Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — An Economic Profile
RETAIL SHOPPING
AS HARRISBURG IS THE CENTRALIZED CORE OF THE GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA, THE CITY CONTINUES TO GROW AS A CONVENIENT RETAIL-SHOPPING DESTINATION TO THE IN-TOWN WORKER, VISITOR AND TOURIST, PARTICULARLY IN SPECIALTY AND DYNAMIC URBAN SETTINGS, PROVIDING A REFRESHING ALTERNATIVE TO CONVENTIONAL AND CONGESTION-CHOKED SUBURBAN MALLS.
Retailing is not restricted to Center City and emanates along traditional corridors from the downtown particularly where it is supported by revitalized neighborhoods. Harrisburg’s principal shopping districts include:
The Shops at Strawberry Square. Located across the street from and physically connected to Capitol Park in the heart of Center City, the Shops at Strawberry Square is Harrisburg’s principal downtown enclosed shopping complex. Containing 170,000 square feet of retail space, the facility is located on the first two floors of the Strawberry Square private and state office tower complex and blends shopping with entertainment and recreational attractions. There are over 40 national, regional and local retailers, most offering specialty, high-quality merchandise. While suburban malls sell the standard fare, downtown Harrisburg retail is distinguished by having unique and one-of-a-kind items making Center City its own special destination for customers. Types of goods to be found include Italian fashion-ware, high-tech equipment and accessories, and fine ladies’ apparel as well as hand-made crafts, leather goods and jewelry. The mall’s central “town-square” atrium features a two-story-high audio-kinetic clock. Included on the second level of the atrium is the International Foodworks; a food court containing 10 upscale, fast-food restaurants with a 750-seat eating area overlooking the atrium’s ground floor. Cultural, recreational and entertainment facilities in the mall include the Popcorn Hat Players children’s theater, the Gingerbread Man Restaurant and the Capitol Health Club. Shops are located not just inside the complex but also in the restored late 19th century storefronts facing Third and Market Streets in the Phase II historic portion of the facility. The ground floor exterior of the original Phase I Complex, facing Capitol Park along Walnut Street, is adorned with colorful and lively sconces and sculptures setting the tone for the shopping experience that lies within.
Walnut Place. Located just across N. Fourth Street from Strawberry Square and along Walnut Street, Walnut Place is an intimate shopping block comprised of a series of late 19th and early 20th Century restored buildings and storefronts. The area was rejuvenated by the City and local developers and retailers who undertook quality rehabilitation work, including the establishment of quaint shops offering a variety of specialty items. Walnut Place features sidewalk improvements, including shade trees and antique light fixtures and an interior-block plaza and commons.
Center City. Beyond Strawberry Square and Walnut Place are the charming streets of Center City which include continental men’s clothing, antiques, ladies apparel and footwear, imports, museum works of art, science crafts and more. Shopping is made even more pleasant by daily street cleaning and friendly ambassador guides provided through the Downtown Improvement District operations. Particular retail concentrations include the South Third-Chestnut Street area, North Third Street across from the Capitol, N. Second Street, between Market Square and State Streets, and Market Street.
Historic Midtown Market District. Running north from downtown along N. Third Street, from Forster to Reily Streets, is this traditional, yet reincarnated, neighborhood shopping district, the center of which is anchored by the Broad Street Farmer’s Market at Third and Verbeke Streets. With the emergence of the adjacent Midtown and Fox Ridge Historic Districts and the new townhouse communities of New Fox Ridge, Marketplace and Capitol Heights, the Historic Midtown Market District features historic storefronts, site improvements including sidewalks, street trees and antique-style street lights, all funded by the City. Verbeke Street, in the heart of the District and linking the Broad Street Market to Riverfront Park, has been transformed into a grand boulevard through the addition of center islands accented with lighting bollards and flowering plants giving the District distinction and character. Of particular interest in the District are a variety of antique shops, art and photo galleries and clothing boutiques in which unusual and unconventional merchandise may be found as well as a full-service grocery store recently opened in response to the expanding townhouse communities in the area. Many upper stories of buildings in the District have been converted to stylish apartments.
The Broad Street Farmers Market. Located in the heart of the Historic Midtown Market District at N. Third and Verbeke Streets, this is the oldest continuously operating market in the U.S. and dates from 1860. Composed of two buildings (one brick and one stone in construction), the Market is truly a treasure of not only Harrisburg, but of the Commonwealth as a whole. Area farmers, particularly the Pennsylvania Dutch, sell their fresh produce and poultry from the Market’s stands; some vendors are fourth generation from the family farm. The Market was thoroughly restored by the City in the late 1990’s, at a cost of over $3 million which included the creation of a beautiful plaza area between the two buildings that are highlighted with white lights and a spectacular roof sign visible for blocks around.
Uptown Plaza. Located at Seventh and Division Streets, the Uptown Plaza is a convenient facility that primarily serves the residential needs of the Uptown and Riverside neighborhoods and commuters. Several well-known national franchises have recently located at the Center because of its strategic location.
Kline Plaza. Built in the late 1940’s as the Harrisburg area’s first shopping center, Kline Plaza is located in eastern Harrisburg on S. 25th Street just south of Market Street. The Plaza has been totally redesigned and upgraded including the recent construction of a 60,000 square foot supermarket operated by a major super-regional grocery chain; a testament to the retail heath of this area of the city.
