Elizabethtown/Mt Joy - Elizabethtown, PA Area Guide

Elizabethtown was started in 1753, with the area acquired by Captain Barnabas Hughes and named after his wife, Elizabeth. Mount Joy gets its name from the supply ship that carried the group of Scots-Irish settlers that settled the area in 1721. The early focus of the boroughs concentrated on the agriculture industry, while a booming population spurt after World War II expanded the area to include many residences and small businesses.

Winters Heritage House Museum, located on East High Street in Elizabethtown, serves as a beacon for culture and history buffs of all types. Dating back to 1988, the Winters Heritage House Museum tasks itself with the acquisition and display of historical documents, texts and artifacts from the surrounding area. While there are no annual events or festivals held directly in Mount Joy or Elizabethtown, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair can be found in nearby Manheim.

Food choices in Mount Joy and Elizabethtown exist in quantity, ranging from traditional American cuisine to other cuisines much more international in nature. Exceptional Italian fare and tasty Chinese dishes serve as just a few more of the eclectic selections to choose from.

T J Rockwell's, located on Mount Gretna Road in Elizabethtown, serves as a shining example of just how good traditional American cuisine can be. Start out your meal with the rhino fries, a Rockwell's tradition that consists of home-style fries topped with a mix of melted cheese and bacon. Round out your meal with the Rockwell's stuffed steak, a New York strip stuffed with mushrooms, onions, peppers and melted Colby cheese.

Gus's Keystone Family Restaurant, situated conveniently on Main Street in Mount Joy, provides a tasty mix of Greek, Mediterranean and American dishes to choose from. Breakfast favorites, such as their banana-bread French toast smothered in butter and maple syrup, can be had both day and night. Round out a dinner entrée with a piece of the Zanzibar chocolate cake, a moist morsel made in-house.

If your tastes skew more toward Italian cuisine, some of the best Italian dishes and pizza can be found at P & J Pizza. Located on High Street in Elizabethtown, P & J Pizza provides an authentic pizzeria atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door. Try out one of their signature dishes, such as the baked ziti with tomato sauce, served with hot garlic bread and a salad.

Small-town pubs and dive bars make up the majority of the nightlife scene in both Elizabethtown and Mount Joy. Mick’s All-American Pub and the Watering Trough represent fine examples of where to get a drink and meet some new people in the area. While music venues are nonexistent in Elizabethtown and Mount Joy, they can be found in quantity in nearby Lancaster.

Residents of Mount Joy and Elizabethtown usually prefer to get to where they are going by private vehicle because public transportation options are limited. The Red Rose Transit Authority, which serves surrounding Lancaster County, provides the Route 18 bus, connecting Mount Joy and Elizabethtown to major metropolitan regions in the area.

Lancaster Yellow Cab services Lancaster and the surrounding area, including both Mount Joy and Elizabethtown. Because busy areas in these two boroughs scarcely exist, customers primarily summon them by telephone. Public parking options are limited to parking meters on public streets.

Major arteries remain relatively scarce in both Mount Joy and Elizabethtown. Pennsylvania Route 772 passes directly through Mount Joy, while Route 322 passes through Elizabethtown.

Walking and biking options exist in quantity in Mount Joy and Elizabethtown, with its quiet, residential nature serving as the perfect setting for these activities. Sidewalks are present virtually everywhere, while bike lanes adorn most roadways.

With its rural setting and catering to younger families and children, it comes as no surprise that both boroughs have well-developed parks systems. Little Chiques Park, located on Park Avenue in Mount Joy, contains over 40 acres chock-full of things for you, your children and your canine companions to do. Ten pavilions stand ready, each with a barbecue pit and seating for up to 80. Natural wonders can be found walking the nature trails or just lounging by the Chiques Creek, all with no fee whatsoever

If you find yourself in the mood for some exercise, the Conewago Trail in Elizabethtown provides 5 miles of hiking, walking and romping fun. Walk the woodlands, enjoy the picturesque farms or ride a horse through this hundred-year-old natural area. While annual events and festivals do not exist in Elizabethtown or Mount Joy, they can easily be found in nearby metropolitan areas.

The cost of living in Mount Joy and Elizabethtown comes in under the national average by about two percen; however, they sit about 10 percent higher than the rest of Pennsylvania. A one-bedroom apartment in these boroughs stands at approximately $876 per month.

While public transportation options to Philadelphia directly from Mount Joy or Elizabethtown do not exist, other metropolitan regions such as York and Lancaster can be reached with fares starting at around $1.70. Gas prices in the neighboring boroughs come in spot on with the national average, while a pint of your favorite beer runs around $4 at a local pub.

The downtown areas of both Elizabethtown and Mount Joy serve as the main anchors of commerce in each borough. Various chain and department stores liberally dot the landscape as well, providing a balanced mix of the necessary and the desirable.

Now Wear This, located on Hershey Road in Elizabethtown, proves to be a shining example for high-end jewelry pieces and accessories. More high-end establishments exist in nearby York and Lancaster.

Grocery shopping in Mount Joy and Elizabethtown is dominated by locally-owned and operated Darrenkamp’s, which has locations in both Mount Joy and Elizabethtown proper. Darrenkamp’s provides a clean store filled with all of the essentials, plus homemade specialties such as dark chocolate. Corn Crib Farmer's Market, located on Main Street in Mount Joy, stands ready with fresh produce supplied by local farms.