An Island Taken For Granted

An Island Taken For Granted

by Andrea M. Ciccocioppo

The answer is: This one great entertainment spot features an arcade, batting cages, carousel, train ride, playground, miniature golf course, nature trails, concessions and shops—all in the heart of Central Pennsylvania. Stumped? Then add a marina, bait and tackle shop and scenic beach. Still don’t know? OK, add a paddle wheel boat and professional minor league baseball. Know the question now?: What is City Island?

Most residents of the Greater Harrisburg area know City Island as the big island across the "singing bridge" from the city where the Senators play ball. But many locals seem to forget that there are other things to do on the island. Why aren’t more locals enjoying City Island? Most island business-owners admit that the bulk of their traffic comes from tourists. What a shame. Even city residents tend to forget about it. For those who haven’t been there in a while, City Island is a beautiful place with lots of attractions to entertain anyone and everyone.

Back to basics: City Island is in the middle of the Susquehanna River, directly across from the city of Harrisburg. It’s easy to get to from anywhere. From the city, it’s just a short walk across the Walnut Street bridge (you know, the metal one that lights up at night) or a quick ride across the Market Street Bridge from either side of the river. There is plenty of parking on the island, unless there’s a Senators’ game; then, you may want to try one of the many city parking garages. Most of the shops are open from May through October or November, weather permitting. The park itself is open from early morning to 10 p.m. There is a park ranger station located on the island which houses the city’s equestrian police, making the island a very safe place.

The most popular attraction, RiverSide Stadium, is home to the Harrisburg Senators baseball team, which serves up minor league action all summer long. And, for those Senator wannabes who aren’t quite ready for the minor leagues, there are batting cages to help you perfect your swing. There are also various soccer, football and volleyball games which take place throughout the season at the Skyline Sports Complex. Or, if you’re into jogging or rollerblading, there’s a great trail around the island to keep you up to speed. Hungry from all the action? Not to worry, RiverSide Village Park concessions offer up a variety of dishes for every palate.

You don’t need to pay a hefty admission to a big amusement park to keep the kids—or the kid in you—busy this summer. The island houses an antique carousel, an arcade, Watergolf miniature golf course and nature trails. Children under 10 will enjoy the Harbourtown play area and, if they still have extra energy, tell ’em to go fly a kite—The Family Kite shop has all the gear you’ll need.

If you need a break from the action, take a train ride around the island, or head to the carriage house for a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. Plus, there’s the Harbour Ferry watertaxi to get you where you need to go.

And, let’s not forget, it is an island, so there are plenty of water-related activities that even landlubbers will love. The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat sails regularly, featuring scenic cruises, dinner cruises and even mystery "whodunit" cruises. Or, for those daredevils who don’t mind getting wet, there are Jet-ski and water bike rentals, and there’s even a bait and tackle shop for those avid river anglers. And, let’s not forget City Island Beach—the northern tip of the island is reserved for those who want to cool off in the Susquehanna or catch a few rays. Don’t plan on building any sandcastles, though—this beach is truly a city beach: all concrete (but, hey, at least you won’t need to worry about the wind).

So, next time you’re looking for someplace to go to do something, a neat place to take out-of-town relatives and friends, or even just a quiet place to sit and read a good book, look out your own back door first. You may just find that everything you’re looking for is just a hop, skip and a bridge away.

Now It’s Business Versus
Nature on City Island

Once again, Memorial Day has unofficially ushered in the summer of ’97, schools will soon be out and tourists will converge on towns and attractions everywhere, and Harrisburg’s own City Island is no exception. The businesses on the island have woken from their winter hibernation and are looking forward to a new season. But this group of business-owners has more than just traffic flow to bear with; they also must deal with the rise and fall of the Susquehanna and how it will affect their businesses.

Why would someone want to operate a business on an island, anyway? Wouldn’t the risk of flooding be too big of a burden? Too costly? How do you avoid the wrath of Mother Nature? "If you’re willing to put some extra work and energy into it and you like being outdoors, it’s a great place to have a business," explains Marie Krouch, co-owner of The Family Kite. Krouch’s business, like most others, can be packed up and removed from the island in the event of rough weather.

Jeff Palkovic who, along with his wife Sue, owns and operates Water Golf, the island’s only miniature golf course, elaborates, "We try to make everything as portable as possible so we can move it in the event of a flood." Though the holes themselves remain on the island year-round, the benches, tables and even the buildings can be packed up and removed. "Generally after a flood, we take a hose and wash everything down and, within 24 hours, we can be open for business," Palkovic notes. So for Water Golf, flooding is just par for the course.

Even so, operating a seasonal business means more work than is required for a non-seasonal business. "The beginning of the season requires a lot of maintenance work. Getting everything ready and getting the stock in takes up a decent part of a month’s time, at least on a part-time basis. At the end of the season, you’re in a reverse mode—you don’t have the cleaning and everything, but you still have to do inventory and move everything out of the store, so that is a downside," observes Krouch.

But most business-owners agree that the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences. "There are definite advantages. You get walk-by, impulse traffic at, essentially, a fraction of the cost of what a mall would charge, not to mention you get a heck of a view," Krouch notes. Palkovic echoes the sentiment, "It’s a perfect location. If you put this course anywhere else, I’m sure it would do well, but I don’t think it would do as well."

Other businesses, such as the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat, rely on the river for their livelihood, so higher ground isn’t an option. The Riverboat Society uses the paddle wheel boat to promote the economic development of the city and to raise awareness about the river basin and its history through public and private cruises, and it, too, suffers from it’s own seasonal woes. "I think the most difficult thing about having a seasonal business is that people forget that it’s here, so you have to practically reinvent the wheel until [they remember]," notes Riverboat Society Executive Director, Betsy Hower.

That may not be a problem for long. Kahunaville, a 70,000-square-foot entertainment and restaurant complex, slated to debut in 1998, promises to bring traffic to the island year-round. "We are looking forward to it immensely. It will make it possible to keep a constant traffic flow on the island year-round instead of four months out of the year," Krouch enthuses.

Hopefully, Mother Nature will be gentle with City Island this year. If not, just as the Scrabble players in the Polaroid TV commercial found a way to continue their game despite nature, these Island business-operators will neatly pack up their buildings until they can return, unruffled, when conditions are better, knowing that it’s all worth it.