Hyde Park offers small-town riverfront living outside Pittsburgh
Hyde Park rolls along the hills of northern Westmoreland County, hugged on three sides by railroad tracks and the Kiskiminetas River. It's one in a string of post-industrial boroughs that fill bends in the Kiski on the Armstrong-Westmoreland County line. Leechburg, home to a walkable business district and a developing rail trail, is connected to Hyde Park by the longest swaying footbridge in Pennsylvania. These shared resources of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s small towns allow Hyde Park to remain a riverfront community where life flows much slower than in Pittsburgh. “Hyde Park is a nice, quiet, suburban area. Taxes are low in Westmoreland County, and Kiski Area School District has a lot of good programs for the kids,” says Denise Lewandowski, a real estate agent at Howard Hanna with 21 years of experience serving Westmoreland, Armstrong and Allegheny counties.
Historic single-family homes on hilly, suburban blocks
Much of Hyde Park was developed into curving blocks around the turn of the 20th century, connected to the railway and manufacturing centers that powered the borough’s early industrial economy. Simple National-style homes built in the early 1900s stand next to Foursquares built in the same era, all set on small suburban lots. Prices for these homes can range from around $20,000 to $150,000, depending on renovation needs. Homes built in the 1950s and 1960s, including Cape Cods and Colonial Revivals, can sell for around $200,000 to $360,000. There are a handful of streets closer to the Kiskiminetas River where homebuyers may need flood insurance. Most blocks past the railroad tracks fall outside this zone, gradually rising along gently rolling, tree-shaded hills. Sidewalks line many streets, but even roads without them are typically quiet enough for residents to walk around.
Attending Kiski Area School District
Kiski Area North Primary School serves kindergarten through fourth grade and earns an A-minus from Niche. Fifth and sixth graders can attend B-rated Kiski Area Upper Elementary School before attending seventh and eighth grades at B-minus-rated Kiski Area Intermediate School. Kiski Area High School scores a B-plus. “Kiski has great sports, choir, an award–winning band – they've got good stuff going on,” Lewandowski says. The Kiski Area High School Marching Band won first place at the Bands of America Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in 2024, one of dozens of times the ensemble has earned regional or national recognition.
Parks and recreation along the Kiskiminetas River
At Scott D. Grove Memorial Park, residents might shoot hoops or picnic at a shaded pavilion next to the playground. Kayaks and canoes launch into the Kiskiminetas River from the nearby Twin Towers Landing, a boat launch maintained by local volunteers and firefighters. The old yellow Hyde Park Walking Bridge sways as people cross the river, ending in a peaceful riverfront pocket park in Leechburg. There, cyclists can find their way to the Leechburg Tow Path Trail, a new one-mile path that connected with the extensive Armstrong Trails in 2025. In the future, the path will continue across the Hyde Park Walking Bridge, leading to the borough’s boat launch.
Small Hyde Park and Leechburg businesses
Hyde Park Tavern is the borough’s spot for a drink with friends and a few games of pool. For a more developed small business district, residents walk or drive a couple of miles to Market Street and Main Street in Leechburg. Between specialty shops and banks, restaurants like Happy Day Cafe offer homestyle cooking and a casual atmosphere. National Public House specializes in higher-end New American cuisine, complementing the rustic yet upscale interior of the historic former hotel. Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market is Leechburg’s grocery store, but residents can also find Giant Eagle and Aldi about 3 miles from home.
Commuting to Armstrong, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties
Railroad Street and Lillian Road are the only routes out of Hyde Park, taking commuters to hubs in Westmoreland, Armstrong and Allegheny counties. Armstrong County Memorial Hospital is close to 25 miles away, near the county seat of Kittanning. Independence Health System Westmoreland Hospital is just over 25 miles away in the county seat of Greensburg. Downtown Pittsburgh is about 35 miles away, and Pittsburgh International Airport is roughly 50 miles from home. Residents use cars to get around, as Westmoreland Transit bus routes are only accessible outside the borough.
Events with the Hyde Park VFC
The Hyde Park Volunteer Fire Company organizes annual holiday and service events. The springtime Easter egg hunt takes place across from the fire hall at the borough’s community park. Residents support their first responders during regular raffle fundraisers, with winning tickets announced on the VFC’s Facebook page.
Nuclear waste disposal across the Kiskiminetas
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is removing nuclear waste from an industrial site in Parks Township, across the Kiskiminetas River from Hyde Park. According to the USACE, there's no risk to human health. The project is currently expected to continue through 2035. Residents can learn more about it from the USACE’s Pittsburgh District.
Written By
Julia Szymanski
