moving to Harrisburg pa (Lancaster, Carlisle: to rent, movers, transfer)

[backinpa08]

Originally Posted by atkrukowski

Allison Hill - a place to avoid? From what I've gathered Allison Hill is south/east of Walnut Street and State Street?

Stay out of Allison Hill try the Colonial Park or Linglestown area

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by atkrukowski

Ok. I've been reading up on Harrisburg extensively the last few weeks, as my fiance and I will be moving there in the next month and a half. From what I've gathered, it is a nice place to be if you are young professionals who don't have children. I am currently in Higher Ed. administration, and he will be attending law school in the fall. No kids for us, not until school is done.

We have two mid-sized dogs, looking for rentals, preferably not an apartment (especially not a complex) I had to look up what exactly a rowhouse was, because I'm from the midwest, and we don't really have those here. A rowhouse would be okay, we would love a little house.

I just want to summarize what I've gathered so far regarding the neighborhoods and housing, and if anyone can let me know if this sounds accurate, or provide any other info, that would be great:

Midtown is Maclay to Forster Street. It is a really cool, eclectic place, but also pretty urban. The best housing choices are closer to the river, but up until 6th is okay too?

Uptown - I have heard mixed reviews. What constitutes "uptown?" Maclay to what street?

Allison Hill - a place to avoid? From what I've gathered Allison Hill is south/east of Walnut Street and State Street?

As far as other places to rent are concerned, there is very little outside of those areas. Within the city, are there other places to be looking? Other things I've heard - near the governor's mansion -not safe? Where is that exactly?

Thanks so much for any help you can give! This is a great site!

Midtown is just fine from Front to 3rd, Kelker to Forster. I would highly recommend living in this area. Lots of young professionals and young families. I have a friend who lives on Kelker, which is the border between Midtown and Old Uptown. I'll explain Old Uptown later. The best housing in Midtown is from Reilly to Kelker, Front to 3rd. These homes are breathtaking -- but a bit more pricey. You can find rentals here though. I know of a three-bedroom rental on Reilly going for $850, a block away from several restaurants and the Midtown Cinema. The housing from Forster to Reilly (southern part of Midtown) is a bit older, and more colonial style. Some of them are smaller, but there's a few big beauties in there too. There are rentals available here too, but I've seen mostly apartments.

Uptown itself is north of Maclay all the way to I-81. Stay away from Maclay street (about 3-4 blocks north of there it gets nice and safe) and 6th street.

The governor's mansion area is known as "Old Uptown"....it's an up-and-coming area between Kelker and Maclay. There are a TON of rehabs going on and the houses are selling pretty quick. The 1900-2000 blocks of Penn and Green street and the nearby streets are undergoing a dramatic revitilizatin. Almost every other house is getting a rehab. But, it's close to Maclay which is a major drug area. In a few years this neighborhood will be quite nice (huge, beautiful homes!) but for right now it's still a little bit on the unsafe side. If you don't mind being a gentrifyer on the edge, then you're fine. I should note however, that I know two people who live in Old Uptown and neither of them has ever had a problem. It's more of a place where if you keep to yourself you will be fine, there's not really any danger walking around (I've even done it at night - but most people would not).

An area you may want to consider is New/Old Fox Ridge. It's technically part of Midtown. It runs from 3rd-6th between Forster and the Broad Street Market. Some pretty quaint colonial style homes. Really close to the Capitol Complex, and it's a completely safe area (as long as you stay below the Broad Street Market.

Also, take a look at Shipoke. It's the oldest neighborhood in Harrisburg right at the southwestern tip along the Susquehanna River. Totally safe area and really close to I-83. Just follow Front Street all the way down and get off at Race street and you are there. Any more questions about the 'burg just ask.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by backinpa08

Stay out of Allison Hill try the Colonial Park or Linglestown area

Colonial Park = The new Allison Hill. A lot of the ghetto is getting pushed out of East Harrisburg and right into the Colonial Park, Swatara area. I would not recommend living in the Colonial Park area, though there are some nice parts (the nice parts are all old people and some immigrants). If you're young, Harrisburg is where it's at.

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by backinpa08

Yes go to Riverfront Park where there are signs that say " warning High Drug Traffic Area"

Hmm. I've never seen those. Just drove down Front street today and saw all kinds of people, young old white black families and single folks enjoying the nice day.

[backinpa08]

Originally Posted by danwxman

Hmm. I've never seen those. Just drove down Front street today and saw all kinds of people, young old white black families and single folks enjoying the nice day.

OH wait I have my parks confused.. what is the park on State Street?

[backinpa08]

Originally Posted by danwxman

Colonial Park = The new Allison Hill. A lot of the ghetto is getting pushed out of East Harrisburg and right into the Colonial Park, Swatara area. I would not recommend living in the Colonial Park area, though there are some nice parts (the nice parts are all old people and some immigrants). If you're young, Harrisburg is where it's at.

wow I moved out of that area four years ago and it was still safe. I lived in Catalina Apartments. I cant believe it has changed but change is always going on

[backinpa08]

Originally Posted by PUB

You need to stop by Harrisburg Academy. No school in the area compares.

Move to the West Shore and have your children go to Cumberland Valley School District..ranked in the top ten of the state

[atkrukowski]

Thanks for all the assistance! I can't wait to visit next weekend!

[backinpa08]

Originally Posted by danwxman

Hmm. I've never seen those. Just drove down Front street today and saw all kinds of people, young old white black families and single folks enjoying the nice day.

I was thinking of Reservoir Park

[hf1960]

Originally Posted by backinpa08

I was thinking of Reservoir Park

I am originally from Harrisburg, (Uptown) but now live in the DC area. My family still live there though so I get home often enough. Reservoir Park was a great hangout spot in the 70s. There was drug activity there too, but you didn't consistently see the hard, cold, violent killings that are happening in cities today at alarming rates.

I can remember many a Saturday afternoon in the summer, riding my 10-speed bike from Uptown to Reservoir Park, playing Frisbee or volleyball on Flat Top with my friends, families hanging out there with their kids, young men showing off their cars, a DJ spinning the latest tunes on the turntable, and people laying on blankets and chillin' from every entrance, all the way to the top. I particularly loved it at night, looking at the lights from the city and listening to Baltimore's V103 on the radio. It was beautiful. But as hard drugs got a foothold, and violence increased, it was closed down for a lot of years afterward, but it's a really nice place now, although I never quite understood why the city built a Civil War Museum up there on Flat Top. I mean, you have to kinda drive through the Hood to get to the park. LOL! Unless of course, you drive up the State St. side to enter.

The city has changed a lot over the years, and unfortunately, Uptown has gotten progressively worse. When I was coming up (in the 70s) , certain areas of Uptown, even then, weren't the safest to live, (there were gangs and turf wars going on then too) but a lot of good, hard-working families who were "in it, but not of it" lived there and looked out after one another. Still do. What's even wilder, Midtown was the "Red Light District" when I was a kid. Prostitution on the corners, pimps, drugs, bars, you name it, could be found in Midtown in those days. And downtown was the X rated movie, peep show capital of the world. lol! To see what the downtown/MidTown area has become over the years since then, is very cool.

So moving from Midtown to Uptown, was like "moving up" for us then. LOL! But gang and drug activity have overwhelmed a lot of those areas today. When I was coming up, we had a lot of places to go in the inner city: the PAL (Police Athletic League on 3rd, near Herr), SAL summer program (Salvation Army), The Youth Center that was on 3rd, near Peffer, The Girl's & Boy's Clubs, Heagy's Skating Rink on Crooked Hill Rd, the movies at the Colonial Theatre downtown, and great house parties and school dances), so there really wasn't any time to get into trouble, unlike the kids who are living in those areas today. I even loved going to the museum to see the exhibits and catch a planetarium show...by myself! Except for the Salvation Army (and the museum of course),every single one of the the above places I listed above are long gone, so there's nothing for the kids to do, and it's sad.

Anyway, sorry for jackin' your post, but I've been lurking in this thread for a while and got a little nostalgic and homesick. I love my hometown with all of my heart, warts and all, but it's good to see how it's snapped back. I'm amazed every time I come home to visit.