Information regarding Towne House Apartments (Harrisburg, Camp Hill: neighborhoods, tenants, school)

[jack.watermelon]

Hi,
I am new person moving to Harrisburg from Ohio. I am getting a good deal at Towne House Apartments at 660 Boas Street. How is the neighborhood? Is it fine to walk in the evening ?
Safety is my top priority so please tell about this neighborhood. Thank you.

[HbgGuru]

Hi Jack,

Welcome to Harrisburg!

Not sure how the TH Apts have been recently, but I knew one of the managers about 5 years ago and would go there for the roof top parties. It definitely seemed a little worn-down in some of the apartments and my friend mentioned that some of the tenants were a little seedy. As far as the area goes, it's not too bad in my opinion. But there are some nicer options.

I just found out last night that The Parkway on Front & Forster is very affordable. I think someone said you can get a 2 BR there for $850 or so a month and that may even include parking. Those apartments are nice and the location is great.

Once you get settled, you may want to also check out the Harrisburg Young Professionals (HYP). I’m not sure if they have something like it where you’re from, but it's a local organization dedicated to helping the city become a better place to live, work, and play. They organize events ranging from outreach, to sports leagues, to social functions. It's a great way to get involved in the community, network, and meet new people (especially if you're new to the area.) www.hyp.org

Good Luck!

[DowntownHarrisburg]

I recently took a tour of them when I was moving back downtown. I ultimately wound up going with Executive House, which is owned by the same people. Towne House was a decent place, but ultimately I just couldn't justify the cost difference. Hope you like it!

First, remember that every city has rough spots. There are bad neighborhoods surrounded by good ones. And even the good neighborhoods have bad apples here and there. So even if you're walking through the most affluent, well-patrolled, brightly-lit part of any given city, you can still wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think Harrisburg is one of the safest cities in the northeast, but that doesn't mean I would walk down a back alley in Allison Hill at 3am on a Saturday morning.

Towne House's neighborhood is not bad. I would have no qualms about walking around there at night. A lot of this is because I'm comfortable in an urban environment and can very easily make myself appear to be more trouble than I'm worth to any potential instigators. What you consider "safe" will depend on your own level of comfort. If you're moving into a city for the first time, you may feel more comfortable staying south of Reily until you learn the individual neighborhoods. The general rule of Harrisburg -- which seems to be 90% accurate 90% of the time -- is that if you can see the capitol dome or the river, you're in a decent part of town.

Your neighborhood could be considered either midtown or uptown. You'll find people making the case either way. I say you're right on the border. If you draw a triangle from Front & Forster to Seventh & Forster to around, say, Front & Hamilton, that's roughly midtown. This isn't a perfect representation, but it will give you an idea of where most people refer to when they say "midtown". Downtown is south of Forester between Front & Cameron. Uptown is anywhere north of that triangle.

Midtown has been fighting to clean up for a long time, and it's working. You will still see some prostitution and drug dealing, and occasional muggings do happen in the warmer months. Follow the common-sense rules for any city and you'll be fine: Always maintain situational awareness, stay in control (ie, don't stumble up Third after a night of heavy drinking), and trust your gut instinct. Your sixth sense is millions of years of evolution telling you that something is wrong.

Remember all of this, and you'll discover that Midtown is a growing, vibrant neighborhood that is well worth plenty of strolling. People go postal over Jackson House burgers, and Cafe Di Luna and Midtown Scholar (both on Third) have excellent coffee. Garrason's (on Forster) is a decent place to grab a dinner. Walk down Forster, hang a left on Second, and within a few blocks you'll encounter "restaurant row", which is exactly what it sounds like.

Welcome to our city!

[jack.watermelon]

Hey,
Thanks a lot people. I have decided to take the towne house apartments for the time being. Also the HYP suggestion is great. Membership sounds reasonable also.

I just passed out from college and never owned or brought a car, but I am sure that being in Harrisburg I would need a car to survive. CAT transit is not that promising also. Is there anything like place I can check for car pool for the time being till i get a car? My office is in Camp Hill. Also I do not know driving, can you guys suggest a driving school and a local car dealer where I can shop for cars. I am looking for a used civic or corolla.

Thanks a lot for your time

[HbgGuru]

Sorry, I don't have much in the way of car dealership recommendations, or car pooling. Although, I believe that Craigslist has a Ride Share forum. harrisburg rideshare classifieds - craigslist You could try there.

Also, depending on where in Camp Hill you are working you could maybe even ride a bicycle there temporarily.

As for driving school, the only one I've seen in the area is Shepherd's Driving School. Shep-Driving-Website (http://www.shepherdsdriving.com/ - broken link) They are a local family company, but other than that I don't have any testimonials.

[HbgGuru]

Originally Posted by floor9

Your neighborhood could be considered either midtown or uptown. You'll find people making the case either way. I say you're right on the border. If you draw a triangle from Front & Forster to Seventh & Forster to around, say, Front & Hamilton, that's roughly midtown. This isn't a perfect representation, but it will give you an idea of where most people refer to when they say "midtown". Downtown is south of Forester between Front & Cameron. Uptown is anywhere north of that triangle.

I wasn't quite sure this was right, so I did a little research. According to the map on the Friends of Midtown website, it's not listed in one of the mentioned neighborhoods at all.



There was actually an even better map on the foxridgeneighbors.org website. I saved the photo, but now I can't get the link back so I'm linking my copy below. It places Towne House Apts in (#11) the 7th Street Gateway District South. Love this map!

[DowntownHarrisburg]

Thanks for sharing! That officially marks the first time I've ever heard some of those names, especially the "7th Street Gateway District North / South". I've heard some of the older names thrown around, such as that hedonistic free-for-all known as the 8th Ward (back when the city stopped short around North Street).

I think most residents call districts 8 through 10 and 12 through 15 "midtown", if only because it's easier than having this conversation:

Resident: "I live in Engleton."
Visitor: "Oh, is that up by Enhaut?"
Resident: "No, it's in Harrisburg. Near Granite and Susquehanna."
Visitor: "Oh, you mean midtown!"
Resident: "*sigh*"

It's definitely an improvement over "Lotsville", though.