Pottsville

Located in the heart of the city, Downtown Pottsville in Schuylkill County is at the intersection of U.S. Route 209 and Pennsylvania Route 61. Like many communities in Pennsylvania’s coal region, Pottsville became a mining community in the 1790s. Today, although there are still active strip mine sites around the city, Pottsville has become residential due to the proximity of homes, public schools and hospitals. Shops and restaurants take home along the downtown streets, and Pottsville is also known for its outdoor opportunities. “Pottsville is a historic city,” says Diana Gabardi, who is a local Pottsville Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeSale Realty with 16 years of experience. “It has the Yuengling Brewery, which is the oldest brewery in the country, the John O'Hara House that was lived by the famous writer, and there are lots of old mansions with unique architecture along Mahantongo Street that once belonged to oil and steel barons.” Pre-war row houses from the early 1900s dominate Pottsville’s downtown area, and some have businesses or storefronts on the first level. These homes can be characterized by dormer or bay windows, small front porches and vinyl exteriors. Most attached and single-family houses are between $50,000 and $150,000, while some recently remodeled properties can list for around $200,000. Yards are usually around 3,000 square feet, and people park their cars along the narrow streets. The city has experienced problems with buildings that have fallen into disrepair and impose environmental and safety hazards. To this day, some vacant properties in Downtown Pottsville remain in questionable condition, and the city has established the Blight Task Force team to address and control the issue. Young students may start schooling at John S. Clarke Elementary Center for their kindergarten to fourth-grade years and continue to D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both of which have a C-plus Niche score. Clarke Elementary has a daily news program on YouTube, which is created by and for the students, that shares daily happenings such as birthday shout-outs, news announcements and upcoming events. In addition to the core curriculums, D.H.H. Lengel Middle School also offers courses in arts, music and computer literacy, as well as extracurricular activities such as a 3-D printing club and an ecology club. Pottsville Area High School rates a B-minus and has a recently upgraded planetarium and observatory for students to learn about the science of space. Alvernia University has a campus in downtown Pottsville and offers bachelor’s degrees in education, healthcare, human resources, management and liberal studies. Roma Pizzeria & Restaurant, owned by brothers Giovanni and Francesco, has been serving the city with wood-fired pizza and authentic Italian dishes since 1994. The Crimson House has classic diner food such as sliders, steak and sandwiches. Pressed Coffee & Books is the city’s first independent coffee shop and bookstore, featuring sustainably sourced roasts and books by local authors. For groceries, people can go to Pottsville Provision Co, an area convenience store for snacks and hot food, and Weis Markets is less than 2 miles north. The Fairlane Village Mall is several blocks north of Weis Markets and has big-box and department stores, including Kohl’s, Boscov’s and Lowe’s. Several blocks north, the Schuylkill YMCA offers youth recreational programs for swimming and gymnastics, fitness classes and summer day camp. Farther up, the Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex has basketball and sand volleyball courts, and Bunker Hill Playground is south of the community with a pickleball court and play structures. Located about 3 miles north of the city limits, Famous Reading Outdoors is a 27,000-acre off-road park that is immensely popular for four-wheel drives and mountain biking. All located within 30 miles of the city, Tuscarora State Park, Locust Lake State Park and Swatara State Park are popular outdoor places for fishing and hiking. The Schuylkill River Trail plans to connect Schuylkill County with Philadelphia. “The county as a whole is big on outdoor recreation,” says Will Primeau, who is a local Realtor at Ramus Realty Group with 7 years of experience. “There are three state parks, two county parks and two major four-wheel off-road recreational parks within 30 miles of the city.” For over half a century, the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival has been a cherished county-wide tradition. With events such as a tea party, pageant practices, the Schuylkill Winterfest, which features live music, local vendors, activities for children and a Yuengling beer bar, that lead up to the carnival night of the fashion show, and the Queen of Snows is revealed and crowned next day at the pageant ball. As the oldest brewery in the country in operation since 1829, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc. hosts the Yuengling Stars & Stripes Summer Celebration every year with beer, a concert and fireworks. Additional events in the city include festivities for Memorial Day and New Year’s Eve, as well as a parade for St. Patrick’s Day. The Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill is in the city and less than 1 mile from downtown. Geisinger St. Luke's Health Center – Pottsville opened in 2019 and is located on the western edge of the city. For access to neighboring cities, Allentown is about 47 miles east via Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 61, and Philadelphia is approximately 96 miles down south through Interstate 476. Lehigh Valley International Airport is 50 miles east. Although most people in the city drive, those who prefer to use public transportation services can look for STS (Schuylkill Transportation System) bus stops for traveling within the county. To this day, Pottsville is surrounded by active coal mines north of the city limits. Coal mine dust may contribute to harmful air pollution, and acid drainage from abandoned coal mines also poses contamination threats to local groundwater, soil and vegetation. In 2023, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement gave funds to the city for a watershed reclamation project, which will treat and restore the health of local streams.

Located along the northern tip of Pottsville’s city limits, Fishbach is a neighborhood that has both commercial and residential sectors. The west side of Fishbach is close to the zoned public schools in the Pottsville Area School District and to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Recreation Complex, while the east end is within walking distance to the city’s hospitals as well as the shops and restaurants in downtown Pottsville. Houses are slightly more affordable than those in downtown and the city’s more established neighborhoods, but the properties are close to the warehouses, which can be convenient for workers. “Pottsville has a small-town feel,” says Jennifer Walton, who has been a Schuylkill County Realtor at BHHS Homesale Schuylkill Haven for eight years. “There’s been a big push to revitalize downtown and bring in small businesses, and there are more job opportunities now with the warehouses settling into the city.” Primarily built in the first half of the 20th century, a mix of duplexes, attached and single-family homes sit alongside the winding hillsides of Fishbach. Houses are often built with elevated foundations, bay or dormer windows, flat or gabled roofs and enclosed front porches with stairs connecting to the sidewalks. The front yards are often connected to the sidewalks, and the median lot size is around 5,000 square feet. Houses here often list between $100,000 and $160,000, but some properties selling in as-is conditions may go between $20,000 and $60,000. Although some houses have detached garages, it is also common to park cars along the streets. The city has created the Flight Blight Task Force to address the safety hazards of houses that have fallen into disrepair. While there are several restaurants around Fishbach, folks also go downtown for shopping and dining. Neighborhood spots include Pottsville Zone and Rumors, both of which serve gastropub and diner food. There is also a local butcher shop in Fishbach, North Side Specialty Meats, and Weis Markets and Aldi are slightly east of the area. Aldi sits adjacent to the Fairlane Village Mall, which has big-box and department stores such as Kohl’s, Boscov’s and Lowe’s. About 1 mile south of the community, Pottsville’s downtown area has popular restaurants and boutiques, including Roma Pizza, Pressed Coffee & Books and Kitty Lou. A few parks and sports fields are located within and around the community, and folks also go outside the neighborhood for recreation. Fishbach’s west end is home to the CACL Dog Bark Park, a popular spot for playtime with pets, and the Babe Ruth Field for baseball games. The John F. Kennedy Memorial Recreation Complex and the JFK Memorial Pool are several blocks south and offer tennis and basketball courts and an outdoor pool that opens in the summer. Located right by the area’s southeast corner, the Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex has more sports facilities and an expansive open field. A few blocks down the street, the Schuylkill YMCA offers youth programs and summer camps. Additional outdoor places, including the off-road park Famous Reading Outdoors, Terry Reilly Memorial Park and Locust Lake State Park are all located within 30 miles of Fishbach. Young students are zoned for the Pottsville Area School District, which has a student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1. Prospective schools include John S. Clarke Elementary Center and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both of which have a C-plus Niche grade. Clarke Elementary has a daily broadcast YouTube channel that is created by and for the student body. Lengel Middle School offers athletic programs in wrestling, football and basketball, and after-school clubs include art, spelling bee and ecology. Pottsville Area High School has a B-minus and a recently upgraded planetarium and observatory for students to learn basic or advanced astronomy. Fishbach is about 1 mile west of the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill. There are also places of worship scattered around the city. “Religion is important to the communities in Schuylkill County,” says Diana Gabardi, who is a local Pottsville Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeSale Realty with 16 years of experience. “We also have some beautiful churches and almost every denomination probably has its own church around here.” Although some parts of Fishbach have sidewalks, the community is mostly car-dependent. U.S. Route 209 and Pennsylvania Route 61 are close to the neighborhood, and people can access Allentown in about 50 miles via Interstate 78 and Pennsylvania Route 61. Lehigh Valley International Airport is also about 50 miles east, and Philadelphia is about 98 miles south of Fishbach. Those who take the bus can find serviced routes by the Schuylkill Transportation System. Considered one of the most anticipated events of the year, the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival has been a long-standing tradition in the county. Every year, county residents come to the annual pageant ball to see the crowning of the Queen of Snows, who is selected by all the community members in Schuylkill. The Schuylkill Winterfest has music, food, local vendors and family-friendly festivities, and the city organizes many celebrations and parades for holidays, including St. Patrick’s Day and Independence Day. As a city with deep roots in mining, Pottsville has been a mining community since the 1700s. Today, some active strip mine sites still remain outside the city. As a result, potential environmental and health risks can include coal mine dust and abandoned mine drainage, which may lead to air pollution and groundwater contamination. In an effort to restore the health of the local streams and habitats, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has been giving funding to related reclamation and water treatment projects in the city.

Forest Hills is a residential pocket south of downtown Pottsville, a city in Schuylkill County rooted in coal mining. Bordering Pennsylvania Route 61 on the eastern end, Forest Hills is home to single-family residences and a playground, and is less than 2 miles away from Pottsville’s city center. The community is zoned for the Pottsville Area School District, and the city is surrounded by state, municipal and off-road parks, all within 20 to 30 miles of Pottsville. “This is a more planned and developed neighborhood,” says Jennifer Walton, who is a Schuylkill County Realtor at BHHS Homesale Schuylkill Haven with 8 years of experience. “Forest Hills is a little higher in price than the downtown area; it’s not on a busy street, so it’s quieter, and there’s more space.” Most properties in Forest Hills are single-family homes built between the 1960s and 1980s. Common housing styles include cottages, Colonial Revivals, traditional homes with gabled roofs and a mix of ranch styles, including raised and split-level ranches. Often listing from $200,000 to $300,000, houses in the neighborhood have well-maintained yards that are around quarter acre to half-acre in size and have private driveways and garages. Comprised of about five blocks, the streets in the neighborhood are interconnected with sidewalks and may end in cul-de-sacs. Prospective schools include John S. Clarke Elementary Center and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both graded C-plus by Niche. The primary school serves students from kindergarten through fourth grade, and students have a daily news program on YouTube that is updated on weekdays. Pottsville Area High School has a B-minus score and offers astronomy courses at its newly upgraded planetarium and observatory center. Alvernia University also has a campus downtown and offers both bachelor’s and master's degree programs in education. Located right in the community, Forest Hills Playground has play structures, a ball field and a basketball court. Less than 1 mile south, Fox Creek Stables offers equestrian lessons, and the Schuylkill YMCA up north has more youth programs and fitness lessons. Slightly north of the city limits, Famous Reading Outdoors has 27,000 acres of park space for off-road driving and mountain biking. Tuscarora State Park and Locust Lake State Park are both within 20 miles of the city and are popular places for hiking and fishing. Considered an area tradition, Pottsville Pizzeria is right by the neighborhood and serves comfort food classics such as pizza and subs. Goodfellas Café, the local dive bar, has a regular crowd for live music nights and concerts. As the city’s first independent bookstore and coffee shop, Pressed Coffee & Books has an electric roaster and sources from ethical farms. About 3 miles south, Cressona Mall has the grocery store Giant and more businesses and restaurants. For big-box and department stores such as Kohl’s and Lowe’s, the Fairlane Village Mall is about 4 miles north of the neighborhood. “There’s a big push to revitalize and bring back small businesses to the downtown,” Walton says. “Little boutiques like Kitty Lou and Drasdis are getting popular in the city.” Considered one of the most anticipated events of the year, the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival has been a treasured tradition for over 50 years. Every year, many events, such as the Schuylkill Winterfest, take place before the annual pageant ball, in which the Queen of Snows is crowned. The Schuylkill Winterfest offers music, shopping opportunities, fun activities for children and Yeungling beer. Additional festivities throughout the year include the Yuengling Stars & Stripes Summer Celebration, a St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Veterans Ball. Pottsville has several hospitals around the city, including the Schuylkill Medical Center, the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill and Geisinger St. Luke's Health Center, when opened recently in 2019. Although most people in the community drive, those who use public transit can take the STS (Schuylkill Transportation System) buses to access neighboring places within the county. The Lehigh Valley International Airport is 50 miles east of the city, and Allentown is about 47 miles east via Interstate 78. Drivers can take Interstate 476 to get to Philadelphia, which is 96 miles south. Since the late 1700s, Pottsville has been an active coal mining community. Acid drainage by abandoned mines and coal mine dust have contributed to environmental risk factors such as increased air pollution and acid drainage by abandoned mines, which leads to groundwater and soil contamination. Rehabilitation programs include treating local streams and environmental reclamation projects, both of which hope to restore the local ecosystem to health.

Bordering the Schuylkill River on the southern end, Greenwood Hill is a residential pocket next to downtown Pottsville, a city with deep coal mining roots. Today, the city is attracting new residents because of job opportunities in Pottsville’s warehouse sectors, its proximity to the shops and restaurants downtown and relatively affordable homes. The area is also close to the local hospitals, and there are recreation centers, sports fields and natural spaces such as parks and trails within and around the city. “Pottsville is a city, but it has a small-town feel,” says Jennifer Walton, who is a local Schuylkill County Realtor at BHHS Homesale Schuylkill Haven with 8 years of experience. “It doesn’t have a huge population, and it’s quieter than Allentown. There’s been a big push to revitalize the city and to bring back businesses, and it’s better than it was a few years ago.” Primarily built between the 1890s and the 1950s, Greenwood Hill houses are a mix of single-family and attached homes with front porches, dormer or bay windows and gabled roofs. Properties usually sit on winding hills and are perched above ground level with raised foundations. The front porches usually have stairs that lead to the sidewalks. Single-family properties usually feature ranch styles and split levels. While some houses have detached garages, people usually park their cars along the streets. “Greenwood Hill is a developed area of nice homes with tree-lined streets,” says Diana Gabardi, who is a local Pottsville Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeSale Realty with 16 years of experience. “Children can play at the neighborhood’s playground, and it’s a family-friendly place.” Homes here usually list between $80,000 and $170,000, and smaller fixer-uppers and investment homes may list between $35,000 and $60,000. The city has also assembled the Blight Task Force team to address and control the potential safety risks posed by vacant buildings that have fallen into disrepair. Greenwood Hill is right across the street from downtown Pottsville, making dining and shopping trips convenient. “There are some good restaurants and cute shops in downtown,” says Gabardi. Popular boutiques include Hydrangea Cottage and Gifts, Drasdis and Kitty Lou. Pressed Coffee & Books, Pottsville’s first independent bookstore and coffee house, has become a local staple. Roma Pizzeria has served the city for over 50 years with wood-fired pies and Italian entrees, and The Crimson House is known for its drinks, sliders and a cozy atmosphere. Farther north along Claude A. Lord Boulevard, people can find Weis Markets at Pottsville Park Plaza, and the Fairlane Village Mall has Aldi and big-box stores such as Lowe’s. Several restaurants, including Bad Boy Burrito and Original Italian Pizza, are right in Greenwood Hill. While there are several parks in and around the neighborhood, residents can also go downtown or outside the city for outdoor recreation. Greenwood Hill Park has a basketball court and several play structures, and General Joulwan East Side Park, located by the northern tip of the area, has similar amenities. Less than a mile north in downtown, the Schuylkill YMCA has fitness programs and summer camps. Several blocks farther up, people can play basketball or volleyball at the Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex. The popular membership-based 27,000-acre off-road park, Famous Reading Outdoors, has an entrance that is 4 miles north of the community. Here, members can ride dirt bikes and drive all-terrain vehicles. For additional outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing or boating, there are a handful of state and county parks located within 30 miles of the city, including Tuscarora State Park and Sweet Arrow Lake County Park. “They are also doing a lot of fundraisers and events for the Schuylkill River Rail Trail project,” Walton says. The trail project will stretch 120 miles, connecting Frackville to Philadelphia with a greenway path along the namesake river. Students are zoned for the Pottsville Area School District, which has a student-teacher ratio of 15-to-1. Prospective schools include John S. Clarke Elementary Center and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both of which have a C-plus Niche grade. Lengel Middle School has extracurricular activities and sports, including wrestling, an ecology club and an art club. Pottsville Area High School has a B-minus and recently updated its observatory and planetarium. Students here have the opportunity to explore basic and advanced astronomy studies. Several blocks west, Alvernia University has a campus in the downtown area and offers bachelor’s programs in business, health and education. The area sits adjacent to several hospitals, including the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, both of which are in the neighboring Lawtons Hill community. “We also have some beautiful churches,” Gabardi says. “Religion is important to the communities in Schuylkill County and almost every denomination probably has its own church around here.” While some areas in the neighborhood are walkable, Greenwood Hill is mostly car-dependent. Pennsylvania Route 61 is on the west side of the neighborhood and lets people access the rest of the county. Lehigh Valley International Airport and Allentown are both about 48 or 50 miles east, and Philadelphia is about 97 miles southeast of the area via Interstate 476. People can also take the Schuylkill Transportation System bus service to get to places within the county. Each year, the Schuylkill Winterfest brings together locals from all over the county for food, music and shops from local vendors. The festival leads up to the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival, which features the crowning of the Queen of Snows at the annual pageant ball. The city also celebrates Veterans Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Independence Day with parades and festivities, and Yuengling, founded in Pottsville at the country's oldest brewery, organizes the Yuengling Stars & Stripes Summer Celebration concert lineup. Since the late 1700s, Pottsville has been an active mining community. Today, there remain potential environmental and health risks associated with coal mining. Coal mine dust may cause harmful air pollution, and abandoned mine drainage can lead to soil and groundwater contamination. Agencies such as the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement have been working with the city on reclamation projects to restore and rehabilitate the local streams and ecosystems.

Jalappa is a small residential pocket just north of downtown Pottsville, a small mining city since the late 1700s. Folks can walk to the shops and restaurants downtown, and local hospitals are in the adjacent neighborhood, Lawtons Hill. Houses in Jalappa are slightly more affordable than those in the city center, and the zoned public schools in the Pottsville Area School District are all within 2 miles of the community. “Pottsville has a small-town feel,” says Jennifer Walton, who has been a Schuylkill County Realtor at BHHS Homesale Schuylkill Haven for 8 years. “There’s been a big push to revitalize downtown and bring in small businesses, and there are more job opportunities now with the warehouses settling into the city.” Built between the late 1800s and 1920s, properties in Jalappa are comprised of duplexes, attached and single-family homes around 1,500 square feet. Often listing between $70,000 and $200,000, houses here tend to have front porches and minimal yard space and are perched above ground level. Investment properties and houses selling in as-is conditions can run less than $50,000. The area’s landscape is winding and hilly, and cars are usually parked along the streets and sidewalks. Some houses have fallen into disrepair and may cause safety hazards, and the city has organized a Flight Blight Task Force to address and contain the related issues. While there are a couple of restaurants right in the neighborhood, Jalappa is within walking distance of the eateries and shops in downtown Pottsville. Pottsville Diner, a popular breakfast spot, and Rumors, which has gastropub fare and karaoke nights, are area eateries. About half a mile south in downtown, establishments such as The Crimson House and Pilger Ruh Brewing are along Centre Street, with area staples such as Roma Pizza and Pressed Coffee & Books close by. Weis Markets is across highway Pennsylvania Route 61 and east of Jalappa, while the Fairlane Village Mall is directly north of the area with department and big-box stores such as Kohl’s and Lowe’s. Jalappa is home to the Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex, which features basketball and volleyball courts, a large open field for walks and a picnic area. Several blocks down south, the Schuylkill YMCA offers fitness lessons and summer camps for children. Less than 2 miles to the west, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Pool is in Yorkville, and folks can get summer season passes. Famous Reading Outdoors, a member-based off-road park, is several miles north of the city limits. For boating, hiking or kayaking, there are a handful of county and state parks located within 30 miles of Pottsville, including Sweet Arrow Lake County Park and Tuscarora State Park. The Pottsville Fitness Challenge is a 10-week-long summer fitness program organized by the city. Folks who participate in the event get a punch card for access to all the workout events, including swim, run, dance or pilates sessions. Students can attend John S. Clarke Elementary Center and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both of which have a C-plus Niche score. Clarke Elementary has a student-run daily broadcast YouTube channel, and Lengel Middle School has sports teams such as wrestling and track, as well as after-school clubs, including art and ecology. Pottsville Area High School rates a B-minus and has an upgraded planetarium and observatory, and students can learn basic or advanced astronomy. Jalappa is adjacent to the Lawtons Hill neighborhood, which is home to the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill. There are also places of worship and churches of different denominations around the city. “Religion is important to the communities in Schuylkill County and we have some beautiful churches,” says Diana Gabardi, who is a local Pottsville Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeSale Realty with 16 years of experience. Although there are sidewalks throughout Jalappa and people can take walks within the neighborhood, most people need to drive for errands outside the community. U.S. Route 209 and Pennsylvania Route 61 are right by Jalappa’s south side, which makes access to the rest of the county convenient. Larger metropolitan areas, including Allentown and Philadelphia, are 48 miles east and 92.5 miles south of the neighborhood, respectively. Those who take public transit can find buses serviced by the Schuylkill Transportation System. Some big annual events around Pottsville include the Schuylkill Winterfest and the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival, which has been a long-standing county-wide tradition for over 50 years. Every year, young women take pageant practices and show their talents at the carnival’s fashion show, and the Queen of Snows is revealed at the annual pageant ball. The city also organizes events for holidays, including parades for St. Patrick’s Day and Independence Day. Today, Pottsville still has some active mine sites north of the city limits. Potential environmental and health risks resulting from coal mine dust and abandoned mine drainage include harmful air pollution and groundwater contamination. In 2023, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement granted the city a grant for a watershed reclamation project, which focuses on restoring the local ecosystem and treating the water streams.

Lawtons Hill is a residential pocket east of downtown Pottsville, a small city in Schuylkill County with coal mining roots. Bordering Pennsylvania Route 61 on the west end, Lawtons Hills is home to the Schuylkill Medical Center and the Lehigh Valley Hospital-Schuylkill, and many people who work for the hospitals live in the neighborhood. Comprised of a mix of attached and single-family homes and in proximity to the Pottsville Area School District, Lawtons Hill is an accessible enclave right in the city. Pre-war attached row houses and single-family properties from the early 1900s dominate the area, and these homes are characterized by bay or dormer windows, front porches and vinyl exteriors. Most residences are between $20,000 and $120,000, and yard spaces are usually minimal at around 2,000 square feet. Cars are parked along the narrow streets, and blight problems may be apparent in areas close to the city center. The city has implemented the Blight Task Force to help address the issue. Prospective schools for the community are John S. Clarke Elementary Center and D.H.H. Lengel Middle School, both are rated C-plus by Niche. Clarke Elementary serves students from kindergarten through fourth grade, and students run a daily news program on YouTube for broadcasting announcements. Pottsville Area High School scores a B-minus, and it is known for having an observatory and a planetarium. The school teaches astronomy to over 200 of its students. Nativity BVM, a private catholic high school, is also in the neighborhood. Alvernia University has a campus downtown and offers bachelor’s degree programs in healthcare. Several pocket parks surround the area, including General Joulwan East Side Park, Pottsville Skate Park and Greenwood Hill Park, which has a basketball court and a playground. The Barefield Outdoor Recreation Complex has an open field, play structures and basketball and sand volleyball courts. A block down the street, the Schuylkill YMCA is known for many youth and fitness programs and summer camps. Several miles outside the city limits, Famous Reading Outdoors is an off-road park with 27,000 acres of outdoor space. “The county as a whole is big on outdoor recreation,” says Will Primeau, who is a local Realtor at Ramus Realty Group with 7 years of experience. “There are three state parks, two county parks and two major four-wheel off-road recreational parks within 30 miles of the city.” Located along North Claude A Lord Boulevard, Pottsville Diner serves classic diner food in a cozy atmosphere. Roma Pizzeria & Restaurant, which is in the downtown area, offers Italian pizza and entrees. Pressed Coffee & Books is the city’s first independent coffee shop and bookstore, featuring sustainably sourced coffee beans and books by area authors. For groceries, people can go to Weis Markets. The Fairlane Village Mall is several blocks north and has big-box and department stores, including Kohl’s, Boscov’s and Lowe’s. “There’s also a big push to revitalize and bring back small businesses to the downtown,” says Jennifer Walton, who is a Realtor at BHHS Homesale Schuylkill Haven with 8 years of experience. “Little boutiques like Kitty Lou and Drasdis are getting popular in the city.” For over half a century, the Greater Pottsville Winter Carnival has been a treasured tradition for people in Schuylkill County. Every year, the Queen of Snows is crowned at the annual pageant ball, accompanied by tea parties and fashion shows. The Schuylkill Winterfest has live music, shopping opportunities, crafts for children and Yeungling beer. Additional festivities throughout the year include the Yuengling Stars & Stripes Summer Celebration, a St. Patrick’s Day parade and the Veterans Ball. In addition to the hospitals in the neighborhood, Pottsville is also home to the Geisinger St. Luke's Health Center, which opened in 2019. Although most people in the community drive, those who use public transit can take the STS (Schuylkill Transportation System) buses to access neighboring places within the county. The Lehigh Valley International Airport is 50 miles east of the city, and Allentown is about 47 miles east via Interstate 78. Drivers can take Interstate 476 to get to Philadelphia, which is 96 miles south. Since Pottsville still has active strip mine sites north of the city, some potential health and environmental issues may include air pollution from coal mine dust, and soil and groundwater contamination from abandoned mine drainage. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has recently given funding to Pottsville for a reclamation project, which aims to clean and restore the local ecosystem to healthy standards.