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Harrisburg area Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties
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Old 07-01-2014, 07:16 PM
 
40 posts, read 94,980 times
Reputation: 43

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I am looking to purchase an attached home in the city for renovation purposes however I will be living in the home while I work on it and commute to Carlisle for employment. I am originally from the area but have been gone awhile and things have really changed. I am just wondering about different areas where I am seeing homes for sale concerning crime rates and resale possibilities. That said I will be living there with my hubby and both of us have lived in larger cities like Philly and are used to the city environment. We like a walkable area and everything the city has to offer. I am wondering about north 5th and 6th street near the Polyclininc hospital, the 2000 or so block of Green Street, the area north of Reservoir Park like Briggs Street, and Peffer and Maclay Street near what looks like recent redevelopment. All these areas look ok to me as I drive around with a pocket of problems here and there. Just wondered if anyone has any info they can share. Some areas are so sad to me because I am old enough to remember when the city was really beautiful. I hope to find something a little historic to bring back to life as it once was. Any help is appreciated.
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Old 07-02-2014, 06:53 PM
 
Location: harrisburg pa/relocating
25 posts, read 71,413 times
Reputation: 12
U are talking about moving to harrisburg school district just know that down the line if u ever try to sell ur home u would have a hard time selling it. Iwould go to locust lane area or another part of harrisburg but that is just me
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Old 07-04-2014, 12:11 PM
 
40 posts, read 94,980 times
Reputation: 43
Yes I am aware of the serious issues with Harrisburg schools, however there are many people without children who might need a place to live as well as retired individuals with very little money. I am talking about rehabbing and reselling very inexpensive homes here to make them affordable. I do the work myself and so can resell cheap. I love Harrisburg. I think it's a beautiful city and quite frankly I deeply dislike the west shore. I think it sorely lacks character and diversity. I find it interesting that in most of the Harrisburg forums the advice is to move to the west shore. Change might be slow in Harrisburg, but we have to start somewhere. So no more advice on these areas? Anybody actually live in these areas? Would love your input, good or bad.
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Old 07-04-2014, 07:17 PM
 
Location: University City, Philadelphia
22,634 posts, read 14,903,529 times
Reputation: 15934
Quote:
Originally Posted by PABlondie View Post
Yes I am aware of the serious issues with Harrisburg schools, however there are many people without children who might need a place to live as well as retired individuals with very little money. I am talking about rehabbing and reselling very inexpensive homes here to make them affordable. I do the work myself and so can resell cheap. I love Harrisburg. I think it's a beautiful city and quite frankly I deeply dislike the west shore. I think it sorely lacks character and diversity. I find it interesting that in most of the Harrisburg forums the advice is to move to the west shore. Change might be slow in Harrisburg, but we have to start somewhere. So no more advice on these areas? Anybody actually live in these areas? Would love your input, good or bad.
I just wanted to chime in and say that I think Harrisburg looks charming ... at least on the surface. I don't know why people hate it so. On the other hand I never lived there, only visited it several times over the past decade or so. It seems to me the Capitol district is improving. There are a number of good restaurants and drinking establishments. The park along the Susquehanna River is lovely. I've attended fairs and special events in that park. There are attractive older Victorian homes that seem to sell for a fraction of what they would go for in Philly.

I could see myself living there in retirement (school districts would be irrelevant) ... unless the crime is really so bad that it rivals Chester or Camden, NJ.
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Old 07-07-2014, 06:29 AM
 
Location: Central Texas. Wait, I mean South Texas. Actually, both Central and South Texas
317 posts, read 571,950 times
Reputation: 383
Hello,

Briggs Street is in the Allison Hill area, which is the worst area for drugs and crime in Harrisburg. My friend tried to do exactly what you are proposing (re-habbing an old house then selling for a profit) last year in Allison Hill. Work spread quickly in the area that a house was being renovated. Soon after, my friend's house was broken into pretty much weekly. They stole his tools and the new furniture/appliances and pretty much anything they could take. The police really weren't much help, there just aren't enough police for a city the size of Harrisburg. The city can't afford to hire more officers, or even pay the existing ones overtime because it is massively in debt.
The other locations are in the mid-town area and would be a better option. I know a few young professionals that choose to live in mid-town because it is close to the downton bar/restaurant scene. Crime is less severe in mid-town, but still an issue. If you are going to be staying in the house while you renovate, that can be risky because of the home invasion scenario.
I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just trying to give accurate info.
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Old 07-07-2014, 07:39 AM
 
Location: Central Texas. Wait, I mean South Texas. Actually, both Central and South Texas
317 posts, read 571,950 times
Reputation: 383
" *Word* spread quickly... "
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Old 07-24-2014, 01:32 PM
 
7 posts, read 11,598 times
Reputation: 26
I work by the Polyclinic Hospital and I'm not too crazy about 5th and 6th around here. Even by 3rd and Wiconisco, I have had to run several times to the parking guard because of being harassed, followed, cornered, etc. Once, there were holdups around 4th by the Polyclinic. Emerald Street, especially, there was a shooting at 6th and Emerald. Prior to that, a hostage situation that had 3rd Street shut down (I take the bus from Midtown, so the bus had to make a detour around Maclay and go through 4th for quite some time). The 2000 block around Green? Stay above Division, but that's already approaching the 3000s. I'm just not too crazy about Uptown. It looks Suburban, but there are a lot of sketchy people around here (specifically male). I still would stick to Midtown. I live in Midtown (I moved here recently from the suburbs. Suburbs made me depressed. I don't like the West Shore. I stick out in this place like a sore thumb because I look and dress like I'm not from this area. I'm Asian, female and five foot nothing, by the way), and moving here might be the best move I have made. If it's crime, heck, I walked from downtown to Midtown one Friday night (I don't have a car, so I take the bus) close to 11:00 p.m. (looking stylish and in high heels)! Restaurant Row was safe, but going up, was I scared? You bet I was! I had to be very aware of my surroundings, I had to keep my hand on my whistle and phone. I'm still here, aren't I? I'm also with Friends of Midtown and I attend the safety meetings, so I 'm very aware of what's going on around me and aware also when I walk. I don't have a washer/dryer so I go to a laundromat to do laundry. Yes there's danger here, but there's danger EVERYWHERE. Do you honestly think you can escape it by moving to the West Shore? That's being delusional. It's just a matter of time before it goes to the West Shore as well. If you live in fear and keep running, the bad elements win. I moved here knowing about crime, mold, old houses, etc., but...I love it! I feel alive (I felt dead and depressed in the Suburbs) If I'm bored? The train station is just a walk away and I can go to New York City!

I agree about the police, though, and have heard it from them as well. There just isn't enough of them. So just weigh the pros and cons of it. (And thank goodness, a lady who isn't too fond of the West Shore. Yes! You couldn't pay me to move to the West Shore. No thanks!)
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Old 07-24-2014, 07:17 PM
 
Location: Maryland
165 posts, read 231,542 times
Reputation: 63
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrcat View Post
I work by the Polyclinic Hospital and I'm not too crazy about 5th and 6th around here. Even by 3rd and Wiconisco, I have had to run several times to the parking guard because of being harassed, followed, cornered, etc. Once, there were holdups around 4th by the Polyclinic. Emerald Street, especially, there was a shooting at 6th and Emerald. Prior to that, a hostage situation that had 3rd Street shut down (I take the bus from Midtown, so the bus had to make a detour around Maclay and go through 4th for quite some time). The 2000 block around Green? Stay above Division, but that's already approaching the 3000s. I'm just not too crazy about Uptown. It looks Suburban, but there are a lot of sketchy people around here (specifically male). I still would stick to Midtown. I live in Midtown (I moved here recently from the suburbs. Suburbs made me depressed. I don't like the West Shore. I stick out in this place like a sore thumb because I look and dress like I'm not from this area. I'm Asian, female and five foot nothing, by the way), and moving here might be the best move I have made. If it's crime, heck, I walked from downtown to Midtown one Friday night (I don't have a car, so I take the bus) close to 11:00 p.m. (looking stylish and in high heels)! Restaurant Row was safe, but going up, was I scared? You bet I was! I had to be very aware of my surroundings, I had to keep my hand on my whistle and phone. I'm still here, aren't I? I'm also with Friends of Midtown and I attend the safety meetings, so I 'm very aware of what's going on around me and aware also when I walk. I don't have a washer/dryer so I go to a laundromat to do laundry. Yes there's danger here, but there's danger EVERYWHERE. Do you honestly think you can escape it by moving to the West Shore? That's being delusional. It's just a matter of time before it goes to the West Shore as well. If you live in fear and keep running, the bad elements win. I moved here knowing about crime, mold, old houses, etc., but...I love it! I feel alive (I felt dead and depressed in the Suburbs) If I'm bored? The train station is just a walk away and I can go to New York City!

I agree about the police, though, and have heard it from them as well. There just isn't enough of them. So just weigh the pros and cons of it. (And thank goodness, a lady who isn't too fond of the West Shore. Yes! You couldn't pay me to move to the West Shore. No thanks!)
That sounds like a good thread... reasons to not live on the West Shore :-) I visited there to see if I wanted to live there and didn't get a good vibe about the area. Just a feeling I had.

That was a great post you made. Thank you.
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Old 07-28-2014, 07:48 AM
 
40 posts, read 94,980 times
Reputation: 43
Thanks for the comments. Very helpful information from all. I did take a drive around the areas I mentioned last evening again. I got a bit of a different picture on Saturday evening. Lets just say there looked like there was a lot of suspicious activity on the street corners, especially around Emerald Street. I drove up to Italian Lake and took a walk around there and was not bothered at all. It was very peaceful and quite by beautiful. I am honestly saddened by what has happened to this city and the beautiful historic homes in these areas. I remember it when Green street was a beautiful, well maintained, crime free place to live. So if I'm looking around Midtown for a home what streets would you recommend? I noticed as I was driving that things change very quickly. It's hard to tell where Midtown begins and ends. Looks like things are much better closer to the river but of course there the real estate gets way too expensive for me. Also are there any decent rentals in Midtown you can recommend. I'm thinking of living there for awhile to get a better idea what's going on. I need a serious change from the West Shore.
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Old 07-30-2014, 11:22 AM
 
7 posts, read 11,598 times
Reputation: 26
As a lot of other posters have said in past threads, the closer you get to the River, the better. I live close to the Broad Street Market, but also close to a bar that calls itself a 'cafe.' Very sketchy crowd there (when I just moved, I got off the bus at around 5 and saw police surrounding a man seated at the curb, asking him if he wanted to file charges against the other guy, so I concluded that a brawl broke out), so you can imagine what type of environment I have to walk through. In fact, last Monday, around 7:00 p.m., I was harassed again. Last night, since the 7:51 pm bus got to Colonial Commons before my son was done with my hair conditioning treatment, I took the 9:10 bus, got off by Third Street, and walked up a very isolated and scary Third Street at around 9:45 p.m. (it was like the only people outside were the guys from Asalah Moroccan Restaurant. They were seated outside the Restaurant talking). On a weekday that isn't Friday, the Midtown Scholar is already closed, so it's rather dark around the Broad Street Market area. I have walked Second Street as well, but it is not as well lit as Third. Second Street, however, has more traffic. Getting an apartment Midtown is like a hit-or-miss situation. I got mine through craigslist. Yes, it's run down, old, etc., but it has decent people living in it. Walls and floors are thin, though, and you can hear the neighbor upstairs (and the water hammer is annoying).^^ There are newer apartments like the COBA (In the $800's up a month), but I found some people getting out of the building rather...questionable. I would choose my neighbors (one a young professional, the other a medical student) over some of those I have seen at the COBA. I heard Glass Factory is nice (Third and Muench). There are some good townhouses owned by realtors around Third Street (costing about $1,200 up a month).

I have started walking to and from work (a good 30 minute walk each way, so that makes it an hour's walk). Walking down Third from the Polyclinic is not very pleasant when you pass Emerald (again, the sketchy environment). Also not so nice when you get to Third and Maclay.

Just a word of caution again: There is A LOT of drug dealing around Midtown. We always talk about this in the Citizens Safety Meeting of Friends of Midtown. People have lulled themselves into a false sense of security because the violent crime has not been as much these days, even with the good weather. At the Safety Committee meeting, however, we try to be watchful. During Monday's Citizen Safety Committee meeting, I just met someone who moved to Harrisburg from Mechanicsburg. She shares my sentiments about the suburbs. I try to make myself available to the Friends of Midtown Foot Patrol for only one reason: I like to walk.^^

Again, it's hard to suggest a place around Midtown. You would have to look through craigslist. Unfortunately, a lot of them list their properties there these days. I tried buying a newspaper, looking through Pennlive, but it doesn't have as much as craigslist does (though craigslist listings can be annoying because some property management companies are very deceiving, saying 'downtown' or 'midtown' when they're actually Uptown). If you can't find a decent one through craigslist, rent downtown at the Grayco (A lot of people love Ann, the manager. I have also corresponded with her via e-mail and she is very pleasant) or the other two buildings, Executive House and Pennsylvania Place. I'm hoping you can find a good apartment around this area. I was lucky when I decided to contact this manager (through craigslist). And, I love the location of the apartment (close to Midtown Scholar and the Broad Street Market). Despite danger, the 'hood' type identification and crime (I guess I got used to it after so many untoward incidents happened to me in the Uptown area), I would still choose to live here instead of the suburbs.

I hope this helps. I am giving you a female impression of the Midtown area (well, at least my female point of view) since it's tougher for a woman than it is for a man. We get harassed all the time, we have to be more watchful than men, and we are usually the ones chosen by the bad elements because we are perceived as the 'weaker' sex. Trust your instincts. Female intuition is very strong, and if something doesn't seem right to you, that probably is the case.
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