Altoona

Altoona was founded in 1849 by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as a hub for its rail operations and quickly became a crucial center for railroad maintenance and production. The city’s original railyard was located between 9th and 10th avenues, where Altoona’s Amtrak station stands today. Mechanics and railroad workers lived in Center City, walking from their American Foursquare houses to their jobs and back again at the end of the day. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Altoona thrived as a bustling railroad town, with an economy deeply intertwined with the railroad industry and life synchronized with train schedules. With the decline of the railroad in the mid-20th century, Altoona faced economic challenges and has struggled to revitalize the prosperity it once saw. But the city embraces its heritage in the Railroaders Memorial Museum and continues to look towards the future. Here in Center City, the arts thrive and community organizations bring residents together. “I’m excited about the development and refurbishment,” says Tara Enedy, Executive Director of Altoona Community Theatre. “There’s a reenergizing of businesses downtown; there’s an energy that wasn’t happening when I first moved in about 20 years ago.” Center City is a hub for Altoona’s culture and history. There are two museums in the area: the Railroaders Memorial Museum, which is in the neighborhood, and the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, just outside Center City. The former pays tribute to Altoona’s history and relationship to the railroad. The museum was founded in 1980, after Strasburg was chosen as the site of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Many residents felt there should be a place where Altoona locals could learn about the city’s railroad heritage. Through a grassroots movement and private funding, the museum began as a humble collection of artifacts, and, after relocation to a larger building, has grown into numerous displays surrounding the railroad, including a Pennsylvania Railroad K4s classic pacific locomotive. The nearby Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art – or SAMA – showcases nearly 8,000 American art displays. Part of the longest-running museum satellite system in the nation, SAMA is headquartered at Saint Francis University. Its five locations in Altoona, Bedford, Loretto, Ligonier and Johnstown trade exhibits and host educational programs. The Jaffa Shrine convention center – or “The Jaffa,” as locals call it – is in Center City. This golden brick building with Middle Eastern architectural influences is a meeting space for the Shriners International in Altoona fraternal organization, a group that participates in parades throughout the state and hosts many community events, like a summer concert series. Every year, the circus comes to The Jaffa’s 3,200-seat multipurpose arena, and locals watch acrobats swing from the trapeze and clowns ride unicycles. The facility also has a banquet room, which can be rented out for trade shows and conventions. The Altoona Area Public Library is also in the neighborhood. This nearly 20,000-square-foot facility underwent renovations in 2024, replacing ceiling tiles, carpets and flooring and repainting. Altoona’s creative culture is growing outside of museums and curated displays. Residents are finding ways to express themselves, and Altoona’s art scene is on the rise. “For a small community, especially in the last decade or so, the arts have exploded,” Enedy says. “It hasn’t necessarily made its way to the larger population yet. But if you’re involved in some way, you’re aware.” Her organization, the Altoona Community Theatre, performs at the 1906 Beaux-Arts style Historic Mishler Theatre about a mile from the neighborhood. They put on four shows a year, and volunteers from throughout the city build sets or sew costumes. Visual artists love the ArtsAltoona organization, which hosts various creative events throughout the year, including Summer Art Camp. Victorian-style and American Foursquare homes line cracked sidewalks in Center City. Most properties have front porches, pitched roofs and dormer windows. 1910 is the median year these historic homes were built, and while 6th Avenue, which runs through the middle of the neighborhood, was once a prominent streetcar line, Center City predates the streetcar. Many of its residences were built to house Pennsylvania Railroad workers, who walked to their jobs at what is today the Amtrak Altoona station. As Altoona’s economy shifted from being rail-centric, and residential expansion moved to suburbs in and around the city, many of Center City’s homes fell to disrepair. The average home value in the neighborhood is $74,000, significantly lower than the Altoona Metro Area, where the average home value hovers around $217,000. For around $20,000, potential homebuyers can find a home that needs a lot of work – succumbed to natural disasters or with an unfinished interior. At the top end of the neighborhood’s price range, potential homebuyers can find a detached single-family home with updated interiors and recent renovations for around $200,000. The median home list price in Center City is about $50,000. There are a few local restaurants that Center City residents can walk or drive to. In the morning, locals love Greenbean Coffee House’s drive-through, where they can order morning coffees or something for breakfast. The café is also popular during lunch hour, with a variety of sandwiches on the menu. JJ Hadley & Co. Brewers is just outside the neighborhood. Enedy notes that the restaurant is known for its woodfired pizza. It also has an extensive list of beer and cocktails that visitors can sip on next to floor-to-ceiling windows that open with warm weather. Levity Brewing Co. is also nearby and is popular on the weekends, with an exposed brick interior and an industrial vibe. Plus, there’s more to come. “In general, we have some energetic young developers in downtown that remember the downtown Altoona of 30 or 40 years ago,” Enedy says. “They have community pride, and they want to see that come back.” On nearby 11th Ave, in the run-down former McCrory’s Department Store, big changes are coming. The building will be converted into a contemporary mixed-use facility. The second and third floor of the building will have apartments, while the lower level will have shops and restaurants, colloquially dubbed “the center city market.” Christopher Cook, the project’s developer, claims that the businesses inside won’t compete with those that already surround the facility, helping to revitalize downtown Altoona. The closest grocery store, Weis Market, is about 2 miles away, and locals will need to drive or a catch a bus to shop there. “One of the best things about Altoona is the accessibility of outdoor activities,” Enedy says. Prospect Park is Center City’s closest green space. Here, kids run around the playground, teens play on the basketball court and fitness enthusiasts utilize the exercise equipment or track. Nearby Valley View County Park spans 45 acres of forests and fields. Visitors can hike or ride their horses on wooded trails, take their kids to the playground or participate in a game on the softball-only diamond. The Valley View Disc Golf Course is in the park and has nine holes on wooded hillsides. The Valley View County Park Amphitheater is tucked deep into the tall surrounding pine trees with views of the Alleghany Mountains. Residents can rent the pavilion or come out for the free summer concert series, listening to local musicians on blankets and lawn chairs. The Amtrak Altoona station is just outside the neighborhood, and travels along the Pennsylvanian line, which runs daily between New York City and Pittsburgh. The train only comes by once a day, so it is useful for overnight trips, but not daily commutes. The Norfolk Southern Railroad also utilizes the tracks to transport freight outside the city, which can make things noisy. The only crossroad where traffic stops for the oncoming train is on 31st Street in Toy Town. There are Amtran bus stops throughout the neighborhood, allowing locals to travel the city via public transit. The entrance to U.S. Interstate 99, which leads throughout the state, is about 3 miles away. I-99 starts the roughly 97-mile drive west to Pittsburgh and leads about 40 miles northeast to State College, where Penn State fans crowd Beaver Stadium in the fall. In case of emergency, the Station Medical Center is in the neighborhood. And when it’s time to fly, the Altoona-Blair County Airport is about 20 miles south. Students are zoned for the Altoona Area School District. They can attend Penn-Lincoln Elementary School, which gets a C from Niche, before Altoona Area Junior High School and Altoona Area High School, which both earn C-pluses from Niche. The high school has two buildings – Building A and Building B – which are connected via a glass pedestrian bridge over 6th Avenue in Center City. Building B houses the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center, a vocational school educating high schoolers on various trades, including construction and informational technology. The center also serves adults on a different schedule, offering diploma programs in wielding, dental assistance, practical nursing and more.