Lebanon Apartment Renter's Guide
Lebanon Apartment Renter's Guide
Overview
Lebanon: Forget the Ball Drop, we've got the Bologna Drop!
Lebanon -- pronounced "Leb-nin" in the distinct Central Pennsylvania accent -- is an old farming town that is slowly modernizing
Lebanon: Forget the Ball Drop, we've got the Bologna Drop!
Lebanon -- pronounced "Leb-nin" in the distinct Central Pennsylvania accent -- is an old farming town that is slowly modernizing. A tightly knit community that mixes agriculture and manufacturing, Lebanon residents live, work, and play together.
Moving to Lebanon
Getting Around: Lebanon is pretty compact and walkable, and a rental apartment in the middle of town will have plenty of shops in walking distance. Lebanon Transit provides local routes along with a handful of longer routes to Lancaster and Hershey. This makes daily living without a car pretty easy. For those looking to get out of town, the Pennsylvania Turnpike has access only minutes away.
Weather: If you can find an apartment with paid utilities in Lebanon, count yourself lucky -- you'll be turning up the heat for five months of the year. Pennsylvania winters can get pretty crisp and tend to have biting winds that make their way in through all cracks. This is balanced out by the hot, humid summers that call for fans and air conditioning.
Lead Time: Lebanon is fairly wide open when it comes to property rentals, and with the appropriate paperwork, you can find a place and move in within a month or so. You won't even need much in the way of a deposit -- Central Pennsylvania has historically been an area with below-average rental rates.
Lebanon's Neighborhoods
City Center: The heart of Lebanon, City Center is undergoing a revitalization that has brought in plenty to do, as well as updates in housing. Solidly urban, you won't find much in house rentals here -- it's best for those looking for studio apartments for rent.
Cornwall Junction: Northwest of city center, this is an old neighborhood, with a number of historic houses. You will find a lot of smaller 2 or 3 bedroom houses for rent in this neighborhood, mostly in the form of row homes.
Rocherty: The most suburban of Lebanon's neighborhoods, this area is more likely to have apartment complexes than houses or single units. It's also where you will find plenty of shopping centers and strip malls, with big box stores and fast food chains.
Living in Lebanon
Lebanon is the home of Lebanon bologna -- it has become so attached to the town that every year, the residents come out to see a 150-pound bologna drop to ring in the New Year. Folks around town have a special place in their hearts for this cured meat, with local companies that have been family owned for decades still hand-crafting it. You can pick some up at the Lebanon Farmers Market, a year-round market that features the best meats and produce from the area.
Lebanon residents get out to enjoy the rural areas when the weather is pleasant. State game lands, Speedwell Forge, the Mount Gretna Trails, and a variety of lakes and rivers are close by. Many of the locals head out for hiking, boating and fishing on the weekends, and it's the type of area where the first day of deer season is considered a holiday.
For the geek in all of us that loves to play dress-up once in a while, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire -- considered one of the best in the country -- is just south of Lebanon and operates during the summer months. It's even got a craft brewery that is open year-round. If you don't want to have to worry about a designated driver to get back into the city, you're covered. Snitz Creek Brewery has opened up in downtown Lebanon, providing super-tasty craft beers you can walk to.