State College was…interesting. For those of you who are unaware by the way, State College (zip code 16801) is the name of the town where Penn State is located. Kind of. Actually, at some point the campus itself gained its own zip code (16802) and the town name “University Park, PA.”
At any rate, both State College and University Park have changed a lot in the last ten years or so. It’s becoming a vastly different place from my home there in the late ’80s. I lived north of town, where little existed. Now it’s a city, with Best Buys, and huge malls, and monstrous condo complexes.
Campus isn’t much better. They’re constructing buildings on top of buildings. They’re even making buildings that stretch across roads–apparently they’ve run out of actual land to build on.
Oh well–it was still a nice place to visit. Walking downtown was somewhat nostalgic; it hasn’t changed at all, really. And Pattee (excuse me, the Pattee and Paterno) library was truly amazing. I could have spent hours in there.
But my car with flashers in the fifteen minute loading zone would likely have been towed away. Parking at least in State College hasn’t changed a bit.