Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, you certainly get a lot for your money.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1062-Newgate-Dr_Allentown_PA_18103_M30265-83188?ex=PA604196869

OP here -- this is what appeals to me honestly. The commute would be sub 30 minutes and we could live in a house like this. DH we live in a dumpy house that cost close to a million dollars in order to have a decent commute, and the commute is still annoying and stressful some days. Also I am not sold on raising kids in DH. The teens in our neighborhood seem overly tutored and a ton of prep and pressure for college which is not the environment we grew up in. We are both from midwest and lived in Chicago before DC. I think I would be ok with small town life, but the suggestion to go visit for a week is a good one. I don't know the area at all.

I'm the PP who posted the link. I've spent A LOT of time in quasi-rural parts of PA, as I have two kids who play travel hockey. That said, that has probably negatively skewed my perspective of the area due to the people I've encountered that way and the places we seem to get stuck (including Allentown). I'm not fond of PA in general as a result, and I would definitely urge you to spend some time checking it out. But if you're from the Midwest, there are probably aspects that will appeal to you that I definitely disliked. (Like being out in nowhere, or feeling that way). I'm from a large city outside the US, so small town or rural Americana are not for me.

That part of PA that you are looking in is better than central (Hershey, York, Altoona) which have no redeeming qualities I've ever found. Run down, poor, high drug use, everything people like to think of WV.

Anonymous wrote:Well, you certainly get a lot for your money.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1062-Newgate-Dr_Allentown_PA_18103_M30265-83188?ex=PA604196869

OP here -- this is what appeals to me honestly. The commute would be sub 30 minutes and we could live in a house like this. DH we live in a dumpy house that cost close to a million dollars in order to have a decent commute, and the commute is still annoying and stressful some days. Also I am not sold on raising kids in DH. The teens in our neighborhood seem overly tutored and a ton of prep and pressure for college which is not the environment we grew up in. We are both from midwest and lived in Chicago before DC. I think I would be ok with small town life, but the suggestion to go visit for a week is a good one. I don't know the area at all.

Well, you certainly get a lot for your money.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1062-Newgate-Dr_Allentown_PA_18103_M30265-83188?ex=PA604196869

Agree that the Lehigh Valley isn't central PA, it is eastern. One of the nice things about the area is that you have pretty easy access to NYC and Philly both, while also being surrounded by great outdoor stuff -- close to skiing, hiking, etc.
There is definitely poverty in the area, but certainly not all. There are some great small towns, some small pockets of urban neighborhood feel in Easton or Bethlehem (limited, but they are there), and then lots of suburbia where you get space for little money. And MUCH better traffic than the DC area.

The Lehigh Valley isn't central PA!!! It's southeastern PA and has a different culture and feel than central PA (which would be Harrisburg or York). It's a decent place to live with lots of pharma people who work in North Jersey and many colleges.

Have you visited the area? You should try doing that on the weekend and see what your first impressions are.

I lived there and worked at one of those schools many years ago and liked it -- and from what I understand the area has gotten better in the past 20 years. There are other, smaller and less well known schools in the area as well. If you're able to link into the college/university communities, it will be an easier transition because so many of those jobs (and the people in them) are transient, which helps address the issue PP raised about the small, stable community. If you did a masters program in a higher ed field, you probably already know someone at one of those schools or know someone who does, so tap into that to get more information, contacts, job leads. As far as I recall and know, people there are kind and not nearly as competitive about crap as they are here. Good access to Philadelphia and NY, which is a plus.

If you have an opportunity to get out of here and aren't terribly opposed to small town life, I would do it.

Have you been to Allentown? I'd spend a weekend there and see if you like it. My inlaws are from this area (45 min away from Allentown, but central PA) and I can't see myself living there at all. High poverty, lots of opioid drug abuse and I don't like the city services (lack of sidewalks, lack of infrastructure, no parks, libraries are bad). The pp mentioned insular and that's correct. There's also little to do at night other than bars and chain restaurants. I'm not someone who needs high class city life, but nice, clean suburbs are my jam. Pittsburgh is very nice though!

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- I am not opposed to moving... I love our DC life aside from anxiety about money which would be resolved moving to a lower COL area. I also wouldn't mind a slower pace and the feeling of perceived competition. It would be with a pharma/device type company and would be a great landing place since it isn't bottom of the barrel in house. I just am exhausted from our last move and buying a house and uprooting so fast seems like a pain. I currently work in education, so may be able to get a job at one of the universities near there (Layfayette or Lehigh) if my position became available.

Have you actively looked for jobs in the area for yourself? Have you considered tossing your resume out to the area to test the waters? You might get an idea of the job market in a couple of weeks.

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- I am not opposed to moving... I love our DC life aside from anxiety about money which would be resolved moving to a lower COL area. I also wouldn't mind a slower pace and the feeling of perceived competition. It would be with a pharma/device type company and would be a great landing place since it isn't bottom of the barrel in house. I just am exhausted from our last move and buying a house and uprooting so fast seems like a pain. I currently work in education, so may be able to get a job at one of the universities near there (Layfayette or Lehigh) if my position became available.

What year associate is your DH? Is it really soooo hard to save in DC on a mid level/senior associate type salary? Maybe it's because I moved from NYC, I just don't find it sooooo costly here.

That being said, if he wants to go in house in pharma/device and start of relatively senior, yeah you're going to have to move. There are companies randomly in Pa. but most of the bigger ones are in NJ or Mass. -- also not super cheap places to live and also fairly competitive. So if COL and pace of life is a huge issue, central Pa. may be your best bet.

OP here -- I am not opposed to moving... I love our DC life aside from anxiety about money which would be resolved moving to a lower COL area. I also wouldn't mind a slower pace and the feeling of perceived competition. It would be with a pharma/device type company and would be a great landing place since it isn't bottom of the barrel in house. I just am exhausted from our last move and buying a house and uprooting so fast seems like a pain. I currently work in education, so may be able to get a job at one of the universities near there (Layfayette or Lehigh) if my position became available.

It doesn't sound like the OP is in favor of moving - I predict doing so would be bad for her marriage. Thus, I'd recommend dealing with the high-cost of living in DC for now. Revisit the idea of moving in a few years as your child approaches elementary school age.

I'm from that area (generally - closer to Phil though). I think you need to think about what you want. What do you do for a living? Unless it's healthcare, you aren't guaranteed a job in that area. So do you want to not work - bc that is a real possibility?

Also, I think it's right to view this as the last offer for a while. If he goes there and doesn't like it, it's not like he can just try to lateral to a big firm or boutique in Philadelphia bc that won't work with a 1 hr+ commute. Nor are there tons of other in house options to be had. So if you guys go there and don't adjust to the area/he doesn't like the job -- you need to consider that you're moving again. (For that reason -- I would NOT buy a house immediately -- things do not sell in that area like they do here, you can easily be stuck with a house on the market for years -- even given this hot economy).

Finally consider that that area is pretty insular. Everyone I went to HS with pretty much still lives there or within 40 min of where we grew up. So do all their extended families. That means their priority is for their kids to play with their cousin's kids on the weekends etc., extended family get togethers etc. It can be hard to move to places like that knowing no one. That being said, you could luck out. You could end up in a neighborhood or school classroom or sports team (if there are kids) that want to include the new family.

Unless the job is with Vanguard (which I don't think it is bc that's not as far west in Pa.), I would think long and hard about the mobility/exit options from that type of job. (I mention Vanguard bc a job there is super marketable in the financial services space in any number of other east coast areas should you leave.)

We moved for my husband's job to the middle of nowhere. Nice state but very small town and over an hour in traffic to the closest major city. I did not find a job here. I had to improvise and started my own consulting firm online. It's ok but I clearly have no prospects, I am alone a lot. my husband loves his job and as for right now I am doing it for him but often think I should have been more selfish...

DH and I moved to DC 3 years ago for his job -- he is an attorney. He is liking but not loving his firm and, just like every associate should be, is looking for exit option. He has been speaking with a large company that is headquartered in semi-central PA near Easton/Bethlehem/Allentown for a non-entry level in house job. We hate the high cost of living in DC... bought a house 2 years ago, have a one year old, love our neighborhood. We are in a very desirable area so if we sold we would probably come out even in the end with the house having appreciated but having to pay realtor fees. I won't have a ton of job opportunities there, but would find something. I am not the breadwinner. If he gets this job do you think we should move? We would be an hour + from Philadelphia and do not know anyone in PA. I just worry if he gets this offer it may be his last for awhile. We are happy in DC but feel like we aren't saving enough etc.