“Getting to Know the Neighbors” is a series where awesome locals share their local favorites.
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!
Day to Day
On a typical weekday, you’ll find me… running around Hotel State College ensuring the vibes are just right. You can also find me downtown connecting with different organizations and businesses to help create a vibrant downtown State College.
And the weekends are for… drinks with friends! You will find me singing my heart out at a karaoke night or down at the Basement Nightspot dancing the night away.
If the town of State College had a yearbook, I’d be voted Most Likely to…make it on the cover of Vogue.
Awesome Local Alert!
I’m probably most well-known around town for… my sense of style, but I am also really involved in local events, nonprofits, and building community engagement.
Something I uniquely contribute to our community is… providing support to LGBT+ individuals and their loved ones.
Favorite Things
The season I love most in State College is… fall, because I never had seasons back in LA. My first fall here I Facetimed my family group chat to show them that trees actually change with the season. Silly, but I was used to mostly palm trees.
One downtown restaurant that I just can’t get enough of is… Allen Street Grill. It was one of the first I discovered and one I will never forget. Their rotating menu always has something for me to look forward to and I’m never disappointed.
My go-to “Spend an Evening Downtown” itinerary looks like… Dinner at Allen Street Grill, catch live music at Zeno’s, and have a nightcap at Chumley’s. I love the nightlife scene and these three spots are the Holy Trinity downtown, and I don’t have to walk far to get to all three in a single night.
A local small business I tell everyone about is… Webster’s and The Cheese Shoppe. Webster’s has it all, food, coffee, books, records, and a vintage shop. It’s basically heaven and I could spend hours there. The Cheese Shoppe has great cheese and coffee, nothing beats the beautiful smell when they’re roasting coffee.
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… the amount of community events that bring State College residents together. Visitors miss out on local celebrations like State College Pride, DID summer programming like Live After 5, and the many unique pop ups that appear throughout the year.
I live in the downtown neighborhood and I love it because… I can walk everywhere and have virtually anything I could possibly need.
One of the kindest things a neighbor has ever done for me is… Gifting me a mid-century modern dining set because they knew it was my vibe, and yes it was a whole table with chairs and all.
If I had to sum up life in State College in 3 words? Intimate, exciting, diverse.
Looking to the Future
A business I’d be thrilled to see open in State College is… A vintage arcade, I just love a pinball machine and I’d love to see some good vintage arcade classics like Ms. Pacman and Galaga.
If I could wave a magic wand and ensure that one local business/amenity/resource would be around forever, it would be… I would ensure that Centre LGBT+ will always be around to continue to bring the community together through LGBT+ education, advocacy, and activities, in the Centre County region.
