Downtown Harrisburg is the central core neighborhood, business and government center which surrounds the focal point of

Market Square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Harrisburg's downtown Center City comprises the original 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. Harrisburg's

Central Business District A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

includes the

Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex The Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex is a large complex of state government buildings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Set on more than of downtown Harrisburg, it includes the Pennsylvania State Capitol and a landscaped park environment with monume ...

and other state government offices, the

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 The current building is the thir ...

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 The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

, in the southwest by the largely residential Shipoke(Harrisburg), 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), Midtown Harrisburg, a mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. Forster Street is usually considered the boundary between Downtown and Midtown, Harrisburg, Midtown Harrisburg. City Island (Pennsylvania), 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 United States Census, 2000 census there were 1,999 people living in downtown. The racial makeup was 64.4% White (U.S. Census), White, 27.9% Race (United States Census), African-American, 2.2% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian and 4.5% were Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race. The largest age group is those aged 25–34 at 19.1% of the population.

Culture

Restaurant Row

North Second Street between Market and Forster is commonly referred to as "Restaurant Row" for its collection and variety of bars, restaurants, and nightlife. 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, Santa Claus parade, 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 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, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, SoMa section South of Market on Third.

Riverfront Park

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

Education

*The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, founded in 2001, is located at the corner of Market and 4th streets. *Temple University has its Harrisburg Campus in Strawberry Square. *Messiah College'
Harrisburg Institute
*Capital Area School for the Arts is located within Strawberry Square. *The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts on Market street hosts an IMAX theater, children's science museum with traveling exhibits, a gift shop and Starbucks coffee.

External links

Center City Aerial IllustrationVisitors Guide to Center City Harrisburg