Harrisburg? (Carlisle, Colonial Park, Hershey: rent, houses, to buy)

[beautycovergirl]

Whats there to do in Harrisburg? is it nice? Is it safe? what main ancestries are there..? Is Harriburg like a suburb? Are the houses affordable? Is there a mall..and resturants there?

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by beautycovergirl

Whats there to do in Harrisburg? is it nice? Is it safe? what main ancestries are there..? Is Harriburg like a suburb? Are the houses affordable? Is there a mall..and resturants there?

Harrisburg is a city of 46,000 that acts much like a city of 100,000 or larger due to the fact that it is surrounded to the east, west and south by dense inner suburbs that in some cases share the same zipcode as the city. Housing is very affordable compared to the rest of the Northeast. The city itself has some troubled areas, and if you are looking to move in the city limits you should look into Midtown, Downtown, Shipoke or the Riverside portion of Uptown. In the city you are within walking distance to Riverfront Park which has miles of walking/biking trails along the river, City Island (island in the middle of the river with minor league baseball, small shops, an arcade and trail) as well as a TON of restaurants and bars that are mostly located in Downtown. For a young or just urban-minded person this is the place to be. Housing is quite affordable. My friend has the same income as you ($60,000) and just bought a nice three bedroom house in Midtown. Generally you can get a nice house for less than $180,000 or rent a decent two-bedroom for $600-900 per month. Harrisburg's "best" suburb is considered to be Camp Hill, which has an early 20th century feel with a nice walkable downtown with shops and restaurants. Other suburbs to check out include Mechanicsburg, Hummelstown and Hershey.

The Harrisburg area has three malls. The Harrisburg Mall is located just three miles from Downtown along Paxton street right outside the city limits. It has a Macy's and a lot of other stores. The Colonial Park Mall is east of Harrisburg along U.S. 22 and has your typical mall stores. The most popular mall in the area is the Capital City Mall which is four miles west of the city along Rt 15.

[Marodi]

Note: City of harrisburg has 46,000 people, but the Harrisburg Area has 600k or so.

[Lucario]

What main ancestries are there? For the longest time, Hbg. was a fairly non-diverse typical American mix; few recent immigrants, mostly white in the 'burbs, African American in the inner city proper and into Steelton. Now, though, the area has become much more interesting culturally in the last decade or so with an influx of Latinos and Asians throughout the city and suburbs.

[annestacey]

I'm possibly relocating to the area and searching for places to buy organic foods and produce. I found the Whole Foods Market in a town called Carlisle but it's a bit out of the way from Harrisburg. Does anyone know of any local organic supermarkets?

[danwxman]

Originally Posted by annestacey

I'm possibly relocating to the area and searching for places to buy organic foods and produce. I found the Whole Foods Market in a town called Carlisle but it's a bit out of the way from Harrisburg. Does anyone know of any local organic supermarkets?

There is a Wegmans supermarket in Mechanicsburg, about ten miles outside the city. Wegmans is known for its extensive organic and natural foods department. It's considered the "Disney World" of supermarkets. There is also a Giant in Camp Hill, a quick five minute drive outside the city with a pretty good organic section. Also in Camp Hill is The Healthy Grocer which is a small but all organic and locally owned grocery store. There's another Giant on 29th street in the city, but it doesn't have nearly the selection of the Giant in Camp Hill. If you live downtown, midtown or uptown, it's easier to get to the Camp Hill Giant or The Healthy Grocer anyway.

[annestacey]

Thanks so much for that information. After some more searching, I also found a couple of really nice farmer's markets in the area as well but their hours are limited so those stores will come in very handy for me. Thanks again!