Oh Altoona…while most of us have spent years waiting to leave you, it’s now that we’re gone when some of us miss your quirks more than ever. Sure, you’re pretty rough around the edges, but you’re the town that made us, and you’ll always hold a special place in our heart. While yes, the people you know and love are often what make a place feel like home, there’s some events and places that are quintessential Altoona.
When you’re far from Altoona, it’s hard not to reminisce on…
Lena’s Cafe, Mama Randazzo’s, and Front Street Deli
When I think of home, my mind instantly trickles back to better days (of not eating easy mac every. single. day.). Aside from seeing my family (and my dogs), I shamelessly am most excited to go home and eat my body weight in Lena’s Café’s homemade noodles (with their homemade salads, Pacifico’s bread, and killer meatballs), Mama’s pizza, and Front Street’s huge slices (I mean… a slice of pizza is literally the size of a medium pizza, and it’s so reasonable, not to mention delicious. What broke college kid wouldn’t love that?). In Altoona, you really can’t go wrong with food. Sure we have Olive Garden and Outback, but nothing really compares to these, “only in Altoona,” restaurants when you need to cure any hunger pains.
Blair County Festival of the Arts
Most people know Altoona because of the railroad or for Penn State Altoona. For starters, Penn State Altoona has a gorgeous campus. If you’re from Altoona, you most likely remember heading to PSUA for the Arts Festival in May. While yes, it’s not nearly as exciting as when we were little and dragged our parents to the sand art station, only to be told we can “only make one,” when we of course wanted to make twelve, there is still plenty to enjoy for the older kids. Not only is there sand art, but there are also food trucks galore. Nothing says Arts Fest in Altoona like eating your pretzel by the pond.
The Altoona and Hollidaysburg rivalry
If you went to Altoona High, you understand just how tense things got when Altoona played Hollidaysburg. While Altoona High did not necessarily have the closest student body, we all seemed to come together over our distaste for Hollidaysburg. No matter what sport we played, or what year we graduated, the rivalry is still fresh in our minds. That being said, just a reminder to all Hollidaysburg people… we do have backyards.
Fights on the bridge
Okay, this might not be something Altoona should be super proud of, but talk about fights on the bridge, and any Altoona High student or alum’s ears will perk up. As sad as it is, nothing fueled the day’s conversation like hearing two people started a fight on the bridge connecting the A building to the B building in the high school. Class itself could be pretty boring (it usually was), but nothing really shook up the day like leaving lunch and catching a fight on the bridge. Sometimes it would even end up being our response when your parents asked the infamous, “Did anything happen at school today?” Well mom…let me riddle you this.
Super Sheetz
Anywhere you go, there’s the age-old debate between Sheetz and Wawa. While we all know Sheetz is the better option, we in Altoona are especially partial to it. We’re so proud of the fact that Sheetz originated in Altoona that it’s practically our claim to fame. That being said, Altoona probably has the largest number of Sheetz in the state. The most famous one, of course, would have to be, “Super Sheetz.” We’ve all hung out at Super Sheetz on a Friday night whether we want to admit it or not (you just end up there magically). We’ve also all made the mistake of heading to Super Sheetz on a Friday night to actually get food and go home but end up having to push through the tons of people hanging out outside and by their cars. Despite that, the wait is so worth it when it comes to their mozzarella sticks.
Mansion Park
Nothing says Friday like taking in those Friday night lights at Mansion Park. Whether you actually cared about football and how Altoona played, or you just went to walk around and get a Frosty (thank you Wendy’s!), high school football games are a staple during the fall. Whether we won or lost, it was almost a tradition to walk across the street to Kings for ice cream sundaes and French fries, which pretty much sums up a quintessential night for most Altoona students.
Park Hills vs the Mall Movie Theater
“Which theater is it playing at?” The answer to that question matters. Want to see the new Purge movie? It’s most likely playing at Park Hills, and that means we’ll most likely wait until we can rent it on Redbox. We all know the movie theater at the Logan Valley Mall is the better choice (this is from someone who has yet to be in the new theater). If you want to see a scary movie, Park Hills only adds to the fear. It’s older, and relatively sketchy. So much so that I tend to stray away from seeing movies there after 9 p.m. Almost anyone can agree that if you can choose, choose the mall. They have better popcorn anyway.
The Meadows
You can never go wrong with ice cream, but there’s something special about The Meadows. Maybe it’s because it’s been here since the era of jukeboxes and Elvis Presley, or the fact that you can get your ice cream then continue on to school your parents (or you think you’re beating them, when in reality, they’re letting you win) in mini golf, The Meadows is an Altoona staple. Many a first date has taken place there, where you can indulge in ice cream, mini golf, and batting cages at once. No one there will judge you if you take a, “Flavor of the Day,” calendar and set reminders in your phone for all of your favorites. We’ve all been there.
Altoona, you are not shiny and new. You have cracks and ragged edges but so do we. You have yet to falter and neither have we. You typically get a bad rep but we still love you. It’s okay if we insult you, but when other people do, we’ll defend you to the end. You are a part of us in a way. We thank you, and want you to know, no matter how far we might stray, with us forever you’ll stay.