Photo credit: Penn State University
Meet our new neighbor, Adam Smeltz! A State College “boomerang,” Adam grew up in the area and started his journalism career at age 15 with the Centre Daily Times. He went on to work for several city newspapers, including covering city hall for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. After moving back to State College this spring, he now writes for the university’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, a stone’s throw away from the neighborhood where he grew up.
With a fresh perspective on his new town, we asked Adam to fill us in on his first impressions and first favorites!
P.S. Don’t miss the “Community Crowd Source” section below! We asked Adam to let us know who he’d like to connect with and how we as a community can help him find his place here in town more easily. Send us your most helpful tips and we’ll pass them along!
Making the Move
What was your impression of State College before you moved here? What did you think it would be like to live here? I think of a line in the State High alma mater: “In this green vale that molds our spirits … .” While buildings here are getting taller, it remains easy to look around and know exactly where you are: a verdant valley with a sense of place.
I imagined living here today would be much as it was in my childhood. Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, I took for granted clean air, friendly energy, tight bonds and virtually nonexistent traffic. I’ve found those things mostly intact – and I appreciate them more now. Plus, Meyer Dairy ice cream these days is even better than how I remember it.
Still, substantive parts of State College character have changed. The place has turned more upscale, more bougie and less accessible to people of fewer means. That’s hard to watch.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during the moving process? What would have made it easier along the way? Finding a reasonably priced, reasonably accommodating home within walkable distance of the University Park campus was my battle. Less heat in the local housing market would’ve eased that process.
What excited you the most about the idea of becoming a State College local? For as long as I’ve been alive, State College has been a hotbed of overachievers – and not just in the academic world. People here are constantly trying to make a better community through practical, hands-on initiatives. I was, and am, eager to get reacquainted with the can-do spirit, creative culture and extroverted nature of my hometown.
Getting Settled
What nearby towns have you enjoyed exploring? Bellefonte’s evolution is fascinating. The Centre County seat has kept its historic character and charm while welcoming change – including the latest iteration of Bonfatto’s, right by Talleyrand Park. It’s a stellar place for avocado toast, which I have to mention here to prove my millennial bona fides.
If you’ve lived here before, what’s different this time around? Downtown State College now has something of a skyline – not anything I could’ve imagined as a kid. I understand why the more vertical feel gets mixed reviews. As much as new construction has diminished the old atmosphere that many of us loved, I’m not convinced that all progress is bad. Ideally, more density downtown will temper sprawl into farther-out green spaces.
What have you discovered about yourself since moving here? I’ve rediscovered my passion for running. State College is a near-ideal place to be a runner – full of trails, beautiful terrain that’s varied but manageable; and encouraging folks in the running community. An early-morning run – especially in summer – is a spectacular way to feel the peaceful energy of the Nittany Valley.
In 3 words, how would you describe your experience of living in State College? Meyer or Creamery?
Plugging In
What kinds of people would you like to connect with around town? People who have an interest in State College’s roots but appreciate and understand the need for smart progress. Our late Mayor Bill Welch said State College became such an evolved place “because it says, ‘Yes’”: It embraces opportunity, ideas, change. It inspires possibility. I’d like to connect with people who get that.
What are your superpowers? What are you most excited to share with the community? A lifetime ago, I worked a decade for the Centre Daily Times, mostly as a news reporter. I also worked a couple years for StateCollege.comand still contribute there occasionally. That journalism background means I have a pretty good sense of direction and place names all over Centre County. If that’s ever valuable in bar trivia, give me a shout.
What questions do you have for the community? What are the best places locally for scenic runs? What types of stories would you like to see most in local news coverage? What’s your favorite vantage point in or near State College for watching a sunset? Or a sunrise, for that matter.
What amenity/resource would you like to see pop up in town that would make the experience of living here even better? A true 24-hour diner. State College lost part of its heart when Ye Olde College Diner, on the 100 block of West College Avenue, closed in April 2018. It wasn’t just a spot for late-night grub after drinking. People found themselves there at all hours – found themselves in love, in conflict, in conversation, in their emotions, in their self-discovery. Lives were lived at the Diner — and relationships made and broken — in tangible, lasting ways. State College isn’t the same without it.
ACTION ITEM!
Community Crowd Source
Okay, State College! Let’s help Adam!
Ask #1: If you’re someone who has an interest in State College’s roots but appreciates and understands the need for smart progress, Adam would love to connect!
Ask #2: What are the best places locally for scenic runs? What types of stories would you like to see most in local news coverage? What’s your favorite vantage point in or near State College for watching a sunset? Or a sunrise, for that matter.
If you have a tip that would make Adam’s State College experience even better, reply to this email and we’ll pass it along!
