I would love to ask some questions from someone who actually lives in State College, Pa.

Question

I have asked the question about possibly moving to State College, but all of the answers are usually from people who have either gone to Penn State and moved on or are still there at Penn State. We are a couple with an eight year old daughter and I would love to speak to someone from the prospective of raising a child there.

Answer 1

I grew up in State College. The area is great, very safe and peaceful. Downtown is ruled by the under-25 set at night, but the schools are among the best in the state, and there are a lot of different housing options for families. The parks are well maintained and if you plan accordingly, you can get by without a car. Politically, it's almost split evenly, and the population is fairly diverse, for Central PA. If you anticipate traveling often, it's a pain to drive so far, but there is an airport with regular flights to major hubs. Winter can be gloomy, but summer is amazing, a totally different town emerges when the students leave. Ignore anyone who says it's cultureless, there's almost always something to do on campus (speakers, art exhibits, concerts) or off. For your daughter, there are a million activities, from sports (soccer and dance are popular here) to art and music classes to science camps and community theatre. What's more, she will have a lot of interesting classmates, because the university attracts a lot of intelligent, worldly people. I can remember having friends with dozens of different backgrounds - it made each birthday party and play date an educational adventure!

Answer 2

My boyfriend (just graduated with a music ed degree) just had an interview in that area for BellFont schools which are right next to state college.  He can't stop talking the rural, old style of the area, the penny candy stores, the overly-nice people, the wide-open spaces...you get the idea. :-)  It seems like a great place to raise a child.