Relocating to Harrisburg, PA

musiklover · Jul 10, 2009

Hi! Hbg is a great place to live and work. I work at 2 local Hbg hospitals and absolutely love it! The hospital system that I work for is great(not that it doesn't have it's issues at times:)but overall I don't have any complaints. As for the area, Harrisburg is very centrally located. There is a lot to do here and see. You are very close to the Hershey area-Hershey Park and all the attractions there. There are plenty of local semi pro sports teams if you are into sports including hockey, baseball, football and soccer. The area is nestled along the Appalachian Mountains so there is plenty of hiking and biking trails as well as state parks. The Susquehanna River runs right through Harrisburg so there are plenty of boating and river activities(City Island). I know I'm missing a lot of "things to do" but it's a very beautiful area. I'm not sure where you're coming from but Harrisburg is great because you can take a lot of nice day trips to places like Lancaster, Philly and Baltimore and they're all within 2hrs or so. Hope this helps.

MrsBradyMom · Jul 19, 2009

You probably want to stay out of Harrisburg City itself. There are a lot of nice suburbs, including Chambers Hill (where we live), certain sections of Swatara & Lawnton, West Hanover Township, and you can always go "across the river" to Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, or Lemoyne.

The price of housing depends on what township you settle in. For an older home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, AC, etc., you are looking at anywhere from $130K and up. You will pay more in Hershey or Mechanicsburg. There are many new home developments staring around $230K. Property taxes are fairly reasonable at anywhere from $1200 - $3500 per year, again depending on the township. To give you an idea.....our home is in a quiet community (Chambers Hill), our elementary school has 200 kids. Our home is 3,000 sq. ft. with A/C, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, privacy fence, full finished basement with spa room, H/W floors throughout, deck, additions to the kitchen & DR, 2 fireplaces built in 1964. We paid $159K in 2004. Similar houses in our neighborhood have went for $190K recently.

There are plenty of places to go, and no matter what area you decide to settle in, a grocery store & gas station is sure to be less than 5 min. away. Most areas have convienent access to the major highways. I love this area & we will definitely be retiring here.

As for nurses, there are 4 major hospitals within 20 minutes of each other. There are also many rehab facilities, freestanding psych units, nursing homes, etc. Never a shortage of nursing jobs!

The realtor that helped us find this house was excellent. Let me know if you would like his name & phone #, he is with Remaxx & is very knowledgeable about locations. Good luck to you.

jpRN84, BSN, RN · Jul 24, 2009

What free standing psych units are in Harrisburg?

You probably want to stay out of Harrisburg City itself. There are a lot of nice suburbs, including Chambers Hill (where we live), certain sections of Swatara & Lawnton, West Hanover Township, and you can always go "across the river" to Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, or Lemoyne.
The price of housing depends on what township you settle in. For an older home with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, AC, etc., you are looking at anywhere from $130K and up. You will pay more in Hershey or Mechanicsburg. There are many new home developments staring around $230K. Property taxes are fairly reasonable at anywhere from $1200 - $3500 per year, again depending on the township. To give you an idea.....our home is in a quiet community (Chambers Hill), our elementary school has 200 kids. Our home is 3,000 sq. ft. with A/C, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath, privacy fence, full finished basement with spa room, H/W floors throughout, deck, additions to the kitchen & DR, 2 fireplaces built in 1964. We paid $159K in 2004. Similar houses in our neighborhood have went for $190K recently.
There are plenty of places to go, and no matter what area you decide to settle in, a grocery store & gas station is sure to be less than 5 min. away. Most areas have convienent access to the major highways. I love this area & we will definitely be retiring here.
As for nurses, there are 4 major hospitals within 20 minutes of each other. There are also many rehab facilities, freestanding psych units, nursing homes, etc. Never a shortage of nursing jobs!
The realtor that helped us find this house was excellent. Let me know if you would like his name & phone #, he is with Remaxx & is very knowledgeable about locations. Good luck to you.

MrsBradyMom · Aug 13, 2009

Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute on 3rd St. They were originally a collaboration of Hershey & Pinnacle. They tend to adolescent, mature, & adult. All acute, inpatient, with approximate average lengh of stay being 2-3 weeks.