Midtown, Harrisburg

Last updated
Midtown
3rd & Reily St Hbg.jpg
Midtown Harrisburg as seen from the corner of 3rd & Reily Streets
Midtown, Harrisburg
Coordinates: 40°16′22″N76°53′21″W / 40.2728°N 76.8892°W / 40.2728; -76.8892
CountryFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
State Pennsylvania
County Dauphin County
City Harrisburg
Area code(s) Area codes 717 and 223

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. Former Harrisburg Mayor William K. Verbeke is the namesake for Verbeke Street (formerly Broad Street) and first bought and developed the area. Midtown is home to the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence (at its boundary with Uptown) and the Broad Street Market, the oldest continually operated street market in the country.

Contents

Midtown became named as such following World War II as state government construction expanded further north from the Capitol District. By 1977 the Midtown Square Action Council was established, and starting with the 1980s revitalization began and has continued since. [1]

The section of Midtown from Reily to Kelker Streets and 2nd to 3rd Streets is known as Engleton. Its Queen Anne style homes were built in the 1890s by Benjamin Engle. The Old Uptown, Old Midtown, and Old Fox Ridge historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places are all contained within the Midtown neighborhood.

Olde Uptown is a neighborhood of large homes built in the early 1900s between Kelker and Maclay streets. Much of this neighborhood lies within the Old Uptown Historic District.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census there were 7,628 people living in Midtown. The racial makeup of Midtown was 53.4% White, 36.6% Black or African-American, 2.3% Asian and 8.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Persons aged 25–29 make up a large portion of the total population, at 13.6%. Approximately 5.5% of the total population consists of unmarried partners.

Education and culture

The Broad Street Market on 3rd & Verbeke Streets Broad Street Market - Stone Market House.jpg
The Broad Street Market on 3rd & Verbeke Streets

Formerly at the corner 3rd and Reily streets, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore and Famous Reading Cafe opened in 2008 and subsequently expanded to the corner of Verbeke. Considered the largest used academic bookstore between Chicago and New York, it contains thousands of used books, scholarly and otherwise from a wide range of fields.

The Midtown Cinema movie theater is Harrisburg's only first-run independent and foreign film theater.

In 2007, Harrisburg Area Community College opened its new Midtown campus at the corner of 3rd and Reilly streets in the renovated Evangelical Press Building. The building holds many of the college's technical programs and has a capacity to hold several hundred students. From 2019 to 2022, HACC began to leave its Midtown 2 building by the end of its lease, opting to relocate the programming to its main Wildwood campus to save money. [2]

Midtown is known for its sizable LGBTQ population, while most of Harrisburg's gay bars and establishments are actually in the Capitol District on the edge of Midtown.

The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H•MAC) occupies the formerly abandoned Police Athletic League building on Third Street, which operates two performance venues with a bar and restaurant.

Economic decline and gentrification

Much of Midtown fell into disrepair in the 1970s and 1980s after the Hurricane Agnes floods which damaged many homes, especially in the Old Uptown area. However, since the 1990s the neighborhood has gentrified drastically especially along the Penn and Green street corridors. This is primarily due to a strong housing stock for renovation and proximity to the Central Business District, which has been experiencing growth itself. Today, gentrification is spreading as many historic homes are being renovated throughout the northern and eastern part of Midtown.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Capital city of Pennsylvania, United States

Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of 2021, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Maclay (Pennsylvania politician, born 1737)</span> United States Senator from Pennsylvania (1737–1804)

William Maclay was a politician from Pennsylvania during the eighteenth century. Maclay, along with Robert Morris, was a member of Pennsylvania's first two-member delegation to the United States Senate. He assisted John Harris, Sr. with the planning the layout of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1785, where Maclay Street is named for him. Following his tenure in the Senate, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on two occasions, as a county judge, and as a presidential elector. He is known for his journal providing historical information on the 1st United States Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown Atlanta</span> Neighborhood in Fulton County, Georgia, United States

Midtown Atlanta, or Midtown, is a high-density commercial and residential neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. The exact geographical extent of the area is ill-defined due to differing definitions used by the city, residents, and local business groups. However, the commercial core of the area is anchored by a series of high-rise office buildings, condominiums, hotels, and high-end retail along Peachtree Street between North Avenue and 17th Street. Midtown, situated between Downtown to the south and Buckhead to the north, is the second-largest business district in Metro Atlanta. In 2011, Midtown had a resident population of 41,681 and a business population of 81,418.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown, Minneapolis</span> Commercial District in Minnesota, United States

Uptown is a commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota, that is centered at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, East Bde Maka Ska, South Uptown and East Isles neighborhoods, which are all within the Calhoun Isles community. Historically, the boundaries of Uptown are Bde Maka Ska to the west, Dupont Avenue to the east, 31st Street to the south, and 28th Street to the north; though these borders often vary. Uptown is a popular destination for retail, nightlife, and cultural events, and the district was famously written about by recording artist Prince.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg Area Community College</span> College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, (HACC) is a public community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. HACC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. HACC serves 17,000 degree-seeking students, as well as more than 8,300 remedial and workforce development students. The college has more than 100,000 alumni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Neighborhood of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States

Uptown is a section of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania located North of the Midtown and Downtown neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Neighborhood in Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Neighborhood of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States

Camp Curtin is a historic neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's northern end, located in Uptown and named for the American Civil War camp of the same name. It is bordered currently by landmarks of Fifth Street to the west, the railroad tracks next to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex to the east, Maclay Street to the south, and Reels Lane to the North.

The City of Oklahoma City uses Special Zoning Districts as a tool to maintain the character of many neighborhood communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Aspect of US history

The history of Harrisburg, the state capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, has played a key role in the development of the nation's industrial history from its origins as a trading outpost to the present. Harrisburg has played a critical role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. For part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to become one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broad Street Market</span> United States historic place

The Broad Street Market, opened in 1863, is located in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the United States. Originally established on Broad Street by the Verbeke family, it is today one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Uptown Historic District (Harrisburg)</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Old Uptown Historic District is a historic district in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The district stretches from Reily to Maclay between Second and Third street. It consists of large Queen Anne and Italianate architecture built in the late 19th century and very early 20th century. The northern part of the historic district is currently being aggressively renovated by real estate investors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Midtown Historic District (Harrisburg)</span> Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Old Midtown Historic District is a historic district that is located in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It stretches from Forster to Verbeke and from Front to Third street, and represents the first urbanized neighborhood in the city of Harrisburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Heights, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Neighborhood of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States

Capitol Heights is a community of over 300 townhouse and single-family duplexes in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Most of the new homes are located east of Third between Kelker and Reily and along Fulton, 4th and 5th street. The neighborhood is known for its generic suburban-style architecture fitted to the existing street grid. The area was previously referred to informally as "Lottsville" due to its many abandoned and vacant lots, so the City and private developers worked together in the 2000s for large-scale redevelopment as it was a targeted area for demolition and urban renewal. As revitalization was completed in the early 2010s, the intense level of change and influx of capital resulted in much lower vacancy rates and higher land values. Another phased project in 2021 was introduced to develop over 100 new parcels and add a community center.

Engleton is a section of the Midtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania neighborhood created with a focus on architectural variety. It is roughly bounded by 2nd street to the west, Kelker Street to the north, 3rd street to the east and Reily Street to the south. Its Queen Anne and Italianate style homes were built in the 1890s by Benjamin H. Engle, who is the namesake of the area. Market appeal for these homes was created by varying the colors and treatments of the façades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania history</span>

This is a timeline of the major events in the history of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and vicinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Lansing</span> Central Business District in Michigan, United States

Downtown Lansing is the central business district of Lansing, Michigan, United States. Located in the west-central part of the city along the banks of the Grand River, downtown Lansing is primarily home to Michigan's state government and three colleges, and also contains sports facilities, museums, entertainment and retail, and a growing residential population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesher Israel Congregation (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)</span>

Kesher Israel Congregation is an Orthodox synagogue located in the Uptown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Founded in 1902, the congregation is officially affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex</span> United States historic place

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is a large complex of state government buildings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Set on more than 50 acres (20 ha) of downtown Harrisburg, it includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol and a landscaped park environment with monuments, memorials, and other government buildings. It is bounded on the north by Forster Street, the east by North 7th Street, the south by Walnut Street, and the west by North 3rd Street. Most of this area is a National Historic Landmark District, recognized in 2013 as a fully realized example of the City Beautiful movement landscape and planning design of Arnold Brunner.

References

  1. Blumgart, Jake (2016-05-17). "Rebirth in Midtown Harrisburg". Keystone Edge - What's Next & Best in Pennsylvania - Growth, Innovation, and Community News. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  2. "HACC announces plan to leave historic Midtown 2 building". TheBurg. 2018-05-04. Retrieved 2022-03-22.