Frankstown

Loop – or The Loop, as some locals call it – offers homes in the country and a name that describes exactly how residents get around their neighborhood: “An old two-lane road loops through the mountain and back down,” says Kevin Yoder, Library Director of the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library, who grew up there. “It’s peaceful and rural, about a 15-minute drive into Hollidaysburg. It attracts the kind of people who want to be left alone.” The neighborhood is located on Loop Mountain's northern base, and the hilly landscape of the Allegheny Mountains is dotted with older homes. Frankstown Elementary School is right in the neighborhood for those with children, and locals often spend their evenings on back patios or going to Loop's sole restaurant. "It's beautiful," Yoder says. "You're in the valley, right up against the mountain." The neighborhood borders Chimney Rock Park, one of the area's most popular outdoor spaces in this section of the Alleghenies. Here, a trail leads to an overlook, where visitors can look down on the church steeples and late 19th-century buildings of historic Hollidaysburg. Local lore claims that a Native American chief would look out from the rocky bluffs, guarding his land from attackers. Today, visitors still peer from the cliff, and, around the holidays, a 20-foot-tall aluminum Christmas star is lit to shine on those below. Most properties in Loop sit in established subdivisions, like Rolling Hills North or Old Town Village, and range in price from $135,000 to $470,000. Colonial Revival and split-level properties typically cost from $160,000 to $280,000, while recently built New Traditional houses go for $350,000 to $460,000. The 55+ community of Deer Meadow is also in the neighborhood and offers single-story homes that range from $213,000 to $286,000. “There’s not much in the way of activity,” Yoder says. “The neighborhood attracts a lot of adults and older folks.” Zmac’s Riverside Pub is the only restaurant in the neighborhood. This hole-in-the-wall spot along the banks of the Juniata River serves bar food and plenty of drinks. Loop is just south of historic Hollidaysburg, so residents can take a short drive to dine at popular spots like Dream, a rustic eatery whose exterior mimics a barn. Since 1952, this restaurant has served homestyle American fare. For groceries, locals can head to Warehouse Food Outlet, which sits 10 miles south, amid Pennsylvania farmland, next to haybales and cornfields. The store sells a little bit of everything – discount name-brand groceries, fresh produce, beauty products and pet items. The Plank Road Commons shopping center is about 5 miles north of the neighborhood and has retailers like Walmart Supercenter, Sam’s Club and T.J. Maxx. It sits near an AMC movie theatre and the Blair County Convention Center, where trade shows, events and corporate meetings are held. Students are zoned for the Hollidaysburg Area School District. They can attend Frankstown Elementary School and Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School, which both get B-plus scores from Niche. Frankstown Elementary is in the neighborhood, and some neighborhood kids can walk to it. The Blair Regional YMCA Early Learning Center is located inside the elementary school and offers after-school programs. Students can finish their public education at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, which receives a B from Niche and offers dual enrollment with the University of Pittsburgh, Saint Francis University, Juniata College and Mount Aloysius College. Loop is about 3 miles south of Hollidaysburg and about 10 miles south of Altoona. Locals can access the former via Loop Road and the latter using Frankstown Road. The entrance to U.S. Interstate 99, which leads throughout the state, is about 7 miles north. People’s Natural Gas Field, home of the Altoona Curve Minor League Baseball team, and Lakemont Park are also about 7 miles north. The closest airport, the Altoona-Blair County Airport is about 14 miles south.

Sylvan Hills is almost entirely residential, and locals like the seclusion the neighborhood offers. It’s tucked away from the historic buildings of Hollidaysburg, about 2 miles south, and the gridded streets of Altoona, about 7 miles north. There aren’t any through roads in the neighborhood and, thus, there isn’t a lot of traffic. The neighborhood also receives a 2 out of 10 on the CAP Index for Crime and Safety, lower than the national average of 4. Zoned for the Hollidaysburg Area School District and less than a mile from the Blairmont Club and Sylvan Hills Golf Course, the neighborhood attracts families looking for a place where they can put down roots. “You’re still in Blair County, so you’re still in the country,” says real estate investor Brenden Goldizen with Goldizen Real Estate LLC, who lives in the nearby neighborhood of Lakemont. “But there are larger homes with larger lot space and updated utilities.” The Blairmont Club and the adjacent Sylvan Hills Golf Course border the neighborhood. The former is a country club. It offers members a pool overlooking the church steeples and late 19th-century buildings in historic Hollidaysburg, where they can chill on lounge chairs, grab food and beverages from the snack bar or meet up with friends at one of the club’s events throughout the week, from Taco Tuesdays to Slushie Saturdays. There are also summertime holiday buffets for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. The Sylvan Hills Golf Course sits behind the large country club. It first opened in 1922 and offers 18 holes on wide fairways. Residents can opt to become members or pay to play. Some of the area’s most popular parks are a short drive from the neighborhood. Chimney Rocks Park, with its rocky bluff and Christmas star, is about 3 miles south, while the Discovery Garden and sports facilities at Legion Park are 2 miles southwest. “Legion Park is really big, with baseball fields and pavilions,” says Kevin Yoder, Library Director of the Hollidaysburg Area Library and native of the area. “It’s not as popular with families, because it doesn’t have a playground for kids, but the gardens are beautiful. A lot of people get their prom pictures taken there.” Sylvan Hills is hilly and away from main roads. Most properties were built between 1900 and 1960, but there are some new builds as well. Older homes sit at the top of the neighborhood, while recent construction extends outward. For between $200,000 and $300,000, potential homebuyers can find a renovated ranch-style house or a Colonial Revival or split-level home that may need some updates. Move-in-ready Colonial Revival or split-level homes tend to cost between $350,000 and $540,000. The average home value in Sylvan Hills is about $306,000, which is higher than the Altoona Metro Area, where home values hover around $217,000. Students are zoned for the Hollidaysburg Area School District. They can attend Frankstown Elementary School and Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School, which both get B-plus scores from Niche. They can finish their public education at Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, which receives a B and offers Dual Enrollment with the University of Pittsburgh, Saint Francis University, Juniata College and Mount Aloysius College. Sylvan Hills is almost entirely residential, and locals will need to travel outside of the neighborhood to shop or dine. The Plank Road Commons shopping center is about 3 miles northwest. Here, residents can grocery shop at Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club or eat at restaurants like Primanti Bros Restaurant and Bar, a Pittsburgh-based chain serving sandwiches and fries in a laid-back environment. Nearby, there’s an AMC movie theatre and the Blair County Convention Center, where numerous conferences, trade shows, meetings and other events are held, from the Tattoo Expo to the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame. The Logan Valley Mall is about 3 miles north. The mall, which is anchored by JCPenney and Macy’s, and its surrounding stores offer various retail options to residents. Inside, visitors can visit H&M and American Eagle, while outside, there are restaurants like Aki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar and Champs Sports Grill, a laid-back bar where the high-top leather chairs have numbers on the back. While Sylvan Hills technically falls into Frankstown, it is near Hollidaysburg, and residents have access to all the events in the borough. The annual multi-day WinterFest, Light Up Night and Soup Sampling is one of Hollidaysburg’s most popular events. It begins with a parade, where folks cluster on the side of the road and watch as local organizations usher Santa Claus into town. Later in the week, local restaurants hand out soup samples before the sun sets and the Christmas tree is lit. When the leaves start to turn, the Hollidaysburg Pumpkin Festival celebrates the changing seasons with live music, games and lots of pumpkin-flavored food. Every Tuesday and third Friday from June to September, vendors line Allegheny Street, selling local produce and artisan goods at the Hollidaysburg Farmers Market. U.S. Interstate 99 is north of the neighborhood. “Because of I-99, you can be anywhere in central Pennsylvania in an hour,” Goldizen says. Pennsylvania State Route 36 is just west of the neighborhood and leads about 7 miles north to downtown Altoona and 2 miles south to Hollidaysburg. Amtran buses lead throughout the area via public transit. People’s Natural Gas Field, where the Altoona Curve Minor League baseball team plays and the adjacent Lakemont Park, home to the country’s oldest roller coaster, are 3 miles north of the neighborhood. To reach Pittsburgh, locals can travel about 96 miles west, while Philadelphia is about 230 miles east. The closest airport, the Altoona-Blair County Airport is about 16 miles south of Sylvan Hills.