Greensburg, PA

With a population of about 16,000 people, Greensburg is considered a suburb of Pittsburgh. The town is located just to the southeast of Pittsburgh and is the county seat of Westmoreland County.

Greensburg is home to more than ten city parks, each of which has a play area for kids. Some of Greensburg's parks also offer swimming pools, hiking and biking trails, amphitheaters, and golf courses.

Greensburg's summers are warm, with an average temperature in the 70s. The town's warmest month is July, where the high reaches an average of 83 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters in Greensburg are cool, typically lingering around 20 degrees, although January temperatures can even drop below 20. The month of May sees the most precipitation (around 4 inches), but rainfall is typically distributed evenly throughout the months, with the total annual precipitation averaging around 41 inches.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Major companies based in Greensburg include:

• Excela Health employs 4,500 in a network of regional medical practices.
• Allegheny Energy is a major utility company supplying power to Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia.

The estimated median household income in Greensburg for 2007 was nearly $38,000.

EDUCATION

The Greensburg Salem School District enrolls approximately 3,000 student each year from the urban, suburban, and rural areas of Greensburg, Salem Township, Southwest Greensburg, and South Greensburg. The Hempfield Area School District also serves nearly 50,000 residents in the Greensburg area, offering six elementary schools and five secondary schools to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In terms of higher education, there are several colleges and universities either within the city limits of Greensburg or in nearby Pittsburgh. The emphasis on advanced education creates a diverse workforce, another driving force in the city's growing economy. Colleges and universities in the area include the following:

• University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
• Seton Hill College
• Triangle Tech
• Pittsburgh Beauty Academy
• Westmoreland County Community College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Community College of Allegheny County
• Duquesne University

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

There are several neighborhoods in the city of Greensburg. Most of them are residential, such as Saybrook Village, Evergreen Hill, New Salem Acres, and Northmont. The exception to that is the downtown area, which is mostly commercial in its makeup. Greensburg has several small businesses and restaurants scattered throughout all of the city's neighborhoods. In addition, two of Greensburg's neighborhoods are designated as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places. The Downtown Greensburg Historic District is primarily composed of commercial businesses, while the Academy Hill Historic District is mostly industrial in nature.

SHOPPING

There are two major shopping malls in Greensburg, both of which have large national chains as anchors. Westmoreland Mall is a traditional enclosed mall, while Greengate Centre is an open-air mall; both are located on Route 30. There are several small shops and restaurants open throughout the city of Greensburg, many of which are located in the downtown area.

EVENTS

• The Farmers Market is held on Tuesday afternoons behind City Hall in downtown Greensburg.
• Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival is a fair and craft show held in late June or early July of each year.
• Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts Colonial Festival is a celebration of crafters and artists in the area. One of the largest craft shows in the nation, this event draws artists from all over the country. It is typically held during Labor Day weekend at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds.
• Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts Christmas Festival is held two weekends in October. It features more than 600 booths and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus himself. Each child has the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap and discuss their wish list.

FAMILY FUN

Kirk S. Nevin Ice Arena is an indoor ice arena that offers public open ice skating, skating lessons and programs, figure skating camps, birthday parties, and meeting rooms.

Offutt Field is the former home of the Greensburg Red Wings baseball team. This is the premier sports field in Greensburg and is used for various sporting contests in the city.

LOCAL MEDIA

Greensburg's daily newspaper is the Greensburg Tribune-Review. It covers the events of suburban Pittsburgh as well as the goings-on of Westmoreland County.