Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Market Square, Harrisburg
Harrisburg's Market Square is located in Downtown Harrisburg at the intersection of 2nd and Market Streets. The square was created in 1785. Since then, it has traditionally been the heart of the city, and since the 1980s has undergone a revival with several new commercial, residential and retail...
, and serves a the regional center for the greater metropolitan area
Harrisburg metropolitan area
The Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley, anchored by the cities of Harrisburg and Carlisle...
of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, USA.
Harrisburg's downtown Center City comprises the original 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) borough laid out in a grid pattern by John Harris
John Harris, Sr.
John Harris, Sr. emigrated from Britain to America late in the 17th century. Harris would later settle and establish Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, which bears his name today.-Biography:...
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. Sightseeing is probably best done on foot downtown and by car elsewhere.
Harrisburg's Central Business District
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex
The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the administrative hub of the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At the center of the complex is the State Capitol with its gilt and marble halls, vast rotunda, murals and sculpture, sparkling...
and other state government offices, the Dauphin County Courthouse
Dauphin County Courthouse
The Dauphin County Courthouse is a government building of Dauphin County located in the county seat, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 2, 1993.- History :...
and other county government offices, City of Harrisburg 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
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, in the southwest by the largely residential Shipoke
Shipoke(Harrisburg)
Shipoke is a neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Shipoke is delineated by Interstate 83 to the south, Paxton Street to the north, Race Street to the east, and the Susquehanna River to the west. Compared to Harrisburg's other neighborhoods, Shipoke is small.Shipoke is in many ways the oldest...
neighborhood, in the south by Interstate 83
Interstate 83
Interstate 83 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. Its southern terminus is in Baltimore, Maryland at the Fayette Street exit; its northern terminus is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at Interstate 81....
, in the east by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
lines, and in the north by Midtown Harrisburg
Midtown (Harrisburg)
Midtown is a neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its zip code is 17102. The Midtown neighborhood is delineated by Forster Street to the south, Maclay Street to the north, 7th Street to the east, and the Susquehanna River to the west...
, a mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. Forster Street is usually considered the boundary between Downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. City Island
City Island (Pennsylvania)
City Island is a mile-long island in the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is used mainly for leisure and sports activities...
, located in the middle of the Susquehanna River directly west of downtown, is typically considered part of Downtown Harrisburg.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census2000 Census
The following countries conducted a census of the general population in 2000:* Costa Rica, the ninth federal census, conducted at irregular intervals* Indonesia* United States, the 22nd decennial federal census...
there were 1,999 people living in downtown. The racial makeup was 64.4% White, 27.9% frican American (U.S. CensusAfrican-American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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.
Education and Culture
Harrisburg's downtown has become a vibrant scene of restaurants, nightclubs, shops and museums over the past several years.Most notably, the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a private teaching university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. The university offers applied programs in the nationally critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The University also matches students...
, founded in 2001, is located at the corner of Market and 4th streets. Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
and Messiah College
Messiah College
Messiah College is a private Christian college of the liberal arts and applied arts and sciences located in Grantham, Pennsylvania, near the capital city of Harrisburg...
both have campuses downtown.
"SoMa" (South of Market) District
In 2007, the Harristown Development Corporation, a private authority formed to redevelop downtown Harrisburg, designated downtown Harrisburg bounded by Market to the north, 3rd to the west, Chestnut to the south, and 4th to the east as Harrisburg's "SoMa" or South of Market district. Harrisburg plans to add brick-accented walkways and SoMa banners on the light poles to indicate the district's location. The development corporation is trying to foster a desirable location for international business and arts.- The Susquehanna art museumSusquehanna Art MuseumThe Susquehanna Art Museum is a public art museum in United States. It is located in historic downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state's capital.- Museum history :...
is located at the corner of 3rd and Market and features local and traveling national and international art exhibitions.
- The Whitaker Center for Science and the ArtsWhitaker Center for Science and the ArtsWhitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The center is the first complex of its kind in the United States to use science as an entry to the arts. Whitaker Center exhibits science, the performing arts, and an IMAX theater under one roof...
on Market street hosts an IMAXIMAXIMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
theater, children's science museum with traveling exhibits, a gift shop and StarbucksStarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
coffee.
- Capital Area School for the ArtsCapital Area School for the ArtsThe Capital Area School for the Arts is an arts magnet school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 2001 as a partnership between the Capital Area Intermediate Unit and Open Stage of Harrisburg. After first moving through several sites in downtown Harrisburg, the school now...
has a location on south 3rd street.
- Messiah College's Harrisburg Institute
- Harrisburg's International Place and International House for traveling students, which also serves as the only housing for Harrisburg University
SoMa also includes several restaurants, bars and two nightclubs, an African-American bookstore, record store, and other shops.
Retail
A small shopping mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, Strawberry Square
Strawberry Square
Strawberry Square is a mixed-use retail and commercial complex located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is owned and managed by the Harristown Development Corporation , a non-profit organization.-History:...
, is the most notable commercial development in the downtown area. The Shops On Third is a collection of several upscale retail offerings along 3rd street just north of Market.
Most of downtown's service retail is located along the Market and 2nd street corridors.
Restaurant Row
2nd street from Market to Forster is sometimes referred to as Restaurant Row for its collection of eateries. Most of Harrisburg's nightlife also takes place on 2nd street, where several bars and dance clubs call home.External links
See also
- Market SquareMarket Square, HarrisburgHarrisburg's Market Square is located in Downtown Harrisburg at the intersection of 2nd and Market Streets. The square was created in 1785. Since then, it has traditionally been the heart of the city, and since the 1980s has undergone a revival with several new commercial, residential and retail...
in Harrisburg - List of Harrisburg neighborhoods