FC OT: The 10 Best Places to Live in Pennsylvania

[Lion Son/Husband/Father]

My wife and I considered retiring in new hope
LOVE Havanas
The countless hours we drank and watched the freaks, bikers and cars roll by were some of my favs. The key was to get a bar seat on the street side before the sun went down. Grab a good cigar across the street and watch the summer evening unfold before you.

 

[Tri-Power65]

Jim Thorpe, PA belong on such a list? Or more of a tourist stop?

I enjoy visiting there when I'm back in the Allentown area, but JT is more of a tourist stop. I think I'd get tired of living there after about one week...

 

[psu00]

Surprised Camp Hill was ranked 1. It’s a nice town but there are other burbs in that region that I’d rank higher IMO.

 

[flash86]

I grew up in Lancaster. One of my bros lives in lititz Warwick is legit wrestling.

But Hempfield just beat them tonight to capture Section 1 title in LL League!

(I’m not really that invested, my kids were Hempfield Boys and Girls VB)

 

[PeetzPoolBoy]

The stonework in some of the houses shown in the photos is downright amazing. I’ve always wanted a new-built house with a Wissahickon Schist exterior. Sexier than my boss.

 

[Nitwit]

These lists always strike me as bogus. They seem to be an exercise in data analysis rather than a value assessment of the quality of life. Of course different people have different priorities based on their individual circumstances such as need for healthcare or quality of the school systems. You couldn’t pay me to live in Conshohocken or Ridley Park. Really, does Ridley Park have any restaurants which serve fois gras?

 

[sylvanialion]

And Wyomissing borders Reading that is ranked #8 on Worst Places to Live. Wyomissing is a nice place but I think gets a comparison bump because Reading is just so awful. Sort of like when a 5 stands next to a 2 she becomes a 7.


Well western Pa picks up 5 of the top 10 worst places to live if that makes ya happier.[/QUOT

 

[sylvanialion]

Nope ... north of 80. Less people and man made stuff the better.

 

[TheGLOV]

I'm not sure if I missed a discussion on this (or whether it warrants one) but I felt this was interesting:
THE 10 BEST Places To Live In Pennsylvania For 2020
Oddly, for me anyway, Bucks County got no love.

Obviously a serious mistake to omit Stowe Township!

 

[sylvanialion]

Should look at how far a buck goes ... affordability rather than house price and income ... St Mary's would be top 10 if you did this for example.

 

[BobPSU92]

I would imagine the worst places to live in PA are anywhere near a bridge to NJ.

Or within a stone's throw of ohio.

 

[YogiMan71]

I left Pa. in 72 but always thought Ligonier was a nice small town. Our Scout Camp was near there when I grew up.

 

[BBrown]

I left Pa. in 72 but always thought Ligonier was a nice small town. Our Scout Camp was near there when I grew up.

I'm from that area, somewhat, and both Ligonier and Latrobe are nice.
There are a lot of small towns in PA that are very, very nice. Its the weather that I don't want to deal with anymore, especially in Western PA.

 

[sammyk]

Those are nice places but give me

Asheville
Apex
Wilmington
Wake Forest
Chapel Hill
Cary
Mebane
Top Sail
Weddington
Waxhall
Matthews

 

[nittanyfan333]

When did you graduate from Red Lion? I'm currently sitting at my desk in Dear Ole Red Lion High!

HAH! I graduated in 01.

 

[PS4814]

Should look at how far a buck goes ... affordability rather than house price and income ... St Mary's would be top 10 if you did this for example.

That would be fine if the list was for as you said affordability - but it's hard to call a town such as St. Mary's a best place to live that has had double digit population decline every decade going back to the 1980's per their wiki.

 

[nittanyfan333]

If you scroll all the way down , there is a PA map you can click on for the worst places. Lancaster city 23rd worst. I think not. Downtown is really getting gentrified and reclaimed.

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/lancaster-pennsylvania-cooler-article-1.2987478

https://nypost.com/2016/09/20/the-new-brooklyn-boogie-on-down-to-buggy-town/

agree whole heartedly with this. Lancaster is movin on up for sure. One of the few positives that hipsters bring with them. My sister and her fiancé are moving back to PA from Phoenix AZ and they’re gonna settle in Lancaster.

 

[Judge Smails]

You couldn’t pay me to live in Conshohocken or Ridley Park.

My wife works in Conshohocken, we never considered living there. It's an up and coming area, lots of bars and restaurants. Very walkable. But not a family vibe at all, imo. Most of her coworkers live in Ambler or Doylestown. We went west and it has worked out great. Great school district and the sport my daughter plays has an excellent program. But east gives you some flexibility if you have to commute to NYC or that area.

 

[PSUoh90]

No love for State College?

Many people think college towns in general are a fun place to live.

State College is #38 on the list. I have to imagine that high home values knocks them down a bit in the ranking, hence why Bellfonte is ranked much higher. I haven't really spent much time at all in State College since graduating and only realized somewhat recently that it's really quite expensive.

 

[PSUoh90]

My wife works in Conshohocken, we never considered living there. It's an up and coming area, lots of bars and restaurants. Very walkable. But not a family vibe at all, imo.

I agree with this, but it's really good for people in their late 20s/30s. Good amount of bars and restraunts for a suburb. In a lot of ways, it's the perfect location in the Philly area. It's Plymouth-Whitemarsh school district which I believe is good. Expensive for what it is though.

 

[RLCookie]

HAH! I graduated in 01.

I was here then too!

 

[kgilbert78]

The stonework in some of the houses shown in the photos is downright amazing. I’ve always wanted a new-built house with a Wissahickon Schist exterior. Sexier than my boss.

I always was surprised by the fact that at night the dirt in that area sparkles (from all of the mica in the soil from the rocks).

 

[PSU2UNC]

"bubble" vs "outside the bubble"

Real estate is a perfect illustration of the two America's.

Not sure what you mean by this.

Real estate is supply and demand. The reason it is so expensive in NYC, SF, DC, etc is that people are willing to pay that much to live there. If there are no buyers for a $700K 1 BR condo, then prices will come down. People want to live in those places. People (in general) do not want to live in Camp Hill.

 

[Nitt1300]

They lost me at Conshohocken. If that's a top ten in PA, things are a lot worse than I thought they were- and I thought they were bad.

 

[CF LION]

My wife and I considered retiring in new hope
LOVE Havanas
The countless hours we drank and watched the freaks, bikers and cars roll by were some of my favs. The key was to get a bar seat on the street side before the sun went down. Grab a good cigar across the street and watch the summer evening unfold before you.

Nektar is the go-to place for my girlfriend and me.

 

[katchthis]

Not sure what you mean by this.

Real estate is supply and demand. The reason it is so expensive in NYC, SF, DC, etc is that people are willing to pay that much to live there. If there are no buyers for a $700K 1 BR condo, then prices will come down. People want to live in those places. People (in general) do not want to live in Camp Hill.

Did you read the recent article in the WSJ? A lot of high end condos in magnificent buildings in Manhattan going unrented or unsold. . Overbuilt counting on overseas buyers.

 

[CF LION]

I've lived in every part of the state except for the NE region and been to many, many little 'burghs and boroughs. Places that would be considered for my top ten:

Doylestown
West Chester
Mount Lebanon
Shadyside in Pittsburgh
State College
Narbeth
Kennett Square
Hershey
New Hope
Media

 

[PSUoh90]

I've lived in every part of the state except for the NE region and been to many, many little 'burghs and boroughs. Places that would be considered for my top ten:

Doylestown
West Chester
Mount Lebanon
Shadyside in Pittsburgh
State College
Narbeth
Kennett Square
Hershey
New Hope
Media

Agree with all of those. Newtown and Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philly are both very nice also.

 

[delcoLion]

Ridley Park?

That was my reaction and Mrs delcoLion is from Ridley Park.

 

[Lion Son/Husband/Father]

Nektar is the go-to place for my girlfriend and me.

Is that the club across the street? Anyone remember Zadars? My bros and I pre kids used to do rails in the zadars men’s room. I saw buster douglas beat Tyson on the dance floor TVs. Miss those crazy days.

 

[LMTLION]

I've lived in every part of the state except for the NE region and been to many, many little 'burghs and boroughs. Places that would be considered for my top ten:

Doylestown
West Chester
Mount Lebanon
Shadyside in Pittsburgh
State College
Narbeth
Kennett Square
Hershey
New Hope
Media

I live in a very nice part of the Lehigh Valley, and have worked in a former company's facilities all over PA and have family/friends throughout the state. THe nicest municipalities in PA are found in the Philly suburbs, some of which are on your list, and 99% of the rest of the state does not even come close. The Philly area, Lehigh Valley, Lancaster County and parts of central PA are healthy with growth and opportunity, but the rest of PA feels like death. It's the unfortunate truth. At one point in my career for about 5 or 6 years (2005-2010) I did a lot of work in western PA and it was severe depression out there. The coal region is the same sense of death as well. Some towns may fall to ruins like the ghost towns of the west.

 

[royboy]

I live in a very nice part of the Lehigh Valley, and have worked in a former company's facilities all over PA and have family/friends throughout the state. THe nicest municipalities in PA are found in the Philly suburbs, some of which are on your list, and 99% of the rest of the state does not even come close. The Philly area, Lehigh Valley, Lancaster County and parts of central PA are healthy with growth and opportunity, but the rest of PA feels like death. It's the unfortunate truth. At one point in my career for about 5 or 6 years (2005-2010) I did a lot of work in western PA and it was severe depression out there. The coal region is the same sense of death as well. Some towns may fall to ruins like the ghost towns of the west.

Overstated and not accurate.

FWIW, in this ranking, half of the next 10 (11 thru 20) most desirable places to live in PA are western PA small towns. There is Economy in Beaver County and 4 towns/boroughs in Allegheny County -- Pleasant Hills, Forest Hills, Oakmont, and Dormont.

 

[LMTLION]

Overstated and not accurate.

FWIW, in this ranking, half of the next 10 (11 thru 20) most desirable places to live in PA are western PA small towns. There is Economy in Beaver County and 4 towns/boroughs in Allegheny County -- Pleasant Hills, Forest Hills, Oakmont, and Dormont.

I will take your word for it about those towns and even admit I like the city of Pittsburgh a lot, but my frequent experience in towns from sharon to washington and several in between at that time in my career was a sense of depression. One indicator of the vitality of an area is if people decide to raise their kids there. Only 3 of the 25 largest school districts are in western PA.

 

[YogiMan71]

I'm from that area, somewhat, and both Ligonier and Latrobe are nice.
There are a lot of small towns in PA that are very, very nice. Its the weather that I don't want to deal with anymore, especially in Western PA.

I agree with the Pa. weather. I love the dry climate and almost 300 days of sun per year in Colorado. I get outside more days over the course of a year than my cousin who lives in Florida. He says it’s way too hot in the summer and they get a fair amount of rain. There are usually less than 10 days over the course of a year I cannot get our Huskies out due to weather. I hung up my skis after 40 years when I turned 70 because of my love for high speed downhill and did not want to take the risk on anymore, but I sure miss the Bluebird days of skiing under cobalt blue skies, white peaks, and high altitude sun. People are much more pleasant in. States where the sun shines all the time also..

 

[BBrown]

I agree with the Pa. weather. I love the dry climate and almost 300 days of sun per year in Colorado. I get outside more days over the course of a year than my cousin who lives in Florida. He says it’s way too hot in the summer and they get a fair amount of rain. There are usually less than 10 days over the course of a year I cannot get our Huskies out due to weather. I hung up my skis after 40 years when I turned 70 because of my love for high speed downhill and did not want to take the risk on anymore, but I sure miss the Bluebird days of skiing under cobalt blue skies, white peaks, and high altitude sun. People are much more pleasant in. States where the sun shines all the time also..

My 4 year plan is to tough it out in Baltimore and then its off to Tucson.

 

[CF LION]

Is that the club across the street? Anyone remember Zadars? My bros and I pre kids used to do rails in the zadars men’s room. I saw buster douglas beat Tyson on the dance floor TVs. Miss those crazy days.

No. That is Stella's which is also really, really good. Had dinner there about a month ago with my girlfriend. It's owned by Iron Chef Jose Garces.

Nektar is a wine bar on Mechanic Street. It's across the street from the Bucks County Playhouse.

 

[CF LION]

I live in a very nice part of the Lehigh Valley, and have worked in a former company's facilities all over PA and have family/friends throughout the state. THe nicest municipalities in PA are found in the Philly suburbs, some of which are on your list, and 99% of the rest of the state does not even come close. The Philly area, Lehigh Valley, Lancaster County and parts of central PA are healthy with growth and opportunity, but the rest of PA feels like death. It's the unfortunate truth. At one point in my career for about 5 or 6 years (2005-2010) I did a lot of work in western PA and it was severe depression out there. The coal region is the same sense of death as well. Some towns may fall to ruins like the ghost towns of the west.

Agreed. I grew up in western PA and it saddens me to see how far some of the towns there have fallen. The western side of the state, except for some areas around Pittsburgh, has really fallen behind eastern PA.

I do like the Lehigh Valley. I've never lived there but have done some work in Allentown and Scranton. I like the vibe there. Real towns with real people.

 

[Langmuir]

Woohoo Bellefonte got some love.

However, I wanted to get out of there as soon possible when I was younger. I still have family there and visit often. I have zero interest in returning.

 

[lockhavenlion3]

Woohoo Bellefonte got some love.

However, I wanted to get out of there as soon possible when I was younger. I still have family there and visit often. I have zero interest in returning.

interesting. we bought a condo off off blanchard road rather than continue to pay for hotels. love the town. out of sc, but close to the small town vibe we grew up with. both wife & i grew up in lock haven.

 

[royboy]

My 4 year plan is to tough it out in Baltimore and then its off to Tucson.

Sounds like a good plan. Keep those pictures coming, too; you've supplied some great desert and mountain shots.