Mount Pleasant Borough

If living in a small town at the foot of a mountain sounds idyllic, take a closer look at western Pennsylvania's Mt Pleasant Borough.

On the south side of Westmoreland County, in the heart of Mount Pleasant Township, is where you'll find Mt Pleasant Borough. While many drive through this neighborhood on the way to explore the Laurel Highlands or ski the slopes at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, few take the time to get to know this community and honestly, folks like it that way. "I think most people that come here have a connection already," says Paula Harnish, a local Realtor with Keller Williams Realty and a Mount Pleasant Township resident of 14 years. "It's not that it's an unfriendly area, but it's remote. Everyone knows each other; that sort of thing. Something unique, though? Christmas. Christmas here is like a Norman Rockwell scene. We're one of the only towns that does a big nativity every year. It's life-size and all lit up. They close the streets at night, and everyone meets around it to sing carols. It's beautiful."

During the rest of the year, however, the main thoroughfare, West Main Street, is lined by churches, antique shops and local restaurants — including multiple pizza shops. The Filling Station is the most popular eatery in town by far, with a menu of classic American fare and an array of local and craft beers, but the family-owned Gorky's Smokin Grill is a close second with its mouthwatering barbecue and The Village, an Italian Restaurant next door, has been turning locals into regulars since 1963. As for restocking the pantry, there's a Shop n' Save in town and a local grocery store, Kraisinger's Market.

Fanned out around Main Street and throughout the rest of the borough are residential roads. While some properties have been converted into apartments, condos and duplexes, the neighborhood is primarily made up of single-family residences. Architecturally, there's a good amount of diversity. Ranch-style and raised ranch-style houses built in the 1950s and '60s complement the larger American Foursquares, Colonial Revivals and Victorian-influenced homes that came before. So, while the area has a cohesive, historic aesthetic, there's a bit of variety when it comes to property styles. That said, there's also quite a range in listing prices. Still, you'll find that compared to surrounding areas, especially those closer to Pittsburgh, it's an affordable area. These listing prices start around $49,000 and cap at about $306,000. The median lot size is 7,623 square feet, but typically, the farther from the borough's center you go, the larger the lots get.

Local students can attend school less than 5 miles from home at Ramsay Elementary, rated with a C-plus on Niche. It's also not much of a trek to Mount Pleasant Area Junior and Senior High, either. Located just over 2 miles from the center of the borough, this school is rated with a B-minus on Niche. It is home to several varsity sports, including state-championship-winning softball and girls' swimming teams. Go Vikings!

While many Mt Pleasant residents head about 12 miles up Route 819 or 119 to commute to Greensburg for work or head 41 miles northwest to Pittsburgh, Frick Hospital is a major employer right in the community and — rumor has it — more job opportunities are on the way. "There's a big Amazon plant opening in New Stanton," Harnish says. "They're just building it now. It's going to employ thousands." Additionally, Westmoreland Transit has a bus route from Greensburg to the borough, so folks can commute without a car.

Mt Pleasant is surrounded by gorgeous pine forests and the beautiful landscape of the Laurel Highlands. "Skiing, hiking, fishing, white water rafting, people do all that around here," says Harnish. In the borough proper, though, there isn’t much vacant green space aside from the ball field at Frick Park. Of course, the great outdoors is just a stone's throw away from this community.

Written By

Micaela Willoughby

Photography Contributed By

Robert Beary

Video By

Francesco Basti