Moved to Altoona for work. Coming from Seattle we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The university paid for our visit in May 2018 to scope the area out. Looked all over central PA. In August 2018 we found a place off in DT. I had such high hopes for this area. Only to see the streets littered with needles, cigarette butts and trash from Sheetz. We left the state. One of the best things for my mental health. We enjoyed visiting Pittsburgh and Philly but whenever we came back to Altoona, I would feel the dread come over me. I just didn't want to be there. Maybe we'll pop back in ten years from now and see if it changed.
Ever since the Commonwealth decided to put the main penn state in state college instead of Altoona because we had so many factories at that time which most closed so the population declined and now people from all over go halfway homes and then they get stuck here so I say it's been going downhill tremendously since
Take the coal away, the steel away, and the plethora of related jobs...and bus-in all the inner city failures via social programs & here we are!...Besides that, I lived "abroad" from 18-30yrs old & Atuna Ain't so bad y-unz!
Didn’t see much of the great “UPMC” hospital that took over Altoona & it’s smaller clinics & doctor’s offices. That to me was a big destruction of Altoona when they invaded the great town of Altoona. People lost jobs as they took most everything & transferred to Pittsburgh. Contact Pittsburgh either by internet or phone. No more one on one care. So sad. I moved my family back here from Houston, Tx 20 years ago, thinking this was a great place to raise my kids as I was born & raised here. But as time as gone on, I see the destruction of small town happiness go to big business destruction. Just like Lakemont Park as someone previous said. Take a look at old videos of park, it was beautiful. Big business came in, sold all the traditional things there to get an extra buck & destroyed the park. Look at the Horseshoe Curve. They destroyed the greatness of the place with their commercialism. And the railroad, Museum was built in its honor, this “was” a big railroad town. Now so many people laid off because of big business no one even notices railroad even ever existed here. So sad. Use to be so proud of my hometown, now just disgust. Wish I lived back in TX.
What I find odd is...this is big government progressive liberal policy(s) in our faces (not only Altoona but Johnstown, Williamsport, Lock Haven...most 3rd Class Cities)...YET...the same progressive mindset has done nothing to improve mass transportation...IE...RAIL! The very means that could have vastly improved the job market & livability & overall viability of this most obvious place! Nefarious I SAY! Regardless...GREAT VID!
