Harrisburg

On the banks of the Susquehanna River, Midtown Harrisburg evokes a sense of artistry. In the center of Pennsylvania’s capital city, colorful murals transform North 3rd Street’s brick walls into a mile of imaginative scenes. Craftsmen walk from their homes to neighborhood staples, like The Broad Street Market or The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, and leafy trees dot the sidewalks. “Midtown is in a great location,” says Realtor Wendell Hoover with Iron Valley Real Estate, who used to live in the neighborhood. “It’s close to the river and very walkable. There are coffee shops, entertainment venues and restaurants all in one place.” “A lot of artists live in this community,” says Hoover. “And everyone is very accepting and supportive of the arts.” Residents here enjoy easy access to all things creative, from gallery exhibitions at The Susquehanna Art Museum to independent film screenings at the Midtown Cinema and theatrical performances at the Harrisburg Improv Theatre. The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, located in a converted Second Empire home, is a bar and concert venue that shows a wide variety of performers, from punk bands to pop singers. To get outside, locals can head to Harrisburg’s Sunken Garden, located on the banks of The Susquehanna River. Brick paths wind between planted greenery and flowers, and the park offers unperturbed views of the river and the mountains in the distance. Also close by is City Island, which Hoover says “is about a mile walk or bike ride from Midtown. It’s popular to go there to kayak or play volleyball or kickball. They also have a beach club, bar and restaurant.” "Even the restaurants display art,” Hoover says. 3rd Street leads to the capital building, and along the way, local shops and restaurants have colorful murals on the sides. Locals will recognize The Broad Street Market’s modest brick building with a bright neon sign. Here, there are creative takes on classic entrees, local produce and handmade artisan goods. After lunch, locals can head to The Midtown Scholar Bookstore, a two-story shop that has new and used selections from floor to ceiling. Millworks is another popular spot. A Harrisburg Classic, it combines a restaurant, brewery and art gallery. As a former 19th-century woodworking mill, reclaimed lumber is an integral part of the restaurant’s design. Today, artists have their galleries in the building, and visitors can browse their creations. For something more upscale, there’s Note Bistro & Winebar, a European-influenced restaurant inside a repurposed Victorian house. Without the striped awning, small sign, and string lights, passersby might confuse this for someone’s home. To eat at home, locals can grab groceries from Sayford Supermarket on North 3rd Street. Third in the Burg is a popular monthly event that showcases the city’s arts and culture scene. Held on the third Friday of each month, it features a diverse array of art galleries, live music, food vendors, and special events, providing a vibrant platform for local artists, businesses and residents to celebrate the city’s creative spirit. With a gridded street pattern, residents love that Midtown is highly walkable. “Everyone’s out walking to everywhere they need to be, so you get to know your neighbors,” Hoover says. Locals can also get around using the Capital Area Transit bus systems or take a drive over the M. Harvey Taylor Memorial Bridge to neighboring Wormleysburg. And when residents want to travel a bit further from home, they can book flights out of the Harrisburg International Airport, about 12 miles south. Most of Midtown’s homes are attached twin or rowhouse styles that were first built in the early 19th century, and typically cost between $100,000 and $280,000. Single-family homes are also common here and feature charming Tudor and Queen-Anne influences. Waterfront properties along the Susquehanna River sit beside historic mansions, like the Pennsylvania Governor’s Residence and can reach up to $800,000. “This is a very affordable place – especially for first-time homebuyers,” says Hoover. “You can get a house with decent square footage and renovations for under $250,000 – which you can’t say about most places.” Students are zoned for the Harrisburg City School District and can attend Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, Marshall Math Science Academy or Harrisburg High School. They receive C-minus scores from Niche. In addition to various clubs, Harrisburg High School has a U.S. Navy Junior ROTC program.

Home to Pennsylvania’s state capital and the heart of the city of Harrisburg, Downtown Harrisburg is a busy spot, day and night. “It’s bustling and alive,” says real estate agent Tonya Lucas of RE/MAX, pointing towards the arts, dining and entertainment that draws in folks after the lawmakers have retreated for the day. While it’s not a major city, it offers plenty to do within arm’s reach, often without the need to even hop in a vehicle thanks to centralized businesses and adequate public transport. Residential options are fairly limited due to the nature of it being focused on business and entertainment, but values can be found, and numerous apartments are available. While Downtown may be filled with lawmakers during the day, the neighborhood is also dealing with lawlessness, with a crime score of 10 from the CAP Index, the highest crime rating. North Second Street is a vast strip of shopping and dining running through the neighborhood. Residents and lawmakers might kick off their day with a coffee from Little Amp’s Café, one of Central Pennsylvania’s top roasters known for creative seasonal lattes. Lunch is taken care of with a mouth-watering burger or chicken sandwich from Burger Yum, or for those with alternative diets, The Vegetable Hunter focuses on vegan fare while offering up small-batch beers. Late nights in Downtown Harrisburg often involve crawling up and down Second Street, checking out watering holes like the Bourbon Street Saloon and McGrath’s Pub, while JB Lovedraft’s MicroPub offers up their own beers as well as select other craft beers and local distilleries in a punk and metal themed bar. Strawberry Square Shopping Mall is a multi-use complex with a number of lunch-time dining spots, while light retail and entertainment is scattered around the intersection of Third and Market, including the Whitaker Center and Colonial Theatre. Just north of the neighborhood, Broad Street Market brings local producers together, while for groceries and big box retail residents have to head out of the neighborhood to Giant or the Harrisburg Mall. Not only is downtown Harrisburg highly walkable and bikeable thanks to side streets and a full grid of sidewalks, it also has great public transportation options as well. Amtrak runs numerous trains through the region daily, while Capital Area Transit has bus stops across the neighborhood. Nearby Interstate 83 offers convenient access to other major routes, as well as the capital region. UPMC Harrisburg, with 24-hour emergency service, is located within the neighborhood; Harrisburg International Airport, with regional commercial service, is located 10 miles outside of Downtown Harrisburg. Multiple parks are spread across Downtown Harrisburg, with the highlight being Riverfront Park. Unsurprisingly, it offers great river views as it runs the full length of the neighborhood along the river, and it’s a very popular spot to hike or bike the Capital Greenbelt or enjoy a picnic with a view. Residents can walk or drive to City Island, featuring the Skyline Sports Complex, City Island Beach where residents can lie out on a concrete ‘beach,’ walking trails and FNB Field, the home of the Double-A Harrisburg Senators. Downtown Harrisburg is the host for many of the events that define Harrisburg and the region. Perhaps the biggest annual event, The Kipona Festival is a three-day celebration held every Labor Day weekend on City Island. Celebrating the cultures that have blended together in the Susquehanna Valley, events include a multicultural celebration, tightrope walkers over the Susquehanna, food trucks and of course, fireworks to top it all off. The Ice & Fire Festival in March features dozens of ice sculptures throughout the city, along with fire dancers, an ice slide, fire pits and much more up and down the riverfront. While residential options in the heart of the capital are limited, it’s not reducing the popularity of Downtown Harrisburg. “A lot of people are moving there from big cities like Philadelphia and New York because even though it’s smaller, it still has a city vibe and it’s cheaper,” says Lucas. Most of the homes in Downtown Harrisburg are condos or row homes, and date back to the early 20th century, featuring Federal-influenced design. Most condos either have rented or permit parking, while many row homes require parking on the street. Homes generally fall between $175,000 and $275,000, and usually sell a week or two faster than the national average, making moving quickly on a unit a must. Benjamin Franklin School, with kindergarten through fourth grade, is rated C-minus by Niche, as is Rowland Academy, which is home to grades five through eight. Harrisburg High School, known for an extensive athletics program that includes high level football and basketball programs, also gets a C-minus. Students can take advantage of the Harrisburg magnet school program to attend the Cougar Academy or the Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus that focus on a STEM education. The diocese of Harrisburg offers Catholic schools that finish up at Bishop McDevitt, a school that has won 11 District 3 football championships in the 2000s, as well as one state championship. Pennsylvania’s State Capitol looms over the neighborhood, a daunting presence with its signature gleaming dome that can be seen from blocks away. The full complex takes up 45 acres and features a number of monuments as well as green spaces featuring benches and walking paths. The complex, as well as other government buildings and white-collar employers, make Downtown Harrisburg an extremely busy area during the workday.

East Harrisburg is a dense neighborhood off the Capital Beltway, only a few miles from the Susquehanna River. Homes in the area include charming row houses and semi-detached properties built in the early 1900s. Many units are constructed of brick and mixed materials and have large front porches. East Harrisburg is considered a walkable neighborhood, with street parking and access to the Capital Area Transit bus route. Bellevue Park, a 132-acre residential area of East Harrisburg developed in 1907, is known as Pennsylvania’s first landscaped suburb. Homes in Bellevue Park include colonial styles and graystones situated in a park-like setting on gently sloping hills. At 85 acres, Reservoir Park is Harrisburg’s largest public park. The facility hosts a summer concert series and is home to art galleries and The National Civil War Museum. Many of the park’s vantage points allow for viewing the surrounding city and hillsides, including a 2.3-mile paved trail that loops through astonishing overlooks. Also in the East Harrisburg neighborhood are Royal Terrace Park, a 2-acre park with a full basketball court and playground, and Norwood Playground, with 4 acres of space to swing and slide. Students in East Harrisburg are zoned for the Harrisburg School District. Nearby Harrisburg High School serves students in grades nine through 12 and offers band programs, clubs and publicly funded sports. The East Harrisburg neighborhood has an abundance of shops and restaurants. You can fulfill everyday needs at Family Dollar, Rite Aid or Walnut Food Mart. Nearby Derry Street is home to Eniola African Store, the first African food store in Harrisburg. Local dining choices include Spanish cuisine from Rice & Beans Bar and Restaurant or a jerk chicken wrap at Halfway Tree Jamaican Restaurant. Grab takeout from Od’s Fish House, have dinner at Rookie’s Craft Burger Bar or see what’s on tap at Appalachian Brewing Co. East Harrisburg also offers restaurant chains such as Burger King, McDonald’s and several pizza places throughout the neighborhood. For sweet cravings, folks stop in to enjoy the aromas of homemade chocolate at Matangos Candies on Catherine Street. A family-operated spot for the past 30 years, the business is well-known for holiday chocolates and Venetian mints. At the Doll House Museum, visitors enter a life-sized Victorian doll house where they can view more than 5,000 dolls and a collection of vintage toys and trains. Annual festivals in the area include Artsfest, a three-day event featuring handcrafted pottery, paintings and jewelry, and July’s Wish Upon a Food Truck Festival, which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The nearby Walnut Street Bridge, a historic truss bridge, leads pedestrians to City Island to take a cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna. A replica of 19th-century riverboats, the Pride is a paddlewheel riverboat that hosts themed events like murder mysteries and jazz nights.

South Harrisburg is bounded by the Susquehanna River, the Capital Beltway and the Capital Area Greenbelt Trail. Once a center of steel production and railroad traffic and now home to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, South Harrisburg is still an industrial neighborhood with a mix of housing developments and commercial areas. During the 1800s, Harrisburg developed into one of the most industrialized cities in the US. Much of that industry left in the mid-to-late 20th century, leaving behind a distressed community. Today, South Harrisburg is considered a high crime area, with a CAP Index score of 8 out of 10. But that is changing. “South Harrisburg is on the rise,” says Damaris Rodriguez, a Realtor who has sold several homes in the area. “It is a great location for people who don’t have a lot of income but still want a piece of the American dream. Both prospective homebuyers and investors love it because of the area’s potential for growth and the rising home equity.” In June 2024, a 5-acre Veterans Village complex will open here, providing about 15 tiny homes for homeless vets and featuring a Veterans Outreach center open to all veterans. “This was welcome,” says Rodriguez. “The community has been rallying for this housing. Homes in the area are primarily brick twins, row houses and single-family residences built between the early 1900s and 1950s. Single-family home styles include colonials, ranch-style and Cape Cods. Some properties have been partially refurbished, but many are marketed as investment opportunities. “Even though inventory is low, home prices remain down. Buyers can still find a move-in ready home for under $100,000,” says Rodriguez. Houses sit on small lots with minimal landscaping. Few homes have private driveways, so most residents rely on street parking. Sidewalks and trees line most residential roads. Expect to pay between $150,000 and $216,000 for a brick ranch-style home. Students in South Harrisburg are served by the Harrisburg School District. Children may begin their public education at Foose School, which serves kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has a Niche rating of C-minus. The curriculum at Foose includes teaching the Golden Rule and stressing kindness, responsibility and respect to all. For middle school, students advance to Rowland Academy, which has a C-minus rating. Harrisburg High School has a C-minus rating. The City of Harrisburg maintains several parks in South Harrisburg. Cloverly Heights Park is a smaller city park featuring a playground, a basketball court, a rain garden and a pavilion. Phoenix Park is part of the Capital Area Greenbelt Trail. The Capital Area Greenbelt, one of the most popular spots in the area, attracts area residents for exercise and recreation. The almost 21-mile trail circles the city of Harrisburg and connects parks, gardens and museums. The nearby Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial can only be accessed via the Greenbelt, which enhances its peaceful and reflective setting. Next to the memorial is a kiosk containing King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Only 4 miles away, the State Museum of Pennsylvania features rotating and permanent exhibits. Visitors can learn about anthropology, geology and mammals and visit Memorial Hall, a tribute to Pennsylvania’s founder, William Penn. While a few chains exist in the neighborhood, such as Dairy Queen and Family Dollar, most stores and eateries in South Harrisburg are independently owned. Shoppers can pick up grocery staples from Chen’s Grocery or visit the market inside Asia Mall for snacks, produce and fresh seafood. Several restaurants are located inside Asia Mall, including Pho 99, known for traditional Vietnamese dishes and Kanlaya Thai, where locals rave about the crispy kapow chicken. Just off Cameron Street is the 901 Lounge at Lochiel Hotel. Originally built as a schoolhouse in the 1800s, Lochiel’s previous lives have also included a dance hall and blues club. The 901 Lounge is open on weekends for folks to enjoy a signature cocktail, grab a bite to eat and wander around the grounds. For more than 50 years, the city of Harrisburg has sponsored the Artsfest at Riverfront Park. South Harrisburg residents are close enough to walk to this festival, which features more than 150 artisans and crafters from across the U.S. Attendees can also enjoy live entertainment, a Kidsfest and more than 29 food trucks. In August, the city sponsors the annual Kipona Festival. This century old event focuses on family fun, multicultural celebrations and a Native American pow-wow. The festival includes Art in the Park, food trucks, live music and a beer and wine garden. The neighborhood is located about 10 miles from Three Mile Island, the site of a severe nuclear reactor accident in 1979. While the damaged reactor was shut down, another unaffected unit continued to perform until the entire site was shut down in 2019. According to a May 2024 update by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the spent fuel from the affected reactor has been removed. The government says even during the incident, the amount of radiation released has been negligible. The entire site is in an active cleanup stage until 2029. South Harrisburg is conveniently located off the Capital Beltway. It is two miles from Downtown Harrisburg. Harrisburg International Airport is 7 miles via N. Front Street. While many residents do own cars, others utilize the local bus system and the Harrisburg Amtrak station on Fourth and Chestnut streets. This is a car dependent neighborhood.

Stretching north along the Susquehanna from the heart of Harrisburg, Uptown Harrisburg slowly evolves from tight urban living to suburban spread. “It’s very residential,” says Becky Schuchert, Manager of Abrams and Weakly General Store for Pets and a volunteer with the Capital Greenbelt since the 1990s. “It’s an older neighborhood, not a lot of new construction.” This residential neighborhood of skinny streets and tall trees is adjacent to industry as well as downtown Harrisburg, while keeping both at arm’s length. With multiple school district options within the neighborhood, a variety of housing options, and green space that can be enjoyed within a moment’s walk, it has become a popular spot to settle for those looking to have access to everything Pennsylvania’s state capital has to offer, just without the hustle and bustle of city living. Very different housing options are offered across the Uptown Harrisburg neighborhood. “It’s a mix of little cape cods, old doubles, some bigger homes,” says Schuchert, who also notes that the housing shifts drastically from Olde Uptown as it changes into New Uptown. Towards the city end of the neighborhood, rowhomes and twins in the traditional and Federal style dominate, with tiny backyards and on-street parking under the oaks and maples that provide shade across the streets. Some single-family homes can be found here, but most of the single-family midcentury bi-level and split-level homes with modern traditional features sit in the upper half of the neighborhood. These homes sit on wider streets, and while on-street parking is still common, many have garages or parking spots off of back alleys. Rowhomes, townhouses and twins sell for between $75,000 and $225,000, while single-family detached homes generally range from $175,000 to $325,000. One notable concern for Uptown residents, settling right along the Susquehanna River, is that flooding is an all-to-real risk throughout the neighborhood. A 24-hour Harrisburg standby, the Front Street Diner has been part of the neighborhood for decades, serving up reliable American diner fare, including all-day breakfast and the classic triple-decker club sandwiches. Gabriel’s Pizza is an unfussy pizza joint perfect for picking up a meal on the way home, or residents can grab what they need to put together dinner at CTown Market Fresh, the neighborhood grocery store, or at the Save A Lot in the Uptown Plaza Mall. For major retail, residents have to head to downtown Harrisburg or the suburbs. A standout neighborhood spot for pet owners looking after the health of their pets, Abrams and Weakly General Store for Pets has been helping the neighborhood with their four-legged friends for nearly four decades. Italian Lake Park is regularly used to host events throughout the year, including a summer concert series and a Christmas event, centered around the park’s stage. Many residents take advantage of the events the city of Harrisburg puts on in the downtown area, along the riverfront and on City Island. This includes everything from Kipona Festival, a three-day celebration every Labor Day weekend highlighting the cultures that come together in the Susquehanna Valley, to May’s three-day ArtsFest featuring artisans and craftsmen from across the region. The Uptown Harrisburg neighborhood straddles two school districts. Some students may attend Susquehanna Township School District, starting out at Thomas Holtzman Jr. Elementary School, which earns a C-plus from Niche, before moving up to Susquehanna Township Middle School, which is graded a C by Niche. Susquehanna Township High School, which earns a B-minus, implements the One-to-One Computing program, where every student receives a laptop to ensure they can keep up with schooling needs. For those attending Harrisburg City School District, students usually start out at Benjamin Franklin Academy for kindergarten through fourth grade, before attending Camp Curtin Academy for fifth through eighth, then moving on to Harrisburg High School. All three schools receive a C-minus from Niche. Schuchert is passionate about the Capital Area Greenbelt, seeing it as not just one of the best assets in the neighborhood but the city as a whole. “It was started in the 1900s as part of the City Beautiful movement,” she says, “it’s a linear trail that links parks through the capital area. It’s nicknamed the Emerald Necklace, with the parks being the jewels along the greenbelt.” Residents walk, jog or ride their bike accompanied by views of the river along the paved trail. Textured walkways surround the lake at Italian Lake Park, along with Italian Renaissance gardens and a Japanese-style bridge, an excellent spot for picnics and relaxation. Emerald Street Playground offers several play areas and green spaces for young ones, plus a basketball court that sees regular pick-up games. Capital Area Transit bus routes run up and down through the neighborhood, providing a public option. While it is generally walkable and bikeable, running errands necessitates a car – and with Route 81 running through the neighborhood, it’s easy to get around the region. Harrisburg International Airport offers commercial flights across the region through multiple carriers and is 12 miles away – regularly a 20-minute drive. Roughly 4 miles south of the neighborhood, UPMC Harrisburg provides 24-hour emergency care, usually a drive of 15 minutes or so. Just across the tracks from the neighborhood, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center hosts events throughout the year that draw folks from the neighborhood and from across the Commonwealth. These include the Pennsylvania Farm Show – the largest indoor event of its kind in the United States – and the Great American Outdoor Show, claiming to be the world’s largest outdoor recreation show. These events and others throughout the year can result in increased traffic in the neighborhood, although it also means residents have the convenience of having these events within walking distance.