No stopping or standing [erect] allowed there.

I totally agree.

But I'm pragmatic and want OP to be successful in making this move.

I've lived in hardcore Republican and mostly rural areas my entire life and I'm very moderate to mildly-progressive. I never discuss how I feel on topics and more just listen to everyone else. It has served me well.

The thing is, I really like living in the country, and to me this is a minor concession to do so and get along OK with people here.

Yeah, likely that scenario. I like long true cold winters and some snow (no ice or mud).

It briefly tried to freeze in the Pine Run cove under the bridge a couple times but that was it.

I live here and hiking the D&L trail from Glen Onoko to Rockport in Lehigh Gorge Park; the Switchback Trail from JT to Mauch Chunk Lake; the Shades of Death trail at Hickory Run Park are all nice.

The weekend train ride out of JT into the Gorge

Walking downtown JT and Stroudsburg. Some of the local wineries and brewpubs are nice.

Penn's Peak and the Sherman Theater often have events scheduled.

I live a mile from Beltzville and always thought that was strictly a Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend thing, lol.

I grew up at the south edge of the Coal Region and my family came from northern Skook and remember Route 61 on the hill still open and pre-demolition populated Centralia.

Bad roads, bad schools, crappy housing, poor economy, poorly-documented old tunnels getting fire in them and a state/federal government that sees the area as basically invisible. A shrinking and aging super-conservative population suspicious of outsiders sure doesn't help either.

No one really knows where these fires are moving and among the powers that be there's no sense of urgency to do anything substantial because there's no money or incentive now to do more in an area without much value to most people in this state.

So it burns on as the area continues to hollow out economically and depopulates further.

Np and good luck. It'll be worth it in the end.

However, I gotta be pragmatic here in telling you to prepare for all of this to get expensive if you're doing it right. Land costs for even remote, kinda crappy land have gone up. Construction costs obviously have too. Getting decent contractors isn't easy. Patience and planning will be key.

So many people (not suggesting that's you) think that moving to the country is simple and quick. Nothing is. For example, we just converted our oil-heated house to a wood stove one and even that was a half-year process to do right these days . . . .

My family moved to eastern PA about 50 years ago and bought over 100 acres which they still have (I live nearby with my gf in a house she already owned).

Here's what I can tell you before you start with many involving if you're building a house versus buying land with an existing home.

1.) Look at the potential land's zoning AND what neighboring land is zoned for. Lots of people get surprised about what they can or can't do on their land or something their neighbor starts doing or building that they didn't know was legal to do.

2.) Try to get at least 10 acres of cropland or forest to qualify for one of the Act 319 Clean and Green programs that gives you a real estate tax discount once enrolled for not subdividing and developing the land.

3.) Check for the presence of steep slopes, wetlands and streams to be crossed that might make getting a driveway and homesite built very difficult.

4.) Check that both the property dimensions and property line setbacks combined with issues from #3 don't make building difficult.

5.) The septic system, sand mound or standard, that will be needed and that it's legally far enough away from the well to be drilled. And can the well driller rig get to the spot because it's big. The septic system site will need to be perced too.

6.) Driveway access will need a highway occupancy permit from the state or township where you build. Blind curves and steep banks can be a problem without expensive excavation. This one got me actually.

7.) Does the township have an ordinance on amount of tree cover that can be cleared?

8.) Proper E&S controls that meet your county conservation district's requirements for disturbing earth beyond a minimum number of square feet.

9.) Is there electric very close to the homesite? If not, power companies tend to charge for additional pole spans to get to where you're building.

10.) Get to know your township code enforcement/building inspector well in a positive way and don't try to get around inspections or do dumb things like burning debris if not allowed.

11.) When buying land, do your research on property line issues that neighbor aren't disputing lines or squatting on some of it. Also locals may have hunted deer from stands on it for years and might cause problems if handled the wrong way.

12.) Make sure land has deeded, usable frontage on a public road. No landlocked parcels and both easements over others' land and shared private drives suck. Maintenance squabbles suck.

13.) Especially in rural areas, you can be seen as the new guy and potential troublemaker if you stir the pot down at the township complaining about others. Being polite and helpful to neighbors help while mostly minding your own business otherwise. Also if you happen to be a Democrat putting out political signs supporting liberal policies or Democratic candidates is certainly your right but sure won't be helpful if living on a particularly Trumpy back road. Might be advisable to keep your politics confidential in the voting booth.

Good luck. I've lived most of my life in more rural places with acreage and have loved it. One 10 year stretch I lived in a decent-sized town and it wasn't nearly as enjoyable.

Edit: about trespassers. Not normally a huge problem so long as you're sure of your property lines; properly post with signs and purple paint; and be out and about regularly on the property. Game cameras can be helpful too.

Edit #2: vegetation management is usually covered by township ordinance. Easiest thing to do is lease any farmland to a decent farmer with low rent in exchange for keeping all ag areas on the property neat. Everything that's woods can just be left as-is. Nothing to worry about there either

Just don't convert land to endless amounts of lawn because that's when grass/weed height ordinances get involved. Keep a tiny yard with everything else farmed or in woods and you're golden.

What about the pierogies?

I personally knew Christine Taylor way back. I figured she'd be on the list.

I live just outside Jim Thorpe but work in Bucks County and grew up in the Lehigh Valley.

My list of nice towns or up-and-coming ones obviously includes Jim Thorpe but Lehighton/Palmerton getting better too in Carbon County.

Nazareth with many, Bethlehem,and Easton neighborhood s getting better in Northampton County.

Emmaus in Lehigh County.

Doylestown with Quakertown and Perkasie/Sellersville getting better in Bucks County.

I live in the Poconos and I definitely agree that Milford's nice but that's up the river in Pike County.

Delaware Water Gap borough and Portland borough are the two towns either side of the Gap.

I'm just east of Jim Thorpe.

Some are nice, many others not so much. Some neighborhoods are nice and others are dumps.

Do your homework carefully if moving to the Poconos.

Good.

DeWine sure isn't going to do anything.

I'm in the Poconos and stayed at the Hampton in Mansfield, Tioga County and drove over there stopping in Wellsboro on the way.

Not a bad drive considering the distance.

Mom's side of mine was from Mahanoy City and I grew up south of Tamaqua.

Ashland definitely exudes Valentine's charm.

Yeah, it's definitely accurate.

Probably going to drop even further as the last elderly white homeowners left hanging on there die off.

As for the northeast, I live outside Jim Thorpe which is usually a go-to for people asking this question in eastern PA.

I like it here but I'm not sure OP would - kinda touristy.

Yeah, my college roommate was a wrestler from Benton.

I'm not sure OP's ready for Benton, lol.

A severe distortion of the local housing market for low and middle-income Pennsylvanians by wealthy out-of-staters for vacation homes and investment Airbnb's represents a serious problem for local working class folks.

It's not the "bitter nimbyism" you're trying to make it out to be.

You entirely missed my point.

It's not that there's vacation housing. Duh, I know that. It's the sheer amount of it bought by relatively high-income out-of-staters as a percentage of all housing stock that doesn't leave much for lower-paid locals, especially those in the service sector jobs that support the tourism.

Housing insecurity represents a real issue here and in tourist areas throughout the country.

I remember a long period of time when we typically didn't get to the finals in any one sport in any given year, let alone 3 in one year. Phillies winning in '80 and Sixers in '83 were bfd's.

Overall things are trending more frequently competitive and I'll take that.

I live in Monroe County and I read somewhere that approximately 45% of all the housing units in the county are owned by out-of-staters typically as vacation homes.

In the last few years more out-of-state investors are also coming in to buy and eventually flip while running crappy absentee landlord party house Airbnb's in the meantime that make life noisier and more trashy for their full-time resident neighbors with long commutes who just want to get some sleep.

Plus the traffic. Every third or fourth car I pass is a front-plater and it gets old fast dealing with rude ignorant tourists on the road when we already have enough locals like that.

The Poconos Mountains Visitors Bureau keeps promoting the area in more and more places to jam even more tourists in but the service sector tourism jobs are crap and the infrastructure here can't handle any more resorts and now we're getting warehousing too.

I'd like to get out of the Poconos and eastern PA in general after living here for 50+ years but everywhere else seems to be having problems too. There's no 'there' there to escape to anymore.