York, PA

Located in south-central Pennsylvania, the city of York is the county seat of York County. The city is known for its many factory tours (more than 30 and counting) and claims to have the oldest fair in the United States-York Fair. Founded in 1741 by settlers from Philadelphia, it was named for York, England. York was incorporated as a city on January 11, 1887.

The population of York is around 40,000, with African Americans and other minorities making up 46 percent of the population. The median age is 31. For every ten adult females, there are about nine males. The median income for a family is just over $30,000. Nearly 10 percent of residents hold a bachelor's or advanced degree.

FUN FACTS

Famous personalities from York include the following:

• Woodrow (Woody) Bennett, NFL running back
• Craig Sheffer, actor
• Jeff Koons, artist
• Live, alternative rock band

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

It is easy to get around York via public transportation. Rabbit Transit serves the city and its surrounding areas with multiple bus routes. The mean travel time to work for city residents is less than 20 minutes.

Notable neighborhoods include the following:

• Grantley/York College of PA: This is a quiet suburban neighborhood with a young population, including college students and professionals. Residents are wealthy, moderately diverse, and well educated.
• Roundtown: This suburban area is filled with mostly young, upper-middle-class families.
• Violet Hill/Hillcroft: This older, urban neighborhood is very walkable. Residents are wealthy, moderately diverse, and well educated.
• Relay/Ore Valley: This is an eclectic, suburban area with many young professionals. Residents are upper-middle class and tend to work in the manufacturing industry.
• Locust Grove/Holtz: This is a quiet, suburban neighborhood with a mix of single-family homes, apartment buildings, and mobile homes. Residents fall into the upper-middle-income bracket and are moderately diverse.
• Shiloh: This is a suburban area with a mix of ages and professions. Residents are upper-middle class and work mostly in executive positions.
• Pleasureville/Valley Forge: This is an older, suburban neighborhood with single-family homes and some high-rise buildings. It is very eclectic and walkable. Residents are upper-middle class.
• East York: This is a quiet, suburban area with both young professionals and seniors; residents fall into the upper-middle-income bracket.
• Valley View: This is a pedestrian-friendly urban neighborhood of mostly single-family homes. Residents are well educated, moderately diverse, and upper-middle class.
• Emigsville: This is an older, suburban neighborhood with many older residents. Most of the residents here are upper-middle income and work in manufacturing.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

York is a center of industry and manufacturing. It is well known as the birthplace of the York Peppermint Pattie and as the longtime home of the Pfaltzgraff pottery. Other companies with manufacturing centers or production facilities in York include a Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory, a Starbucks roasting facility, and the Stauffer Biscuit Company.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Rich in history and community, York has attractions that include performance venues and history centers:

• Capitol Theatre, a historic movie theater featuring independent and foreign films
• Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, a stadium for large-capacity concerts and popular entertainment
• Strand Studio, a venue for live music

EVENTS

York residents can enjoy a variety of annual festivals and fairs:

• Olde York Street Fair is a downtown tradition every Mother's Day with arts, crafts, and food booths.
• Street Rod Nationals East, one of the biggest annual street rod events in the country, takes place in June and is sponsored by the National Street Rod Association.
• York Fair, one of the oldest fairs in the country, runs for ten days every September and features concerts, games, and rides.

SPORTS TEAMS

York is the home of the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame. Though no major-league teams call York home, the city has a wide array of sports teams, extreme athletes, and professional troupes:

• Plywood Hoods, a team of freestyle BMX bikers
• The Pogo Squad, a group of a dozen extreme pogo performers who put on shows and perform in city parades
• York Revolution, the city's professional baseball team
• York Silver Bullets, the city's semiprofessional football team

LOCAL MEDIA

York has two daily newspapers: York Daily Record/Sunday News and York Dispatch.

EDUCATION

The city's educational institutions include public and private universities, as well as technical and beauty schools:

• Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts (432 full-time students)
• Consolidated School of Business (102)
• Empire Beauty School (67)
• Penn State York (1,313)
• York College (4,541)
• York County School of Technology and Practical Nursing (53)
• York Technical Institute (1,080)
• Yorktowne Business Institute (241)

York is also home to the York County Heritage Trust, a not-for-profit educational institution dedicated to preserving and teaching the history and culture of York County