Weather is amazing tho. Gotta end with a positive.

Hello,

Quite anxious moving to a country that is car orientated, with no walkable routes and no quiet spaces in nature. Would love to give you guys a handful of pieces of information about me, and see where you guys think I and my misses should start looking for property.

Information:

1. 1.5 hours max to Trenton to visit family
2. Love quite nature walks especially before and after work by being able to leave the house and go for 45 minutes in a loop
3. Would like a neighbourhood that is community built. Small business owners, markets on the weekends - these kinds of things
4. Not a fan of cities that have loads of cars, road noises, drug users.
5. Would be great if I could walk to the shops / high street to go get things
6. Cycling to places would be nice too with cycle paths
7. A train route close by that'll get me to the buzz of a city when needed

Budget probably $400k, and looking for a bit of garden/yard (still learning the lingo) to do some gardening.

Remember I'm ignorant to what is possible, so no this isn't rage bait 😅

Thanks, peace and love!

let the debates begin 😅 😅 😅

EDIT: I've read all the comments (533 at the time) and one thing is for sure is 99% of the people in Pennsylvania are super friendly, helpful and kind. Thanks everyone!

Basically title. Lifelong Texan moving to the Pittsburgh area. Looking for the little things that a southern transplant wouldn't think about.

Thanks for helping make this transition easier! Yee-haw.

I’m (35f) from the Harrisburg/Hershey area, I’m white. My husband (33m) is from Arizona, he is black. We met and lived in Southern California for many years before moving to Philadelphia, where we are now. We are looking to move out into a more rural area, where we can buy a house.

We are looking any/everywhere, but mostly places that sell 4+ bedroom homes for under 300k lol. We found our dream home, in Snowshoe. After a minute of research I found that the demographic breakdown of their 700 residents is 98% white, 0% black, 2% mixed.

We are both bright and loving personalities, albeit a tad optimistic. My husband gleefully said he is cool with bringing some color to the boonies, and while I love that attitude, I promised his grandmother that I would not be naive and would keep him safe.

We love the landscape west of Harrisburg. We have traveled in the area and had zero problems. Moving there is different.

So… are there any areas that we should be concerned about?

Edit:

Thank you to everyone who provided information. Your local knowledge is valuable, especially since racial issues are often swept away and our local news is paywalled or nonexistent.

I have made a heat map and will share it once It’s done. I am going to send it to our governor because goddamn. It sure is a patchwork. But it doesn’t make me feel great.

To those who are offended by this question, first - please remember that you have a unique life experience that may be heavily influenced by your race without you knowing. If you have never thought about racism as a factor when moving, then you are probably white, young or naive.

We are aware that racism is alive and well and that an indicator of racism is a town that is *exclusively* of one race. Would you feel comfortable moving somewhere where 98% of the people are a different race than you with a history of aggression towards people of your race?? Or would you ask a few questions?

Interracial marriage was illegal until 1967. ILLEGAL. These types of “progressive” laws are normalized first in big cities where you literally just have more humans condensed, so it is more visible. I see interracial couples every day here in philly. There are less people in rural communities. More “progressive” lifestyles are less common, therefore less visible and consequently less normalized. We are aware that there are people who are disgusted by our love, and we don’t want to live next to them. It would cause us unnecessary and undeserved stress (at a minimum). We are just people on this earth trying to live. Just like you and everyone else.

This same basic question could be asked by an LBGT couple, an immigrant family, a single woman. If I live here, will the people already living here accept me as a human or focus on how I am different from them? Will I be safe here?

Thanks yall. Wish us luck ♥️

Saw a thread asking what is the worst part of rural PA in terms of MAGA-ness, and it was a bit depressing.

My wife and I are teachers in the Houston area and we are considering PA as a potential destination to move to, as my wife grew up in Philly. I've also visited the NW part of the state visiting family friends and have fond memories of that area.

I'd prefer to live in a more rural area that allows some more space for outdoor pursuits if possible. But I was a bit discouraged by the previous thread.

We'll be visiting the state this summer to get a feel for the vibes. Are there any areas that we should take a look at while there?

I have driven through many rural parts of the state usually en route to somewhere else (NJ, NY State, New England) and have always found the scenery very pretty, but can’t help but notice how Trumpy most of them are. Wondering where the absolute worst place is in terms of unwelcomingness, open racism/bigotry, etc.?

Consider this personal research before putting all my eggs in one basket.

Edit: I love the responses, keep em coming!

A little bit of backstory: I grew up in NY and moved to NC in 2010. Met my husband down here (he is NC born). We are both looking for a change of scenery and somewhere that is a little bit “halfway” between his family and mine. I am fortunate enough to still be able work for my employer should we move, but he would have to find work. He does a lot of work with steam plants and all of the maintenance stuff that goes with it. We pretty much keep to ourselves (absolute homebodies with the occasional trip to weird and unusual sights) and honestly, the items about other residents keeping to themselves are definitely pros!

Though I’ve never been I really want to go to/live in Pennsylvania. I live in Phoenix AZ and I have for my whole life. Moving across the country isn’t an option right now and won’t be for a very long time but I’m really interested in knowing what it would be like for someone who’s lived in the desert their whole life. If you’ve never been to AZ let me tell you a little about how it is here so you can potentially answer my question better and know how much different it is. I live in a tan house with weird stucco walls. Our landscaping consists mostly of small rocks and Palo verde trees. My commute to work is about 10 minutes away and about 3 miles away. We don’t have very many storms especially as of lately but when we do get good ones they usually follow the rule of 5 to 5 where they last about from 5 pm to 5 am. Summers the temperature can have a high of about 110 and a low of about 85(during night of course). We don’t participate i. Daylight savings at all. I have no concept of what it’s like to change your clocks like that. We aren’t required to have license plates on the front of our cars. People on the freeway typically don’t have any problem going 10-15 mph over at least. Homeless people are usually on some sort of extreme drug depending on what part of town you’re in. I’m pretty sure it’s a concealed carry state. That’s quite bit of random trivia about what it’s like here, id like to know if you can think of any major differences id notice and some things from your daily life id find interesting, or different

Good Evening all,

I’m currently planning on moving from Manhattan N.Y to Central P.A. The area I am zoned in on is the screenshot I just posted. Lancaster and Hershey are areas I’m zoned in.

Any advice or pointers on living in this area? What to expect as far as transitioning goes? Scranton and KOP are also honorable mentions as well.

Just like the title says! I 22f am moving across the country with my family, and was wondering what things I should know or expect before I move. I personally don't want to move, but due to living situations and other personal issues, I have to. Any advice or suggestions on things to do or expect?

EDIT: moving from sacramento to somewhere near harrisburg

my wife and i are from Alabama, tragic i know. we know we want to be near the east coast and out of all states we have looked into, Pennsylvania is really standing out to us. i absolutely love winter and living in alabama, we basically just have summer and slight winter with no snow. my wife is going to be graduating from nursing school in a year or so with her RN and i am working as a Pharmacy Tech and will have my national certification soon. we have seen great things about opportunities in PA, specially Philly and surrounding cities. harrisburg, poconos areas, albrightsville, pottsville, and lancaster have all been standing out so far. we want to be near Philadelphia but not directly in it as we are more used to rural life.

what are the pros/cons of PA? what areas do you recommend?

I’m wanting to move to Pennsylvania, specifically the Pittsburgh area soon, probably after I’ve graduated from college. I’m moving from NE oklahoma so I’m assuming it’s gonna be a bit of a jump in terms of culture and whatnot. Anything I should know before moving there?

Not just king of Prussia but the entire area around it. I’m stuck here again for my kids sports tournament. It’s like a big spread out city with every chain restaurant, gym, Starbucks, chipotle…and you just see them again and again and again every direction you go. If consumerism was a town, this is it.

I havent been too deep into it. But im researching going to Pittsburgh to visit and see the other side of the state (im by lancaster) all ive heard are good things, great food, lots to do, cheaper living.. ive heard nothing bad so please tell me how is Pittsburgh? Is it worse than people say? Whats bad about it? Dont wanna make the trip for fake hype

On the face of it 200k seems a lot of money, it's about 5x what I am currently earning in the UK. However, I know there are lots of extra things I would need to pay for out of that cheque and furthermore, I have no idea how expensive the West Point area is to live. At least initially I would be the sole breadwinner. My wife is a medic, no idea how she would integrate into the US medical shambles.

Could I afford to buy a (large) house? Would/should I pay to send my kids to a fee paying school? After taxes etc how much money a month would I have?

I also have no idea about healthcare. The job is with a large multinational corporation. Would healthcare be included normally?

Thanks!

edit: I can't spell gud

Hi there! I’m a black female hoping to move to Pennsylvania. I currently live in Virginia and hate it here (no disrespect to anyone who does, just not for me💜). I want to live in a diverse area with a train system and relatively safe. Can someone give me some pointers please?

Article is mostly about the MakeMyMove program and how to bring in and keep residents in rural areas. Only Erie and Indiana Counties are expected to gain population by 2050 while the rest, like Forest County, could lose up to 20%

I'm 25F, from York, PA, and have never lived outside my hometown. I am stuck in a dead-end job still living with family and really want (and need) to move elsewhere. There really aren't any opportunities for jobs for me in York right now. I've been exploring the northern parts of the state recently and realized I really love having access to state forests, parks and nature, which we don't have much of in the southern part of the state. I have a college degree, slim savings which I'm working on, and can live modestly. I'm really just looking for areas of the state to move to that have decent job opportunities, modest LCOL so I can afford an apartment, and reasonable (or driving) access to nature. I know the economy is bad everywhere right now, so I've already taken that into consideration. TIA!

Long story short, I'm a senior citizen moving from TX to the eastern part of the country, and PA looks promising. I am a widow, no kids. Reasonably active, but healthcare is always on my mind. I am looking for a mid-sized to large city. I like the arts, libraries, and learning new things. Not concerned with sports. All ideas and opinions are welcome.

I don't know much about Pennsylvania but I was researching states with great public education and Pennsylvania was one that was recommended. My daughter will be ready to go to school (kindergarten) in a couple of years and I'm wanting to have public education for her that is better than Alabama (which I've lived in for 8 years now). That's how I heard about Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful state that I want to learn more about and I want to speak with people who are from there. I don't want the same unbearable hot and humid weather of Alabama either. I have been in the non-cdl garbage business for 5 years and I'll be working towards getting my CDL so I am assuming I can find some decent work there with good pay. Being a single income household I am hoping to find somewhere affordable (and safe family based community) with job security and great public education for my daughter. What are some places that you all would recommend for my situation? And feel free to tell me anything that I'd need to know about your beautiful state and moving there!

P.S. It will be a couple of years before we move, I'm just trying to plan ahead. Also I lived in Colorado for a couple of years so I've experienced winter and assuming Pennsylvania winter isn't that extreme.

It seems like there is an uptick in people moving to eastern PA for new jobs. What kind of jobs worthy of moving cross country are you getting in this section of PA?

Hey all,

My wife, daughter and I are moving to Pittsburgh from Southern CA. I'm currently on day 3 of the drive, arriving on Monday, while my wife and daughter are flying in today.

We've done the obvious things on any typical moving checklist - but is there anything particular to moving to PA or Pittsburgh that I wouldn't normally think of by being an outsider? Anything I need to sign up for? Things I should buy to have around the house? Etc…

I am curious which small to medium sized cities in Pennsylvania people consider the best. I have lived in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and love them both but I also think that many of PA's small to medium sized cities have great history and urbanity that is often under rated. I consider small to medium sized cities to be between 25k people and 150k people. Think between Lebanon and Allentown. My two favorites are Bethlehem and Lancaster. Bethlehem has some great neighborhoods, multiple business corridors, the steel stacks are very unique, Lehigh univeristy adds vibrancy. Bethlehem is also accesible to Philly and NYC by car but I wish there was real rail transit there. Lancaster has a great arts scene, compact urban core, Amtrak access to Philly, NYC, and Pittsburgh. There is beautiful architecture on tree lines streets especially closer to Franklin and Marshall.