As a news editor, I receive an avalanche of unsolicited emails every day.
Many are from PR firms and publicity agents, pitching me this or that story: a book, a trend, a personality. A distinct subset involves lists—lists that rank cities.
It can be for almost anything. I’ve received lists on America’s greenest cities, most vegan-friendly cities, fattest cities, sexiest cities, etc.
These rankings typically focus on major urban areas, so Harrisburg often doesn’t make the cut. However, when it does, it typically scores well on topics like affordability, retirement and quality of life.
Recently, the website neighbor.com ranked Harrisburg in the top-10 (No. 9) among “most neighborly cities in America.”
I never know how seriously to take these lists, but this one seemed more solid than most, combining national data on factors like volunteering and charitable giving, along with a survey of 1,000 Americans.
In any case, it did cause me to think about Harrisburg, whether I considered it to be a friendly place. It didn’t take me long to conclude that, yes, I do—strongly so.
Now, maybe my life experience is skewed, having lived my younger years in famously unfriendly places like the New York area and Washington, D.C. But, here in Harrisburg, I’ve never had better neighbors, more caring friends or closer colleagues.
Has my experience been perfect? Of course not, but I think that this city’s high ranking for neighborliness is well deserved. So, at least for this particular metric, score one for the random lists that pop up in my email nearly every day.
The topic of “neighborliness” seemed appropriate to introduce our December issue, given that it’s the season of goodwill and charity. We hope you’ll enjoy the many holiday-themed stories that we’ve packed into the issue and perhaps find some great ideas for your own holiday giving and gifting.
And if you’re strolling by our office this month, pop in and say, “hi.” We can even exchange hopes for a great holiday. As I’ve learned by living in Harrisburg, that’s what neighbors do.
Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Click here to read the digital version of our December issue.
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