Recent comments in /f/Pennsylvania

Allemaengel t1_j82hpxq wrote

Reply to comment by Mfees in Pottsville, PA - What’s it like? Senior dad looking to move by travelresearch

I know about those and you're right - that's all true.

What I meant was regarding high-quality geriatric emergency care for an elderly person being moved into a town by out-of-state relatives with no family or friends in the area. They're living alone and in the event of a major medical crisis, having to be transported to the LVH or St. Luke's in the Lehigh Valley, etc.

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Allemaengel t1_j82esd6 wrote

Reply to comment by travelresearch in Pottsville, PA - What’s it like? Senior dad looking to move by travelresearch

If buying a house there, do due diligence on its age, quality of original construction and any subsequent renovations. Get a good home inspector. A lot of Coal Region towns have poorly-documented abandoned 19th century coal mine tunnels under them which as the timbers collapse can cause subsidence so proper insurance is important.

If renting, make sure it's maintained to safe standards by a reputable local landlord. Plenty of instances of our-of-town or out-of-state slumlords out there.

Finally pay attention to the immediate neighbors and the condition of their properties. Often fires break out and due to poor construction practices and non-existent fire code back in the day, an entire row of houses can go up just like that.

None of this is meant to scare you out of doing this but not many people move INTO the Coal Region. Traditionally, people like my great-grandfather have always tried to get OUT, lol.

Good luck with your Dad.

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tyrael459 t1_j82c3yw wrote

Reply to Pottsville, PA - What’s it like? Senior dad looking to move by travelresearch

Pottsville and the areas between it and places like Hamburg and the Reading suburbs are slowly coming up to speed.

Pottsville itself just had its two hospitals taken over by Lehigh Valley in the last couple years, so the quality of services there and at other offices in the area have increased a bit. There is also a brand-new St.Luke’s hospital that opened last year on route 61 between Pottsville and Orwigsburg.

Pottsville is deceptively large and has different neighborhoods. Not many homeowners actually live in the downtown area; most of the “city” homes are in the blocks that run up from the main drag on Centre Street.

There are a handful of local business owners who have hosted a spate of new restaurants downtown in the last 5ish years, and Yuengling is in the process of handing the reins down from Dick to his daughters, and they are hosting more and more events and becoming more involved in the community.

For someone older not looking for a big scene or anything, it’s really not a bad place. In my opinion, Pottsville is on the edge right now of which way it might go. Plenty of community really steering it in good directions, but also lots of county seat and “city” problems that the local government needs to adapt to quickly.

Pottsville and Orwigsburg would be the only two places in Schuylkill County I would want to live if having access to more modern services is at all important to you.

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Allemaengel t1_j82b6f6 wrote

Reply to Pottsville, PA - What’s it like? Senior dad looking to move by travelresearch

I grew up and still live not that far from there and yes, Pottsville looks better than it used to in the 1970s and 1980s. So for some people it's going to be intriguing due to it's affordability.

However, I think at least a minor concern is that if Dad has any kind of major medical emergency, he's not likely to get too-quality medical care super quick there compared to what you might be used to in NJ.

Also the housing is cheap because a lot of it's basically hundred-plus year old miner housing with rickety frame construction, several layers of crappy siding put on over the years, crumbling foundations, outdated electrical, bad plumbing/HVAC, asbestos, old roof, etc.

The Skook's gonna Skook, lol.

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