Driving through some old PA towns today...

[NealPaige]

Grew up in King of Prussia, mall town in the 70s. I'm 57 now and have lived all over the country.

Live just south of Gettysburg now. Anyway, was on business trip this week. Started in Erie, and traveled my way south east through some really cool old PA towns. Corry, Clarion, New Bethlehem, Ridgeway on my way to I80 around State College and back home to the glut of 322 in Harrisburg and down to Maryland.

As I passed through all these towns, I looked at the landscape, and wondered what it was like growing up in these great PA towns...most have seen their heydays, but really great architecture and culture/history.

Any of you who grew up in these great old PA towns, did you feel this is were you were meant to be, or did you want to get out asap?

I felt kind of sad seeing vacancy on my route.

Pennsylvania is a great state!

 

[psuro]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its state revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

 

[PearlandLion]

Nice road trip. I too enjoy driving through the PA landscape when I get the chance. I grew up in Williamsport and although it’s a shadow of what it once was, it was a great place to grow up.

 

[NealPaige]

I disagree. Whether it be lumber, coal, or whatever industry for which these towns were founded, they are all placed for a reason. PA is a Hard working state.. Forged with hard workers, history and deep rooted culture.

Centralia is a sad bygone place. To be reminisced, AND embraced. Like many old cool PA towns.

 

[LafayetteBear]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its stare revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

Uh-oh. Them's fightin' words, 'Ro. This thread could go on for a while.

 

[psuro]

Uh-oh. Them's fightin' words, 'Ro. This thread could go on for a while.

but I’m not wrong

 

[psuro]

I disagree. Whether it be lumber, coal, or whatever industry for which these towns were founded, they are all placed for a reason. PA is a Hard working state.. Forged with hard workers, history and deep rooted culture.

Centralia is a sad bygone place. To be reminisced, AND embraced. Like many old cool PA towns.

Oh please. There are a lot of hardworking places. Pa is nothing special in that regard.

 

[NealPaige]

Pretty shallow thinking...west of Exton, comes...Lancaster? Drive north. A beautiful state with rich, cultural history...unlike any other in the United States..

 

[NittPicker]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its stare revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

The tax revenue disparity exists everywhere. Wealthy people paying more taxes isn't unique to PA.

 

[psuro]

The tax revenue disparity exists everywhere. Wealthy people paying more taxes isn't unique to PA.

That’s not entirely true. But the subject matter was Pa. and the disparity is fairly sharp.

The best thing Pa Legislature can do is to deed everything west of Exton to WV Md Ohio and NY. It will reduce the tax burden on the group that actually keeps Pa afloat.

 

[NealPaige]

Been to Mississippi many times on business. I'm taking PA...every day of the week.

 

[Pocono Lion]

James Carville wasn’t wrong.

 

[psuro]

Been to Mississippi many times on business. I'm taking PA...every day of the week.

Then you don’t have a brain in your head. Mississippi has gained revenue in the last 40/50 years. Pa has not.

Pa’s time is over. It’s a welfare state that cannot support itself. I am not sure it will ever come back.

 

[NealPaige]

Ummm,...couldn't give a shit about gained revenue. PA is a more desirable state to live in than Mississippi. A LOT more to offer...

 

[royboy]

That’s not entirely true. But the subject matter was Pa. and the disparity is fairly sharp.

The best thing Pa Legislature can do is to deed everything west of Exton to WV Md Ohio and NY. It will reduce the tax burden on the group that actually keeps Pa afloat.

Well, there is the city of Philadelphia, which has the 2nd highest rate of poverty of any big city in the USA.

23.3% of the population in poverty, with only Detroit worse at 30.6% of the population in poverty. I lived in Philadelphia some time ago, and it has some attractions, but plenty of negatives. Visited there two years ago and the city seemed dirty and run-down in many areas.

So there is a little more to the Pennsylvania story than you present.

Poverty rate top 25 most populated cities U.S. 2021 | Statista

In 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the city with the highest poverty rate of the United States' most populated cities.

www.statista.com

 

[NittPicker]

That’s not entirely true. But the subject matter was Pa. and the disparity is fairly sharp.

The best thing Pa Legislature can do is to deed everything west of Exton to WV Md Ohio and NY. It will reduce the tax burden on the group that actually keeps Pa afloat.

Link some figures and you'll convince me. I've always heard SEPA gets a plus ROI on taxes paid while rural PA is negative. As a rural western Pennsylvanian, why am I subsidizing SEPA??

 

[psuro]

Link some figures and you'll convince me. I've always heard SEPA gets a plus ROI on taxes paid while rural PA is negative.

I could care less abut convincing you. You do you own research.

But that said I brought up the appropriate information in previous threads.

Look-if you like it -good for you. But the halcyon days are over. And with an aging and less educated population-in my lifetime the people in Missippii will start considering Pa as a backwards state.

 

[NittPicker]

I could care less abut convincing you. You do you own research.

But that said I brought up the appropriate information in previous threads.

Look-if you like it -good for you. But the halcyon days are over. And with an aging and less educated population-in my lifetime the people in Missippii will start considering Pa as a backwards state.

OK then, I'm not convinced. You don't want to support the figures YOU posted. That tells me a lot. I'm not going to waste time trying to confirm something YOU say is true.

As for the "halcyon" days of western PA being in the past, that's hardly a revelation. The virgin forests and most of the coal are gone. The population is shrinking and you look down on people who still live there. Good on ya.

 

[McCloudersportLion]

I will write down a list of places you can visit in PA where Jay Paterno won't remind you to use hand sanitizer.

 

[NealPaige]

All good man. Always have enjoyed your posts. PA has its warts like any other state, politically, fiscally, and culturally.

You can have Mississippi. I LOVE PA, and I live in MD. Free enterprise.

 

[Mile High Lion]

I could care less abut convincing you. You do you own research.

But that said I brought up the appropriate information in previous threads.

Look-if you like it -good for you. But the halcyon days are over. And with an aging and less educated population-in my lifetime the people in Missippii will start considering Pa as a backwards state.

Your hatred of Pennsylvania is keeping you from thinking straight. You don't like the state? Fine. But to compare it in a negative way to Mississippi? Be serious. I don't have anything against Mississippi but they are on the bottom of any kind of economic measurement and if they show any signs of growth it is only because their starting point is so low.

As a friend of mine in Arkansas says 'Thank God for Mississippi because they keep us from being dead last'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_for_Mississippi

 

[BobPSU92]

Burn Pennsylvania down to the ground or psuro will.

 

[Rhino80]

I grew up in NEPA, Benton, and left about 23 years ago. Fond memories but I'm not sure I'll ever move back. I inherited our family farm, but I just rent out the house and lease the fields. I make it back for a week of archery hunting every year. I think the only thing that has gotten better about PA is the buck are getting bigger. Lotta drugs in NEPA, half the guys I grew up with have OD'd in the last 10 yrs. I'm liking it out west, except for the wrestling. I miss PA wrestling.

 

[psualt]

Nice OP. I liked growing up in a smaller town but there really wasn’t a ton of opportunity which I could clearly see. I don’t understand why people feel the need to broadly paint these rural areas so negatively...there’s plusses and minuses like everywhere else.

 

[Frabjous]

Used to drive through New Bethlehem all the time. There was a storefront lawyer named Arnold ‘hum’ Dinger, who had a Snoopy display in his window. Hey Arnold, how ya doin’?

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I read somewhere a couple years ago that Lancaster had one of the highest growth rates in the country and was listed as one of the best places to live. Not that it’s an indicator of the state as a whole but I wouldn’t say the entire state is in decline. I grew up in rural Lebanon county and it’s not much different now than it was 40 years ago.

 

[KanePoster]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its stare revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

but I’m not wrong

You're wrong. Pennsylvania is one of the smarter states, while Mississippi is just about dead last.

Wherever you live, you're probably contributing to a low average IQ.

Pennsylvania destroyed itself (for a while) with their antiquated unionized workforces, which helped workers in the short term, but hurt the area long term.

 

[PSUPride1]

Nice OP. I liked growing up in a smaller town but there really wasn’t a ton of opportunity which I could clearly see. I don’t understand why people feel the need to broadly paint these rural areas so negatively...there’s plusses and minuses like everywhere else.

Because they're arrogant and for some reason feel better when they put others down.

 

[Sullivan]

That’s not entirely true. But the subject matter was Pa. and the disparity is fairly sharp.

The best thing Pa Legislature can do is to deed everything west of Exton to WV Md Ohio and NY. It will reduce the tax burden on the group that actually keeps Pa afloat.

Or Pennsylvania could remain intact, and Philadelphia could become part of NJ.

That would ensure PA's gas tax actually goes toward roads and bridges, instead of subsidizing your mass transit.

 

[Sullivan]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its state revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

State College seems like a pretty decent town.

 

[Mike W 31]

I could care less abut convincing you. You do you own research.

But that said I brought up the appropriate information in previous threads.

Look-if you like it -good for you. But the halcyon days are over. And with an aging and less educated population-in my lifetime the people in Missippii will start considering Pa as a backwards state.

Missippii may be the only place you could win a spelling bee

 

[AWS1022]

Your hatred of Pennsylvania is keeping you from thinking straight. You don't like the state? Fine. But to compare it in a negative way to Mississippi? Be serious. I don't have anything against Mississippi but they are on the bottom of any kind of economic measurement and if they show any signs of growth it is only because their starting point is so low.

As a friend of mine in Arkansas says 'Thank God for Mississippi because they keep us from being dead last'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_for_Mississippi

West Virginia says the same thing about Mississippi. You know you’re bad when you’re being mocked by Arkansas and WV.

 

[psuro]

Missippii may be the only place you could win a spelling bee

Not true.

 

[psuro]

State College seems like a pretty decent town.

Sure - but go 10 miles outside State College, and it's pretty bleak.

 

[AWS1022]

Nice OP. I liked growing up in a smaller town but there really wasn’t a ton of opportunity which I could clearly see. I don’t understand why people feel the need to broadly paint these rural areas so negatively...there’s plusses and minuses like everywhere else.

Exactly. I grew up in a small town in PA and it was a great place to grow up and still would be. I’ve lived a couple of different places and there are good and bad about everywhere. Some people love living in a big city....you could shoot me in the head before I dealt with that crap. There’s good and bad in every place so pick what you like and go with it.

 

[AWS1022]

Sure - but go 10 miles outside State College, and it's pretty bleak.

And you don’t think that’s the case with many places in Mississippi?

 

[emertmakeshiteup]

I would suggest that city leadership has a huge part in the health of a community! I grew up in Tamaqua and have lived in Titusville for five decades. Despite the steel mill closing , which was the major employer, and the oil industry not in the best of health, it is a GREAT community! It has great schools and a sound infra structure. Need a little city culture, Erie 45, Pittsburgh 120 minutes away! Pittsburgh and Ohesions "recreate" here, especially fishing and hunting seasons and it has a bike trail running over 11 miles along Oil Creek to almost OIL City, so we have a tourist industry. Now I'm sure someone may provide statistics that might prove it is not any better or worse than Tamaqua, however, perception can be everything and I sure don't see it as being anything like the things I read about the current Anthracite and Tamaqua area!

 

[Lion Son/Husband/Father]

I grew up in Lancaster. It was nice enough and I still have family and HS friends there. But I def need more out of my locale. I little bit slow for the Rick me.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Exactly. I grew up in a small town in PA and it was a great place to grow up and still would be. I’ve lived a couple of different places and there are good and bad about everywhere. Some people love living in a big city....you could shoot me in the head before I dealt with that crap. There’s good and bad in every place so pick what you like and go with it.

I always laugh when people rave about living in NYC. The theater! Walking distance to shitty little bodegas, etc

Might have been cool for a few years in my 20s when I gave a shit about being out and about. Generally, though, you can have the constant noise and hassle and shitty weather.

I have a buddy who’s a lawyer in Jackson Hole. I challenge anyone to find a better situation than that. But then again, I prefer scenic beauty and outdoor activities to watching a ****ing play

 

[WDLion]

Pennsylvania is a bizarre place. West of Exton Pa it’s nothing more than a colder version of Missippii. 64% of its state revenue comes from 34% of it’s population. Talk about a disparity.

Did you warm your hands on a Centralia mine fire?

50 bizarre states. You described every state in the union.