Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Downtown Harrisburg is the central core neighborhood, business and government center which surrounds the focal point of Market Square, and serves as the regional center for the greater metropolitan area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States.

Downtown
Neighborhood in Harrisburg
Downtown Harrisburg with City Island in foreground
Downtown Harrisburg with City Island in foreground
Country United States
StatePennsylvania
CountyDauphin County
CityHarrisburg
Area code(s)717 and 223

Harrisburg's downtown Center City comprises the original 80-acre (320,000 m2) borough laid out in a grid pattern by John Harris in 1785. East–west streets are named and north–south streets are numbered. Market Street, running east–west, is the dividing point between north and south street designations.[1]

Harrisburg's Central Business District includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex and other state government offices, the Dauphin County Courthouse and other county government offices, City of Harrisburg offices, Pennsylvania State Museum, federal government offices, and other, non-government related commercial retail and office development. Some residential development, both in apartment high-rises and in the upper floors of mixed commercial/residential use buildings, is also located in the downtown area.

Downtown is bordered in the northwest by the mixed commercial/residential use Capitol District, in the west by the Susquehanna River, in the southwest by the largely residential Shipoke neighborhood, in the south by Interstate 83, in the east by Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Railway lines, and in the north by Midtown Harrisburg, a mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. Forster Street is usually considered the boundary between Downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. City Island, located in the middle of the Susquehanna River directly west of downtown, is typically considered part of Downtown Harrisburg.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census[2] there were 1,999 people living in downtown. The racial makeup was 64.4% White, 27.9% African-American, 2.2% Asian and 4.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest age group is those aged 25–34 at 19.1% of the population.

Culture

Restaurant Row
Harrisburg's "Restaurant Row" looking north toward Walnut St, 2019
A Bear balloon during a parade down Second Street

North Second Street between Market and Forster is commonly referred to as "Restaurant Row" for its collection and variety of bars, restaurants, and nightlife.[3] Mayor Stephen R. Reed's revival of the area during his tenure is commonly known as being the birth of "Restaurant Row" and it continues to be a large draw for nightlife in the region. It is also home to many events, such as the Ice & Fire Festival, the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, Restaurant Week, Holiday Parade, and "Saturday Nights in the City" outdoor dining, among others. Because of such a large weekend draw, the City frequently employs Pennsylvania State Police mounted patrols for extra crowd control on weekend nights.

Retail

A small shopping mall, Strawberry Square, is the most notable commercial development in the downtown area, as well as boutique shops in the SoMa section South of Market on Third.

Riverfront Park
Main article: Riverfront Park (Harrisburg)

Major festivals and events take place along Riverfront Park and the Capital Area Greenbelt, as well as on City Island.

Education

See also

References
  1. city-data.com
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "Restaurants in the Hershey Harrisburg Region". www.visithersheyharrisburg.org. Retrieved 2021-07-14.

40.25969°N 76.88165°W / 40.25969; -76.88165

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