Tell me about Scranton please

[FeralFox]

My husband and I live in Baltimore, and are shopping around for a new place to live.  We're pretty limited in our searc area, because my ex lives in northern NJ, and we share custody of my son so we need to be close.  I won't live any farther than we do now, so that's a three hour drive away, tops.  We've been looking in NY state, but due to home prices and property taxes, we're thinking PA might be a better bet.

How is the Scranton area?  What is the culture like there?  We'd love to live in a place where there are some nice parks, and maybe some historical buildings to explore.  We're outdoorsy and I love to go backpacking, but we also like to go out to eat at interesting restaurants.  I want to be able to keep horses, and it would be nice to have some horse friendly trails around.  We're planning on homeschooling, and I want to get my doula business going again.  It would be lovely to find other crunchy parents in the area, especially homeschooling families.

If you live in the Scranton area, would you recommend it?  Why or why not?  Is the city itself a nice place to visit?  Is it safe?  Are there fun things to do, as a couple and/or with kids?  I'm really hoping it'll be a good match for us, so please do tell!

[jenmidwife2b]

I live in the Mt. Pocono area, about forty minutes or so south of Scranton. I personally wouldn't live in the city itself, but there is lots to do in the area, particularly if you are the outdoorsy type. Historical stuff not as much, but the poconos and nepa are full of state parks and ski resorts. There is a holistic moms group in Scranton and I'm a homebirth midwife that serves the area, know a mama who sells cloth diapers in the area, as well as a mama whose husband runs and organic food delivery coop, so there are lots of alternative type mamas hereabouts as well. Old Forge, Kingston, and Clarks Summit are all nice places to live that are close enough to do shopping and such in Scranton and Wilke-Barre.