$103,842Average Value$41Average Price per Sq Ft2Homes For Sale
Steep hills offer views on Altoona's west side
A drive along the steep hills of Altoona's Garfield neighborhood offers views of the surrounding Allegheny Mountains and a peek at downtown Altoona below. "It's a good, solid neighborhood. It's a mixture of new and old homes, and it's kept up nicely," says Bob Baranik, Altoona native and board member of Amtran, Altoona's transportation authority. He explains that, like most parts of Altoona, the neighborhood was originally established in the 1800s by European immigrants seeking work. "For whatever reason, a lot of the Irish migrated to that part of town," he says. Many of these Irish immigrants were employed by Altoona's railroad industry and helped carve out the famous Horseshoe Curve railway through the mountains. Horseshoe Curve remains one of Altoona's major landmarks and serves as a reminder of the once-thriving railroad industry that jumpstarted the town's economy throughout the second half of the 19th century. Many of the neighborhood's older homes also call back to this era, featuring circa-1800s styles on loosely gridded streets.
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Garfield
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Homes in the hills on gridded streets
Homes dating from the late-1800s and early-1900s feature American Foursquare, traditional and Colonial Revival styles priced between $50,000 and $150,000. These original houses tend to sit close together and have grassy backyards bigger than their front yards. Many have no front yard at all. Some houses need renovations, while others are equipped with modern upgrades. The western part of the neighborhood has relatively newer homes built throughout the second half of the 20th century. These ranches, split levels and new traditional houses cost between $150,000 and $350,000. Compared to Garfield's eastern side, properties have larger front and backyards, with more space between residences. "My son lives right between Garfield and Westfall. He took one of the older homes in that area, and I talked him into staying there and putting on an addition. It looks very modern. They have a big yard and a pool," Baranik says.
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Garfield
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Pickleball at Garfield Park and baseball at Vet's Field
Garfield Park is on the neighborhood's western edge and has soccer and baseball fields and six pickleball courts. Blair County Pickleball Club meets at the courts and also offers free lessons for beginners. Locals can also meet for a pickup game at Donald E. Witherspoon Memorial Basketball Court, at the corner of 19th Street and 13th Avenue. Vet's Field Baseball Park is just outside the neighborhood and is regularly used for youth baseball leagues and local school teams. The Booker T. Washington Center, in Garfield's southeastern corner, also hosts youth summer camps and coed volleyball leagues in its recreation facilities. The mountains surrounding Altoona offer more outdoor space and recreational opportunities. Canoe Creek State Park has 12 miles of hiking trails and swimming and boating at Canoe Creek Lake. The lake's glimmering, deep blue water reflects the gently sloping mountains around it.
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Kids in the Garfield area go to Vet's Field Baseball Park Garfield for organized flag football.
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Our Lady of Fatima church and dining downtown
Garfield is just over a mile from several popular restaurants in downtown Altoona. "My husband and I have started having a date night on Wednesdays and trying new restaurants," says Sue Kuhn, Altoona resident since 1989. "There are so many great restaurants in Altoona." She recommends Tom & Joe's Restaurant, a 1950s-style diner in downtown Altoona with red and white leather seats and checkered floor tiles. Restaurant goers order breakfast platters and sandwiches at this casual spot. Railroad City Brewing Company and Levity Brewing Company, both downtown on 11th Avenue, offer local beers on tap in their trendy venues with exposed brick. For groceries, Aldi is about 3 miles southeast, and Weis is about 4 miles southeast of Garfield. Our Lady of Fatima is a Catholic church on 12th Avenue in the neighborhood. The church's dark stone building and stained-glass windows tower over the homes surrounding it.
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Garfield
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Horseshoe Curve and Jaffa Shrine
About 6 miles west of Garfield is Horseshoe Curve, the tightly turning railroad track built into the Allegheny Mountains in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The historical site is still popular among visitors today, with freight and passenger trains regularly traversing the tracks. The Jaffa Shrine Center is just south of Garfield. Completed in 1930 by the Jaffa Shriners fraternal group, this venue still hosts community events, including summer concerts and an annual circus in its 3,200-person arena.
Horseshoe Curve is located a few miles outside of the Garfield neighborhood.
The Jaffa Shrine is a historic landmark in the Garfield neighborhood.
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Students attend the Altoona Area School District
Children in Garfield may attend Mowrie A. Ebner Elementary School, which has a C rating from Niche. Students previously attended Wright Elementary School, which closed permanently in 2014. Older students attend Altoona Area Junior High School and Altoona Area High School, which both earn C-pluses from Niche. Down the block from the public high school is the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center. Students have the opportunity for dual enrollment at the vocational school to learn skills and get certifications in career fields like computer programming, automotive technology, emergency services and masonry.
Students from the City of Altoona attend Altoona Area Junior High School.
Altoona Area High School serves the student population from all over Altoona.
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Train tracks and getting around Altoona from Garfield
Residents can hear trains go by on the tracks parallel to 10th Avenue, including passenger trains leaving the Amtrak station downtown. Amtran buses serve the neighborhood, taking commuters to spots like downtown, Logan Valley Mall and Altoona's Penn State campus. UPMC Altoona hospital is 1.5 miles northeast, and Altoona-Blair County Airport is 20 miles southeast. The closest international airport is 115 miles west, in Pittsburgh. Route 36 borders Garfield on the east.
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On average, homes in Garfield, Altoona sell after 56 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Garfield, Altoona over the last 12 months is $60,000, down 42% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
This home offers beautiful large eat in kitchen, formal dining room, living room, laundry, plus half bath all on main level. Second floor offers three bedrooms, plus bonus room and full bath on the second floor. There is an oversized one car garage plus off-street parking.
A nice 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home. Oven included in the kitchen as well as a dryer located in the basement. All appliances are as is, including window units. This home also features a nice front porch with a swing included! Parking located on the back of the house, and lot beside property is also included. Come check it out!
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
