Hershey, PA Area Info

[momoftwins]

Happy New Year to all. Are there any Diser's here that live in Hershey? What can you tell me about the area?

Do you have kids in their school system? Public or Private school? I was looking at data from greatschools.net. However, they don't do private schools as far as I can tell. I have 9 yr old twins, so schools are important.

DH had a headhunter call him about a job in this area. We are from Southeastern MA. DH's parents are from Philadelphia so I only know this area.

Thanks for any info and have a great day.

 

[puffkin]

I don't live in Hershey (about an hour east in Reading, PA) but I can tell you it is a really nice area. A little rural, but pretty close to some larger shopping/business areas. Plus not too far from Philadelphia, Washington and New York City.

In Pennsylvania, the public school systems are pretty good. Unless you live in a very urban area, they aren't too bad. Of course, some people will have various issues with them and others may be looking for certain religious types of schools, but on a whole, they aren't too bad.

Sorry couldn't be of more help, but good luck with your decision. It is a very nice area of PA though.

 

[momoftwins]

my fellow DVC'er! Just a bump up.

 

[motherhen17404]

I live about 30 min. south of Hershey. We moved here from MD and we love the schools here. The schools are run by school district rather then by county. Some districts are better then others. I don't really know anything about private schools in that area. The area around Hershey is nice, as long as you stay away from Harrisburg. But then again, I am not really a city person, I like going into the city for somethings, but don't want to live there. One thing about this area is it is not very sophisticated, at least were I live it isn't. Most people here think fine dining is going to Outback!

If you have any questions, just ask.

 

[puffkin]

One thing about this area is it is not very sophisticated, at least were I live it isn't. Most people here think fine dining is going to Outback!

Hahahaha. ROTFL! I would 100% agree, except I would change it to Olive Garden or Red Lobster instead of Outback.

 

[disney junky]

Hershey has the top schools in the mid-state area. The school district is the Derry Township School District. I am friends with a few teachers there as well as the high school principal. Over 80% of their graduates go on to higher education. It is quite competitive. Additionally, Milton Hershey established the Milton Hershey School which is a boarding school for kids who are needy. As you drive around the town, you will see many of the group homes where these students live during the school year. The trust set up for the school generates so much money that they spend over $90,000 per student per year. That is not a typo. Ninty thousand per student per year for underprivileged kids.
Hershey is a lovely town. Hershey Park and Chocolate World attract quite a few visitors per year. Lots of tourists make Hershey a destination each year. Though there is much to do, you will also find a nice homey feel. Central to the town is the Hershey Chocolate factory. As you would expect, many of the people work there. They pay a very high blue collar wage, so the standard of living is pretty good. I don't live in Hershey, we live about 10 miles east, but my daughter worked at Chocolate World for the past 3 summers during high school and college.
I would suggest visiting. There are some quaint towns which surround Hershey which you may find more appealing. It really is a lovely area.

 

[mickeyfan2]

We live about an hour southeast of Hershey. The area is a great place to live. Due to the high desireability of the area, you will have a hard time finding a home to buy. It is a small town that is not too far from bigger cities. If we did not live where we do, Hershey would have been my next choice. They also have a great hospital in the Hershey Medical Center. You will find the cost of living much lower than MA. State taxes for last year were 3.07%. The public school in Hershey are great. All are located together. The city has a huge public swimming pool and the library is only a few years old. Milton Hershey (who founded the town) loved his employees and it shows in the town he built. Any other questions?

 

[DoeWDW]

I live about 20 minutes from Hershey and we are there a lot.

The Derry Township schools are topnotch. The cost of living in Hershey proper is a little higher but the benefits are many and it is a wonderful town.

It's a great place to raise children! If you have more specific questions, let me know.

 

[disney junky]

Hershey has a theater which features many off broadway shows. We were there for Showboat a couple years ago. There is also a symphony orchestra, small but nice. As a central Pennsylvania location, you are less than two hours from Philadelphia, three hours from NYC (there is train service to NYC from Harrisburg), less than two hours to Baltimore, and Harrisburg is a nice small city. The Hershey Hotel is a luxury hotel just outside of town with high end restaurant. I have eaten there a couple of times. I used to entertain customers as part of my job and there are quite a number of up scale eateries in the area. You just need to know where to find them. I am more an Outback person myself.

 

[puffkin]

I forgot to mention that the Giant Center (located next to Hershey Park) gets many top notch events and concerts throughout the year. Much nicer than travelling to some of the bigger cities.

 

[momoftwins]

Can you help me with this? Hershey would be about a 40 min drive to where DH is looking. I posted another post, but since everyone is here: What about Lebanon, PA? Someone posted it is a small town, but how small and any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Have a great day!

 

[mickeyfan2]

IMHO Hershey is a far nicer community than Lebanon. There are other choices too. Such as Manheim township (which is south of Lebanon on 72). MT has an excellent school distict and would be closer to Lebanon.

 

[momoftwins]

appreciate the info! I will look at housing. Is Manheim Township the name of the town or is it an area? If it is an area, how do I find out what the towns are?

Thank you. Massachusetts only has counties. These townships confuse me!

 

[momoftwins]

but this is going in the wrong direction. DH is looking at a job north of Lebanon, Any other suggestions on cities?

 

[mickeyfan2]

appreciate the info! I will look at housing. Is Manheim Township the name of the town or is it an area? If it is an area, how do I find out what the towns are?

Thank you. Massachusetts only has counties. These townships confuse me!

The place is actually called Manheim Township. Make sure not to confuse it with Manheim (Manheim Central school district). Also some part of Lititz are also in the Manheim Township school district. Not sure about how much you want to pay for houses, but Manheim Township can get a little expensive by Lancaster County (where Manheim Township is located) standards. Maheim Township is due east of Hershey just north of route 30 (aka Lincoln Highway).

 

[Melrosgirl]

Manheim Township is in Lancaster, PA. Another good school district in Lancaster would be Hempfield Township. (Manheim Twp and Hempfield Twp. are rivals, so to speak.) Would be about 35 minute drive to Hershey.

 

[disney junky]

I live north of Lebanon. Lebanon county is fairly rural. The county has a population of about 125,000. Lebanon city is the capitol of the county but small, less than 20,000. There are six public school systems within the county. The smallest graduates about 120 per year while the largest graduates about 375(est). The others fall somewhere in between. Other posters are talking about Lancaster county which is south of here. So much depends on what you are used to and what you are looking for. For example, some of the schools have advanced placement programs but not all do. The school I work at just dropped its advanced placement for college in the high school programs where the kids get community college credit through the high school. All the schools have the major sports. There is one small Catholic high school. There are numerous other church affiliated schools, mostly real small. If you want any more specific information, PM me. My kids are in college now but went through the school where I work.