I may be moving to Pennsylvania

[Paragon]

I have no love for Cincinnati, never have - and I just might get out of here soon.

So, Pennsylvaniacs...tell me what I might be in for. All I really know is that the Philly sports fans are off their collective nut. What else do I need to know about your state?

[regularguy]

1. Philadelphia at one end, Pittsburgh at the other end, and

Alabama in the middle.

The only place I've lived in PA. is Center City Philadelphia and I loved it. The secret's out though, so it isn't as cheap as it used to be.

[murielm99]

2. My daughter lives in Pittsburgh

and I have been there to visit. It is the most confusing damn city! The three rivers make it that way.

There is plenty of culture there, but it is still actually a very working class area. Remember, you will have Santorum as your senator, lol.

[Paragon]

3. Ooh, you're right

I wanna work on the campaign of the person who runs against him next time!

[Richardo]

4. Go to Pittsburgh...

Stay west of Harrisburg :-)

[Paragon]

9. I don't get it.

What's east of Harrisburg?

[Richardo]

11. Philly!

:evilgrin:

[Whitacre D_WI]

5. BIG problem with that idea...

You can't get Empress Chili in Pennsylvania.

(other than lame stuff like family & friends & good music & whatnot) Cincinnati chili is the only thing I miss about good old OH. So much so that my uncle gave me a 4-pack of Skyline in the cans for Christmas! :)

[dolo amber]

18. Pffft....

Skyline...:eyes:

Boy, don't you know Gold Star is THE WAY?? :P

[Whitacre D_WI]

20. Gold Star ain't NOTHIN' sister!

Okay, Gold Star, Skyline -- both are good.

EMPRESS is the Queen of Queen City Chili!

[dolo amber]

24. Oh yeah??

Well, Mr. Smarty-boxers, there didn't happen to BE an Empress on any of my drunken-stumbling-home routes, so there! :P

There were both GS and Skyline (pronounced "Ska-lini" when yer wantin' ta sound fancy ;)) on the way, and lemme tell ya, there's nothing like a Gold Star 3-way at 3 in the morning. :9

Oh yeah, and some chili. :D

[Whitacre D_WI]

26. Ugh.

I'm thinkin' about some of the ladies & gents worked at the Gold Star on Short Vine.

That's an image I won't forget too soon.

[dolo amber]

28. (Sorry for the thread jacking, Paragon)

That, as it happens, was MY Gold Star. :D

Once when Mudhoney played at Sudsy's, we took the guys there after for a gnosh...Matt (that one guy, with the flannel..?) opened his container and was all "Oh MAN! They put chili on my spaghetti!" :(

And much hilarity ensued.:D

But yes, there were ALWAYS some colorful characters in the Short Vine Gold Star, both employees and customers. I miss the 'Nati. x(

[Whitacre D_WI]

29. So... when WERE you in Cincinnasty?

Y'know, time frame?

'cause me 'n' Big Tommy Mo (of Torso Murder Records fame, currently in Cleveland, o'course, buddy of Darren from Shake It) used to watch the rock and/or roll at Sudsy's (and do our laundry) and sometimes (like for big bands like Sonic Youth and the Dead Milkmen) Bogart's; and we would have many, many three-(and four!)-ways at that particular GSC.

This was all between '92 (or so) and '96 (or so). Frontloaded, on accounta we was in college mosty the latter few years.

[JVS]

6. Pittsburgh is nice

[tigereye]

8. PA is pretty with terrible roads

I like Philly - lots of culture and close to DC and NYC. However, I have lived in Pittsburgh for many years and it has much to recommend it.

PROS
Good housing prices
lots of things to do
friendly people
lots of Dems
generally safe
lots of good hospitals


CONS
weather is a pain - very grey at times
public transp is quite limited
somewhat provincial attitudes about work and change
rightwing Senator

just my two cents

[murielm99]

10. I think it is nice, too.

I am sorry if my first post did not convey that.

Work hard against Santorum when you move there.

[felonious thunk]

7. I'm a PA native

Philly is the best city in the state, but downtown Pittsburgh isn't bad either. I like the entire Philly area, even the burbs have some character. I know it's right-leaning, but West Chester is one of the prettiest towns I've ever seen.

Harrisburg area is a bit too right wing, but Lancaster is a nice city. There isn't much in State College, but as it's a college town, it can be fun (and also irritating). Gettysburg is a beautiful town, and only an hour and a half from DC and Baltimore. Carlisle is also a nice older town, but if you stray from the downtown, it's very right wing.

[happyslug]

12. Some Pennsylvania-ism

First you can NOT buy beer in a Food Store (Out of staters have been knows to go to the Help Desk at a Supermarket and ask "Where is the Beer" and the answer is "Not in this state"). Beer is sold at Bars and Beer Distributors ONLY. Not in any food stores.

Hard Liquor is controlled by the state who reserves the right to sell it through their own stores (Often called "state stores" for that reason.

You will have to turn in your out of state driver's license when you obtain a Pa Driver's License.

We only Issue ONE License plate per car (None for the Front).

Our State Income Tax is a STRAIGHT Rate, no gradual rated system like the Federal Income Tax.

[happyslug]

13. I like the Mountains

Pennsylvania had a very good Secretary of Parks in the 1940s and 1950s. He adopted a policy of a state park in every county, which is almost succeeded in doing (Philadelphia county does not have a state park, and Allegheny County, Pittsburgh's County, just has a little day use park). He also designed them so that successors could not make them fee use parks (He put them on both sides of major two lanes roads etc. He had faith that one of his successors would try to make them fee use, thus he designed them NOT be be fee usable).

As I said a nice set of parks. Pennsylvania has recently adopted the Rails to Trails system, they are still trying to get the Washington to Pittsburgh Rails to Trail fully open. It might be by 2004 (and yes, it will be easier to bike from Philadelphia to DC and than to Pittsburgh than to Bike directly between the two cities of PA. That has always been one of the problem with have a set of Mountains between your two major cities.)

List of Rails to trails:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/rails/index.html

List of State Parks, State Forests:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/

List of State Game Lands:
http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/
(In Western Pa the Game Commission has more land than the State Forest and State Parks. You do NOT have to be a hunter to use them).

[CrownPrinceBandar]

22. And you'll be near WV...

where the real mountains are! Sorry happyslug, just joshin'.

The only prob I have with the 'Burgh is that they are perpetually working on the roads around there. It seems that PennDOT is always blocking the very road you need to be on or the detour signs are ill-placed. The worst is the work going on in the tubes.

But the view coming out of the tunnel on 279 is breathtaking. You are surrounded by hills going into the tunnel, but coming out onto the bridge, the skyline is so beautiful. I'd argue its one of the best in the country.

[HawkerHurricane]

34. Real Mountains?

No real mountains in the Eastern US.

[bleedingheart]

14. Tons to do in Pittsburgh!

Sports
Museums
Nightlife in the Strip.
World renown universities (CMU, Pittsburgh, Duquesne..etc)
Loads of ethnic cultural areas and foods


I have traveled all around the country but I do love my hometown.

[Whitacre D_WI]

15. And Karl Hendricks!

I really dig the Karl Hendricks Trio. He's one of my favorite working songwriters.


edit: "favorite," not "farovite."

[Richardo]

16. The Pirates and Stillers are my "farovite" teams!

Couldn't help it, Whitacre! :evilgrin:

[Whitacre D_WI]

17. Thank you! Thank you!

I'll be here all week!

[bleedingheart]

23. hey yinz guys...be nice

cuz no one likes a jagoff...

[Rockholm]

19. Philadelphia ROCKS!

I live in Boston now, but regret leaving Philadelphia. I lived in Center City from 1988-1991. It is the best kept secret in the country. Well, it used to be. Great arts community, awesome food, sights, the Jersey Shore is 1 hour away. NYC and DC are close. The zoo is amazing, the EAGLES, Sixers and Phillies are great. The PATRIOTS are #1, but still love those EAGLES.
The only downside....People who were born and raised in Philadelphia...hate the place. People who move to Philadelphia from other places....LOVE IT. What is up with that???????

[Hubert Flottz]

21. Send me some Pencils when you get there!

Stop in WV and spend some money! We Need It!

[spychoactive]

25. Reading,PA is the 25th most dangerous city in america...

BUT! the outer countryside is so beautiful and picturesque, right in the middle od PA dutch country, and it's kind of a "hub"...being 3 hours from New York and DC, and an hour from wonderful Philly and about 4 hours from Pittsburgh...just lock yer doors and avoid eye contact at intersections when cruising downtown for sweet outlet deals and searching for the Reading Railroad...which you won't find because the Bloods and Crips hocked for crack...

you've got a friend in pennsylvania, just tell him to stay outta Reading!

one love
spike

so where ARE ya moving to Paragon?

don't forget Awwlin SPECTRE!!!!!!!!! (whatta peach!)

[BlueStateGirl]

27. Philly is great. I am not saying we aren't off our nut a little when it

comes to sports, but 20 years worth of losing will do that to you.

There are a couple great up an dcoming neighborhoods... Northern Liberties, SoSo ( South of South Street East of the Schuylkill River), and Queen's Village. And some great established neighborhoods like Olde City and Center City.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is world class, and we are also home to the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris. We are home to Fairmount Park, Tasty Cakes, Cheesesteaks,Rocky, Independence Hall, a brand new Constituoin Center, and located right across the river from beautiful Camden , New Jersey. ;)

Rents and home prices are on the expensive side of reasonable, but not astronomical.
Very close to other great NE cities like NYC, five hour drive form Boston, 100 miles from DC. Close to beaches and skiing, and if you want to escape the city Bucks and Lancaster counties are easy daytrips.

Unfortunately Rick Santorum is your JR Senator.

[AlFrankenFan]

30. Don't move to Camp Hill

Part of my family lives there - very conservative. Harrisburg is nice, its suburbs are pretty conservative. I haven't been up to the Philly area but I hear it's pretty liberal.

[HawkerTyphoon]

31. Lancaster County

When I moved to Akron, PA 5 years ago(about 12 miles north-east of Lancaster City) the number of registered Democrats doubled. VERY conservative. Most of them consider right wingers to be too liberal.

Very pretty to look at, humidity in the high 80/90 %. YUK!

Watch out for the Amish buggies. It's a real thrill to be doing 45 mph on a pretty country road and come around a corner/over a hill and be confronted with an 8 mph buggy clip-clopping along. What's more fun is to find someone passing a buggy from the other direction.

Speaking of roads, the road system was designed in the 1700's. Very narrow, not planned for cars.

I have to drive 80 miles to Philadelphia to skeptic meetings (PhACT), 50 miles to York to non-believers (PANB) and the PANB got kicked out of the Public Library and now have their meetings at the Unitarian Church.

The John Wayne Film Festival is the cultural high-light of the year.

It's difficult for a NYC-Californian to cope except in Philly & Pittsburgh.

[Whitacre D_WI]

32. 2 reasons to move to PA:

1) Yeungling
2) Straub

[dolo amber]

35. That there Yeungling's

some good stuff...got a 6 of the Lager and a 6 of the Black & Tan in the fridge right now. :9

(Thanks to MonicaL for turning Shortbus onto it last summer! :thumbsup: :D)

[Whitacre D_WI]

36. I despise you two.

Can't get Yuengling's out here. Only in PA, NYC, and (apparently, my buddy backs this up, and with your experience) NC.


I WANT MY FRIGGIN' YUENGLING'S!!!

[Pale Blue Dot]

33. We need more Democrats in the Philly suburbs!

If you move out here my wife and I will cook you a nice meal!

[mvd]

37. Civil Philly sports fan here

You will find them. :-) I like State College the most. Philadelphia's suburbs are laid out in such a way that you often don't get the services found in places near big cities. And IMO, the quality of the services, from the grocery stores to fast food stores to the cable companies, also lag. The people around here are in general pretty provincial, too. Pittsburgh wasn't a nice looking area IMO and I could still smell the factories.

[LynneSin]

38. Move to Delaware

Home of Tax Free Shopping and Wilmington is 30 minutes from Philly

:D