Shamokin, PA

9 Apartments for Rent

Shamokin - Home to the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of Shamokin, Thomas Edison's first attempt at taking electricity to rural areas.

On the edge of Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region, Shamokin is an old manufacturing and coal city with strong routes. It's a small city, home to only 7,300 residents or so, and it's fairly remote. It does have a fun name to say, and it's got plenty to make it a pleasant, if not slightly mundane, city to move to. It is an older city, with the vast majority of the homes dating back to pre-World War II.

Moving to Shamokin

Finding places to rent in Shamokin isn't all that difficult - while the majority of the housing units are owner-occupied, there are plenty of rental options, and the demand isn't all that high. This means that rental rates are manageable, and are consistently lower than much of the rest of Pennsylvania. It also means you don't have to get started too far ahead of time in your rental search.

Moving to Shamokin can be a bit difficult, due to it being a little on the remote side. It's a solid 20-minute drive to the major highway of I-81. Public transportation is nonexistent, so this means you'll absolutely need a vehicle to move to the city.

The weather in Shamokin can be difficult, but you won't have to worry much about natural disasters - all you get are blizzards. Coal country can be pretty frigid in the winter, so get yourself some good winter clothing, including a heavy coat and gloves. And don't try to move in during the winter, either -- make sure you move before November or after March.

Neighborhoods of Shamokin

Shamokin only has three significant neighborhoods, but the neighboring census-designated places of Marshallton, Edgewood and Fairview-Ferndale are essentially suburbs of the city. Check out their separate guides for more information.

City Center: This is your best bet for finding a city apartment, and also your best place to look if you're hoping to be able to walk to a number of places. Due to the age of many of the buildings, dating back to the early part of the 20th century, you might have trouble finding a place with modern amenities. This neighborhood has most of the restaurants for the area, although it is short in variety - if you don't like traditional American fare from Harry's Grill or Italian from the unoriginally named Original Italian Pizza & Restaurant, you're out of luck.

Bunker Hill: This neighborhood offers a thorough mix of residential, retail and small industrial spaces, and is a great area to look for duplexes for rent or single home rentals. Pretty good in terms of walkability, although a bike will make getting around easier. This neighborhood does have the a nod to international cuisine with Ming Guan Chinese. Start looking for apartments for rent at the Center City Apartments.

Southeast Shamokin: Almost entirely residential, there's no industry and very little in the way of retail in this neighborhood. It tends to have some of the newer buildings in the city, including apartment building and condo rentals. It's set back a bit from the rest of the city, so walking can be difficult - a car is highly recommended if you move to this neighborhood.

Living in Shamokin

For the outdoorsy folk, Shamokin will make it easy to get out and enjoy the wilderness. If you're a hunter, the city is surrounded by a number of state game lands, for hunting deer and other wildlife. For the fisher or boater, Shamokin Reservoir and Brush Valley Reservoir offer great options, and the lands around the reservoirs are wonderful for hiking.

Shamokin hangs on to its past for festivities. Whether it's the Anthracite Heritage Festival of the Arts, the Shamokin Heritage Museum and Pennsylvania National Fire Museum, or one of the numerous church-affiliated bazaars and festivals, the past is always remembered. The yearly Ukrainian block party has some tasty pierogies and bean soup, while the 4th of July at Shamokin Band Shell brings out the community as well.