York

Developed in the 1930s, Violet Hill is one of York’s oldest suburbs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the neighborhood takes its name from a hill that became blue with violet blooms each spring. The community still retains much of this pastoral charm, featuring a centrally located park and abundant foliage. At the same time, locals are within a few miles of Interstate 83, WellSpan York Hospital and the shopping centers of southeastern York. “It’s a quiet neighborhood that is convenient to pretty much everything,” says York native Jason Phillips, Realtor with Re/Max who has been selling homes for almost a decade. “The location and the convenience are what makes it such a popular area.” Streets run up and down gentle slopes, exiting onto South Queen Street and Rathton Road. The southern tip of the neighborhood is forested, particularly the aptly named Greendale Road. Although sidewalks are uncommon, the almost exclusively residential nature of the neighborhood keeps traffic light. Architectural styles are highly variable, though most builds are Cape Cods and ranch-style homes. Many ranchers have midcentury modern elements such as front-facing gables and floor-to-ceiling windows. Colonial Revivals, split-levels and Tudor Revival cottages are sprinkled throughout the community. “Homes in Violet Hill are built somewhat similarly to the ones in neighboring Valley View – with hardwood floors and brick siding over cheap vinyl siding. But they’re a step up in price range and square footage,” says Sam Stein, broker of record at Inch & Co. Real Estate and lifelong resident of York. Homes start around $220,000 and get up to about $450,000, with the median price hovering around $350,000. “These price points are competitive for the York area, and we’re seeing a good mix of young families and retirees buying in the neighborhood,” Phillips says. Niche awards the York Suburban School District an A-minus and ranks the district as the best in the York area. Students can attend Valley View Elementary from kindergarten through second grade and Indian Rock Elementary from third through fifth grade. The schools receive a B and an A-minus from Niche, respectively. York Suburban Middle and York Suburban High School score A-minuses. Each spring, York Suburban High hosts a Mini-THON, a 12-hour fundraiser where participants must cannot sit down, instead entertaining themselves by dancing, playing basketball and engaging in other activities. Proceeds raised from the event go to fund childhood cancer research. York College of Pennsylvania is only about a mile west of the neighborhood. The college offers over 70 undergraduate majors and minors and an online doctoral program in education. Interstate 83’s business spur bounds the neighborhood to the west, becoming South George Street. Commuters can ride this thoroughfare 2 miles north to get to Downtown York. Ramps to I-83 are about a mile down South Queen Street. “York is within an hour and a half of Baltimore. Washington D.C. and Philadelphia aren’t much farther,” Stein says. “York’s in a huge corridor for trucking, and there are a lot of warehouses along Interstates 81 and 83.” Rabbit Transit bus route 10S travels along Queen Street and Edgar Street, running up to Downtown York and down to South York Plaza. Bus routes 8S, 9S and 32 depart from WellSpan York Hospital on the northwest corner of the neighborhood. The hospital is one of the largest employers of York residents, along with Kinsley Construction and Harley-Davidson. The 2-acre Violet Hill Park was unveiled in 2022, featuring two playgrounds, one and a half basketball courts and a short walking trail. Situated within the center of the neighborhood, the park is within a half mile walk of most homes. Southeast of the neighborhood, Snyder Park offers a basketball court, playground and a small baseball diamond. Suburban Bowlerama off South Queen Street invites bowlers to try for a perfect game, offering glow-in-the-dark lanes and disco music at night. Located just a few blocks north of Violet Hill, York Memorial Park Complex is an athlete’s paradise, featuring six tennis courts, several baseball diamonds and ice-skating rink. Additionally, the park has the Reid Menzer Memorial Skatepark, fitted with quarter pipes, a full pipe, pyramids and other objects. Hikers, cyclists and equestrians can head over to the 21-mile York County Heritage Rail Trail, known locally as the Heritage Rail Trail. The limestone pathway runs from John Rudy County Park all the way to the Maryland state line, where it becomes the 20-mile Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail. Parking is available 5 miles west of Violet Hill by the old Brillhart Station. For shopping, locals might visit one of multiple shopping centers near the neighborhood. Queensgate Towne Center offers a Weis supermarket and CommunityAid thrift store, while South York Value Center has a Price Rite and JoAnn’s. Both plazas are within a 2-mile drive of homes. Residents are about 6 miles from two malls: York Galleria and West Manchester Town Center. Both feature several dozen retailers and restaurants. Several restaurants operate within the vicinity of Mt. Rose Avenue, located a few miles north of Violet Hill. Stein highlights Victor’s Italian Restaurant, where jazz musicians perform on Friday evenings. Stein: “It’s an old church that was transformed into a bar with outdoor seating. It’s well-known for its cocktails and food.” More restaurants line South Queen Street on the neighborhood’s north side. Beyond pies and drinks, Vito’s Pizza and Beer serves up wings, subs, stromboli and other American and Italian dishes. Crimson American Grill offers salmon, salads and pub fare with a side of Halloween spirit. The staff decorate the interior with scarecrows, cobwebs and other spooky ornaments each October. Founded in 1765, the York State Fair dubs itself “America’s First Fair,” providing 10 days of family-friendly fun each July. Attractions include amusement park rides, live music and a ton of food vendors. Festivities go down at the York Exposition Center, which also hosts Street Rod Nationals East, a weekend-long car show in late May or early June.

Downtown York has the rare mix of small-town familiarity and urban sophistication steeped in historic significance. Stately Federal and Colonial buildings and homes have been here since before the American Revolution, the Underground Railroad and the boom and bust of the industrial age. Downtown York is also where the silver and blue-wrapped York Peppermint Pattie was born in the early 20th century. History buffs, young professionals and empty nesters seeking walkable convenience and architectural richness are drawn to its cobblestone streets lined with restored rowhouses. This is the heart of York, a southwestern Pennsylvania city 20 miles from the Maryland state line. Locals can walk to parks close by such as Penn Park at downtown’s southern border. On hot days, kids come here to cool off jumping around on the park’s spray pads. Farquar Park has accessible paved pathways, an amphitheater, a boat launch and tennis courts. Hikers and cyclists can begin a trek on the Heritage Rail Trail County Park which goes all the way to the Maryland border. Just southeast of downtown, the York Memorial Park complex features sprawling green space, baseball fields, a skate park and an indoor ice rink. Food shopping is also within easy reach at favorite spots like the historic Central Market House which carries fresh produce, baked goods and handicrafts. Other choices include the Caribe Grocery and the York Food Market. Thrifters will enjoy My Girlfriend's Wardrobe and Revolt Style Studio for vintage styles and home goods. Locals can walk to restaurants like the White Rose Bar & Grill for date nights or the Granfalloons Tavern for more casual dinners. Nightlife’s generally low-key but Timeline Arcade keeps dinging and pinging until 2 a.m. on the weekends. Pinball wizards get cozy on ancient, upholstered La-Z-Boys to play Nintendo games on console televisions or hit the rows of pinball machines. Lunch-hour concerts, Restaurant Week and annual events like Yorkfest in the summer and the Light Up York ceremony during the holidays offer locals regular opportunities to unwind and socialize. Although it’s not an official event, some regulars have a tradition of noisily driving fast up and down Market and Philadelphia Streets. “It’s very noisy. But if you’re moving downtown, you know what you’re getting into,” lifetime area resident Jasmine Cerda says. Rare listings of condos in gorgeous stately buildings sell in the $100,000s. Buying homes in the area’s many historically designated buildings is more complicated than an ordinary home purchase. Housing options include row homes, town homes and condos in stunning buildings, many of which date back to the early 1900s, the 1800s and some to the 1700s. Prices for condos within Colonial and Federal style homes start in the $100,000s. An upscale 2-bedroom condo with 10-foot ceilings, tall windows, gleaming hardwood floors and exposed brick accent walls can be priced under $200,000. Row homes and town homes that investors can convert to multi-family housing range in price from the low $100,000s to the low $300,000s. The median price is $135,000. Listings are rare because of strict rules about preserving these gorgeous historic buildings. “You can’t touch those properties,” Cerda says. When listings do come along, they sell in 16 days, compared to the national average of 41. The regional rabbittransit bus system has 16 routes in the York area. For out-of-town travel, locals can catch a Greyhound or Capital Trailways bus. Drivers use Interstate 83 to Harrisburg 50 miles north or to Baltimore 50 miles south. Philadelphia is 100 miles west via U.S. 30. Air travelers can fly out of Harrisburg Airport, 16 miles away, or Baltimore Washington Airport, 55 miles away. William Penn Senior High School earns a C while five of the district’s six K-8 public schools fall in the D-range. The Edgar Fahs Smith Steam Academy magnet school earns a C-minus. “All of our schools are very big on family orientation and community involvement,” says Cerda, who’s office manager of the volunteer-friendly McKinley Elementary School. While Downtown York stands out as a unique historically significant neighborhood that's highly walkable to cultural and retail attractions, its crime score is than the U.S. average. Its overall CAP Index crime score is 7 compared to the U.S. average of 4, with some violent crimes as high as 9 versus 4.