Elizabethtown, PA 129 Apartments for Rent

Elizabethtown? More like chocolatetown! Get your chocolate fix at the local Mars plant. M&Ms for everyone!

A quaint agricultural town in Central Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown is welcoming to renters and owners. It is a growing and developing town that is still well-rooted in its past, with old traditions still living on. The town provides a great mix of opportunities for work and play, and is in a great location for travelling throughout the Susquehanna Valley region.

Moving to Elizabethtown

Travel

Located directly off of a major route, Elizabethtown is fairly convenient to Lancaster, York and Harrisburg. A set of wheels is not absolutely necessary, as there is plenty of work available in the town itself, with many of the major business within walking or biking distance of residential centers. Elizabethtown has some public transportation alternatives, including bus service via Red Rose Transit and train service all the way in to Philadelphia through Amtrak.

Weather

Central Pennsylvania weather can get pretty terrible at times and is really temperamental. Temperature swings of 30-40 degrees per day are not unusual, and quite often there is still snow on the ground when folks are heading out in shorts. Don't bother moving seasonal wear in and out of storage -- the minute you put the winter clothing away in early April, it's likely to hit freezing temperatures again. Keep a sweatshirt and umbrella by the door, and always make alternative plans for outdoor activities.

Lead Time

Finding property rentals in Elizabethtown can be a bit tight, depending on when you are searching. It gets competitive in the late summer, as students begin to filter back to Elizabethtown College. However, you can get a leg up by making sure you've got your paperwork and references in line. This prep work will certainly cut down on the necessary lead time. If you are well prepared and not super picky, you can find an apartment in under a month. Be aware that many of the nicer apartment complexes and buildings may have a wait list or will be at the upper end of your budget.

Elizabethtown Neighborhoods

Elizabethtown has a variety of neighborhoods available for owners and renters alike. Check out the features of them all before deciding on your new abode.

Town Center: The middle of town is home to numerous bars, restaurants and small businesses. Mostly commercial- and business-oriented, the area is home to a handful of apartment rentals. They are in high demand, due their location in the center of everything -- you've got almost everything you might need within a few blocks.

Southwest: This area is mostly owner-occupied, single-family homes, but you can find a few rental homes or small apartment complexes in this neighborhood as well. A bicycle or another set of wheels is necessary if you want to live here, as there isn't much within walking distance, including bus stops.

Southeast: Most of the property rentals in this part of town come in the form of home rentals, and it is a highly competitive market due to Elizabethtown College's location in this neighborhood. If you time it right though, you can find some good properties, especially soon after the students leave for the summer.

Northeast: This is the best area to start looking for apartments, with a variety of apartment complexes and buildings with a two- or one-bedroom apartment for rent (and then some!) located throughout this section of town. Sitting up against Route 283, this is also the most convenient neighborhood for folks commuting in and out of town.

Northwest: Mostly owner-occupied like the southwest area, it has roughly the same mix of single-family homes, with rentals here and there. This will be one of the more expensive neighborhoods to rent in, though, as most every property will have parking and a yard.

Living in Elizabethtown

To begin with, if you live in Elizabethtown, you'll soon learn that it's not called by its proper name often -- almost everyone refers to it as E-Town. You'll also soon learn that the county you're in, unlike every other Lancaster in the world, is pronounced "Lan-KIS-ter." These little things can make you stick out like a sore thumb.

If you love chocolate, you'll enjoy living in Elizabethtown -- thanks to the long-established Mars plant, the aroma of chocolate hangs over the town almost every day. It will make you hungry for a handful of M&Ms, so watch your urges. If you have to give in, keep it local and visit Spence Candies in the downtown area, where they still make their chocolates using traditional methods.

The Elizabethtown Fair is a major annual event, and almost every resident makes it out to this celebration of the area's agricultural past. Rides, fireworks and top-notch fair food abound -- we're not talking about hot dogs and hamburgers, we're talking about award-winning barbecue. Mirroring the Fair, the beginning of the summer season kicks off with Elizabethtown Arts in the Park, featuring local music, artists and vendors.

For the outdoorsy folks, the area right around Elizabethtown is slightly limited -- there are only a handful of municipal parks, great for picnics and children's play, along with softball and little league. Many residents do love the outdoors and will make the trips out of town down to the Susquehanna River for boating and fishing, or up to the State Game Lands for hiking and hunting.

Befitting its agricultural past, Elizabethtown has been re-establishing a sense of living local, especially when it comes to food. The Masonic Village Farm Market is open year round, featuring local produce. There are also plenty of roadside stands in the area with corn, tomatoes and more. For the carnivore, Rooster Street Provisions provides local artisan-cured meats, while Groff's provides traditional small-town butchering, along with a number of Pennsylvania Dutch and German salads and processed meats.