TheBurg

to migrate into the city. It can get pretty tense at times. Similarly, you'll find that even a small city like Harrisburg has problems with schools, poverty and crime, things that you'd like to leave behind in D.C. You'll be surprised by the sense of community: For all its divisions, Harrisburg has a strong sense of community, assuming, of course, that you choose to be part of it. Depending on your liking, you might find your people in a neighborhood group, a church, a coffee shop, a bar, an arts organization. And everyone goes to the Broad Street Market. You'll be surprised by the quality of the food—and the prices. Harrisburg is thick with restaurants, excellent ones. On the other hand, if you think you're going to get a bargain, think again, as prices are not that different from D.C.—that is outside of a few old diners that may have last updated their menus in the Eisenhower administration. Want to start a business? Give it a go. at's why I moved here. In fact, I'm often surprised at the rate of success for small businesses, especially restaurants. e economy is much thinner than in D.C., which is challenging. However, your startup costs, especially for real estate, probably will be much lower. And you just may find a niche that needs to be filled. Want to be somebody? Harrisburg needs smart, hard-working, creative, talented and caring people. And that applies to almost every aspect of life, from politics to business to the arts to the community. If you want, you can make an impact almost immediately. Sure, you could be a big fish in a small pond in a thousand other places, but there are two things that give this city an edge. First, it's close enough to D.C., Baltimore and Philly that you're still in the same general neighborhood. Secondly, assuming you like city life, you can slip right in. Your neighborhood coffee roaster is now Little Amps or Elementary; your favorite bistro is now Note or Home 231; your craft brewery is now Zeroday or Millworks; your funky arts venue is H*MAC; your indie bookstore is Midtown Scholar. And I think I've already expressed my feelings about the Broad Street Market. One unique thing about Harrisburg is its nearness to other wonderful little places like Lancaster, York, Carlisle, Elizabethtown and Hershey, as well as the legendary PA Dutch/Amish countryside. Well, I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea: cheap real estate, great amenities, terrific location, comparatively little traffic. And some problems. It's a nice place, but it's certainly not nirvana. But maybe it's for you. Do some research. Email me. I'll fill you in. Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of eBurg.

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