I have been fortunate to travel all over this great country. There is but one place that truly has captured by heart, State College PA.
Yes, I am a bit biased (Full disclosure, I went to college at Penn State and my family owns a vacation home in town). But when I try to strip emotion out of the equation, I still see a wonderfully lively town that has big city amenities yet still maintains a small town feel (State College is extremely safe). There isn't a bad section of town. State College i...
More
I have been fortunate to travel all over this great country. There is but one place that truly has captured by heart, State College PA.
Yes, I am a bit biased (Full disclosure, I went to college at Penn State and my family owns a vacation home in town). But when I try to strip emotion out of the equation, I still see a wonderfully lively town that has big city amenities yet still maintains a small town feel (State College is extremely safe). There isn't a bad section of town. State College is located in Happy Valley, which is surrounded by beautiful rolling mountains that offer decent outdoor recreation.
The University is the driving force in town, most people's first experience is through a Penn State football game. It's amazing to see the thousands of fans tailgating all day, having a great time, then packing into one of the largest stadiums in the country. Night games and the most intense and not for the faint of heart. People in general are friendly.
The main street in town (College Ave) is a collection of out door cafes, speciality shops, Penn State merchandise, restaurants and bars catering to the college crowd (you'd be amazed how far a $20 bill will get you at a downtown bar). The restaurants are better than you'd expect for a town in the middle of cow country.
The biggest down side is that it is remote, the airport is small and only offers a few flight options. Despite it's remoteness State College sees it's far share of national acts and activities range from a minor league baseball team to a arts festival in the summer that attracts more people than a typical football game.
If you have a reason to go to State College, you should make the trip.
For more info on going to a game at State College read www.thecrosshairguide.com
Date of Trip to State College, PA: July,2009
Purpose of your trip: Personal
Cost of your stay: Under $500