Never moved - Harrisburg here I come! (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: apartment complexes, for rent)

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

Hello - I have seen other posts about Harrisburg, Pennsylvania but I have some questions of my own!

I am 26 years old have moved within the same city in Ohio a few times, but I have always been just a few minutes from my family - we are very close.

I will be relocating to Harrisburg, PA in early 2008, and of course have some challenges determining what areas will be a good fit. My ideal fit would meet the following requirements in no particular order:

- I plan to rent an apartment. While the cost of living in Hburg is supposed to be lower than where I live now, the cost of apartments is definitely higher. I would like 2 bedrooms in Harrisburg but I want to stay in the area of $550 - $650 a month and 2 bedrooms doesn't seem possible.

- I'd like to be within 10 - 15 minutes of Penbrook or less.

- Living downtown seems fun.

- I'd love to be in an area where I can walk around. Walk to get a cup of coffee, dinner with friends, etc.

- I want to be in a safe area. As a young female in a new city, I don't want to worry about walking to my building in the dark after work.

- I am not a fan of street parking. I prefer a parking lot so I don't have to worry about a long walk to the building in the dark, especially when I am bringing in groceries or something like that.


I will be looking at some apartments next week downtown, in the Colonial Park area, and some other places. Thoughts about those neighborhoods or any suggestions for areas to try or avoid?

Opinions about the following apts (Towne House, The Pines, Twin Lakes).

I would appreciate hearing from you! Thanks in advance!
D

[danwxman]

The rate you want for a 2-bedroom is going to be hard to find. Townhouse Suites is just blocks from a pretty rough area. It's walkable to downtown and midtown, but I wouldn't do that walk in the middle of the night. It is close to Penbrook, however....and it does have its own secure parking lot.

I'm not familiar with The Pines but you don't want to live at Twin Lakes...there was a shooting there recently, and a lot of the "riff-raff" that has been priced out of the city has moved into the apartment complexes on the east side of Harrisburg (including the Colonial Park area).

My suggestion would be to walk around downtown/midtown a bit (stay away from 6-7th street north of Forster) and look for Apartment For Rent signs....I have noticed quite a few recently.

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

Thanks for the reply - this is extremely helpful. Anyone else?

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

I guess I should add that I can live without 2 bedrooms. thanks.

[ScranBarre]

I hope you get some replies soon! Unfortunately I've noticed that for all of the interest there has been about Harrisburg as of late, there are very few active members on here that live in Greater Harrisburg. The major concentrations of members here seem to be in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

With that being said I've heard nothing but great things about how "up-and-coming" Downtown Harrisburg is. I'm seeking to move to Downtown Scranton myself, so kudos to you for wanting to likewise get a taste of city life; you're a girl after my own heart! (Too bad I'm taken!) Too many who are moving to PA are ONLY looking at the suburbs, and I don't see why. Yes, some cities are relatively-rough (Reading and Allentown, for example), but many others (Scranton, Bethlehem, Williamsport, Erie, as examples) are great places to live that continue to decline while their suburban areas flourish. I give you a lot of thanks for considering the city proper of Harrisburg; our state capital needs all of the fresh young blood it can get to help it revitalize itself.

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

Thanks for the response! I notice you are on here a lot, and your feedback is very helpful!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA

Thanks for the response! I notice you are on here a lot, and your feedback is very helpful!

You're quite welcome. Yes. Unfortunately I don't have much of a social life. It appears when you're a sober college student who commutes to campus, you don't win many accolades for "coolness" from your peers. LOL!

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

have a great day

[NikG]

I'm moving from Columbus OH to Harrisburg myself, within the next 1-2 months. I'm looking in the same general area: Penbrook, Linglestown, Paxtonia. I've lived in Mechanicsburg right after college, but returned to Central OH after a few years. This time, I have a family. How are the schools districts NE of the city?

Junior Member-I'm in the same boat as you. The cost of my 3 BDR in Columbus is reasonable, safe neighborhood, back yard and lots of room. Unfortunately, the cost of renting a place in Harrisburg is quite difficult. I really don't want to pay alot, but it looks like I may have no choice. If I remember correctly, most people try to steer clear of the E Harrisburg. I never had any issues, but I know others will disagree.

[OHIOtoPENNSYLVANIA]

NikG - I am glad someone can relate! I will be traveling there next week to search for apartments. If you'd like, I can post afterwards with any new info I have!