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Born and raised in York. A few comments for anyon - 5/11/2008
Greetings everyone!
You can see most of the demographics of York on this site so I'll do my best to summarize what may otherwise not be data logged. I'm 25 years old and have lived in York most of those years (minus college and a few months here and there for internships). I tell you this because my viewpoints may differ due to my position in life in comparison to your own. Understand that these are just my opinions and others will undoubtedly disagree.
The City:
York City leaves much to be desired. The city government seems to try hard to revive city life and they've done an honorable job to this point with the addition of a new minor league baseball stadium and a renovation project called the "Northwest Triangle". Personally, I have trouble envisioning a safe, hustling bustling town with successful small shops and restaurants. There's just too much crime and poverty and not enough money and police to keep the place safe. There are, however, some exceptional establishments downtown which are unfortunately spread too far away from each other to create a central shopping/entertainment district. York economic leaders should consult Harrisburg (25 minutes North) to understand how to inject life into a struggling downtown... 2nd street is a great example of good economic planning - keeping the restaurants and entertainment on one safe street with a large parking garage centrally located for easy access.
The Surrounding Area:
I currently live in the suburbs. Economic development in East York has rapidly expanded over the years and nearly any shopping you can think of can be found in either East or West York. There are plenty of parks and outdoor recreational areas to enjoy. The rail trail is a neat project which has been ongoing for decades and currently extends from North York down into Maryland. Rocky Ridge park makes for some neat hiking and mountain biking. Lake Redman is a fully man-made lake with paddle boat and kayak rentals in the Summer. If you're into boating, fishing, kayaking, the Susquehanna River is a very fun place in the Summer (search for Long Level Marina or Lake Clarke). Kelly's Run in Southern York Co. is a great spot for hiking. Gifford Pinchot State Park in Northern York Co. has over 2,300 acres of land with a 340 acre lake and camping facilities.
Location:
I'm sure you're all aware of where York is located but may be interested in actual driving times to bigger cities. Baltimore is a short drive from York - depending on the time of day. If you're planning on living in York to commute to Baltimore or Towson, make sure you drive an automatic and take the paper with you before you leave in the morning because you will be crawling on I-83-South for your morning (and evening) commute. If you just want to head down for a day on the weekend, downtown Baltimore is about an hour drive (faster or slower depending on your style). Philadelphia is about a 2 hour drive. Harrisburg is a smooth drive (outside of the rush hours) in about 25-30 minutes. If you want to live in York and commute to Lancaster, the drive is very smooth and expeditious, however they're currently doing construction on Rt.30 which makes the drive longer. From the Mt. Zion exit on Rt. 30 to Lancaster is about a 20-25 minute drive.
Jobs:
York is a very blue-collar town as you can see in the demographics. Most jobs are industrial in nature with plenty of manufacturing facilities for things like military vehicles (BAE Systems), motorcycles (Harley-Davidson), barbells (York Barbell), and York Air (a division of Johnson Controls) to name a few. I'm an engineer so I'm more familiar with the technical related jobs so I can't offer too much insight on other opportunities in the area.
Conclusion:
York City is currently not a great place to live. The economic planners are working on it, but I personally see the lack of capital funding the scissors that snipped the city's wings.
There are many more interesting areas to live than York, so I wouldn't move here with high expectations. In the next few years, I'll be looking to move away from the area. It's tough not to be influenced by friends who grew up with me in the area, as they're always criticizing York but I try to be as objective as possible. York has some great qualities, for sure, but if you're looking for excitement, I'd move on.
I know how difficult it is to get a good understanding of an area and always find it helpful to hear from a local. If you have further questions about the area, I'll be more than happy to try and help, but please do your research first, as you can find many things about York on the internet.[read more...] |
