Capitol Rebuild: Harrisburg
A city without a nickname. Someone needs to fix this.
Imagine a world where the epicenter of global power, wealth, and culture radiates from one American city.
The most populous metropolis in the world—larger than Tokyo, more influential than London or Beijing—this city is the beating heart of a nation and the command center of a state. The president works down the street from the governor. Its GDP surpasses that of entire countries. Its universities are unmatched—the dominates in biosciences, urban innovation, and civic leadership. Global trends are born here.
This could have been Philadelphia.
But instead, today we’re talking about Pennsylvania’s actual state capital, Harrisburg.
How Did the Capitol End Up There?
Philadelphia was the capital of the United States and Pennsylvania capital from 1790 to 1800. But as Pennsylvania grew westward, state legislators felt that Philly was too far for folks that were coming from growing cities like Pittsburgh and Erie. So the capital shifted—first to Lancaster, then finally to Harrisburg in 1812. There wasn’t a whole lot behind the actual decision - Harrisburg was middlish Pennslyvania, it was located on a river, and there was land. And it’s been there for over 200 years.
The original capitol building burned down. The second attempt stalled out. But the third time, as they say, was the charm. Completed in 1906, Pennsylvania’s capitol building was dubbed “the handsomest Capitol I ever saw” by none other than Teddy Roosevelt. It’s topped with an unmistakable green dome inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica, and inside, it’s a swirl of Renaissance revival, stained glass, grand staircases, and murals. Truly a capital’s capitol.
My Experiences with Harrisburg
Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, my visits to Harrisburg were mostly field trips or pit stops on long drives to Gettysburg. (Both of my parents went to Gettysburg College—shout out to all east coast kids whose summer “vacations” revolved around battlefield tourism.) I remember Harrisburg more as a place I was taken to than a place I sought out.
What’s Working
Place
Riverfront Park is a 4.5-mile linear park that runs along the Susquehanna River and is a real asset to the city. With a mixture of trails, open space, and a potential future entertainment venue, it’s the type of urban green space that most cities would kill for. City Island seems like it’s worth visiting with a minor league baseball stadium and other family friendly activities.
Arts & Culture
You’re not going to Harrisburg for a smoothie. You going to visit a place like Shakedown BBQ to get a sandwich called the Pig Pen. Political power can run on smoked meat.
ArtsFest, the Civic Club, and 3rd in the Burg (a monthly event series) give the city a cultural rhythm that’s steady, if not flashy. And while Broad Street Market suffered a fire in 2023, it’s still the spiritual center of the city’s culinary and community life—and still kicking.
Closest thing I could find to a Harrisburg hype video.
What’s Not Working
The government is far and away the biggest employer. There’s little private sector activity to create a diversified economy.
There are too many attractions nearby close to Harrisburg but not in Harrisburg. Hershey Park, Gettysburg, Lancaster—each are a compelling day trip from Philadelphia, but collectively they draw attention away from Harrisburg as a destination in its own right.
Rail infrastructure severs downtown from the adjacent neighborhoods to the east. For a city this small, it shouldn’t be so hard to get around.
With just over 50,000 residents, Harrisburg ranks in the bottom ten among state capitals by population. The daytime population does surge by about 60%, but it’s tough to do much with a city this size and the majority of employees are working for the government.
People Doing the Work
Contrena Baltimore, the first Black woman elected President of the Civic Club of Harrisburg, is a dedicated community leader that has worked tirelessly to improve life in Harrisburg.
@Platescraperz is a truly entertaining follow checking out the gamut of restaurants in Harrisburg. Mr. ARGH!!! ARGH!!! ARGH!!!
Skye Leppo is a Harrisburg native who came back to the area and now serves as the engine behind 3rd in the Burg, which shows off the best of Harriburg’s creativity and culture.
2025 Capitol Score
Capitol Score is my subjective ranking on how the city stacks up with regards to place, innovation, arts & culture, and overall livability. A perfect score isn’t the goal, improvement is.
Harrisburg 2025 Capitol Score is 4.3
Harrisburg has a Capital Score Potential of 6.1
Three Wishes from the Capitol Genie
Just a quick note here. This is just me throwing ideas on the wall based on my limited knowledge of what’s happening. There are likely many many things that need improvement and the folks on the ground will always know more.
Finish Broad Street Market. Broad Street Market has been around for 160 years. Hopefully it’s around for 160 more. But the pace of the rebuild project has taken too long and it doesn’t look like there is going to be an end in sight. Does it need to maintain the historical feel? Yes. Does it need to work for the vendors? Yes. Does it need to serve the needs of the community into the future? Yes. Not everything can be like we remember it. I hope that bureaucracy and community engagement spin doesn’t delay this project any more than it has to.
As the biggest employer in the City, the State of Pennsylvania has a clear responsibility to the Harrisburg. Make a big push on bringing young, eager kids into the City to make a difference in the State and encourage them to live in Harrisburg by offering 20% down payment assistance program (offer a 10% down for existing workers as well). This is how to make public service in Harrisburg more attractive for young professionals, get new talent in government, and make them care about the City that they work in.
Expand and rebrand the Harrisburg Promise (currently at HACC) into a full-fledged state university college tuition guarantee for graduates of Harrisburg’s public schools. Pennsylvania has over 30 public universities that offer all sorts of opportunities. Bonus: offer down payment assistance help if they return to the city post-graduation. Kalamazoo has proven this can work.
What’s Happening in Harrisburg
The work that everyone at TheBurg puts into covering Harrisburg and the area is truly impressive. It’s great to see that this type of coverage still exists.
New timeline for Harrisburg market rebuild worries vendors. It worries me too.
In Abundance: Some are embracing the notion of “more.” Harrisburg should jump on that train. Clearly much better ideas on what Harrisburg should do than mine.
Report: Harrisburg finances stable, but significant challenges lie ahead. This is somewhat concerning.
“LUVHBG” free downtown parking code yanked from app; many pay stations being removed. There are better ways to create a perception of an open downtown than free parking. Shockingly, employees gamed the system here and there was no free parking for visitors.
Final Thoughts
I’ll admit it—I’ve probably used Harrisburg as a punchline more times than it deserved. It still has a long road ahead, but there are people rolling up their sleeves and doing the work. What it really needs now is a state government willing to invest in its own capital—not just with policy, but with presence. Harrisburg doesn’t have to compete with Philly or Hershey or Gettysburg, but it does need to carve out an identity that makes people want to stop, not just pass through. And on my next road trip through Pennsylvania, I plan to do just that.
(Unfortunately I couldn’t come up with a good nickname).
Capitol Rankings
Capitol score (Capitol potential)
Des Moines, 6.7 (8.2)
Harrisburg, 4.3 (6.1)
Next up, we take on the largest capital city in the US, Phoenix.