Selinsgrove: Home to the world's longest banana split made in 1988, which stretched 4.55 miles and used 33,000 bananas, over 2,500 gallons of ice cream, and over a ton of toppings.
A small community sitting along the Susquehanna River, Selinsgrove is home to a bit over 5,600 residents -- or about one resident for every six bananas used in that split
Selinsgrove: Home to the world's longest banana split made in 1988, which stretched 4.55 miles and used 33,000 bananas, over 2,500 gallons of ice cream, and over a ton of toppings.
A small community sitting along the Susquehanna River, Selinsgrove is home to a bit over 5,600 residents -- or about one resident for every six bananas used in that split. It is a quaint, quiet town, defined by historic buildings from the late 19th century. It is a bustling place, with an active downtown and a great sense of community. There's always something to see and do in Selinsgrove, and always folks around to enjoy it with.
Historic Housing
The majority of the places for rent in Selinsgrove are from before the modern age -- two out of every three residential units were built prior to 1970. This means that ultramodern layouts, conveniences, and amenities are pretty much out of the question. This also means you might need to temper your expectations when it comes to ideas such as closet space. You'll also want to keep an eye out for draftiness and faulty weatherproofing that can cause your heating bill to be fairly high during the cold winters of Central Pennsylvania.
Timing is Important
You'll definitely need to give yourself a solid month of lead time when you're looking for a place in Selinsgrove. There's fairly high demand in the town, and even though over half of the housing units are renter-occupied, you may sometimes run in to droughts in the market. This is a particular problem if you are trying to find a place to rent towards the end of summer, right before the college is in session. At this point in time, it is a landlord's market as students scramble for housing. You'll want to aim to do your apartment hunting in the late fall or early spring, if possible.
Parking Spaces are Key
One of the key things to look for when you're sifting through apartments for rent is parking. There is no good public transportation in Selinsgrove, so you'll most likely want a car. Street parking can be unreliable, so your best bet is to make sure a parking space or two is included with your rental unit.
This small city of Selinsgrove is roughly divided into three main neighborhoods, each with its own individual draws and potential shortcomings. New residents should be sure and search in as many different areas as possible to get a true feel of Selinsgrove before signing on the dotted line.
Susquehanna University: Centered around the university, much of this area caters to students and staff of the school. As such, the majority of property is renter-occupied, making it a great place to start looking apartments for rent. If you're looking for a townhouse in a complex, start your search at somewhere like Elk Manor right on the main drag. One advantage of this neighborhood is that many of the housing units are a bit newer than throughout the rest of town, with most of them having been built between 1970 and 1999.
Town Center: Home to lots of restaurants and little boutiques, this is the perfect place to start looking for a home for rent if you like being able to walk to everything. If you're hungry, you'll have no worries -- J'S Steak and Rib House, Bella's Pizza, Taste of Philly, Mercado Burrito and more are all right there. This neighborhood is a thorough mix of owners and renters, and has a fairly high concentration of 1 bedroom apartments for rent in small apartment buildings.
River Side: This area is, by and large, owner-occupied single-family houses, although you can find the odd home for rent. Separated from the rest of town by a creek and the main thoroughfare that is Route 15, it is almost entirely residential, and not very walkable. Aside from Rine's Florist & Greenhouses, there's no retail in this area. You'll need to make it back and forth to Town Center, so get something with wheels -- a bike if you must, but come winter you'll need a car.
For a small town, Selinsgrove has quite a bit going on. For fans of imbibing, the town has both a craft brewery and an independent winery and vineyard. The brewery, Selin's Grove Brewing Company, has been turning out high-quality beers for over a decade and has gained plenty of fans in the area as well as throughout the craft beer world. If you're more of a fan of what grows on vines, head down to the Stone Barn Winery and Vineyard that sits just south of town. If you can't choose one or the other, just wait for the yearly Hops, Vines & Wines Beer and Wine Festival, where you can find it all in one spot.
Sitting on the edge of the Susquehanna River means that there are plenty of outdoor activities, including rafting, fishing, and hiking along the river. It's a great way to spend pleasant summer days, and you'll run across plenty of other folks from around town when you're out. South of town, the State Game Lands over hiking and hunting. If your interests are more on the sporting side, head up north of town to Susquehanna Valley Country Club to shoot some holes, but make sure to reserve your tee time well ahead of time - there aren't really any other options around.
South of town, you've got the ever-popular Selinsgrove Speedway, a dirt track that plays host to modifieds, sprint cars, and other events, mostly on Fridays and Saturdays. Make sure to take along some glasses, and watch out for flying chunks of mud in the wet season.
Everybody enjoys some retail therapy now and again, and Selinsgrove has a great mix. From quirky local shops such as Pink Pin Up Resale Boutique and Firehouse Marketplace downtown up to national chains and big box stores on the outskirts of town, there are plenty of places where you can spend your cash. The Susquehanna Valley Mall is just north of town, which is a great stop for last-minute Christmas Shopping. There are also a good deal of antique shops around, thanks to the long history of the region.
Selinsgrove is fairly self-sufficient when it comes to foods and produce, and a lot of the town likes to get out on Saturdays between May and November and stock up for the week at the Selinsgrove Farmers Market. It features everything from artisan beads, to locally grown produce, to ethically raised meats. You can put together some mighty tasty meals from what's available.
