Moving Help.... (Harrisburg, Bloomsburg, Danville: best neighborhoods, apartment complexes, city hall)

[YP001]

I have a potentially good chance at getting this state job .The job is for the liquor control board near university of Harrisburg science / tech . (N 3RD street/forster ST). I was just looking for some insight on some good places to live near there and the cost of living to see if its feasible for me to make the move from what id be making. Thanks.


When are you moving? When and IF offered
Where are you coming from? Bloomsburg
Why are you moving? Job
Where will you be working? above
Have you been here yet? Camp hill only for job fair

Will you buy or rent? rent

Are you married or single? Do you have children? single
Do you have pets?no
Do you want or need a yard? no
Are you keeping a car? yes
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? active

Phillies, Pirates or Orioles? Phillies

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Originally Posted by YP001

I have a potentially good chance at getting this state job .The job is for the liquor control board near university of Harrisburg science / tech . (N 3RD street/forster ST).

Hi and welcome to Harrisburg! Fingers crossed!

The LCB is a few blocks away from the university (which is at Market & Fourth). The LCB is in midtown, while the university is downtown. These are, at the moment, arguably the two best neighborhoods in the city.

Your housing options in midtown are primarily townhouses and conversions. There is one residential hirise nearby -- Towne House -- at Sixth and Boas. It has your basic hirise amenities like package service, off-street parking, and an on-site convenience store. Most apartments have balconies with decent views. The last time I looked, rent skewed a little high and included water / sewer / trash / gas / heat. Towne House is easily within safe walking distance of LCB.

There are many, many townhouses / conversion apartments for rent within walking distance as well. There's no definitive listing of these anywhere, so your best bet is simply to take a trip down here and walk through the area. Until you become more familiar with the individual neighborhoods, I would recommend staying south of Reily St and west of Fifth St. It's not that the areas past those streets are entirely bad, it's just that you need to be more cognizant of your surroundings to avoid wandering through one of the rough spots.

If you want to be around activity, you should take a look at downtown as well. Downtown is the city's nightlife & entertainment district, and Second Street between Market & South streets is packed with Irish pubs, nightclubs, sports bars, martini lounges, restaurants, and live music venues. There's even a brewpub about 2-3 blocks away from downtown. It gets crazy busy on the weekends and, to a lesser extent, weekday evenings. Executive House (where I live) and The Grayco are my two favorites. Old City Hall is very unique, but somewhat expensive.

If you aren't necessarily looking to live within the city, you can find dozens of apartment complexes within 20 minutes of midtown, most cheaper than living in the city. Just be aware that the major arteries out of the city -- Cameron St, I-83, and the bridges to the west shore -- all gridlock badly during rush hour. Being able to walk to / from work is a huge advantage for this reason alone.

To give you an idea of price, my corner penthouse apartment in EH is $850 / mo including all utilities -- even electric -- and parking. The Grayco is a little cheaper, while Towne House and Old City Hall are more expensive. You should have no trouble finding a decent conversion or townhouse in a good neighborhood in the $500 - $700 price range. If you're willing to go for a studio (both The Grayco and EH have very large studios), you can dip a little lower. Food & gas prices are more or less equal to Bloomsburg, though Harrisburg offers MUCH greater selection.

Since Harrisburg is just over an hour away from Bloomsburg, you should definitely try to head down here and scope the place out. If you do, let us know and I'll give you some specific neighborhoods / places to check out. You'll also want to pick up a weekend copy of the Patriot News (I know Sheetz in Danville usually carries it) and check the classifieds for apartment listings.

Good luck!