If the way you speak of something becomes the reality of how you view it, how do you think your daily speak of Harrisburg affects your quality of life here?
When you speak of Harrisburg, do you boastfully say you live here or do you undermine our city by kind of skirting the location conversation under the rug? Is Harrisburg home or a stepping stone on your path to what’s next? Maybe both?
Really important people in my life – i.e. people whose opinions mean the most – have asked me when I’m going to leave Harrisburg and move onto “bigger and better” things. And for a while I’d aptly respond with “not long,” because that’s what they intended to hear, and in turn, what I believed. When “not long” changed to “it could be a while,” it was easy to see that wasn’t the expected response.
I think it’s safe to say Harrisburg isn’t held in a high regard in a general sense. Either because there’s no basis to judge the city off of, or what’s said of the city doesn’t lend to positive speak.
Choosing Mindset Over Social Queues
I don’t know if Harrisburg will be my forever home, but I’ve learned how to make it home while I’m here. And that’s what matters. How did I do that? I chose to mindfully see the good here and invest in opportunities to do so.
Harrisburg may hold value as Pennsylvania’s state capital, but the narrative of the city is often less esteemed. Cushioned by larger metropolitan areas like New York City, Philadelphia, D.C, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh, Harrisburg gets overlooked and overshadowed. As residents of Harrisburg, we have the power to re-shape the way we view our city by monitoring the way we speak of it.
Harrisburg’s narrative was more recently shaped by near bankruptcy and a dwindling population along with the retail and restaurant scene. Places like the Broad Street Market came thiiis close to closing shop – at least part of it – and many store fronts plus houses remained vacant and run-down.
Today, the housing market is hot, and good luck finding a retail space up for grabs in Midtown. This is the narrative we should share.
Sure, Harrisburg will continue to face problems any metropolitan area does. We can’t eradicate homelessness overnight, but we can create more affordable housing options and invest our time and money into organizations around the city whose main mission is to combat this issue.
Why Does Mindset Matter?
While our city’s past can’t disappear, we need to remember the importance of giving our future a fair chance. Words can impact a city on a societal, economical, and psychological level. If headline after headline places our city in a negative light, think about the impacts that has on our community and residents or businesses looking to locate here.
If given the option, would you move to or open a business in a city you’ve only heard negatively of?
While I’m not urging you to push very real problems aside, I am asking for you to see and speak of the growth around us. Each little win counts.
In the past two years, multiple Broad Street Market startups, including Bon Appetit Creperie and Urban Churn, made the jump to opening storefronts in Harrisburg. Our city’s retail scene started to resurge, and our restaurant scene continues to burst the bubble by bringing in more concept restaurants to compete with larger cities.
Not only is footpath increasing as new business brings in new clientele, but Harrisburg’s housing market saw a competitive sales volume compared to the past decade. Houses aren’t staying on the market for long, as past and new residents make their way in.
In recent reports, Harrisburg claimed top spots, ranking 44th in the nation for best places to live, ranking ahead of nearby cities Pittsburgh and Lancaster. It also ranked 10th for best cities for new graduates to work, live, and spend their time.
Three Cheers for the Future
If you refer to Harrisburg as a stepping stone, talk down on the city, or constantly overlook the good here, then you’re doing this city an utter disservice. Look around and take the time to see the growth, the improvements, and life pouring into and out of our city.
Cherishburg 