Residents of the State College metro area are never more than 10 miles away from The Pennsylvania State University or its thriving downtown. College Township, 4 miles from downtown, is no different. “Everything in State College is close,” says Larry Walker, local associate broker and partner at Kissinger Bigatel & Bower Realtors. “Everything is convenient; that’s one of the things I enjoy about State College.” The township is an expanding area with a mix of the historic and the modern. The neighborhood is home to Penn State's birthplace, the historic Centre Furnace Mansion, where the university was chartered, and Lemont Village, which formed as a stagecoach stop in the 1800s and sits at the base of Mount Nittany. New subdivisions are popping up and there are plans to build a casino in Nittany Mall. Residents appreciate this mix, and many settle in the historic Lemont for easy access to Penn State and downtown.
Subdivisions in College are laid out on winding streets at the base of Mount Nittany.
Green space and tree lined residential streets make up the College neighborhood.
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Eateries in Lemont Village
Most residents visit downtown State College for shopping and dining. Within the township, the Nittany Mall has some popular clothing stores, but it is generally not a busy area. The Benner Pike Shops are more popular as are the large national retailers and eateries along East College Avenue, including Walmart Supercenter, Burger King and Ross. However, this may change with the township’s plans to build a mini-casino inside Nittany Mall. Construction could start in early 2025.
Locals head to Lemont Village, a small historic area below Mount Nittany, for boutique eateries. “Lemont is a quaint, charming village district,” says Walker. “With coffee shops, restaurants and other shopping.” Café Lemont serves baked goods and hand-crafted espresso drinks. Happy Valley Brewing Company, a little outside of Lemont, serves comfort food and home-brewed beer in an old barn with eclectic decorations. Groceries are available at Aldi and Sam’s Club.
Cafe Lemont in College offers outdoor seating for when the weather is warmer.
Residents of College visit downtown State College for shopping both boutique and big box stores.
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Strawberry Festival in historic Lemont Village
Lemont Village’s historic buildings and sites earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The village is proud of its history and shares its community with hundreds of visitors during the June Strawberry Festival. Attendees enjoy strawberry desserts while exploring the town and listening to live music. Religious services are held at Mt Nittany United Methodist, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Houserville United Methodist Church and other houses of worship in the area.
There are a variety of houses of worship available for religious people of College.
Churches of many denominations can be found in College.
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Hiking Mount Nittany
Rising above the winding roads of planned subdivisions and the commercial landscape surrounding state Route 26 is Mount Nittany, part of the Great Appalachian Valley and Ridge province. The mountain is covered in tall oaks, white pines and other native trees and veined with over 8 miles of trails. The Mount Nittany Conservancy preserves the area. “Managing consists of preserving the forest,” says Leon Kolankiewicz, a Mount Nittany Conservancy board member. “There’s no logging. We take care of spongy moth and other insect infestations and prevent corrosion.” The Mount Nittany Hikers and the Centre Day Hikers, both groups run by Kolankiewicz, host hikes on the mountain; sometimes, a nature guide joins the group to educate them on local or rare flora and fauna found in the area.
Oak Hall Regional Park in College has walking trails with breathtaking views of Mt. Nittany.
Mount Nittany Trailhead is a popular spot for College Township locals to hike.
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New traditional homes in Sterns Crossing and Winfield Heights
Subdivisions are laid out on winding or gridded streets and sit at the base of Mount Nittany, branching out from East College Avenue. The edges of the town are dotted with farmland that stretches into the distance. The area is made up of townhouses, condos and single-family homes. “College Township encompasses a bunch of neighborhoods in different price points,” says Walker. Homes in the split-level, Colonial Revival and minimal traditional styles range from $275,000 to $500,000. In contrast, housing in new or recently built subdivisions such as Sterns Crossing and Winfield Heights have single-family housing in the new traditional style that ranges from $600,000 to over $1 million. Townhouses and condos range from $250,000 to $500,000. “One of the things I enjoy about our market is that it’s a very solid market, with no peaks and valleys like some markets have,” says Walker. “It is chugging along at a healthy sustainable growth rate; real estate that is in decent condition and priced accurately does well.”
Colonial Revival houses are found in the newer subdivisions of College.
New traditional houses are found throughout the newly constructed subdivisions of College.
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State College high school dance team performs at local events
The State College Area School District receives an A-plus from Niche and serves College Township. Since the area is so vast, students may attend different elementary schools depending on proximity. Options for the area include Easterly Parkway Elementary School and Spring Creek Elementary School, which receive A grades from Niche. Students may advance to Mount Nittany Middle School and State College Area High School, which also receive As. State College Area High School offers 73 clubs, including a dance team, which performs with the school band at athletic events and in local parades and performances.
Mount Nittany Middle School teaches students grades 6-8.
State College Area High School teaches 2,410 students in State College, PA.
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Commuters use state Route 26
According to Walker, the big draw to areas in and around State College is the proximity to virtually everything with little to no traffic. Mount Nittany Expressway and Interstate 99 cut through the area for those wishing to explore other parts of Pennsylvania or hop on Interstate 80 and visit New York. Although many neighborhoods have sidewalks, the area is primarily car-dependent. For easy access to Penn State and downtown, state Route 26 goes straight through College Township and State College Borough. Bus stops also line Route 26, and the State College Regional Airport is 6 miles away. The Mount Nittany Medical Center is located in the township near Penn State and provides emergency services.
Written By
Isabella Pontecorvo
Photography Contributed By
Justin Schmidt
Video By
Brandon Flash Craigie
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