Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 19:53     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Outside of the immediate west shore, this is former steel and coal country. This is not where you go to find culture or art, or anything you'd think of as urban or upscale. The populace is not as highly educated in the DMV and not sophisticated in the least, for good and bad. There are no great restaurants or museums or shopping. Think Olive Garden and Costco and the like. There is absolutely zero equivalent of CC or Bethesda or even Potomac.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 19:43     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.


Did you read the whole thread? PP was responding to the comment "The area is a mix of suburban and rural. Mechanicsburg is more affluent." Even in poorer rural areas there are still more desirable areas that people want to live in.


I don't think you understand the culture of the region. There is not a "rich" town and Central PA covers a huge geographic area. If you pick a given town, yes it's better to be in a house surrounded by farmland/forest or in a nicer development than a trailer park, but there's no "Bethesda" of the region, if you will.


Yes, exactly. It's not like in DC, where if you want to signal that you're wealthy you buy in Chevy Chase or Mclean or a couple of other neighborhoods. There are wealthier and poorer people most everywhere in central PA. It's not as divided by wealth and it's not as status-obsessed, which are good things in my mind!


Agree. I think only if you’re looking to buy in the city (different county) would those questions be important to know which areas to look at.
That said, out of the various towns in Cumberland I think the only one I wouldn’t be that keen on is Lemoyne. Possible I just don’t know where the nicer spots are there but most of it that I drive through all looks kind of run down.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 11:57     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.


Did you read the whole thread? PP was responding to the comment "The area is a mix of suburban and rural. Mechanicsburg is more affluent." Even in poorer rural areas there are still more desirable areas that people want to live in.


I don't think you understand the culture of the region. There is not a "rich" town and Central PA covers a huge geographic area. If you pick a given town, yes it's better to be in a house surrounded by farmland/forest or in a nicer development than a trailer park, but there's no "Bethesda" of the region, if you will.


Yes, exactly. It's not like in DC, where if you want to signal that you're wealthy you buy in Chevy Chase or Mclean or a couple of other neighborhoods. There are wealthier and poorer people most everywhere in central PA. It's not as divided by wealth and it's not as status-obsessed, which are good things in my mind!
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 11:50     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.


Did you read the whole thread? PP was responding to the comment "The area is a mix of suburban and rural. Mechanicsburg is more affluent." Even in poorer rural areas there are still more desirable areas that people want to live in.


I don't think you understand the culture of the region. There is not a "rich" town and Central PA covers a huge geographic area. If you pick a given town, yes it's better to be in a house surrounded by farmland/forest or in a nicer development than a trailer park, but there's no "Bethesda" of the region, if you will.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 11:36     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.


Did you read the whole thread? PP was responding to the comment "The area is a mix of suburban and rural. Mechanicsburg is more affluent." Even in poorer rural areas there are still more desirable areas that people want to live in.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 11:27     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
I grew up in Camp Hill and my folks life in that area still now. It's a very nice town. It has a few restaurants in its Market Street area but mostly is just convenient to get to lots of places - 10 min or so to Harrisburg or out to the Pike. Maybe 20 to Carlisle?

Feel - relatively moderate. Yes, mainly white; probably Indian immigrants may be the most sizable minority contingency (still not a big amount %-wise though) since it's an area for computer programming.

My parents regularly do different festivals or things in the wider area and it's not the mob scene they always are in the DC area. I'd gladly move back if what I do for work was up there.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 09:40     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Decent amount of government employees, both locally and some long distance hybrid commuters to the DC area.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 09:29     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.


Agreed ... this isn't really a thing.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 09:05     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Affluent people don't all live in one place. There are neighborhoods with huge houses in Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Harrisburg and Hershey. There are also some secluded properties with some acreage that are estate like and those aren't in any particular area (and wouldn't really be visible if you're driving around). Depends what you want.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 08:58     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
It depends what you want. There are some neighborhoods with huge, fancy houses in Camp Hill and Mechanicsburg on the West Shore. There are also some in Harrisburg and Hershey. Some of the wealthiest people live in secluded estate like properties with some acreage that aren't really visible if you're just driving around, and those aren't concentrated in any particular area.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 08:51     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:Where is the richest most affluent area/section of central pa? Where do most people want to live?


I’m from central PA and this question made me chuckle. If this is particularly important to you it might be hard to find your people.
Anonymous
Post 04/04/2024 08:43     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The west shore - Camp Hill is pretty wealthy. Nothing is urban apart from Harrisburg but that’s across the river. There’s a lot of evangelical church-based culture. A lot of hunting. A lot of Trump supporters. Carlisle has significant military culture with both the Army War College and lots of military retirees.

The landscapes are really pretty. The produce is nice. You should visit and check it out before you buy. Each town/neighborhood has its own character and you may find one spot to be a better fit than the other. Do you like an old stone farmhouse with character? A modern new build with amenities? Walking distance to cafes? A view of a creek or river? Lots to consider. Do you want a yard? Lots of land? Animals? Neighbors?


That said - none of the wealth there compares to anything you’d find in Falls Church or Chevy Chase. Different orders of magnitude. It’s all pretty quaint. [/quote
Actually there are quite a few families that own businesses who are very wealthy. Not billionaire wealthy (although some are close) but more wealth than your DC law firm partners, lobbyists and PR types.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 22:49     Subject: Re:Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Cumberland County is a great place. It is the fastest growing county in PA.

We had a very nice year there for a one-year assignment in Carlisle and it was bittersweet coming back "home" inside the beltway.

The county offers a wide range of living options from the West Shore of the Susquehanna directly across from Harrisburg; to Carlisle, the County Seat and College Town, to the increasing commercial sprawl of Mechanicsburg.

Great location and just a few hours' drive to so much.


Thank you for your reply. Are the people there nicer than here? Do they drive like their goal is to murder everyone or are they more calm and laidback?

Carlisle is more urban then say Camp Hill or mechanicsburg pa correct? Mechanicsburg pa is quite busy I think.



It depends upon what you mean by nice. Are you straight, white and Christian? Then you should do fine. People will be reasonably friendly. If you’re not, it may take you a minute to find your crowd. If you’re gay or Jewish or non-white I might look near Dickinson or on the West Shore. There are more pockets of liberals there.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 22:46     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
Anonymous wrote:The west shore - Camp Hill is pretty wealthy. Nothing is urban apart from Harrisburg but that’s across the river. There’s a lot of evangelical church-based culture. A lot of hunting. A lot of Trump supporters. Carlisle has significant military culture with both the Army War College and lots of military retirees.

The landscapes are really pretty. The produce is nice. You should visit and check it out before you buy. Each town/neighborhood has its own character and you may find one spot to be a better fit than the other. Do you like an old stone farmhouse with character? A modern new build with amenities? Walking distance to cafes? A view of a creek or river? Lots to consider. Do you want a yard? Lots of land? Animals? Neighbors?


That said - none of the wealth there compares to anything you’d find in Falls Church or Chevy Chase. Different orders of magnitude. It’s all pretty quaint.
Anonymous
Post 04/03/2024 22:45     Subject: Does anyone live in Cumberland County PA? Or know about it?
The west shore - Camp Hill is pretty wealthy. Nothing is urban apart from Harrisburg but that’s across the river. There’s a lot of evangelical church-based culture. A lot of hunting. A lot of Trump supporters. Carlisle has significant military culture with both the Army War College and lots of military retirees.

The landscapes are really pretty. The produce is nice. You should visit and check it out before you buy. Each town/neighborhood has its own character and you may find one spot to be a better fit than the other. Do you like an old stone farmhouse with character? A modern new build with amenities? Walking distance to cafes? A view of a creek or river? Lots to consider. Do you want a yard? Lots of land? Animals? Neighbors?