Really A Great Place
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5/8/2006
State College is really not as bad as the previous poster made it out to be. Yes, there are parties but they are generally contained in the downtown area and do not overshadow everything else. If one wishes to avoid the noise and occasional garbage the solution is simply to live a few blocks from campus instead of across the street in the heart of downtown. Even the downtown area is clean and pleasant so long as you aren't walking around in the middle of the night. There is a nice variety of shops and cafes within walking distance of campus. The Nittany Mall is the biggest in the area and only about 5-6 miles from downtown State College.
The Penn State campus is beautiful and provides activities and cultural attractions(www.psu.edu). There are several museums, parks, the largest academic library on the east coast and of course sporting events. There are always lectures and plays on campus and in the downtown theatre. The area has public transportation (www.catabus.com), bike trails and sidewalks almost everywhere. The cost of living is relatively low, particularly the cost of food. Depending on where you live you can have a view of the mountains including Mt. Nittany and there are multiple state parks and game lands. There are four distinct seasons, a fair amount of snow in the winter and the summers are not too hot(80s) or humid. The population density is quite high, so there are concentrated apartments downtown and not much sprawl. The restaurant variety is greater than you would expect in central PA and includes some excellent international choices. I suggest www.StateCollege.com for more information.
R. | San Francisco, CA