"Make York great again" (Pittsburgh, Reading: best cities, hotel, houses)

[SilverJD]

I went to school in York and I have to be honest, I think York has the bones to be a great city and have a sort of "mini" Pittsburgh type of revival. It has a really cool downtown lots of nice old homes and even some nice newer planned suburban areas. Right now the economy seems to be holding the city back. What would it take for York to have a renaissance and become a place people desire to move to? I truly believe York isn't as far away from this as most people believe.

[Dequindre]

Eh... the problem is that York has to compete with Lancaster. Because Lancaster is further along in the process, it's making it hard for York to reach that point.

[SilverJD]

Originally Posted by Dequindre

Eh... the problem is that York has to compete with Lancaster. Because Lancaster is further along in the process, it's making it hard for York to reach that point.

Surprising, considering York has better access to Baltimore and D.C

[g500]

York is a cool city. I really love the historic architecture and feel. Some of the row houses are dilapidated and in poor condition. For only being 5 square miles it is very dense and has not lost that much population since its peak like most cities. My question is this: looks like Harrisburg and York urban areas butt up against each other now. I am wondering when they will combine? Harrisburg to York really isn't far WITHOUT traffic. If only 83 was 3x3 lanes.

[pman]

Lanes don't fix cities

[g500]

Never said that.

The best bet for York is to continue combining with Harrisburg and Lancaster. These three cities are not very far from each other and could use some sort of mass transit or commuter rail options so they can better share and serve as one labor market. Combined these three "urban areas" are 1.2 million in population which is very significant. Although each one of these three has its own identity, I'm not sure what they have in common other than some history and relative proximity to each other. Also I don't know which city would be the focal point. Maybe that is something to work on.

[PreservationPioneer]

I love York. I think it's one of the best cities in the state, some urban problems notwithstanding. It has an intact historic urban core, with beautifully restored historic buildings throughout. There are still too many vacancies in the downtown business district, but it is showing signs of vitality. The current central market, theater, downtown (Yorktowne) hotel, and upscale restaurants are helpful in this regard! The housing seems to be in good condition, overall, although there are a few run down properties. The city doesn't have the mass housing abandonment that bigger cities in the state have. York reminds me a lot of Reading: it has the historic and intact bones of a great city, without a great deal of vibrancy. It's worth noting that York is one of the oldest cities in the state, and still has buildings dating to the 18th century colonial period.

[pman]

Originally Posted by g500

Never said that.

The best bet for York is to continue combining with Harrisburg and Lancaster. These three cities are not very far from each other and could use some sort of mass transit or commuter rail options so they can better share and serve as one labor market. Combined these three "urban areas" are 1.2 million in population which is very significant. Although each one of these three has its own identity, I'm not sure what they have in common other than some history and relative proximity to each other. Also I don't know which city would be the focal point. Maybe that is something to work on.

The regions transit is definitely frustrating and balkanized

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Two things I always felt held York back:

1. Route 30 should have a limited access bypass though to the western end of town. Its a jumbled mess of a road with high amounts of traffic and a poor entrance to the city.
2. Codorus Creek through town looks like a glorified ditch. Probably not possible given there are buildings right up to the edge but it would be great if they could do more with the creek and beautify it.

I lived in York until 2007 and felt one difference is that residents living around Lancaster and Harrisburg view those city centers as destinations for shopping, entertainment, etc... The residents of the Lancaster/Harrisburg suburbs tended to be more affluent and educated and didn't see their cities as something to fear. York County, on the other hand, tends to be far more rural and I always felt like people tried to avoid downtown York at all costs. That perception will have to change before York can make real progress. Perhaps the influx of Maryland commuters will start to change that dynamic.

[teachbeach]

The downtown is great for entertainment and dining~not so much for shopping, medical care and other services. The day to day amenities and necessities have moved to the fringes and suburbs of York. Another detriment is the over congested mess of Route 30. As a previous poster mentioned, there needs to be a bypass built so people can opt to travel "around" York if trying to get to New Oxford, Gettysburg, or even coming west and heading to Lancaster.

Also unfortunate is the deteriorated school district, where the teachers are fabulous, hard working and dedicated~but the student preparedness and attendance is dismal. Property taxes in York City are high in comparison to the suburbs.

The bang for your buck for home ownership can't be beat, even if you stay outside of the city. The housing dollar is still a good investment, not inflated or outrageous. Services (plumbers, carpenters, HVAC techs, mechanics etc) are reasonable and plentiful. The access to medical care is terrific for a city its size. Two hospitals, several surgical centers, lots of rehab facilities, family practice offices, specialists and walk in clinics. It is a great town/community in which to raise a family. The pace of living is not rush/rush/rush or hurry up and wait.