A few reasons why people have recently made the move …
Kids bike to school here.
Learn more about schools and how State College puts “family friendly” center stage.
The woods (and streams) are only minutes away.
Whether you’re into forest bathing or mountain biking you’ll want to read more.
You can walk from coffee
to coworking to date night.
Picture yourself living near an energetic downtown that’s charming foodies and entrepreneurs, families and neighbors.
Since you’ve been gone
State College may be small, but it’s definitely not sleepy. Here’s some of the cool stuff that’s been happening in recent years.
It’s no secret that State College is brimming with wonderful parks. (Thirteen of them, gracing 115 acres across the Borough, to be exact!)
But do you know which park was the very first?
That award goes to resident-favorite Holmes-Foster Park, which has delighted kids and provided a peaceful natural area for adults for more than 100 years.
With picnic pavilions, two playground areas (little kids gravitate towards the lower, bigger kids the upper), a basketball court, horseshoes, charcoal grills, two bocce courts, a restroom facility, and plenty of summertime shade from those previously mentioned trees, Holmes-Foster was the first and is still one of the best when it comes to our local parks.
(We think it’s so great, we even made a tshirt about it.)
#rediscoverstatecollege #statecollege #statecollegepa #downtownstatecollege
#downtownstatecollegepa #holmesfoster #holmesfosterpark #centreregionparks #parks
How lucky are we to be able to walk downtown (or drive on a super windy day) to this fancy place.
It was a feel good valentine day date @vitalitywellnessclub.
13 minute sauna / 3 minute cold plunge / repeat 3x.
Finish with a smoothie from @k2roots
Thanks @vitalitywellnessclub for a great afternoon. 🩷
#rediscoverstatecollege #downtownstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #statecollege #statecollegepa #wellness #coldplunge #sauna
Freelance creative Joyce Yong has been a State College resident for 11 years. Chances are, you’ve seen (or sipped) her creations around town more than a few times!
While Joyce has primarily worked in food storytelling and branding during her time in State College, she’s probably best known around town as the creative mind behind Thunder Thunder Tea. @brewthunderthunder
After venturing into the Specialty Coffee industry in 2016, she’s been working to create a similar movement for Specialty Tea and her wonderful creations have become a local staple.
(After browsing her website, we’re now daydreaming about sipping a cup of Peony Garden, with elements of white peony tea, sage, lavender, lemon verbena, orange peel, and cornflowers, on a sunny spring day in the not-too-distant future!)
We asked Joyce to fill us in on her State College favorites and hope you’ll enjoy this look at what lights her up locally!
Photo: Jonathan Hsieh / @motionlighthouse
HOW TO READ MORE: Look for this link in the Blog Highlight @rediscoverstatecollege
#rediscoverstatecollege #statecollege #statecollegepa #downtownstatecollege #downtownstatecollegepa #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #tea #teaculture
We know what it`s like to be the new kid in town. Let us take you out for coffee and conversation.
Our team is curious to learn about your move to State College. And we definitely have information we can share with you about ways to get plugged into community and experiences in this town.
If you moved to State College within the last 2 years, send us a DM. We would love to connect and treat you to a coffee.
#rediscoverstatecollege #downtownstatecollege #statecollegepa #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #statecollege #statecollegecoffee
Our very own Palmer Museum of Art, which reopened in a gorgeous new building at the Arboretum this past summer, ranked 8th on the list of 10 Best New Museums in the US.
An expert panel did the nominating, USA Today readers did the voting. (And who did we find just a couple spots below us, rounding out the list at number ten? None other than Dolly Parton’s newest museum, The Dolly Parton Experience, at Dollywood!)
These photos are from a visit this summer with our friends from Pittsburgh. They are artists themselves and were totally stunned by the curation, variety of exhibits and the grand spaces of the museum.
These are a few of our favorite works we visited on this day. And I believe this museum tour may have moved the needle on the likelihood of our friends moving to State College.
#bestofstatecollege #rediscoverstatecollege #statecollegepa #downtownstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #palmer #madeinpa #palmermuseumofart #artmuseum #artgallery
The former Saloon is now officially Manny’s, a performance space that will serve as @gorintoproductions new home base. (If you’ve heard us talk about Central PA’s very own music festival @rhoneymeadefest or the many Secret Planet shows that bring incredible international music acts to town, then you’re in the know about some of Gorinto’s most popular programming!)
For @mannysstatecollege ’s opening night on January 15, Colombia’s Yeison Landero, the “Heir to Cumbia”, energized a diverse crowd and breathed new life into the classic State College venue – with local Colombian musician Pernett joining in with maracas and backup vocals!
Photo credit to @helenvmphotography
Check out our story for more on Manny`s. See you there!
#statecollege #downtownstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #rediscoverstatecollege #centralpa #pamusicscene #livemusic #secretplanet
“When it snows in State College, it opens up a whole world of outdoor play. Downtown, neighborhoods and natural areas are transformed in quiet beauty. There’s so much to do here when it snows.”
Carolyne Meehan writes about some of her favorite ways to play in the snow, whether heading out solo or with friends and family.
HOW TO READ MORE: Look for this link in the Blog Highlight @rediscoverstatecollege
#rediscoverstatecollege #downtownstatecollege #downtownstatecollegepa #statecollege #statecollegepa #happyvalley #happyvalleypa
#snow #snowday
We love seeing folks wearing @rediscoverstatecollege gear around town. Did you know we have tee shirts in kid and adult sizes?
HOW TO SHOP OUR MERCH: Visit our website to see all of our gear. Or, visit the @themakerypamarket downtown.
#statecollegepa #statecollege #downtownstatecollege #downtownstatecollegepa #rediscoverstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa
The @tusseymountain Explorers Program kicked off last weekend for little skiers ages 4+. Out @rediscoverstatecollege team lead Brad says he’s always so impressed with how Tussey and the community come together to teach kids to ski. The instructors are a team of expert skiers young and old with many high school age instructors who get to pass on skills they learned at Tussey over the years.
Brad also loves the perk of having an hour free to drink a @rothrockcoffee and getting to kick back in the lodge. Look at that view!
#rediscoverstatecollege #statecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #downtownstatecollege #statecollegepa #outdoorspa #ski #tusseymountain #winter
One of the functions of the State College Redevelopment Authority (or RDA, for short) is to provide seed funding for projects that reinvigorate past-their-prime properties in the Borough.
One example? The former Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity house at 406 S. Pugh Street is currently receiving a major facelift. Once a rundown building in disrepair, the RDA is facilitating a renovation that will transform the property into a new home for Centre Help’s offices, allowing them to expand their suicide hotline and other services. The building will also feature four affordable and fully accessible housing units.
While key to supporting the health and wellbeing of State College residents, redevelopment projects like this are often passed over by private developers because of their lack of long term profit.
When no outside developers raised their hand to partner in the redevelopment of this declining property, the RDA committed to moving forward solo, ensuring that critical human services stay local and accessible.
Want to learn more? This spring, the RDA will launch a new website that will make it easier than ever to pursue community-first development partnerships in State College. In the meantime, attend a meeting on the 4th Wednesday of the month (243 S. Allen Street)
#redisoverstatecollege #downtownstatecollege #downtownstatecollegepa #statecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa
Local Bien Concepcion and his dog Bear are making the most of these freezing temps at frozen Colyer Lake. Bien ice skates while Bear trots along.
Colyer Lake is just a short drive from downtown State College and is a popular fishing, hiking, biking and ice skating destination.
Tag us in your winter fun in State College posts! We love seeing and sharing what locals are into.
#rediscoverstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #statecollege #downtownstatecollege #statecollegepa #outdoorspa #iceskating #dogsofwinter #frozenlakes
Fermin Almeida, current Marketing Coordinator and Man of Many Talents around Hotel State College, transferred into Penn State’s Biology program three years ago.
Before heading to Happy Valley, he’d done lots of research about Penn State itself, but not the town he’d be calling home. So what did he discover? A community he now calls “intimate, exciting, and diverse.”
We asked Fermin to share some of his favorite things about living here and hope you enjoy seeing State College through his eyes!
HOW TO READ MORE: Look for this link in the Blog Highlight @rediscoverstatecollege
#rediscoverstatecollege #statecollege #downtownstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #hotelstatecollege #manofmanytalents
State College is currently a winter wonderland. Snow covered mountains and landscapes here are transformed in a quiet kind of beauty.
We’d love to hear about your favorite things do around Happy Valley in the snow. Tell us in the comments or in our story.
#rediscoverstatecollege #downtownstatecollege #statecollege #statecollegepa #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #snow #snowdays
2024 brought a new season of the podcast focused on our area’s incredible outdoor scene, new State College-themed merch, new behind-the-scenes stories about life in our small town, and new neighbors to meet. Our team grew and the number of “wish we were locals!” who joined our community did too!
While our wheels are turning for even more ways to help future locals make the move to town with more ease in 2025, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate all of the State College love we shared in 2024.
Catch more highlights in our story to see what you loved the most this year.
#statecollege #statecollegepa #Rediscoverstatecollege #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #downtownstatecollege
The skiing intramural program kicked off yesterday @tusseymountain. How cool is it that starting in 3rd grade, kids can can ride a bus from school to our local mountain? They can take a lesson or ski with friends, rent skis and get a discounted pass for the weekly program.
State College is a ski town.
To learn more about how to get plugged into the State College ski scene, visit our @rediscoverstatecollege blog highlight or see link in story.
#statecollege #rediscoverstatecollege #statecollegepa #downtownstatecollege #downtownstatecollegepa #happyvalley #happyvalleypa #skitown #skilife #ski #tusseymountain
Don’t just take
our word for it.
State College is popping up on people’s radar — and for good reason.
State College Ranks No. 8 on Forbes’ 2021 List of the 50 Best College Towns In America
Wall Street Journal and Realtor.com List State College as One of the Hottest Emerging Housing Markets
We know what you’re thinking —
we thought it, too.
But behind those initial assumptions is a more nuanced reality about life in State College.
Tap a “perception” card to reveal how things really are here!
PERCEPTION:
State College is only for students.REALITY:
State College is a town full of creative individuals who care deeply about building community from the ground up.
PERCEPTION:
State College is too small.REALITY:
State College is small enough to make your own mark — and big enough for it to have real impact.
PERCEPTION:
State College is just about Penn State.REALITY:
Not everyone in town has a connection to the university, but everyone who lives here benefits by being so close to a world-class institution that attracts international visitors and first-rate entertainment.
PERCEPTION:
State College has too many high rises.REALITY:
State College is building up so students don’t have to rent houses that should be owned by families who want to walk to shops and restaurants downtown.
PERCEPTION:
State College doesn’t have any high-paying jobs.REALITY:
State College is home to a number of big companies and is growing all the time, but lots of people create their own lucrative and meaningful careers while living here.
PERCEPTION:
There’s nothing to do in State College.REALITY:
Just one block of downtown State College has enough to keep anyone busy for a day, with independent shops, eclectic bars and restaurants, yoga studios, art galleries, local theaters, and one of the best small town libraries ever (just our opinion).
PERCEPTION:
Housing in State College isn’t affordable.REALITY:
State College is expanding, and living options with it. Whether you’re looking to buy or rent, the range in the market works for lots of budgets.
PERCEPTION:
There’s no diversity in State College.REALITY:
Our little valley is big enough for all kinds of people to find a home here, and we’re proud to lift up all kinds of voices to represent our town.
Life in State College is an invitation to…
Become a member of a small-town community, where roots have a chance to sink deep.
Downshift into a routine that feels meaningful and settled.
Redefine the life you really want—in an environment that offers the time, space, and support to go out and build it.
