short term and pet-friendly housing in hershey/harrisburg? (Colonial Park, Madison: appointed, 2013)

[StrangeLight]

hi,

i'm a PhD student relocating to the area for a 3-4 month internship in hershey, PA. i've done some searching online for places, but thought i'd check in here to see if people have any other recommendations.

i've heard good things about the grayco, but some places say electric is included and others say it's additional (since my time will be short in harrisburg, the more utilities included in the rent the better). i've also heard good things about executive house (though it's unclear whether there's free internet in the apartments or not... that'd be nice!), but i did read some reports online about a rather nasty centipede infestation in 2012. any experience with this? was it overblown? has it been resolved?

places will need to be pet-friendly for one emotionally needy cat.

When are you moving? september 2013
Where are you coming from? pittsburgh
Why are you moving? for an internship
Where will you be working? at the hershey story museum
Have you been here yet? once, many moons ago. i'll be taking a trip back to the museum and the bizarro world that is hershey in august.

Will you buy or rent? rent.
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend? an apartment. studio or one bedroom. i'd like to keep it under $800 including utilities (and parking!) but i could go a tad higher.
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up? either.

Are you married or single? Do you have children? single. no kids.
Do you prefer public or private schools? n/a
Do you have pets? yes, one cat.
Do you want or need a yard? no.
Are you keeping a car? yes.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? bustling. is there such a thing as bustling activity in harrisburg? i hope so.

What do you want to be closest to?
Work
Shopping
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.)
Nightlife
Train or subway stations

good restaurants and basic services would be best. while i don't need to live in hershey, the further away i get, the more i'll spend on gas, so the cheaper the rent needs to be.

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? diversity please.

Phillies, Pirates or Orioles? the blue jays.

[StrangeLight]

it's because i said i liked the blue jays, isn't it?

executive house has really jacked up their prices. 995/mo is the cheapest unit (a studio). electricity is no longer included in their rent, but free wifi is. between parking and an electric bill, i'd be looking at close to $1100/mo for a unit that i know, only a few years ago, people were paying $600 for. and the 995 units don't necessarily have washer/dryers in them.

the grayco seems like a much better option. two hundred dollars cheaper for a short-term lease (and they'll do 4 month leases... executive house will only do 3 or 6 month leases). electric is included but wifi isn't. the only real drawback is parking. i can't find a single reliable website for the city of harrisburg that explains street parking permits downtown. if you get a permit, do you still need to pay the meter? do you still have to feed the meter all day? do you still have to move your car during rush-hour? the only details i can find are "parking here sucks." not that helpful for someone that will probably have to rent a place sight-unseen.

now looking into the glass factory lofts. 645/mo (maybe more for a short-term lease... i'm having difficulty getting anyone to answer their phone or return an email) + electric (heat included in the 645). also includes cable and wifi. they have parking on site too. if they do short-term leases this place will be a no-brainer for me.



really seriously disappointed in executive house. i see a rash of online posts about a millipede infestation that took months to resolve (with little concern or care from building management, apparently), the prices are sky-high now, and they no longer cover electricity.

[outthebackdoor]

Strangelight, I talk to myself at times too ! It's all good. I'm sorry that you didn't receive any answers to your questions , but you did answer a few that I had. Thanks

[lunetunelover]

We are renting at Madison Hershey Heights. They do allow pets, but I'm not sure about the short term stuff. That's primarily why I didn't answer your question when you originally asked. It's also probably a bit higher than your budget, but I'm not sure since we rented a 2br and a garage space.

Edited to add: I'm not sure but when I moved here (about 6 months ago) I thought someone told me that the developer for those glass factory lofts went belly up, could be why they aren't answering. It's not exactly a place I'd want to live.

[Ryose]

Have you tried the Townhouse apts on 6th and Boas street. Try Shipoke, I just saw a house for rent next to Primiere Eye.

[StrangeLight]

i actually went with the glass factory lofts. they did get back to me, and ever since then have been really fast and flexible in their responses. the lease length was perfect (they'll do pretty much any length), they don't add on $100 or $200/mo for short-term leases, they have parking, they allow pets (even dogs, for anyone with pups).

the units are small and short on storage. i'm used to that and i don't mind it, but in a town like harrisburg where people can get a 2-bed in the burbs for the same price, i can see why the size might scare people off. they probably would've been better served by having fewer but larger units and charging more in rent. i don't know if they're struggling (my guess is about 1/3 of the building is still vacant) but it actually worked to my advantage. they were really flexible and accommodating and they made the leasing process incredibly easy. i'm only there for a few months, so i'm not really worried about that.

i'm fine with the neighbourhood too. a little further north than the grayco, executive house, townhouse, etc. more of a neighbourhood in transition, i guess, but that's actually a lot what my current neighbourhood in pittsburgh is like and i love it there.

i gotta say, for ease of leasing, price, flexibility, accommodation, parking, pets, utilities included, the glass factory lofts is probably the best option around harrisburg for short-term leasing right now.

[Mbreen34]

I have a beautiful furnished 3 rd floor loft apartment 3 minutes from Hershey Medical Center. Are you still looking?

[PA-RN]

Hershey Heights apartments, Briarcrest apartments..Both in/near hershey and both do short term leases and allow pets

[Jahodor]

You could try some of the apartments in Colonial Park but remember sometimes you get what you pay for.