quaint little town I much enjoyed. I may visit it again.
Very weird that you post this, because I've always gotten a creepy vibe from PA's countryside (in a good way). The autumn season there just has an aura to it.
Thread closed. OP is no longer a member and new poster, Carecare7 should start a new thread since they are looking for a location with very different priorities than the one the OP mentioned.
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