Hillside streets and access to the outdoors in Southmont
Just a few miles from Johnstown’s city center, Southmont is home to tree-lined hillside streets and charming 20th-century architecture just minutes from supermarkets and locally owned restaurants. The Cambria County borough has roughly 2,000 residents and is within a short drive of thousands of acres of public woodlands and state game lands.
Charming architecture and a diverse housing market
Most of the borough's homes were built between the 1920s and 1960s, from Colonial Revivals and brick cottages to American foursquares and Cape Cods. Fenced-in back yards are common, and most houses sit close together on properties of a quarter-acre or less. Some homes are in need of renovations, with prices ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. Move-in-ready homes can go for $60,000 to around $290,000, price tags increasing alongside square footage and modern upgrades.
Dual enrollment and career-based learning at Westmont Hilltop High
Local families are served by Westmont Hilltop Elementary School, which serves kindergarten through sixth-grade students and earns a B grade from Niche. Westmont Hilltop Junior-Senior High School also receives a B rating and has a wide array of unique electives and career-based courses, with programs including culinary arts, construction trade and graphic and digital media design. High schoolers can earn college credit through Advanced Placement courses and dual enrollment offerings available through Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, Saint Francis University and Mount Aloysius College. On the borough’s north side, the Community Arts Center of Cambria County offers a variety of programs, from adult dance classes to theater productions.
Long standing local businesses
Franklin Street and Southmont Boulevard are dotted with locally owned businesses. The Boulevard Grill & Warehouse has been serving the area for around 30 years and serves wings, steak and burgers in its casual bar and dining room spaces. The eatery also has rentable event spaces and hosts weekly live music. A few doors down, The Haven Lounge offers pizza, pub fare and a large range of draft and bottled brews. For a quick meal on the go, Clark’s Corner Store is a local favorite offering snacks, made to order subs and rotating homemade dinner specials. For groceries, Giant Eagle Supermarket and Randy’s BiLo Foods are nearby.
Wooded walking trails and athletics close to home
Laurel Ridge State Park encompasses over 13,000 acres of woodlands northwest of Johnstown. Backpackers, day hikers and trail runners can use the park’s 70-mile trail system, with regular camping shelters along the way. Sportsmen can use thousands of acres of nearby state game land for deer and waterfowl hunting. Roxbury Park offers facilities for basketball, baseball, tennis and roller hockey along with a playground and a bandshell. The park hosts an annual summer concert series, yoga classes and holiday celebrations. The members-only Sunnehanna Country Club has been serving Johnstown for over a century and has an 18-hole golf course, an outdoor pool and a high-end eatery.
Public transit and driving to Pittsburg and Altoona
CamTran operates over a dozen bus routes throughout Cambria County, with stops on Southmont Boulevard providing service to the city center. The Johnstown Airport offers United Airlines flights to Chicago and Washington D.C., while Pittsburg International Airport is around 90 miles northwest. Drivers can reach Altoona in roughly 50 miles via routes 219 and 22.
Written By
Jillian Pillow