Submitted by ba1993 t3_114zgrn in Pennsylvania

What are the best (or your favorite) lesser known towns and cities in PA and why? For sake of discussion let’s exclude Pittsburgh, Philly, Harrisburg, state college, and their immediate suburbs.

I live in PA and enjoy finding new areas to explore. I recently visited Volant for the first time and recommend checking out the shops and winery there!

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WookieeSteakIsChewie t1_j8ysj5o wrote

Altoona is mentioned in a lot of movies and TV shows for some reason, George Burns even mentioned it in the title of his biography.

I stand by my opinion that Altoona pizza is just an internet meme, I never saw it in any pizza place when I went to Penn State.

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Mr_Fraunces t1_j8yum03 wrote

I like Franklin, Oil City, Titusville, and Warren. I'm looking forward to the completion of the Erie to Pittsburgh trail.

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WookieeSteakIsChewie t1_j8yuogq wrote

Best ballpark in the minor leagues. I don't live there, but last time I was there, downtown Altoona is really in the middle of a Renaissance. It's interesting, the mall is dying and the old downtown is coming back with really nice, little stores and restaurants.

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bringsafe t1_j8z2vcu wrote

Jim Thorpe. Really cute town, beautiful area.

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fishegg808 t1_j8z36wv wrote

Stroudsburg. Moved here recently and loving it. We have two wineries, a brewery, a cidery and a meadery downtown. I can walk to an awesome music venue and we have a ton of great restaurants and bars nearby. The Poconos are coming back.

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DannyRandIronFist t1_j8z5mmz wrote

Selinsgrove grew up there for 18 years before I left for the marines

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Steelplate7 t1_j8z6kyz wrote

Go to the Boyer’s plant and get yourself some Mallo-cups. You can get seconds in a cardboard box for next to nothing. Just don’t let them sit in your car on a hot day while doing other things. Speaking from experience. I threw like 9.5 out of a 10lb box away because it turned to a blob of goo.

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alken0901 t1_j8z8w8d wrote

I love Jim Thorpe. The Mahoning Drive In in Lehighton is the bomb. That whole area really turned out to save it a few years back when it was going to be turned into a solar farm or something.

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ba1993 OP t1_j8z907p wrote

Seeing some familiar names but also quite a few I haven’t heard before. They’re all being added to my list and I can’t wait to check them out!

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alken0901 t1_j8z9p2g wrote

I like Port Clinton. It is a little town that the highway runs right through. The Port Clinton peanut shop, the Port Clinton hotel, Appalachian trail access, peace rock.

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Quitthatgrit t1_j8za79n wrote

I grew up in Etters, which isnt even a town, city or village etc. Its just a postal code.

Its about 2 hrs from Philly, and about 20-25 minutes from either Harrisburg or York which would be the closest cities.

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the_dorf t1_j8zacg2 wrote

Forksville - The General Store and World's End State Park nearby

Strasburg - Pennsylvania Train museum, Sight & Sound (the visuals), Down On The Farm Creamery, Antiquing/Fashion Cents, 2 microbreweries, mini-golf, and Amish of course.

Quakertown - QMart, great borough park, trying to revitalize downtown, history (McCoole's/Fries Rebellion)

I also like Jim Thorpe, York (Central Market, thrift shop, york emporium, and the rail-trail), Gettysburg, Mechanicsburg, New Cumberland, Emmaus, Bethlehem, Easton, Riegelsville (family), Lahaska (Peddler's Village), Williamsport, and Mifflinburg (Rusty Rail and rail-trail). My bias is central/eastern, eventually I'd like to explore more western than just Pittsburgh (and I've been to Presque Isle as a kid).

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nardlz t1_j8zad9f wrote

192 IS an awesome motorcycle ride (I live about 30 min west of Lewisburg) but you have my curiosity up because I don’t know what bar you’re talking about so I feel like I’m missing out.

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nardlz t1_j8zaqv7 wrote

Nice! I live almost 2 hrs away so I only go when there’s a “must see” show. Used to find myself there quite a bit but the types of shows they’ve been having aren’t quite the same so I haven’t been making the trip lately, unfortunately. One of the best shows I ever went to was in “The Living Room” right next to (and I guess part of?) The Sherman. That was pretty wild.

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NotNowDamo t1_j8zbrvk wrote

Milton. Former home of Chef-Boy-Ardee. Cute little town. Nothing special. Just feels nice.

Huntingdon, small town with college.

Elizabethtown, bigger small town with college.

Jim Thorpe. Feels a little like New England.

Emporium, another cute little town. Nothing going on, but close to the elk, in beautiful Cameron County.

Kane, another great little town with Nothing going on, except for the PA Wilds. Beautiful, has a small, but great restaurant scene.

Just trying to avoid the obvious: Lancaster, Gettysburg, Wellsboro, Coudersport.

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illbeinthewoods t1_j8zdos6 wrote

Phoenixville is a pretty neat town and if you like craft breweries it can't be beat. Good restaurants, neat shops, near Valley Forge National Historic park, other historic places nearby. The town hosts a couple neat festivals every year with Blobfest probably being the highlight. Or maybe the burning of the Phoenix... Man, I miss that place.

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-js23 t1_j8zfiyy wrote

Haven’t been there in a few years, but I remember Milford PA was a very nice little town, right next to the Delaware Water Gap too.

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Collegenoob t1_j8zih30 wrote

Wellsboro has the PA grand canyon and a pretty cute Dickenson village around Christmas

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bobjinpa t1_j8zl3lk wrote

Bellefonte! Have a cabin near there - live in Downingtown. Bellefonte has breweries, bars, restaurants, and a world-class trout stream. And the town have great Victorian buildings. State College and Penn State are nearby. Love that town

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[deleted] t1_j8zlxou wrote

My favorite place is Northumberland due to family, Kulpmont for the history, and Lehigh Valley for the scenery.

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nardlz t1_j8zmb3b wrote

I'll have to look that one up. I'm more of a food person than a drink person so I find myself at the Rusty Rail or Elk Creek more often, although Lewisburg itself has a lot of great places to eat as well!

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jayprov t1_j8zmpbu wrote

If you go to Milton, go on Instagram and find out the hours of the Milton Art Bank. Mysterious museum curator bought an old marble-front bank and made a small and interesting museum. Around the corner is a health food store, old fashioned store store, and antique toy store.

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ycpa68 t1_j8zncex wrote

Went there for the first time today. Well, the first time off 15/522. Came home and told my wife it's a really cool spot and that if we are going for a drive some day we should head up. Also I'm launching a store in my town that fits in towns about the size of Selinsgrove and am keeping my eyes out for "next" locations. I added it to my list.

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ycpa68 t1_j8znlen wrote

Boiling Springs! Once they fix the lake. And if that asshole ever opens the tavern back up.

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Super_C_Complex t1_j8zpelm wrote

I feel like Hanover doesn't get the love it should.

Best snack food. Period.

The beer scene is pretty legit too.

Overall it's a fun town albeit Eisenhower Blvd is a mess

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the_dorf t1_j8zrjf7 wrote

Well the downtown is less touristy than the Battlefield area, but has a variety of shops (i.e. a celtic shop was unexpected).

Newville is alright, I loved running on the Cumberland Valley Rail-Trail last month. Wanted to do more, but I was tight on time and found a Shoo-fly pie at a barn grocery near Carlisle. I also like going to BBs near Newburg too. Newville also has a craft brewery (an article from The Burg), but I haven't checked it out yet.

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ycpa68 t1_j8zsc50 wrote

So there's a local businessman who buys restaurants and closes them with promises of remodeling and bringing them back in a grand fashion. And then they just stay closed. Currently he owns the Tavern, the Deer Lodge, and the Holly Inn. I really think he's slightly fucked up in the head. Like he is super successful in his main business and I really think he believes he's going to improve these places but then just doesn't really get around to it? Idk but I'd say he is single handedly driving down property values in Mount Holly and Boiling Springs by shuttering their most iconic restaurants.

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IamSauerKraut t1_j8zvam2 wrote

G/burg's downtown is plenty crowded during the summer. Check out the chocolate shop, the Christmas Haus shop and the Polish Pottery shop. Then go down to Mr. G's for the ice cream. :-) If you time it right, you might catch a Bullets xc race in the northern end of town.

There's a craft cheese maker east of Newburg but I've not located it yet.

Further west, one of these days, imma head over to Port Royal and follow either Rt 35 or 75 up the Tuscarora Creek. Reed's Gap, McCoysville, East Waterford, Waterloo, all the way down to 76 and then back up.

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the_dorf t1_j8zy62h wrote

One thing I do like about Perry/Mifflin county are the drives on the state highways...nothing like quietness, farms, and rolling hills for miles on end. PA 274 from Blain to PA 75 is just stunning.

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Entire-Job7656 t1_j901opj wrote

Lol I mean idk he's always posting pictures with new people. I suspect they also all work there, but tbh it really does seem like your money can go a lot further in more rural areas if you're willing to forgo life in the city. Their house is huge compared to what they were living in before. Obviously there's the trade off of moving to a completely different environment though. But from what I'm seeing in my age bracket it seems like moving to small towns/more rural areas is becoming all the rage for a subset of people, obviously limited to those who can work remotely or find a decent paying job.

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Entire-Job7656 t1_j901y01 wrote

I haven't been there for quite some time, but as a kid who enjoyed history I always thought Bedford was pretty cool.

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aikiwoce t1_j9022mh wrote

Elizabethtown is a shithole former Sundown town. Worked, lived, and did canvassing for Bernie Sanders' first Presidential bid there.

Its downtown is a deteriorating menagerie of bigots, poor families, and unmaintained properties. The suburbs are marginally better. It currently has two Dollar Generals with a population of 11.5k people.

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ImNorm29 t1_j902mql wrote

Lititz was voted coolest small town in the USA a few years ago and continues to be a vibrant community. This week we have "Fire and Ice" going on - it's a winter festival with ice-carvings, chili cookoff and various other events. The organizers have changed things up each year - I believe trying to find the right mix of events so they can attract a large number of people to the downtown area but do so over a longer period of time instead of just 1-2 days.

We also have "Rock Lititz"; which isn't as much of a touristy thing, but it's still pretty cool. It's not every day, but it's not totally uncommon to see trucks and busses from top name music performers coming into and out of the Rock Lititz campus. They do have a small venue on the campus called Mickeys Black Box where you can see live music for pretty good ticket prices. It's small (I'd guess 200-300 people depending on how they configure it) but the sound system is out of this world (Rock Lititz is a partnership involving Claire Brothers who produce concerts for top name performers around the globe and they built the sound system for Mickey's). There is a hotel on the campus which includes a "trendy" restaurant/bar. When they're in town, people like Justin Bieber (and his wife), Shawn Mendez, etc; are known to be seen in the restaurant/hotel.

There are lots of shops downtown and its easily walkable, along with a decent selection of restaurants and bars considering the size of the town.

If you want to see an awesome 4th of July event, the one held in Lititz Springs Park is amazing considering the size of the community. Again, Claire Brothers helps produce the fireworks display and coordinates the entire production to music; even installing a temporary sound system in the park. The event is all-day with a variety of other performances in the bandshell leading up to the fireworks.

The park also hosts a huge craft show each year. It basically closes down town to traffic and fills the park with a sea of white-canopy tents for artists/craftsman to display their goods.

Oh - and Lititz Borough Police uses their FB page to put out some of the funniest (can you say "sarcasm") posts leading up to most of the major events each year.

Drive 15 minutes north and you can be hiking Middlecreek - a state owned wildlife sanctuary which caters to migrating snow-geese.

Ten mintues south and you can be in Lancaster city. Or in various other directions you can see the Amish tourist areas about 20 minutes away. Strasburg Railroad is a little further, but still an easy drive if you're in the Littiz area.

Two different farmer's markets are 10-15 minutes out of Lititz in different directions - one on Tuesdays (Roots) and one on Fridays (Green Dragon).

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ImNorm29 t1_j902z3k wrote

Elizabethtown ???? Besides the college, I'm not sure what it offers. It's known locally as one of the areas with a lot of poverty and just doesn't have much happening except their annual Fair (which considering all of the fairs in Lanc Co, I wouldn't put at the top of my list).

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vogelsyn t1_j906jnn wrote

Austin Damn Dam. Grand Canyon. Kinzua Bridge. Bradford - Zippo Lighters for street lights. Coudersport for the ElliotNess Fest. or Maple Fest.

Elk County visitors center, for the Elkers. and the Straub brewery in St Marys. FREE BEER.

120 from Emproium to Sinnamahoning, and down to Karthaus (pirate treasure?!) is a fun road. 144 is more fun. 872 is too much fun. forget your radio.. shit.. satellite radio wont work half the time. you're in nature.

Cook's forest and Kane / Warren area are some virgin timber growths. If you've never seen the size of the virgin timber, you'd be suprirsed. Everything was basically clear cut in 1900's.

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randycanyon t1_j90es8j wrote

Holy shit, I just looked up that news bit. I mean, it's actually in Raven Run, but it's probably the same ZIP code.

I posted, earlier:

You might be thinking of Centraila. I know there've been sinkholes in Girardville, but I haven't heard of any mine fires.

Source?

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TheSammalynn t1_j90kv06 wrote

Ever hear of a little town called scranton? I know, very under the radar. Maybe one day a show will be made about it. One can only dream. UnU

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stblawyer t1_j90y4zx wrote

I'm going to put one on the list, but I am not sure it would qualify as "lesser known" (it just wasn't on your list): downtown Bethlehem is an absolute treasure. Great restaurants and shopping and just very pretty and fun.

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Allemaengel t1_j913sdj wrote

I live in the Poconos and I definitely agree that Milford's nice but that's up the river in Pike County.

Delaware Water Gap borough and Portland borough are the two towns either side of the Gap.

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Allemaengel t1_j914iv2 wrote

I live just outside Jim Thorpe but work in Bucks County and grew up in the Lehigh Valley.

My list of nice towns or up-and-coming ones obviously includes Jim Thorpe but Lehighton/Palmerton getting better too in Carbon County.

Nazareth with many, Bethlehem,and Easton neighborhood s getting better in Northampton County.

Emmaus in Lehigh County.

Doylestown with Quakertown and Perkasie/Sellersville getting better in Bucks County.

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fitm3 t1_j9161g9 wrote

Ridgeway, St Mary’s, Brockway. Charming area.

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Certain_Revolution87 t1_j917ccy wrote

Mt. Gretna is in Lebanon County and super artsy/woodsy. They have an outdoor theatre, summer art shows, lots of festivals, music productions, etc. The Jigger Shop is an old school ice cream parlor and definitely worth a visit in the summer.

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Ct-5736-Bladez t1_j919a0d wrote

I feel like Gettysburg doesn’t fall under “lesser know”. I’ve met people from all over the country and world (New Zealand, Britain, Canada, Portugal to name a few) at Gettysburg. According to the national park service they get an estimated 1 million visitors a year.

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melranaway t1_j91cqn9 wrote

Tunkhannock and take the ride up up route 6 to Sayre or go up 29 North to Montrose… then again I am kinda partial to the area lol.

Editing the ride up route 6 bc you have Wyalusing and Towanda. Neat little towns with some pull off near the river with good views. The ride up 29 north you have a nature preserve about half way and another awesome park, Salt Springs, outside of Montrose. Oh yea Tunkhannock has some parks, little shops and restaurants, a winery, and kick ass nature preserve too.

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Mr_Fraunces t1_j91d3el wrote

I'm originally from SEPA, my parents retired to the Poconos and I got interested in the history of coal industry, the Molly Maguires, the labor movement, etc. Now I live in NWPA and got into the early oil industry history.

Warren reminds me of Jim Thorpe before it became a tourist destination. They have a similar look and architectural style to them. Jim Thorpe has the advantage of being within 2 hours of Philadelphia and NYC.

I like to rid rail trails and Oil Creek State Park/Drake Well have a great rail trail. Oil City and Franklin are connected by the Justus Trail which is very nice. Franklin has a decent downtown with some good restaurants.

​

Edited to add: Franklin has a really interesting and unique museum of mechanical musical instruments. Some of them are one of a kind and sought after by the Smithsonian.

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melranaway t1_j91dicv wrote

I use to go there a lot as a teenager… ran through it last year for their half marathon… I have to say I was kinda impressed with how much better it looks there… I hope Scranton and even Wilkes Barre get back to awesomeness again. I enjoy having city things an hr away.

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mljowls t1_j91hkx7 wrote

Berlin, Pa. My original home town in the heart of Somerset County and the Laurel Mountains. They have a Snyder’s of Berlin Potato Chip factory. I can smell the chips cooking a mile from town every time I return home. East end tavern for a bite to eat and an iron city light beer. Nicest people live there!!!!! If you get a flat tire. Ten people will stop to help. Seven springs and hidden valley close by

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alinerie t1_j91jney wrote

Erie, from the lake Erie ale trail to Presque Isle, the theaters, restaurants, music scene, museums, lighthouses (3), we're 150 miles closer to Detroit than we are to Philly but still PA through and through.

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artopunk14 t1_j91k3ey wrote

Bloomsburg is the only actual town in PA.

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StrangerAtaru t1_j91k71j wrote

Lewisburg. Bucknell alum and just a nice quiet place to be.(Same for Elizabethtown)

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polgara_buttercup t1_j91m6w6 wrote

Carlisle has some really great eateries, and a few little specialty shops.

Gettysburg probably is more well known than the intent of your question but the area around the square is a lot of fun.

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defusted t1_j91tbws wrote

That place used to be a shit hole but in like the last 10 years it became amazing. I love going to see classic movies at the colonial. I've seen princess bride, transformers the movie, time bandits, alien, so many amazing movies.

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ssgtjimbo t1_j91vwol wrote

Bangor, the heart of the slate belt. Winery, breweries, good foods. Great welsh town!

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illbeinthewoods t1_j91x3ka wrote

For sure. The borough did a great job of using tax abatements to bring businesses in and revitalize the town. I had looked to move there in 2008 because it was cheap but never found anything I liked at my price point. I didn't end up there until 2016 (renting) stayed for 6 years and loved it! When we were looking to buy we decided the we wanted more house for our money and moved out to a more country area.

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shanafme t1_j91x70b wrote

Agreed. “Altoona Pizza” is just a meme that a few local businesses are trying to capitalize off of in their final days. However, “Altoona Hotel Pizza” was a legitimate thing and is what these memes are based off of. The Altoona Hotel did in fact serve pizza like that for years prior to its burning down maybe 10 years ago.

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shanafme t1_j91xo1v wrote

M’eh. Just keep driving. At one time, the games were fun and they had a lot of entertainment between innings. Now it is just kind of a blah experience with a “here’s that actor from a 10 year old obscure TV series” celebrity night thrown in every once in a while.

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Comrade_Joe22 t1_j922k9f wrote

Philly kid but I frigging LOVE Wellsboro. I desperately want a cabin up that way. Great fishing nearby in the Tioga Hammond, Pine Creek, and Cowanesque. I go every summer just to explore. Amazing

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Odd_Shirt_3556 t1_j92dwt0 wrote

Oley is really nice.. Their fair is incredible and the Christmas programs and events are awesome. The entire Township is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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sjudrexel t1_j92ecbn wrote

Milford in Pike County is a great little town right at the north end of the Delaware Water Gap. It has nice restaurants and shops and is a great place to stay the night when visiting the park.

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DebThornberry t1_j92k1qj wrote

I live in latrobe and greensburg area and I think it's a nice place. We have casinos , Amish stores, indoor play parks and skating rinks, beautiful parks and a good sense of community

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Queasy_Nobody4247 t1_j92mf8j wrote

Visit Lititz, PA! Great town with lots of little shops and restaurants.

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itsmnemotime t1_j92muwk wrote

No love for Ohiopyle in this thread? Closest I've felt to being in a Colorado mountain town anywhere in the East.

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Kkindler08 t1_j92rghz wrote

Come to Erie and check out Presque Isle state park. Beach, hiking, fishing, cycling, etc. Erie Bluffs State Park is 25 min drive outside of Erie and is a good day trip.

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Irish_Blond_1964 t1_j92u09t wrote

West Reading is a hidden gem. A number of breweries and restaurants. And new shops.

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A_Fartful_Dodger t1_j9319mv wrote

I’m probably biased since I grew up nearby but I like Clarion a lot. I’ve been away for a long time and I still like coming back to Clarion.

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mmmagic1216 t1_j94ewt0 wrote

I’ll throw Sellersville into the ring solely for the Sellersville Theater - great place for live music!

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StacieStaxx24 t1_j94mhoz wrote

Your not missing anything out here in Coatesville that’s for sure 🙄😂

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TransportationOk538 t1_j97kq0v wrote

Clarion is along Interstate 80 about an hour’s drive from the Ohio border and less than 90 minutes north of Pittsburgh. It’s a great place for healthcare organizations to collude without oversight or investigation. There are “opportunities” for incompetent public officials who are easy to “influence.”

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lazlowknows t1_j9f10pc wrote

I haven't read all the comments here so I don't know if it's been mentioned, but Columbia PA is a super cool gem of a place just outside Lancaster. It's right on the Susquehanna River and has a lot to offer for a small town! I spent a few hours there a couple of weeks ago and only just scratched the surface of all the offerings. The history is rich, the downtown area is well preserved and there are food, coffee, and alcohol offerings everywhere. The National Watch and Clock Museum is there (surely a niche museum if ever there was one). There is a trail along the waterfront on the Susquehanna River and plenty of outdoor activities in the immediate area. Turkey Hill has the "Turkey Hill Experience" on the edge of town if you like ice cream and iced tea. For antiquing, there are a couple of amazing locations in old historic buildings down along the river (one with some of the most incredible live edge raw wood I've ever seen at moderate prices). I'm planning a trip back this spring (from Bellefonte) and I'd love to hear if anyone has some "must-see" recommendations!

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