The book "Murder in Little Egypt" by Darcy O'Brien is set in and around Harrisburg and names many residents currently still living in the area. This makes for some interesting discussions during breakfast at the BBQ Barn!
This small town began with the mining industry in coal mining. While a charming community of just over 9,000 residents, its proximity to nearby Paducah, Evansville and Carbondale offers residents access to many shops, entertainment destinations and cultural activities.
Renting in Harrisburg
This process is pretty simple in most parts of the town -- you see a for rent sign and you pay your first and last month's rent. Done. A few places might require a security or pet deposit but they are rare. This is a community built on relationships, so you may not need to provide your bank statement or W2s when moving here. At other apartment complexes in town, which typically offer month-to-month leases, the basic rule is fill out the application, pay your deposit and offer first and last month's rent. You will be subject to a credit check, but then who isn't these days? Despite the ease of renting, you'll want to check online resources as well as walking or driving through town yourself to find the best home to rent for you.
Neighborhoods
As with most small towns, the names of these areas are primarily real estate designations that go back to the incorporation of the area into the town. Many were once towns in their own right, but over time have merged with Harrisburg.
Old Village: This makes up the bulk of Harrisburg and offers the most real estate and rental apartments. You will find every type of property here from huge old homes to smaller new homes. You will find plenty of homes to rent as well as a few apartments for rent.
Dorrisville: This is one of the towns that was annexed into Harrisburg. It maintains a somewhat separate identity even though it is now primarily homes and rental properties.
Ledford: The homes here, and there are plenty of them, are rural and country homes. Don't be surprised when the driving directions in this community include leaving the paved road. It's a nice area with plenty of trees and wide open spaces.
Buena Vista: This area is primarily homes with large yards and friendly neighbors. There aren't typically many rentals in this area so if you see something you like, grab it fast! Most of the homes here have been passed down from generation to generation.
Living in Harrisburg
If you are from a large urban area, it might take a bit of getting used to the slower pace of life in Harrisburg. That doesn't mean however that you are going to be bored! There is a lot to do in this beautiful area if you just know where to look.
If you are in the habit of communing with nature, the Garden of the Gods in the nearby Shawnee National Forest is an extremely popular place with both locals and tourists. The hiking trails there range from beginner to extreme and the scenery is breathtaking.
This town takes its local sports very seriously! Weekends are typically spent cheering on the local Harrisburg High School Bulldogs. The biggest draws are football, basketball and baseball.
Hunting, fishing and hiking are also favorite pastimes and nearby Glen O. Jones Lake has some great fishing and camping spots. The lake is home to bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. You will quickly discover that catfish is the unofficial fish of Harrisburg and someone is having a catfish fry virtually every weekend!
If you are looking for more than fish, which is found on the menu of every restaurant in town, you can sample the Italian food at Morello's and pizza at Mackies. There are plenty of barbeque places to explore and one that is really popular is the BBQ Barn. You will find a large crowd there in the mornings for breakfast and gossip with their morning coffee. Peking Palace in the shopping mall of Parker Plaza is the go-to place for Chinese food and Tequila's is the hot spot for Mexican.