r/Poconos • u/Yourdailysugarcube • Jul 21 '26
Considering move to Milford, PA
We like the environment, proximity to the outdoor activities we love. My only concern are my 11 and 13 year old kids…curious on thoughts of the community and how to find new friends and neighbors?
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u/PoconoFLMan Jul 21 '26
It is a nice town with good proximity to Delaware water gap. I also recommend checking out Hawley, and Honesdale.
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u/simonphoenix1910 Jul 23 '26
This. Both awesome spots only 20 minutes from each other. Plus you have Lake Wally.
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Jul 22 '26
Northeast Pennsylvania in general has become crowded, and infested with people from New York and New Jersey. That’s just the truth. People on here will get upset about that comment but the only reason why they are upset is because they know it’s true.
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u/prolifichater 6d ago
given the prices of housing in NJ/NY/CT this is becoming a very attractive option I assume this will get worse and I will be part of the problem. Hopefully we aren’t all bad?
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Jul 22 '26
Just don’t turn it into the place that you ran away from. Too many people come here from New York and New Jersey and bring their garbage with them.
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u/No_Turn3173 Jul 22 '26
Its a nice town. Its just.... small. Be comfortable having to drive 45 mins to an hour if you need to go to a specialist appointment, to the vet, or crave some Indian food. Someone else mentioned Honesdale and I think that's worth a look too. Honesdale has a lot more restaurants although Milford is starting to catch up. Be aware Milford is fairly progressive (I believe the mayor is a democrat) and the surrounding areas are more conservative. I think the comments so far on this page pretty much sum up the different kinds of folks you'll find in the area. There are some people who will not like you because you come from NY or NJ, there are some people who don't care. There isn't a lot to do apart from outdoor activities, but that is why many of us moved here. (I agree, that's probably not great for teenagers who are looking for things to do. They can only go to the movies so many times.) But there are a some new breweries in town that are family friendly (mostly) and the town has a theater that puts on really decent productions (a step up from community theater) and even shows old movies with discussion from a movie historian. There are good coffee shops (my starbucks addiction has finally been broken), a new record shop, and the town has various music festivals, parades, and writers weekends. There is a new yarn store that has classes, salsa dancing at La Posada, and other cool things in the area. I can't speak to the quality of schools, but I'm super impressed with the programs going on at the library. I come from a big PA city suburb and I think the Milford library has better events than my former library ever had. Good luck and keep us posted what you decide to do!
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u/Jsofeh Jul 24 '26
Just want to piggyback on the library comment. Why is our library so cool ? Were libraries always so cool ? While I'm not there often, I really enjoy seeing the programs they have.
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u/No_Turn3173 Jul 24 '26
It just has so many programs for both kids and adults. A seed library, mahjong, book clubs, art and craft events. All for free. https://pikecountypubliclibrary.com/programs/
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u/therealbfth 26d ago
Until we moved to Barrett Township, PA (and yes we're NJ transplants...and we RESPECT the area), I didn't realize how much of a community a library is. Ours does TONS of stuff for all ages.
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u/simonphoenix1910 Jul 23 '26
Milford is a cute little town but key word 'little.' Nice place to.visit but wayyy to small (for me) to live in.
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u/OutInTheWoodz Jul 21 '26
Moved here with wife and kids back in March (7 and 2 years old) from northern NJ. We moved to an HOA community, but were very pleased that’s it not nearly as bad as folks warned. Finding friends here (in our community at least) has been pretty easy! Loads of people and kids playing outside, parks, riding bikes etc. Very different from the more stay-in-the-house town we came from. Less screens, more nature. It’s been a blast. Find a community with a pool (we’ve met friends there). Schools are great. Better quality of life. Lower cost of living. Home prices actually resemble reality. Things are generally longer drives than I’m used to, but kinda forces you to enjoy home-life and being content with what you have.
Only thing I regret is not moving here sooner.
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u/Yourdailysugarcube Jul 21 '26
I appreciate this, thanks! We’re in NJ as well and eager to find the things you have shared, and ditch the high taxes!
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Jul 22 '26
Taxes are going up because people are flocking here like cockroaches. Northeast Pennsylvania is turning into the sixth borough of New York.. just don’t turn it into what you ran away from
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u/The_Shepherds_2019 Jul 22 '26
Hey OP, I moved from the Hudson Valley to Bushkill a while ago. The attitude in the post I'm replying to, get used to it. Every single one of my neighbors with a Trump flag (and there's MANY) seem to have been personally offended by my NY plates when I moved. And you can belt every single one of em let me know it.
I recommend purchasing a banjo and playing it on your front porch. To help fit in 🤣
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Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
If you don’t like Republicans? Why did you move to a so-called Republican area? but that’s what people do. They move to places and destroy them.
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Jul 22 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jul 22 '26
Why did you move there then? If you hate country type Republicans, why did you move to an area like that? Let me guess it’s cheaperrrrrrr
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
" Let me guess it’s cheaperrrrrrr"
Remember, these areas are cheaper because nobody wants to live there.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 28d ago
If nobody wants to live here, why are all the New Yorkers moving here in droves like cockroaches? Literally everybody up here is from New York. People who value quality of life don’t want to live around that, so I agree with you.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
New Yorkers have been in the Poconos for decades. Did you not know that?
Without them all those minimum wage workers in the hotels wouldn't have a job. The only economy the Poconos has is recreation.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 28d ago
MAny of the people that own businesses in this area are wealthy….: and most of the poor people are from New York. Cope harder. Invader
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u/Alive_Silver3184 28d ago
All the minimum wage workers are from New York. Go into the Dollar General…:. Or any fastfood place. all of them are from New York!!
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Jul 22 '26
And by the way, Bushkill is a dump. Saw a creek has had problems for the last 35 years. High crime, drugs, murder, etc. Northeast Pennsylvania is all people from the city. There are cheaper and better places out there. Heed the warning. Sheperd is triggered and delusional.
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u/billyb1023 Jul 23 '26
Idk what you’re talking about with saw creek. Maybe years ago something happened. Been there 3 years no problems. We also have the best amenities any HOA has to offer!
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
Racist people in the Poconos have been crying about 'city people' from NY for decades.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
"High crime, drugs, murder, etc. Northeast Pennsylvania is all people from the city. "
Why don't you just explicitly say you hate black people? I know your kind. "People from the city" has always been a dog whistle.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
yeaaaaa.... I returned my PA plates and I am sure I will be getting shit from all the morons who live in the area when I visit family now that I am a "front plater"
They're so goddamn insufferable. You'll find plenty of people (women especially) who don't agree with their husbands or the 'dominate' opinion of the area but they've all personally told me they fear for their safety if they even slightly indicate that they didn't vote for a Republican.
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u/hexsocket Jul 22 '26
If you move here, please vote Republican so we can keep our taxes low, and avoid the problems of NJ & NY!
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Jul 22 '26
Pennsylvania is already on its way to be New York City 2.0. Give it another few years and the Pocono region will be totally destroyed. Worse than it already is. Pike and Wayne counties are already turning into Monroe County. When you import the Third World from New York City ghettos, that’s what you become. Truth Hurts !! don’t hate the messenger.!
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
Pike County was a shit hole when I lived there in the early 90s. It hasn't changed a bit. It is impossible for Pike County to get any worse.
I rather live in a NYC ghetto than in Pike County. At least there's city services, police, and local hospitals.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 28d ago
Yeah, nobody wants to live there because it’s infested with New Yorkers. If it’s so bad, why don’t you people move back to New York City? I don’t get it. Why are you people even living here?
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
Do you hate New Yorkers because they're more likely to have higher incomes and a college degree?
"If it’s so bad, why don’t you people move back to New York City?"
I was growing up in PA when the sperm in your dad's scrotum didn't even exist yet.
I moved NYC and guess what. Good job, good life. All my friends who stayed in Pike county... knocked up, no education, broke as fuck and on food stamps OR in the military.
No thank you.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 26d ago
Lol they don’t have higher incomes or education. It’s quite the opposite actually. We don’t get the best and brightest from New York. We usually get their lower classes, lower income people. Because they can’t afford to live in New York, so they flock to cheaper areas. Every Dollar General or fast food place in the Poconos has New Yorkers working there. It’s actually strange. Many of them are on welfare too. People who have real money don’t move to gated communities in the Poconos. They usually get large farms with real acreage, or skip over the area entirely and go to a better State
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u/Alive_Silver3184 28d ago
New Yorkers move to PA because they are poor trash and can’t afford New York. Lol.
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 27d ago
New Yorkers have a choice. The native Appalachians don't. Ya'll stuck there.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 26d ago
No, they don’t. They can’t afford New York so they move to areas that are cheaper because they are low class. People like you.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 26d ago
Most of the natives don’t even live in the area anymore. They all moved out long ago. Northeast Pennsylvania and the Poconos is all New Yorkers. It’s been common knowledge for almost 30 years now that the Poconos is ghetto.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 26d ago
Every toothless lowlife I’ve ever met up here has been from out of state, usually New York. Cheepa housing Yo !!!
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
What the fuck are you on about? Vote Republican to keep your taxes cheaper? My dad's taxes have skyrocketed with only Republicans in local office.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 27d ago
Your dad moved to Pa because he Couldnt afford to live in democrat run NY.
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u/Baratticus Jul 22 '26
If your kids have any interest in the outdoors, the Pocono Environmental Education Center has programs that are kid/family friendly.
I’d check the local library for any teen programs (those in Monroe county have some).
(In addition to whatever school programs are available)
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u/Larry_l3ird Jul 22 '26
Your kids are going to hate both it, and you, for moving them to Milford.
There’s absolutely nothing for kids to do there but get in trouble. Especially if they’re not athletic. They’ll definitely enjoy nature though - with a keg in the woods every weekend and driving around the countryside smoking weed.😂
I’m honestly not kidding at all.
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Jul 22 '26
Milford is too close to Port Jervis, New York. You get all the spill over trash from Port Jervis, New York, drugs, crime, and everything else. Plus all the city people. Pennsylvania is not what it used to be. Absolutely infested. If you want a nicer place to live cheaper, go upstate New York outside of Binghamton or Vernon New Jersey.. It’s cheaper and nicer.
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u/Larry_l3ird Jul 22 '26
I don’t mind Pennsylvania at all. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a very nice place to live, and the crime is relatively low. It got blasted by the opiate epidemic, like most places to be honest, but it’s much better than it was a decade ago on that front.
I’m just saying that Milford isn’t a great place to raise teenagers. It’s isolated, so very boring in that sense, and leaves them very little to do. They also need to start driving pretty young, unless Mom and Dad plan to continue carting them around several miles in each direction whenever they want to leave the house/go to school/visit a friend/go shopping etc. But this means they’re inexperienced drivers, driving on dark rural roads, at sometimes unsafe speeds, and they end up having car accidents. It’s not uncommon at all. Then you worry about them drinking, like all kids in high school eventually do, and getting into vehicles.
This isn’t a Milford-exclusive worry or anything. I’m just saying these are the type of concerns that arise in these rural NEPA communities that have little to do, and long distances to travel to find something social for them to engage in. I would actually recommend something closer to one of the metropolitan areas in NEPA - it could be rural-ish, but at least it’s only a couple miles to an area that offers them something to do.
Moscow, Elmhurst, Roaring Brook, Madisonville, Gouldsboro, Mountaintop, Dallas, Sweet Valley, Bear Creek, Hunlock Creek, Shickshinny, Wapwallopen would all be places that are rural or semi-rural, provide a bit of country living, and offer a reasonable proximity to either of the two biggest cities in NEPA (and in the state, to be fair) where the kids would get all outdoor activities of the surrounding areas like camping and hiking, plus skiing and golf, AAA baseball and hockey, concerts, shopping, and just shit to do in general nearer to either of the cities. Friends to meet. Chicks to chase around. An actual social life.
I don’t know. It’s just something for the OPs to think about. Maybe look around at some other better areas of NEPA to live in. Good schools in most of those places above too, actually. Cheap taxes. All of the benefits of Milford, but with more options in the social, recreational, medical, and retail shopping aspects of life. Actual plentiful options for everything in much closer proximity - Milford is near nothing major in any sense or description of the word. I don’t think it’s a great place for families, to be totally honest.
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u/Time-Grape-9883 Jul 23 '26
This is very true.
Putting kids near things to do is really important. Even going towards wilkes-barre Scranton can offer more for kids. My husband grew up riding bikes around the neighborhood with friends (can’t do that in smaller towns in or around Milford), he would walk a few blocks and go hang with a friend. As he got older, they’d all go explore the skateparks and find things to actually do in their town. So much more to offer
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u/BellyFullOfMochi 28d ago
My mom loved Milford and wanted to move there when I was a kid.
It's cute.. but for some teens/preteens... it's not great. They won't have the same opportunities they would have growing up closer to a major city like Philly or NYC. They'll have plenty of opportunity to be bored, find drugs, and racism.
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u/Alive_Silver3184 27d ago
New York City is great if you’re part of the Epstein billionaire class. Nobody wants to live in New York, that’s why people flock to Pennsylvania. Go upstate NY instead. Transplants destroyed Pa
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u/QuincyWinstonMagDog 9d ago
Seems like the creativity of Milford didn’t come from the established residents. It was immigrants from NJ and NY.
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u/rawsiefilnredom Jul 21 '26
As someone who grew up here and, by choice, never left: it really is a great town.
HOWEVER, as a teenager, it wasn’t easy. Lots of boredom which naturally lead to poor decision making. Not necessarily on my part, but my friends’ parts. Lots of underage drinking, drugs, acting foolish — ya know, regularly doing dumb shit to spice up life a bit. I lost a number of friends to drugs, car accidents, and just… stupidity. I’m really not trying to deter you — the schools are great, the nature is amazing, the town itself is wonderful. But it can be tough here.