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Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Hollidaysburg?
Emmett Eldred reports in this review:
| Weather | | How much crime? | | What are the neighborhoods like? | | What are the people like? | | In the summer, the temperature usually hovers between 80 and 90 degrees, but it generally feels a little more balmy because the humidity is usually pretty high. The average temperature during the winter is in the upper 20's or low 30's, though it can get much colder, especially in late January and February. A few feet of snow will fall each winter, though the temperature fluctuates enough that snow usually melts before more falls. The most snow that can be expected to fall at one time is 10-12 inches, and most snowfalls are less than 3 inches. Winters tend to be cold, wet, and muddy. It is usually pretty rainy in the spring, and there is usually some intermittent snow as late as April. The temperature wont be reliably warm until May. Fall is usually dry and brisk, but can be rainy. Not much snow falls in the fall. | | Hollidaysburg is a pretty sleepy town, so there is not a lot of crime. Probably the most serious crime problem is drug use among teenagers and young adults. Most of the drug culture centers around marijuana, but heroin use is higher in Hollidaysburg than most towns, especially among the other towns in the area. In terms of petty crime, there is a decent amount of vandalism on street signs and abandoned buildings. Theft is virtually unheard of in the commercial areas, especially the downtown area, which is close to the police station and county prison, though one gas station on the outskirts of town is notorious for being robbed. Burglary is even rarer. Many residents of Hollidaysburg feel comfortable leaving their houses unlocked during the day. Violent crime is not very common, though the town does have the back-woods gold ole' boy culture that fosters domestic violence, spousal abuse, and alcohol related violence. A gunman did go on a shooting spree just outside of town a few years ago, but for the most part violence is pretty minimal. | | Poorer areas in town (which have either low quality apartments or small, dirty houses are the blocks surrounding the downtown "diamond" district, anywhere along Broad Street or North Juniata Street, and the Gaysport area across the railroad tracks from the west end of Broad street. Houses along Rt. 22 to the east of town on the way to Frankstown are the worst quality. They are dirty, run down, and at times almost shack-like. The poorest residents of Hollidaysburg live in these areas.
The best areas of Hollidaysburg are the homes along Walnut Street and Allegheny Street between Bella and Penn street, Silvan Hills, and Fox Hollow. In general, the areas east of Penn Street are nicer than areas West of Penn Street. Regardless of social class, virtually all residents are white. | | Residents of Hollidaysburg are overwhelmingly old, white, protestant, middle-class, and conservative. Compared to other towns in the area, Hollidaysburg has more college educated professionals, but the majority of the town is uneducated. Middle-aged, married, white, heterosexual couples that go to church regularly will be accepted much more readily than minorities, homosexuals, active progressives, or non religious people. Churches factor in as some of the main social hubs for adults in Hollidaysburg, so those who are not religious may find it especially hard to fit in and find friends. Still, people tend to be friendly, and will not openly or directly exclude or be aggressive towards others. As it is a small town, everyone knows everyone. | | Downtown Area | | Restaurants | | Schools | | Single life | | There is little in terms of shopping in the downtown area. This area is best for dining, where there are several restaurants. Shopping options include an upscale clothing store, a candy store, two consignment shops, a print shop, a dog boutique, a pottery shop, an art store, a jewelry store, a bridal shop, and a bakery. Other shopping options around town are similar: small, family owned niche businesses, with only a few medium retail chains. Most shopping is done in Altoona, which is nearby. | | Popular restaurants include Dave's Dream, Sheetz ("Shmeadows" and Blair Street locations), The Meadows, Prime Sirloin, and Front Street Deli. | | Hollidaysburg Area School District is by far the best school district in the county and surround counties in terms of academics. It offers the most AP and college credit, has the broadest class selection, offers the most extra curricular activities, and harbors a music program that is consistently rated one of the best in the nation. The schools are safe and relatively easy to access. The high school is newly renovated. | | Next to none. Most residents of Hollidaysburg are middle aged and old couples. Many younger residents marry early (often soon after high school) so even the younger adults tend to be married. There isn't much in terms of a social scene outside of community and church related activities, so opportunities to find other singles would be slim. | | Noise | | town comparison vs. | | Best hospital | | Tourist attractions | | The only street with much noise from traffic is Penn street. A train runs through town along Broad street. | | Altoona is much larger than Hollidaysburg, and offers many more amenities in terms of dining, retail, public lands, entertainment and nightlife, and many of the facilities are of higher quality. However, Altoona is much more dangerous and dirty. It is generally not a nice place to live. Also, it has a higher cost of living and is more crowded. Hollidaysburg offers better schools, nicer, safer areas, and better living conditions for a lower price, without sacrificing much of the convenience and quality facilities of Altoona, since Altoona is so closeby.
On the other hand, Williamsburg is much smaller. The town is tiny, and is mostly surrounded by farmland. The downtown area includes a pizza shop, a gas station, a convenience store, a laundromat, and not much else. The school is extremely small and cannot offer many quality services. The nature recreation areas may be better, but in general, the people of Williamsburg are less educated and poorer than that of Hollidaysburg. Hollidaysburg is better in and of itself, and it has a better location to other prime local areas.
| | The closest Hospital is probably Nason Hospital in Roaring Spring. This hospital is decent, though it lacks much in terms of quality care and specialists, as it serves a fairly sparsely populated area. This hospital is best for non emergencies that you want to handle quickly. The other nearby hospital is the Altoona Hospital in Altoona. This hospital is much bigger, and offers far superior services, but it is more expensive and has longer wait times. This hospital is most useful for emergencies or operations that require more specialization. | | Good areas to visit include Chimney Rocks, Canoe Creek, and Rails-To-Trails (all outdoor recreation areas in and around town), and Legion Park and Canal Basin park. The Hollidaysburg Area Public Library recently built a new, state of the art building, making it a decent location. Other nicer, new public buildings include the YMCA and the High School, both of which offer various programming. The Meadows, a 50's themed ice cream stand is probably the most popular location in town. There is much more to do in Altoona, which is about 10 minutes away. | | General comments | | | | | | | | Hollidaysburg has good and bad qualities. It is small and sleepy, which can make it seem boring. However, the people here are friendly, and there can be plenty to do. There are opportunities for the outdoorsy, religious, intellectual, athletic, and pretty much any other interest. The area is clean and very pet friendly. Hollidaysburg is a great place to raise a family. It is family-oriented, and offers great recreation and schools. However, Hollidaysburg would not be a great place for a young, single professional to move. Also, it offers little in terms of night life and single adult activities. Its close proximity to Altoona makes it ok for young singles and professionals, but in general it is not great for these types of people. Since it is such a conservative area, those who think progressively are likely to feel uncomfortable with many of the values held by the people. Politically active liberals or progressives will find the area particularly intellectually distasteful. Given the judgmental nature of the values held by the people of Hollidaysburg, tensions are high towards residents who are not white, are not religious, or especially those who are homosexual. | | | | | | |
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