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Originally Posted by EastSideHBG
All very important but some on that list are pretty small scale and you still see those gain one/lose one trends, the loss of the food trucks and the stupid parking meter rules and rates that have done some damage over the years for example.
I have to disagree just a bit about Midtown. When it is deads-ville and becomes less deads-ville it's noticeable but when you compare with other cities it's still kind of meh to me. But on the right track for sure and hopefully the transformation continues.
I know sometimes the issue is that I compare Harrisburg to bigger places but that is because it likes to tout itself as a bigger city (and we both agree that it can look and feel like one when you are standing in the heart of DT, at least during the day) but I think that it keeps falling short in every big city category.
DT and much of the city is very DC-esque to me and that is huge, as DC is one of my favorite cities and that urban model offers quite a bit. HBG should really capitalize [pun intended ] on this.
Harrisburg is heading in the right direction but there needs to be more.
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Something small like Harrisburg getting bike share is HUGE. See the propulsion of a city all deals with amenities. Slowly and surely as that list of amenities continues to increase; the attractiveness and desirability increases.
Also mistake number 1. Harrisburg is a small city; it is considered to be a Class C city. Its peak population was about 90k and it is only 12 square miles, and is not even a player in the large city category. There are about 8 Class A cities in the USA, DC and Philadelphia and NYC are all part of that. Class B cities are places like Pittsburgh and Portland and Austin. Harrisburg is a Class C. And for being a Class C city, the built environment is quite impressive. And this is what truly makes it have so much potential. If you got the right leaders in place. There 100% would be potential to make Harrisburg a Class B city, albeit it would take nearly 30 years of leadership and vision. But Harrisburg has the potential to be on par with say Buffalo, NY in size/scale/scope.
But the point is, you can't compare Harrisburg to DC.
What does make it unique and very attractive though, is that its layout and design, feels like a MUCH LARGER PLACE. Which to me is badass. I mean Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has a larger and more impressive skyline than Phoenix, AZ. And to me that is badass. BUT what people cannot do is compare Harrisburg to DC. There is ZERO COMPARISON.
Harrisburg can be compared to:
Asheville, NC
Portland, ME
Springfield, MA
Charleston, SC
I mean you get the idea. Providence, RI is a bit of a stretch. Trust me, I acknowledge that there is still TONS of work to do in Harrisburg, and to be honest there is as much work to do within the city, as there is to do to change the leadership and regional government structure of the whole Harrisburg Metro.
But even something as small as a brewery opening within Broad Street Market is HUGE. To think that 5 years ago, the market barely had any form of life, and now it is THRIVING. This small things, are what people are craving. Vibrant, enriching community centers. And Harrisburg is slowly piecing these together.
Even in SEPA, you are really starting to see investment within these walkable centers. Bala Cynwd town center has been left to disinvestment for decades. And now; we have proposals for hundreds of apartments in its core, adding vitality and vibrancy in these walkable communities. Usually it only takes a few investments projects, for this snowball effect to take hold, where the economic development just sky rockets. Phoenixville is a great example. Those small projects; all happening within one year, are things that people 10 years ago would think are crazy, and they are happening.
Harrisburg is getting a 400 footer, and I think it will be closer to 450 feet, based on the 600,000 square feet and the small lot size. This is landmark. Do you read TheBurg publication? It really highlights the new leaders emerging in Harrisburg. The city is on the brink, of being one of the coolest small cities in America. It definitely still needs some work, but the changes are definitely happening.