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State College, Pennsylvania

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State College, Pennsylvania
Downtown State College, during 2005 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Downtown State College, during 2005 Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Map
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyCentre
Incorporated1896
Government
 • MayorBill Welch
Elevation
1,200 ft (400 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
38,420
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://www.statecollegepa.us/
"State College" redirects here. For other uses, see State College (disambiguation).

State College, Pennsylvania, is a borough -- and more generally used, the borough and surrounding townships -- in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre county. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 38,420, (estimated 38,720 in 2007) and roughly double that total lived in the borough plus the surrounding townships. Of that population, 20,011 or 52.1% are males and 18,409 or 47.9% are females. (Source: City Data retrieved 2006 from http://www.city-data.com/city/State-College-Pennsylvania.html).

The town is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of the main campus of the Pennsylvania State University, more often referred to as Penn State. Happy Valley is an often-used term to refer to the State College area, including the borough and the townships of College, Harris, Patton, and Ferguson.

The area is served by University Park Airport.

History

State College evolved from village to town to serve the needs of the fledgling Pennsylvania State College, founded as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania in 1855. Since then, the school has grown into a major university, renamed in 1953 The Pennsylvania State University, also known as Penn State. State College was incorporated as a borough on August 29, 1896 and has since grown with the university. Borough and university share a symbiotic relationship. In 1973 State College adopted a home rule charter which took effect in 1976. The areas outside of State College are filled with historic towns and villages, immense tracts of farmland, and an expanse of mountains and forests.

The university has a post office address of University Park, PA, which is sometimes a cause for confusion. When Penn State changed its name from College to University in 1953, its president, Milton S. Eisenhower, sought to persuade the town to change its name as well. A referendum failed to yield a majority for any of the choices for a new name, and so the town remains State College. After this, Penn State requested a new name for its on-campus post office in the Hetzel Union Building from the U.S. Post Office Department. The post office, which has since moved across a street to the McAllister Building, is the official home of zip code 16802 (University Park). The new zip code was granted directly by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the request of his younger brother Milton S. Eisenhower .

Geography


State College is located at 40°47′29″N 77°51′31″W / 40.79139°N 77.85861°W / 40.79139; -77.85861Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.791261, -77.858740). The elevation is approximately 1200 feet above sea level.Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 11.8 km² (4.5 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 38,420 people, 12,024 households, and 3,306 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,267.4/km² (8,459.3/mi²). There were 12,488 housing units at an average density of 1,062.0/km² (2,749.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.31% White, 3.69% African American, 0.15% Native American, 8.77% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.

There were 12,024 households out of which 10.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22.4% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 72.5% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.69.

The age distribution of State College, which is overwhelmingly influenced by Penn State, is: 5.8% under the age of 18, 65.5% from 18 to 24, 16.2% from 25 to 44, 6.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.1 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $21,186, and the median income for a family was $54,949. Males had a median income of $34,388 versus $27,219 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $12,155. 9.7% of families were below the poverty line. 10.6% of those under the age of 18 and 2.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. 46.9% of the entire population lives below the poverty line, but this particular measure of poverty can be very misleading when applied to a community like State College which is dominated by students. The previous measures of those under 18, over 65, and families are much less affected by the Penn State student population.

The State College area is one of the fastest growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas nationwide due to rapid growth in business spinoffs from the University, and general quality of life rankings success.

ZIP codes

The ZIP codes used in the State College area are: 16801-16805 and 16827 (Harris Township), with 16802 reserved for the University Park, Pennsylvania.

Area code

State College uses the Area code 814 and is served mainly by Verizon Communications, the local telephone provider.

Culture

Happy Valley

"Happy Valley" is sometimes used as shorthand for State College, Pennsylvania. Commentators referring to Penn State athletic events often give the location as "Happy Valley" rather than mentioning State College or the specific campus facility.

In a survey conducted in the late 1980s by Psychology Today, State College was ranked as one of the least stressful places in the United States.

In the August issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, State College received honorable mention in best music scenes throughout the country. Bands formed in State College include Axum, The Bullet Parade[1], Cootie Brown, The Earthtones, Emily's Toybox, Katsu, The Nightcrawlers, and Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band.

Otto's Pub & Brewery, located in State College, was voted #37 on the "Top 50 Places to Have A Pint" in the United States in 2003 by BeerAdvocate.com.[2] In addition to this, the 2006 survey listed Zeno's Pub, a local bar, in the top 50 as well. Ye Olde College Diner, located in State College, was voted #3 on the "Best Places to Eat a Sticky Bun" in the United States in 2005 by Pastrypoll.com.

Baby's Burgers & Shakes is a 50's style diner located down town, and was once featured in a Visa commercial, saying that they don't accept American Express. There are dozens more interesting restaurants and bars unique to State College, most of which are concentrated in the down town area.

The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, usually referred to simply as Arts Fest, is held down town every July. The 5 day long festival features artists from around the country and draws more that 125,000 visitors. Many streets are closed off and lined with booths where people can buy paintings, pottery, jewelry, and a variety of other hand made goods. There are also numerous musical performances and plays to take in, and food vendors selling everything from funnel cakes to Indian cuisine.

Famous people from State College

Notable visitors to State College

Points of interest

Media

Newspapers / Magazines / Print / Web Media

Television

State College is part of the Johnstown/Altoona/State College television market, which is currently ranked #98 in the nation.

Radio

The State College, PA radio market is ranked #254 in the nation. The following box contains a list of public radio stations in State College.

Sports

Collegiate Sports/NCAA

Minor League Baseball

Rivalries

Because the demographics of State College is overwhelmingly influenced by Penn State students, mainly from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania areas, the following rivalries are usually only found in State College and in no other part of the state or in the nation. The events can become something similar to the Subway Series in New York.

Since 1906, there was an old rivalry between Penn State and Pittsburgh in NCAA football, which has come to an end as of 2005.

During the past, when Syracuse University Orangemen would come to Penn State, their fans would paint the Nittany Lion shrine orange, before Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference.

Even further back in time, there once was a rivalry between Penn and Penn State. At least in football, that rivalry is defunct. However, in recent times, there have been talk about a Penn-Penn State rivalry in men's basketball. However, since Penn has had a better basketball team in recent years, there has not been much in rivalry lately.

Correctional facility

State College is located not far from the State Correctional Institution - Rockview, which is known as the state penitentiary, or the "state pen" (Source: [5], reference to "state pen" being near Penn State).

Economy

Major Employers

Shopping

Retail

State College has many shopping areas which include:

Supermarkets

State College is served by:

Government and Politics

At the state and national levels, State College is served by Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. The current incumbent is John E. Peterson.

At the county level, Centre County, Pennsylvania's county seat is in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

At the local level, the Borough of State College Government is currently run by the following elected officials:

  • Mayor: Bill Welch
  • President of Council: Catherine G. Dauler
  • Council Members:
    • Thomas E. Daubert
    • Ronald Filippelli
    • Elizabeth A. Goreham
    • Donald M. Hahn
    • Craig R. Humphrey
    • Jeffrey R. Kern

(Source: http://www.statecollegepa.us/)

(Source: http://www.statecollegepa.us/index.asp?NID=31)

The law enforcement arm of the Borough of State College is the State College Police Department, served by Chief Thomas R. King.

Education

Public Schools

State College is served by the State College Area School District. [6]

Private Schools

There are also a variety of private schools, including the State College Friends School[7], Nittany Christian School[8], and Our Lady of Victory Catholic school.

Higher Education

See Penn State University.

Other Colleges Near State College

Libraries

State College is served by the following libraries:

(Source: http://www.statecollege.com/business/directory.phtml?cat_id=349&Index=L)

Hospitals

Infrastructure

Roads

State College is served by:

Other roads include:

  • College Avenue
  • Beaver Avenue
  • Atherton Street
  • Park Avenue
  • Garner Street
  • Allen Street

Within Penn State:

  • Shortlidge Road
  • Pollock Road

Airport

The closest airport is the University Park Airport, which offers the following services:

Mass Transportation

See Centre Area Transportation Authority

Long Distance Bus Lines

Also, Greyhound Lines serve students who primarily live either in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia and many other metropolitan areas in a bus terminal that was converted from an old train station near the Hammond Building.

See also

Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts

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