“Getting to Know the Neighbors” is a series where awesome locals share their local favorites.
Photo: Amber and her husband at the Arboretum
Like so many others, Centre County Commissioner Amber Concepcion grew up in State College, went to Penn State, and then moved to a city.
But in 2007, she and her husband moved back because they wanted their kids to grow up in a town with a real sense of community, and our vibrant downtown and great public schools sealed the deal.
We asked Amber to fill us in on her State College favorites and hope you’ll enjoy learning about her local experience!
Day to Day
On a typical weekday, you’ll find me… attending county meetings in Bellefonte and various community events throughout the county, as well as shuttling kids to various activities.
And the weekends are for… getting outdoors! We love how easy it is to head to Rothrock State Forest for hiking or Bald Eagle State Park for paddleboarding or rowing! On a typical Saturday, we might start the day at our daughter’s rowing practice out at Bald Eagle State Park, then stop at the North Atherton Farmers Market to stock up on local produce and other groceries for the week. And there are almost always community events to fill our weekend hours!
If the town of State College had a yearbook, I’d be voted Most Likely to…be able to tell you how to sort out any kind of Local Government thing.
Photo: Amber’s daughter paddleboarding at Bald Eagle State Park
Awesome Local Alert!
I’m probably most well-known around town for… my many years of work on the State College Area School District board, and for leading through the construction of the new State High campus, but now I can be found working with all sorts of community organizations across the county in my new role as county commissioner. I have especially appreciated the chance to get to know folks in towns like Philipsburg and Bellefonte, where community members and elected officials are working together on vibrant downtowns and support for small “Main Street” business development.
Favorite Things
The season I love most in State College is… summer, because the pace of life in this academia-centered town really changes in the summer, and it is usually a great time to catch up and plan get togethers with all the friends who are pretty busy all semester long. The weather in State College in the summer is just about ideal for being outdoors and exploring. And the community has so many wonderful activities for kids and families. Summer swim league (we are a Park Forest family) has filled a dozen summers for us, where we have all made lifelong friendships and memories. Shaver’s Creek Summer Camp has been an indelible part of our kids’ childhoods, and a place where they have learned so much about our local forests.
The best day trip destination within a 2-hour drive from State College is… Ricketts Glen State Park. It contains a 5-mile loop trail through a gorge with waterfalls that are just as amazing as the gorges in Ithaca. The scenery is stunning and you can stop in one of the great local restaurants in Williamsport on the way home — we usually pick Bullfrog Brewery.
Favorite local park? Spring Creek Park is our favorite park because it has plenty of space for kids to run around and play, and has this gorgeous creek where everyone from babies to teenagers can relax and enjoy getting in the water.
Downtown’s State College’s cutest shop is… Growing Tree Toys! This locally owned toy store is stocked with a wide variety of toys, games, books, puzzles, and stuffed animals that have been selected for quality, creativity, and learning value. It’s owned and run by local moms who can help you pick out the perfect gift for a birthday and just because.
Our area’s best seasonal tradition is… Central PA Festival of the Arts. This five day event every summer is a celebration of fine arts, music, and performance, and also an annual reunion for folks who grew up here and come back to visit for Arts Fest.
Photo: Amber and her son at State High graduation. “This was the last year that I was Board President for graduation, and getting to speak to his class and give him his diploma was such a highlight!”
The Local Experience
The thing out of town visitors don’t really get to see about the experience of being a State College local is… just how much there is to get involved here as a local resident. Because we don’t spend a lot of time in traffic, and almost everything we need is within a 15-minute radius, we have more time for getting involved, and so do our kids! At various times, our kids have been involved in ice hockey, swim and dive teams, Scouting, gymnastics, instrumental music lessons, art lessons, rowing crew, and more! In the DC area, because of travel time, you’d have to tell each kid to pick one!
One community I couldn’t live without here is… the local agriculture community. Since moving back here, we have strived to buy local as much as possible, and have found that Happy Valley is foodie heaven in the sense that you can get so much of your food from local farms and farmers markets. We value the sustainability and health benefits of eating local, as well as the importance of supporting local foodways. Buying locally prompts us to cook seasonally from simple and sustainable ingredients. Most years we have participated in a Community Supported Agriculture plan with a local farm as well.
I live in the Park Forest neighborhood and I love it because… it is full of mature trees for summer shade, it has both an elementary and middle school that my kids were able to walk to during those years, has a great community pool that my kids can walk to, and because the neighborhood is full of wonderful families. We can drive to PSU, downtown, and the high school campus in ten minutes, or Wegmans and Trader Joe’s in five minutes. And it’s just a short walk or five minute drive from the enormous trail system in Scotia Barrens State Gamelands.
A neighboring town that I love to explore is… There are so many wonderful nearby towns to explore! Millheim is a lovely town that we first visited because of their fantastic farmers market on Saturday mornings. From there, we discovered the Elk Creek Cafe, a restaurant and microbrewery featuring local ingredients and local music. There are picturesque store fronts and cafes, a local butcher, and a community pool where our kids have competed as part of the youth summer swim league.
Looking to the Future
A business I’d be thrilled to see open in State College is… I really miss when State College had an Italian grocery with Vesuvio’s fresh Italian bread! We could really use an Italian bakery and grocery store, with classic Italian pastries and coffee.
My hope for the State College of the future is… I very much hope that State College continues to nurture its small business community and entrepreneurs. I would love to see more local retail in downtown State College, especially businesses that cater to local residents. I really hope State College becomes an even more welcoming and inclusive community, as well, including more affordable housing and opportunities for people in our international community to open their own businesses and restaurants.
If I could wave a magic wand and ensure that one local business/amenity/resource would be around forever, it would be…Appalachian Outdoors. It’s really an anchor retail store downtown and fills an under-served need for clothing and outerwear. Having a place to shop for high quality clothes and outdoor gear is pretty important for a town with so much connection to outdoor recreation.
Photo: Biking Rails to Trails Lower Trail (about 30 min from State College)
