Seldonstone Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hello all. I need location info.:confused: I spent a weekend in Mechanicsburg once about 15 years ago, and I liked it then. Can anyone describe the area? I am looking for a little more peace and quiet, want out of the city. Is this possible here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Well, it depends on what you mean by "city." Mechanicsburg is not Philadelphia or Washington, DC, nor is it Harrisburg. It's a big, sprawling town. Parts of it are fairly crowded and busy -- narrowish streets, old buildings packed together, etc. Parts of it are suburban shopping areas -- WalMart, lots of restaurants in a row, stuff like that. Parts of it are country living. If you like small town or rural living, but you still would like to be commutable to a larger city, the Mechanicsburg area would be a reasonable choice. Central PA/south-central PA pretty much has everything -- lots of little old towns, lots of farm country, but you can be in Harrisburg pretty quickly, or even DC or Baltimore in a couple of hours, or just to a reasonable shopping area within 20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldonstone Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thanks Sara. I remember being in a semi busy area (walmart) and a mall I went to. My ds godfather lived there for a few years. His townhouse seemed to be on a rural road, yet minutes away from shopping. I liked the scenery, people were friendly, and wondered if it is the same. I want to leave hampton roads. I need a change, and am more of a mountain vs. beach person. Oh to see the rolling hills once more:lol: I have seen the homeschool laws are a bit different from VA so I need to check into that some more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Plenty of mountains for hiking around here! Very pretty, and yes, people are very friendly. We've only lived here a few years, but nobody's ever treated us like outsiders. If you visit the area, come in the fall -- it's absolutely stunning! (Well, most years anyway; I don't know how the hot summer will affect the fall foliage.) The HS laws are different from VA -- there are more hoops to jump through -- but they're also pretty vague, and there are ways to work around them. It really depends on the specific school district you're in, though, so if you do move here, ask around before settling in a district. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmoe Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I was in Mechanicsburg just last week. I grew up not too far from there. I love it there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 If you want a little more rural than Mechanicsburg, but still near things, head south toward Hanover or Gettysburg. It's all a beautiful area IMO - but I'm a little biased. ;) We've had no trouble at all with PA's homeschooling laws. Actually, keeping portfolios and descriptions every year has made college apps easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorisuewho Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hi Sara! Figures I would find you here too! I leave near Mechanicsburg. The outskirts are beautiful and peaceful. I agree you are still close to Harrisburg and other shopping areas as needed. The town itself is just a typical american town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Messiah College is in Grantham, PA, but you could consider it really Mechanicsburg. So during the school year there will be lots of young adults around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Mechanicsburg is a really nice area but if you are looking for rural but near shopping and still an easy commute to Harrisburg then look at the Annville and Palmyra areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratford Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 We moved to PA from northern VA 3 years ago....we're about 30 minutes from Mechanicsburg (there's a Wegmans there, so we head that way about once a month.) I absolutely LOVE living here. Beats the snot out of my NoVa commute any day. ;) It's worth coming up for a weekend and just driving around. Lots of beautiful places to see and things to do, and you could get a better feel for the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 (edited) ...Also consider Hummelstown, Annville/Cleona, Palmyra, Campbelltown, Mt. Gretna, etc. They have easy access to everything. :iagree: Years ago (pre-Doodle), I worked at the Mechanicsburg Library. The community loved their library and the patrons were very friendly. Of the four public libraries I have worked for, this was my favorite. Edited August 3, 2011 by Doodle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seldonstone Posted August 3, 2011 Author Share Posted August 3, 2011 Thank you all for the information. Maybe you can help me a little more. 1. What areas should I check out that have a short commute (no more then 30 min) to Camp Hill area? 2. Would I need to bother with PA homeschool law if ds will be 18? 3. Am I shooting myself in the foot as far as college (out of state rates) A field trip sounds wonderful! We only have a short time to figure this out, and hubby wants me to decide asap. I do have time to settle on an area since the move would not be until next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 Hi Sara! Figures I would find you here too! Hi Lori! Nice to see you here! :) Boiling Springs area is really nice. I'm down closer to Gettysburg, and I LOVE it. You could be in Camp Hill in 30 minutes from a lot of areas. Rt. 15 is a nice road, and in Adams County, there are no stoplights on 15, so you can be in Camp Hill very quickly. Dillsburg is a nice little town, just south of Camp Hill. You really can pick small town, modern development, or rural country for living, many places around here, and you can still commute easily to Camp Hill. (The school districts in Adams County are easy to deal with, for homeschooling, though IDK how they compare to ones in York, Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, etc. However, if your son is 18, I don't think you'll have to bother with the school district; I think you don't have to after age 17. Look at askpauline.com for more help.) As for college, PA has a lot of great colleges, many of which are right around here, so you might not need to worry about out-of-state tuition. Gettysburg College, Messiah College, Shippensburg, HACC, etc. And there's Penn State too, with all of its branch campuses, but State College is an easy two-hour drive from this area (except on football weekends). Granted, I'm a bit biased, since I'm an alum, but it has a lot of good programs and would be worth considering if you can get in state tuition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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