Home to Big Lots and big lots
The landscape of Muncy is radically different north and south of Interstate 180. To the south, an expanse of concrete stretches for more than a mile, with Target, Sam's Club and Big Lots standing on top. This cluster of stores is the big-box shopping hub for much of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, area. These stores once surrounded Lycoming Mall, which closed in 2023 as local retail shifted from shopping malls to strip malls, says Patti Smay, a Realtor with Century 21 Colonial Real Estate and a resident of Muncy Borough, a neighboring community. Meanwhile, rolling fields stretch on for miles north of the interstate. The green landscape is only occasionally interrupted by houses, which come with lots that are usually bigger than an acre. Few areas of Lycoming County offer a rural lifestyle within 3 miles of a versatile shopping corridor.
A new vision for Lycoming Mall
Even before Lycoming Mall officially closed, it was losing tenants fast and was “closed in the mind of the vast majority of people,” says Jason Fink, CEO and president of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. “Right after COVID-19 was the true mass exodus. Burlington is the only store left in the mall itself. There are outparcel stores that are doing fine.” Once filled with 80 stores, the building sits almost entirely vacant. However, that may change. Developer Famvest plans to tear down part of the building and build The District at Lycoming Valley, a mixed-use site with restaurants, shops and housing. For now, the redevelopment is just a plan with no concrete timeline, but it would transform the area and potentially attract new residents if it comes to fruition. Regardless, there’s no shortage of shopping along Lycoming Mall Drive thanks to businesses such as Old Navy, Tractor Supply Co. and Wengerds Farm Market. The latter is a grocery store that often sells produce the same day it’s picked. Among the stores are The District Cinema, Halls Station Sub Shop and Hooplas, a sports bar with an arcade and miniature golf course.
Houses among the hay and corn
Muncy is where homebuyers can find plenty of land. Houses are scattered along country roads, separated by fields of corn and pastures full of hay bales. Homes often sit on an acre or more, with long driveways separating them from roads. Small subdivisions of Colonial Revivals and split-level homes, along with mobile home parks, provide the opportunity to live within eyesight of neighbors. Typical prices vary from the low $200,000s for homes with about an acre of land to the high $300,000s for houses on more than 2 acres. Streams trickle through the community, presenting flood risks that may require homebuyers to purchase flood insurance.
New gym added to Muncy Junior/Senior High School
Muncy School District covers the area, and children attending public school are zoned to the district’s two campuses. Ward L. Myers Elementary School gets a B-plus from Niche, while Muncy Junior/Senior High School receives a B-minus. The joint junior and senior high school was built in 1931, but it got a new addition in 2020: a $15 million athletic center complete with a gym, weight room and library.
Disc golf wizards play at Lime Bluff Park
Gym equipment, an indoor swimming pool and a sauna are in the neighborhood at the Eastern Lycoming Branch YMCA. Visitors to nearby Lime Bluff Recreational Area may see The Wind Wizards of Lime Bluff disc golf team working their magic on the 18-hole course. At the park, a mile east of Muncy, people also use the playground, sling horseshoes and watch for birds nesting among the tall grasslands, while surrounded by mountain views.
Gathering for Fourth Fridays
There aren’t many events happening in Muncy. When locals need an opportunity to get out, they can head to Today Farm 2 miles from the neighborhood for Fourth Fridays. The farm hosts food trucks, bands and lawn games once a month between May and August. Every August, the best youth baseball teams from around the world converge on the Little League World Series Complex in South Williamsport, about 15 miles away. For 10 days, teams compete in games free to spectators as they battle for the Little League World Series title.
Located off Interstate 180
Residents in the semi-rural community need cars, especially considering River Valley Transit Authority buses only stop south of the interstate, where homes are sparse. I-180 makes it convenient to connect to larger communities in the region, such as Williamsport. The biggest city in Lycoming County, it’s about 10 miles away. Lycoming Mall Drive leads from the neighborhood to Williamsport Regional Airport, 6 miles away. The airport offers nonstop flights to Washington Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C.
![Jesse Roehrer]()
Photography Contributed By
Jesse Roehrer
