Is PA a good place to retire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Appreciate the additional responses. I was hoping for inexpensive housing but it sounds like if I want to keep Pennsylvania on my list, that Philly and environs would be a better fit.

These responses are also making me wonder if I should get DC to reconsider their college list as there are some PA schools they’re considering (yes, we started late).

I’m the PP who said every POC I know has fled the state. The students in the good PA colleges and universities are really nice and I would want my kids to look into them. It’s just the ignorance you encounter elsewhere that makes it uncomfortable for POCs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not retire to a republican state. Not as a woman, not as a jewish person, not as a PoC, not as a human. So PA and FL would be out. And I have no interest in Ann Arbor beyond a three-day weekend.

+1

[Anonymous]

NP. I live in Gettysburg. Yes, the surrounding areas are inhabited by (vocal) Trump supporters, but the town is quite nice. Our mayor is a Black woman, we have a robust Juneteenth celebration every year, and a Black history museum. There is a large MLK Day service, as well as many public events during February to honor Black History Month. There is also a not so small Latino population, around 15%, with an associated cultural center and other programming to bridge the gap between the Spanish speaking population and non-Hispanic majority.

Lots of people have retired from DC here. They enjoy the amenities of a college town, proximity to DC, lower taxes and housing prices, and safety. If you look at the county level or or House District the politics are undesirable to someone who is liberal to moderate. There is an issue of retaining professional POC, but that is being addressed by local employers to the extent that they have control over it.

I'm not trying to sell it on anyone, as we need more affordable housing for locals and there are likely more welcoming places for POC, but its not nearly as bad as some PP have painted it. Harrisburg is larger and the Black population is actually the majority, at just over 50%. The Latino population is slightly larger than the White population of Harrisburg. It's on an Amtrak line so has easy access to both Philadelphia and NYC.

I don't recommend York or Lancaster to anyone.

[Anonymous]

lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

Too fragile? No I don’t think that’s the issue. Why put up with that BS when you can find better places. You are not a POC obviously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

[Anonymous]

OP, remember it's cold there in winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not retire to a republican state. Not as a woman, not as a jewish person, not as a PoC, not as a human. So PA and FL would be out. And I have no interest in Ann Arbor beyond a three-day weekend.

What do you think might be good, non-GOP states?

I’m thinking maybe a university town in purplish state.

Agreed. Look at raleigh/Durham in NC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

Not as dumb as people here who think rural PA is a hotbed of Klan activity or something, lmao.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

Not as dumb as people here who think rural PA is a hotbed of Klan activity or something, lmao.

You should stop talking. Emptiness is showing.

- dp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

Not as dumb as people here who think rural PA is a hotbed of Klan activity or something, lmao.

https://www.witf.org/2018/08/22/racist_incidents_show_potential_resurgence_of_kkk_in_york_county_state_says/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

Not as dumb as people here who think rural PA is a hotbed of Klan activity or something, lmao.

I agree and these posts on here saying pa is all white it's total bs look it up there a good percentage of blacks in pa. People are so ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:lmao at all the POC who are too fragile to be around Pennsylvania white people 😂😂😂

You sound dumb.

Not as dumb as people here who think rural PA is a hotbed of Klan activity or something, lmao.

I agree and these posts on here saying pa is all white it's total bs look it up there a good percentage of blacks in pa. People are so ignorant.

No one disputes that. But most minorities live in/around Philly and Pittsburgh not in the rural middle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved from the DC area to the Brandywine Valley area of southeast PA. This might be what you want. It’s more expensive than central PA, but it’s wonderful here. I would look at West Chester (has a university), Kennett Square, Glen Mills and the surrounding small towns. Being POC in Lancaster won’t be great, I think, but being a POC in these areas is totally fine.

Maybe Bucks Countu, too? I haven’t spent that much time there. Certain areas in and around the Poconos have POC communities, like Stroudsburg. It’s a lot of upwardly mobile ex New Yorkers who want greenery and more space. Harrisburg/Hershey has state capital and Hershey activity to improve it.

I am a total PA booster - love my new state.

+1 to all of this about the Brandywine Valley/Southeast PA. I'm from the West Chester/Kennett Square area, and my relatives are all still there. You'd be fine in any of those areas. I don't have experience with Bucks County or the Poconos so am only commenting on PP's first paragraph. Go up for a tour and stop by Chadds Ford winery and Longwood Gardens on your way there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I live in Gettysburg. Yes, the surrounding areas are inhabited by (vocal) Trump supporters, but the town is quite nice. Our mayor is a Black woman, we have a robust Juneteenth celebration every year, and a Black history museum. There is a large MLK Day service, as well as many public events during February to honor Black History Month. There is also a not so small Latino population, around 15%, with an associated cultural center and other programming to bridge the gap between the Spanish speaking population and non-Hispanic majority.

Lots of people have retired from DC here. They enjoy the amenities of a college town, proximity to DC, lower taxes and housing prices, and safety. If you look at the county level or or House District the politics are undesirable to someone who is liberal to moderate. There is an issue of retaining professional POC, but that is being addressed by local employers to the extent that they have control over it.

I'm not trying to sell it on anyone, as we need more affordable housing for locals and there are likely more welcoming places for POC, but its not nearly as bad as some PP have painted it. Harrisburg is larger and the Black population is actually the majority, at just over 50%. The Latino population is slightly larger than the White population of Harrisburg. It's on an Amtrak line so has easy access to both Philadelphia and NYC.

I don't recommend York or Lancaster to anyone.

"I don't recommend York or Lancaster to anyone."

Why? This is a bold statement to make without explanation, I'm curious why you say that, please fill us in, thanks