Decades past its prime with no real future.
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9/12/2020
I've lived here for over three decades and it's become progressively worse year by year. This is an old mining city, as many are in this part of Pennsylvania.
The job market is nearly non-existent as the only economy evolves around a neighboring state correctional institute, hospitals/clinics, and warehousing/distribution centers. You can find smaller, part-time jobs at the local Wal-Mart, corner stores, or the local amusement park. The closest major city for careers is Harrisburg, which is easily an hour and a half away without traffic.
The housing market is absurd as the "$32,000" average listed on this website will purchase you a decent "row-home" (townhouse) that, most likely, will need significant renovation. The low income that the majority of local jobs produce leads a lot of home owners to forgo repairing their homes. There are single homes, some with no off-street parking and some with garages, but those houses could cost anywhere from $100,000 to $250,000. The low end of that is still below the national average, but far above what I'd consider "reasonable" for this area.
A lot of the homes have fallen into such disrepair that city (and even neighboring Coal Township) has placed an orange placard with a white "X" on it as a way to communicate that the house is structurally unsafe.
The only local recreational activities are the few state parks, a local amusement park "Knoebels", and the AOAA (off-road adventure park).
The educational system is adequate for the state.
There are quite a few local bars, some diners, and a handful of chain restaurants.
Overall, the quality of life a person seeks is subjective, but I can't imagine one could be high here. If a person is set on living in the rolling Appalachian hills, there are a lot of better options than a city that time's forgotten.
Douglas | Shamokin, PA