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

Market Square A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...

, and serves as the regional center for the greater

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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 Commerce, commercial and business center 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 wit ...

includes the

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

and other state government offices, the Dauphin County Courthouse 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 ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

, in the southwest by the largely residential Shipoke neighborhood, in the south by

Interstate 83 Interstate 83 (I-83) is an Interstate Highway located in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania in the Eastern United States. Its southern terminus is at a signalized intersection with Fayette Street in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland; its ...

, in the east by

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

lines, and in the north by Midtown Harrisburg, a mixed-use commercial and residential neighborhood. Forster Street is usually considered the boundary between Downtown and Midtown Harrisburg. City Island, located in the middle of the Susquehanna River directly west of downtown, is typically considered part of Downtown Harrisburg.

Demographics

From the 2020 census, the 2022 American Community Survey estimated that there were 2,637 people living downtown.

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 Stephen Russell Reed (August 9, 1949 – January 25, 2020) was the longest-serving mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Dubbed "Mayor-for-Life," he was re-elected to seven four-year terms, serving from 1982 to 2010. After leaving office, Reed face ...

'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 Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...

Parade, Restaurant Week, Holiday Parade, and "Saturday Nights in the City" outdoor dining, among others. During a typical summer night, the area sees an influx of 4,000 to 5,000 people. Because of such a large weekend draw, the City frequently employs

Pennsylvania State Police The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police, state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both ...

mounted patrols for extra crowd control on weekend nights.LUCIEW, J. (2006, August 13). HARRISBURG CHIC: How cafes, clubs and a parking garage made a city cool. ''Patriot-News, The (Harrisburg, PA)'', p. A01. Available from NewsBank: Access World News

Retail

A small

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...

, Strawberry Square, is the most notable commercial development in the downtown area, as well as boutique shops in the SoMa section South of Market on Third.

Riverfront Park

Major festivals and events take place along Riverfront Park and the

Capital Area Greenbelt The Capital Area Greenbelt is a looping trail located in the area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This 20-mile loop around Pennsylvania's capital city provides visitors and tourists with opportunities to hike, ride bicycles, skate, jog, fish, walk t ...

, as well as on City Island.

Education

*The

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, commonly referred to as Harrisburg University (HU), is a Private university, private Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, STEM-focused university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with an a ...

, founded in 2001, is located at the corner of Market and 4th streets. *

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

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 The Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It present exhibits related to science and the performing arts, and also offers a digital cinema. In 1999, This education center encompassed a total of , includ ...

on Market street hosts an

IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of High-definition video, high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and movie theater, theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio (approximately ei ...

theater, children's science museum with traveling exhibits, and gift shop

External links

Center City Aerial IllustrationVisitors Guide to Center City Harrisburg

References

{{Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Economy of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Neighborhoods in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania