$159,449Average Value$91Average Price per Sq Ft2Homes For Sale
'A slower pace of life' in Reading's urban core
Walking through the streets of Reading City Center, colorful murals adorn the sides of the neighborhood's buildings. "Generally speaking, the city of Reading and the surrounding Berks County area, people tend to stay. It offers a slower pace of life," says Liz Egner, team lead of The Liz Egner Group at RE/MAX of Reading, who’s been selling homes in the area for over 30 years. Named after the defunct Reading Railroad Company, the city has also been known as "The Pretzel City" because of several pretzel bakeries that once called the area home. "Reading was huge for making beer and pretzels, an article in The Reading Times from the 1930s said nine out of 10 pretzels were made in Reading," says Brad Smith, an archivist and associate director at Berks History Center. "The four major breweries have long closed, but now we have a lot of very interesting microbreweries, make it a fun aspect of living here."
Reading Center City is situated directly next to the Reading business district.
Reading Center City attracts residents with low home prices and location next to downtown.
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City Center rowhouses start in the $100,000s
Reading City Center residents typically live in three- to five-bedroom colonial and Victorian rowhouses. Many colonial styles have colorful shutters, while Victorian models have pointed turrets and covered front porches. "Reading is very affordable compared to the areas around it, including the counties," Egner says. Reading's housing market is competitive, and homes tend to sell for $100,000 to $350,000. "Homes are still selling relatively quickly, so when there is low inventory, the market will remain brisk," Egner says. The CAP Index gives Reading City Center a crime score of 8 out of 10, which is above the national average of 4.
Victorian row houses featuring turrets and brick facades in Reading Center City-Berks.
Classic brick townhomes in Reading Center City-Berks run right up to the sidewalk.
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Longtime staples include Beckett’s
CTown Supermarkets and Price Rite are closeby for groceries. El Puente Mexican Store is a local market in the neighborhood with hot meals, packaged goods and home furnishings. The Salt & Light Cafe is a local meeting spot for coffee and small bites. Beckett's has been serving chicken and ribs in the area for over 30 years. And the Ugly Oyster Drafthaus, less than a mile south, is a popular Irish tavern with traditional pub fare and over 80 beers.
For 30 years, Beckett's has been serving authentic soul food in Reading Center City.
Ugly Oyster Drafthaus south of Reading Center City is a popular Irish tavern.
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Pretzel & Beer Fest, WWII Weekend
Downtown in April, the West Reading Craft Pretzel & Beer Fest has live music, pretzel vendors and dozens of regional brews to sample. Reading Liederkranz Oktoberfest is a five-day event that’s repeatedly ranked as one of the top 5 Oktoberfest's in the country. The celebration offers classic German dishes, beer and live music. And in June, the Mid Atlantic Air Museum hosts WWII Weekend, featuring hundreds of aircraft and military vehicles, reenactors, live entertainment and over 200 military flea market vendors.
Student exchange program at Reading Senior High
Students may start at Lauer's Park Elementary, which gets a C-minus from Niche. Kids here learn in the classroom and in the GoggleWorks Garden, a small community grow space supported by a local community organization. They may then attend Southwest Middle, which has a D. Reading Senior High is the largest high school in the state, serving roughly 5,500 students and receiving a C-minus. Reading is a sister city with Reutlingen, Germany, which allows high schoolers to apply to be part of a student exchange program. Reading students can apply and, if chosen, will travel to Reutlingen for two weeks in the fall, while German exchange students will come to Reading in the spring.
Reading Senior High School in Northeast Reading is fondly nicknamed 'The Castle on the Hill'.
Lauer's Park Elementary School serves 570 students in grades K-4.
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Trail and sports facilities at Riverfront Park
Riverfront Park is just south of the neighborhood with a playground, basketball courts, baseball diamonds and an outdoor hockey rink. The park also connects to the Schuylkill River Trail, an 18-mile trail from downtown to Yarnell Park at Five Locks. The trail is part of a planned 140-mile trail that will connect Schuylkill County to Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia. The Reading Skatepark, which opened in 2024, is downtown along Canal Street. Locals can also explore the Mount Penn Preserve’s hiking trails and watch the city skyline from the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower and Reading Pagoda.
Sit on the bench while you watch the kids play at Barbey's Playground near Center-City Berks.
Beautiful art sculptures line the Schuylkil River Trail.
Kids of Reading Center City can enjoy a game of hoops at the courts at Riverfront Park.
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Get around Reading and through Center City-Berks on a Barta Bus.
Commuting via West Shore Bypass, U.S. Route 222
Living in Reading City Center provides residents with "quick travel down to the Jersey Shore, up to the mountains, and it's not far from Philadelphia or New York City," Egner says. U.S. Route 422 is the major east-to-west artery in the city, known locally as The West Shore Bypass. Reading City Center residents can also use U.S. Route 222 to head into the city's business district. The Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority, called BARTA, operates a fleet of hybrid electric buses from its center downtown. Reading Regional Airport is 3 miles north. Reading Hospital is 1.5 miles south.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Reading City Center, Reading sell after 22 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Reading City Center, Reading over the last 12 months is $155,000, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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