Living in Pennsylvania

melidasaur · 03-05-2007, 01:05 PM

I know lots of you make your abode in PA, so I would like your input on what it's like to live there... what's the economic climate, political climate, education, weather, geography, anything really... I've never been to Pennsylvania, so I really don't know anything about it. Please share any quirks about the state or things that you really like about living there. If you went to or go to Penn State, please tell me about State College.

The reason I ask is Mr. Saur just took a faculty position at Penn State.

Thank you!

SteveDallas · 03-05-2007, 01:20 PM

Congratulations! Pennsylvania is a big place. Not much anybody has to say about other non-State College parts of the state will be relevant. I'd suggest you immediately start working the network of similarly situated faculty. For better or worse, it's a college town.

Undertoad · 03-05-2007, 01:20 PM

I didn't go to PSU but my ex did. I travelled there every year during my childhood for the Arts Festival, and crawled every inch of the campus.

The town is your proverbial college town. Everything there is related to the influx of tens of thousands of students. Sometimes interesting, sometimes rude, generally diverse. Town size triples on home game weekends, as a virtual city of RVs suddenly appears.

Capable of being quite snowy and cold in the winter, since it's nestled in a smaller mountain range. Very beautiful; not as beautiful as superior mountain ranges, but the rolling landscape is always picturesque, especially in the fall.

Rolling Rock "ponies" = 7 oz. bottles, generally consumed in large quantities.

elSicomoro · 03-05-2007, 01:33 PM

As a whole, I enjoyed living in PA. I've never been to State College, but I hear it's a great college town...as such, it will probably be more liberal than most of the state. And it's in the mountains, so the weather will probably be cooler and less humid than what you're used to in Champaign.

Pennsylvania apparently has the highest percentage of old folks in the country, and the population is fairly stagnant. The economy wasn't all that great when I lived there, but it seemed to be getting better. But that was in Philly...maybe it's better out in Centre County.

The quirkiest thing about the state (and it may not matter to you and your hubby), IMO, are the liquor laws...very different from IL. You can't buy alcohol in grocery stores. You can only buy 6- and 12-packs from bars, delis or specially licensed shops. You can only buy cases of beer from a beer distributor. And you can only buy liquor from state-owned liquor stores. And the prices of beer and liquor in PA are fairly high compared to other states I've been to.

But as a whole, PA is a nice place. Beautiful scenery, low taxes, Lake Erie, Philly, Pittsburgh, the Poconos, only a few hours from the Atlantic, close proximity to the rest of the East Coast, great food, nice people...nice place!

melidasaur · 03-05-2007, 02:54 PM

This will be the millionth college town I've lived in - I was born and raised in Ames, Iowa (Iowa State), went to college in Kirksville, Mo (Truman State), worked at Valparaiso University, lived in Chapel Hill, NC for 5 years (UNC) and now live in Champaign (Illinois).

Champaign is probably the worst college town I've ever lived in and from what I've researched on the internet, State College seems to be a huge step up from Champaign - it seems to have a lot of character and isn't located in the middle of a corn field.

Here in Illinois, it seems that the state government focuses all of their time and effort on Chicago. Is that the same in PA - do people in the middle feel that they get the shaft because of Pittsburgh and Philly?

elSicomoro · 03-05-2007, 03:07 PM

Really? I've liked Champaign-Urbana the few times I've been there.

Oh yes...the "Alabama" part of Pennsylvania hates Pittsburgh and hates Philly even more. When it comes to statewide politics, the Philadelphia suburbs truly control everything...they are primarily Republican, but are willing to vote Democratic. Former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell (who is also formerly the head of the Democratic National Committee) recently started his second term as PA governor, thanks to those suburbs.

Dagney · 03-05-2007, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melidasaur

do people in the middle feel that they get the shaft because of Pittsburgh and Philly?

Being from the middle of the state (Harrisburg/Mechanicsburg) I can tell you that at times, it does seem this way - people who live in the central part of the state pay taxes to subsidize things that have no influence on the area of the state they live in. (i.e. extremely low fares for public transportation in the metro areas, while there is little to no public transportation in the central area of the state).

All in all, it's a nice place to live. If you enjoy the 'excitement' of a college town, you'll like State College - hope you like Blue and White

Kellie

melidasaur · 03-05-2007, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dagney

If you enjoy the 'excitement' of a college town, you'll like State College - hope you like Blue and White

Of course I like Blue and White - Carolina Blue and White

!

elSicomoro · 03-05-2007, 03:54 PM

Thank God Penn State is a Big 10 school.

elSicomoro · 03-05-2007, 04:02 PM

I don't think I've ever told this story to either board...

Back in 1991, I was a freshman in high school, and used to take public transportation to get to school. We lived near a magnet high school, and on some days, the kids on the buses going to the school would make fun of me and call me names while I waited at the bus stop. Most days, I just ignored it. But one day, I decide to flip off one of the buses as the kids started their shit.

About 5 minutes later, 4 of them showed up at the corner where I was standing. After talking some shit for a minute or so, I was told I better say I'm sorry...so I did.

After that, one of the kids wanted my jacket...it was a Penn State jacket. Kinda like one of those Starter jackets that were really popular back in the late 80s/early 90s, but I think mine was made by Champion. At this point, I thought they were just fucking with me, so I coolly said, "I'm not giving you my jacket."

Next thing I knew, I felt a fist hit me in the neck...apparently, they missed my jaw. Then I felt a fist to my nose. I immediately dropped to the ground on my stomach, hoping to avoid any more injury. They then took off.

Fortunately, I only suffered a mildly broken nose that required no surgery. No one saw what happened, and the kids were never caught. That was the last fight I was in...though it really wasn't a fair one, obviously.

Anyway, that's my story that relates to Penn State...carry on...

Griff · 03-05-2007, 05:06 PM

The few times I've hung out at Penn State I had a good time. That is a nice part of PA. The school is big enough to have something for everyone, so I bet you find your niche. I'm in a more rural part of the state. We have a "you leave us alone and we'll leave you alone" attitude toward state gov. Read the interactions between wolf and spexxvet to get an idea of the political atmosphere.

Welcome! You've got a friend in Pennsylvania!

xoxoxoBruce · 03-05-2007, 06:11 PM

melidasaur, are you sure it's happy Valley (State College) and not one of the other campuses?

melidasaur · 03-06-2007, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

melidasaur, are you sure it's happy Valley (State College) and not one of the other campuses?

Yes, he went there - and I know that it is in State College - but I am familiar with the fact that there is more than one campus.

So what is the deal with the quirky liquour laws? Also, where do I find the Amish?

wolf · 03-06-2007, 12:33 PM

The Amish are in Lancaster and York Counties, for the most part.

The quirky liquor laws are one of the few top-down elements in our state government. And, of course, we're not actually a state. We're a Commonwealth. We're special.

melidasaur · 03-06-2007, 04:24 PM

ooooh a Commonwealth - cool

.

03-05-2007, 01:05 PM	#1
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	Living in Pennsylvania I know lots of you make your abode in PA, so I would like your input on what it's like to live there... what's the economic climate, political climate, education, weather, geography, anything really... I've never been to Pennsylvania, so I really don't know anything about it. Please share any quirks about the state or things that you really like about living there. If you went to or go to Penn State, please tell me about State College. The reason I ask is Mr. Saur just took a faculty position at Penn State. Thank you! __________________ I love England, what can I say?

03-05-2007, 02:54 PM	#5
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	This will be the millionth college town I've lived in - I was born and raised in Ames, Iowa (Iowa State), went to college in Kirksville, Mo (Truman State), worked at Valparaiso University, lived in Chapel Hill, NC for 5 years (UNC) and now live in Champaign (Illinois). Champaign is probably the worst college town I've ever lived in and from what I've researched on the internet, State College seems to be a huge step up from Champaign - it seems to have a lot of character and isn't located in the middle of a corn field. Here in Illinois, it seems that the state government focuses all of their time and effort on Chicago. Is that the same in PA - do people in the middle feel that they get the shaft because of Pittsburgh and Philly? __________________ I love England, what can I say?

03-05-2007, 05:06 PM	#11
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	The few times I've hung out at Penn State I had a good time. That is a nice part of PA. The school is big enough to have something for everyone, so I bet you find your niche. I'm in a more rural part of the state. We have a "you leave us alone and we'll leave you alone" attitude toward state gov. Read the interactions between wolf and spexxvet to get an idea of the political atmosphere. Welcome! You've got a friend in Pennsylvania! __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-05-2007, 06:11 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	melidasaur, are you sure it's happy Valley (State College) and not one of the other campuses? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-06-2007, 12:33 PM	#14
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The Amish are in Lancaster and York Counties, for the most part. The quirky liquor laws are one of the few top-down elements in our state government. And, of course, we're not actually a state. We're a Commonwealth. We're special. __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-05-2007, 01:20 PM	#2
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Congratulations! Pennsylvania is a big place. Not much anybody has to say about other non-State College parts of the state will be relevant. I'd suggest you immediately start working the network of similarly situated faculty. For better or worse, it's a college town.

03-05-2007, 01:20 PM	#3
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I didn't go to PSU but my ex did. I travelled there every year during my childhood for the Arts Festival, and crawled every inch of the campus. The town is your proverbial college town. Everything there is related to the influx of tens of thousands of students. Sometimes interesting, sometimes rude, generally diverse. Town size triples on home game weekends, as a virtual city of RVs suddenly appears. Capable of being quite snowy and cold in the winter, since it's nestled in a smaller mountain range. Very beautiful; not as beautiful as superior mountain ranges, but the rolling landscape is always picturesque, especially in the fall. Rolling Rock "ponies" = 7 oz. bottles, generally consumed in large quantities.

03-05-2007, 01:33 PM	#4
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	As a whole, I enjoyed living in PA. I've never been to State College, but I hear it's a great college town...as such, it will probably be more liberal than most of the state. And it's in the mountains, so the weather will probably be cooler and less humid than what you're used to in Champaign. Pennsylvania apparently has the highest percentage of old folks in the country, and the population is fairly stagnant. The economy wasn't all that great when I lived there, but it seemed to be getting better. But that was in Philly...maybe it's better out in Centre County. The quirkiest thing about the state (and it may not matter to you and your hubby), IMO, are the liquor laws...very different from IL. You can't buy alcohol in grocery stores. You can only buy 6- and 12-packs from bars, delis or specially licensed shops. You can only buy cases of beer from a beer distributor. And you can only buy liquor from state-owned liquor stores. And the prices of beer and liquor in PA are fairly high compared to other states I've been to. But as a whole, PA is a nice place. Beautiful scenery, low taxes, Lake Erie, Philly, Pittsburgh, the Poconos, only a few hours from the Atlantic, close proximity to the rest of the East Coast, great food, nice people...nice place!

03-05-2007, 03:07 PM	#6
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Really? I've liked Champaign-Urbana the few times I've been there. Oh yes...the "Alabama" part of Pennsylvania hates Pittsburgh and hates Philly even more. When it comes to statewide politics, the Philadelphia suburbs truly control everything...they are primarily Republican, but are willing to vote Democratic. Former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell (who is also formerly the head of the Democratic National Committee) recently started his second term as PA governor, thanks to those suburbs.

03-05-2007, 03:54 PM	#9
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	Thank God Penn State is a Big 10 school.

03-05-2007, 04:02 PM	#10
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I don't think I've ever told this story to either board... Back in 1991, I was a freshman in high school, and used to take public transportation to get to school. We lived near a magnet high school, and on some days, the kids on the buses going to the school would make fun of me and call me names while I waited at the bus stop. Most days, I just ignored it. But one day, I decide to flip off one of the buses as the kids started their shit. About 5 minutes later, 4 of them showed up at the corner where I was standing. After talking some shit for a minute or so, I was told I better say I'm sorry...so I did. After that, one of the kids wanted my jacket...it was a Penn State jacket. Kinda like one of those Starter jackets that were really popular back in the late 80s/early 90s, but I think mine was made by Champion. At this point, I thought they were just fucking with me, so I coolly said, "I'm not giving you my jacket." Next thing I knew, I felt a fist hit me in the neck...apparently, they missed my jaw. Then I felt a fist to my nose. I immediately dropped to the ground on my stomach, hoping to avoid any more injury. They then took off. Fortunately, I only suffered a mildly broken nose that required no surgery. No one saw what happened, and the kids were never caught. That was the last fight I was in...though it really wasn't a fair one, obviously. Anyway, that's my story that relates to Penn State...carry on...

03-06-2007, 04:24 PM	#15
melidasaur Traded your soul for pogs. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 646	ooooh a Commonwealth - cool . __________________ I love England, what can I say?

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