State College, Pennsylvania is more than just a college town. It has a vibrant nightlife, shopping, local restaurants and breweries, a plethora of hotels, motels, and bed & breakfasts, along with diverse culinary adventures. State College is a wonderful mix of small-town charm and college town excitement which makes it a great place to live and visit.
State College is also referred to by the term “Happy Valley”, which has origins dating back to the Great Depression and the town’s ability to be sheltered from much of the financial hardship falling on the rest of the country. Another origin comes from sports writers looking for a way to describe the town during football broadcasts. As of the 2010 census, there were 42,034 full-time residents.
The town was largely founded around satisfying the needs of what would become the Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania’s premier public university which boasts a student body of nearly 50,000 undergraduate and 10,000 graduate students. The town is now home to plenty of entrepreneurship and companies. There are also several events and facilities welcoming thousands of people to the area including Penn State Football, the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Bryce Jordan Center and many others.
Penn State began as an agricultural school with dairy research beginning in 1865. Over the course of 154 years, the Penn State Berkey Creamery has had plenty of time to perfect its methods — creating some of the best ice cream around. Be sure to stop by the Creamery to try out some signature flavors like Mint Nittany (named after nearby Mount Nittany) and Scholar’s Chip. You can also find specialty cheeses, sorbets, and more: https://creamery.psu.edu/.
Map of State College, PA
Drone Footage of Penn State University
