It's a nice place, especially if you are outdoorsy, due to proximity to so much woodland and trail. I was very surprised with the architecture there. I've only stayed a couple nights (Trailhead for the Ragnar relay series)
A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
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Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#12I just got back from a visit with family in Cumberland. It's the epitome of rust belt. What used to be a thriving manufacturing area has become an abandoned service-sector economy with low-wage jobs. Property values are dirt cheap, even for nice houses. There isn't much nearby, you have to travel hours from Pittsburgh to even get there by plane. Tales of theft of items like power tools from relatively remote farms ar…
How good is internet access there?
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#13It is a gorgeous area. Not a bad deal if you live in the region and are looking to buy a $120k home
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#14I just got back from a visit with family in Cumberland. It's the epitome of rust belt. What used to be a thriving manufacturing area has become an abandoned service-sector economy with low-wage jobs. Property values are dirt cheap, even for nice houses. There isn't much nearby, you have to travel hours from Pittsburgh to even get there by plane. Tales of theft of items like power tools from relatively remote farms ar…
How good is internet access there?
With Starlink, this question is getting less important. Loads of my family in N. Georgia have started using it and it's crazy how much better it is than the local competition
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#15I just got back from a visit with family in Cumberland. It's the epitome of rust belt. What used to be a thriving manufacturing area has become an abandoned service-sector economy with low-wage jobs. Property values are dirt cheap, even for nice houses. There isn't much nearby, you have to travel hours from Pittsburgh to even get there by plane. Tales of theft of items like power tools from relatively remote farms ar…
Cumberland is equidistant (~2 hours) between Pittsburgh airport and Dulles.
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#16WTH marketing much?
Read the fn offer:
They will give you $10,000 cash, plus another $10,000 toward a renovation to a house you buy, or to a down-payment on a house you are required to buy, with a value of >$150K that you are required to live in for 5 years.
And you have to apply, and be approved, and undergo a casual interview by the city council.
And you have to be ready to move in within 6 months of approval.
And you have to be fully remote, have a local job, or be moving to cumberland in acceptance of a job...
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They GIVE YOU NO FN REASON WHY you would want to move there.
The municipal website is a "Parks & Rec Fisher Price" as it comes, where the first link on "Populat links" is "Pay utilities"
There are no posted bid offereings (meaning no active project cumberland is seeking RFPs on)
And community events is barren...
So, why is this on HN?
It doesnt even give a nice GPT synpsis of what the heck cumberland is even about - Here, I GPTd it for them:
https://i.imgur.com/mueJp1W.png
https://i.imgur.com/scpNTid.png
Is my math wrong or something? Did anyone actually look at the image?
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Back when Detroit was doing super bad, and lots for huge Victorian and other nice architecture homes were going for ~$5,000 - there was a lot of chatter of a bunch of millenial-ish techies buy up a bunch of plots and start a tech-commune sort of adventure out there. (turned out the person organizing that effort was pulling a huge grift)
Maybe try to do a YC startup fund where "Hey heres free housing internet and utilities for your startup if you can prove "XYZ" -- like what about a visa program if some Hackers can come in and do a startup there and raise the economy where the city is invested in the startups? But have the program vetted by some panel of experts the city recruits
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#17One of the program requirements is that you buy a house there and live in it for five years.
This is pretty important. I suspect the people who are motivated by $2k a year to move there are not the people who are going to be bringing a large influx of capital to a place that very much needs it. Although actually, it looks like there are two separate programs, which you can be eligible for both of: The relocation credit, and the restoration or down payment credit, which is more of a match, so the actual amoun…
> I suspect the people who are motivated by $2k a year to move there are not the people who are going to be bringing a large influx of capital to a place that very much needs it.
You are correct, they are the people who will be available to be employed by those considering bringing a large influx of capital and taxable revenue. They're the bait.
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#18For you cyclists, the Great Allegheny Pass trail and the Chesapeake & Ohio towpath meet there.
Eh... I'm always mind-blown by the amazing nature the USA has... :(
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#19It looks like a nice place. I know about a few similar programs in some towns in Europe. It is interesting to see something like this in some towns and cities in the US.
Re: A $10k stipend is available for anyone moving to Cumberland, MD
#20Similar long-standing program in Tulsa. https://www.tulsaremote.com/