Altoona a masuculine fish (hometown w/o)
Written: Oct 30 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A variety of activities to do. And just all around nice city
Cons: A little economically depressed
The Bottom Line: Altoona is a great small city with many things to offer the traveler. If you are looking for somewhere that is not traditionally a tourist selection check Altoona out.
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| klueger's Full Review: Altoona, PA |
My Hometown Altoona Pa. the brunt of many bad jokes such as the one in the title of this review. However, it truly is a great town. Though it is not where I live now it is where I grew up and still holds a very special place in my heart. Yes, I’ve written about it before, but there is more to tell you about this great 2nd class city according to population statistics but according to me it’s 1st class. Since Proxam announced his hometown w/o to celebrate his anniversary I get another chance to write on it.
A little history
This information was obtained and is taken directly from www.aasdcat.com
It (Altoona) was founded as a community for transportation of trains. A very simple sentence but it is the essence of Altoona. For many years the railroad was the main industry in this town. Unfortunately it has gradually faded almost into non-existence and like many cities the town has decreased in size.
According to the above web address an event of historical significance is One historical event that occurred in Altoona was the meeting of the Civil War Generals at Logan House. The Logan House was one of the best hotels in the United States at the time. If only they could still make that claim. The Logan House is no longer standing, but where it stood is a gorgeous post office. If you enjoy architecture downtown Altoona is a neat place to visit.
What to do in Altoona
Altoona has a lot to do surprisingly for some, those of us who hold the city dear to our heart though are not. I will go into more depth further into the review on all of these subjects. Of course there are museums about the railroad, but also some others not relating to the railroad. There is theatre and grand architecture. Plenty of places to eat and stay. There is also a minor league baseball team and stadium. A small amusement park, Lakemont Park.
Museums
I have mentioned some of the museums in better detail in my review on Central Pennsylvania if you are interested in the Baker Mansion and the Railroaders Museum follow the link at the end of this review.
I am going to make brief mention of the Railroaders Museum here though because it is linked with the Horseshoe Curve which we just stopped at a few weekends ago. The Railroaders Museum is located in the old Conrail shops in downtown. It is a very fun and interesting place to go. Now the Horseshoe Curve is located in the northwest section of town on Burgoon Road by the cities reservoirs.
What exactly is the Horseshoe curve simply stated its railroad tracks that curve around a mountain. Now a days it does not sound like a marvel but for the time it was constructed and the way it was constructed it is. A brief description of the Horseshoe curve is taken from the literature provided by the Horseshoe Curve.
The Horseshoe Curve was constructed entirely by men with picks, shovels, horses, and drags, and was opened to traffic: February 15 1854. Since then, countless, numbers of people have visited the site and have been thrilled by the site of trains circling this great – amphitheatre high in the Alleghenies.
We where down at the museum when two trains came in opposite directions. It was really cool watching them pass each other as they went around two mountains and a bridge over Burgoon Rd. There is a small museum at the site of the Horseshoe Curve but it is nowhere as extensive as the museum downtown. One thing in the museum at the Horseshoe Curve I found neat was a machine you could view pictures of other Horseshoe Curve rail set-ups. One that looks particularly interesting is a bridge before Horseshoe Tunnel in the state of Washington. I hope to someday be able to see this too.
Another neat thing is the Funicular. What is a Funicular you may ask it is an incline to bring you up to the mountain. However, this particular incline is set up with a circle in the middle. Rather than two tracks the cars separate at the circle as they pass each other going up and down.
Also this is a nice place to picnic. One of the reasons we stopped was to take in the fall foliage. Also looking out over the reservoirs and the surrounding mountains is an awe-inspiring view.
For those interested the admission hours and prices are as follows:
Grounds pass including two tokens for the funicular $5.00
Additional tokens can be bought for $1.00 a piece.
Hours are
Mon-Sat 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
They also offer an admission package that covers both the Horseshoe Curve and the Railroaders museum, which is:
Adults $7.00
Senior $ 6.00
Youth 5-17 $ 5.00
Under 7 free.
They also have a family pass of up to four people for $20.00
Now Altoona does not only offer museums on railroads. In Downtown Altoona is The Southern Alleghenies Art Museum located on 1210 11th Ave. this museum is open Tue. thru Fri. 10a.m. to 5p.m. and Sat. and Sun. 1p.m. to 5p.m. We only got to look in the windows because we down there to late. The black and white drawings that I saw in the window looked to display some very good local talent. The detail in the drawings where very good. Having not actually gone into the museum I cannot go into much detail on the museum itself. Plus, I am not much of an art buff so these types of attractions don’t thrill me, but if you enjoy art you may wish to check this out.
Architecture
All right for those that go downtown to visit the museums you may wish to walk around the ghost town. Like many cities the downtown that was once vibrant is now more deserted than anything. However, there is some wonderful architecture. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is fascinating. I grew up in this town but it wasn’t until Kathie and I walked up to see the church I graduated high school in that I realized how beautiful this church is from the outside. It even has it’s own address One Cathedral Square. It is located one block up from the Arts Museum. Across the street from the Cathedral is a Methodist church also of much beauty. Kathie commented on how it looks like a castle.
Another marvel of architecture I mentioned earlier is the Altoona Post Office. This building is located across from the Arts Museum. Believe this is a fairly large building with many columns and I would say based on Gothic architecture. I am not an expert on architecture and the class I took that covered this was to long ago for me to truly remember.
This section I am combining architecture with entertainment. The Mishler Theatre is not only an outstanding work of architecture but is where many shows take place. My wife and I where lucky enough to get to go to the Blair Concert Chorale Jazz Fest the weekend we went home. The Altoona Symphony yes they do have their own symphony also presents shows there as well as a play organization. The theatre is small compared to the theatres you find in N.Y. but it suits the purposes for a small city. They have recently renovated the theatre and found a wonderful mural of several angels. This is a beautiful masterpiece that really enhances the experience. Plus it gives you something to look at while waiting for the show to start. When you visit Altoona if you are interested in what is at the Mishler the phone number is 814-949-ARTS.
What about sports
The Altoona Curve has a newly built stadium next to Lakemont Park. This is a minor league baseball team who at times has had some good players. It is basically a feeder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. We have not been to a game, but I have seen the stadium and it truly is a good looking place. Especially for being in the minor league system.
Also football rules in the area. Many of the high school football teams are top-notch programs. I am sure if you are there during season on of the high schools will be playing. I personally enjoy watching these kids play than the pros now a days. It might just be that I am a Pittsburgher now and our Pro team well we won’t get into that this about the great city of Altoona. I guess I should give my team the Bishop Guilfoyle Marauders a plug over the public high school team. Both teams play at Mansion Park. This also is a nice stadium for high school football. There are also some basketball courts and fields to play other types of sports if you are so inclined.
Where Can I eat
Altoona has a multitude of restaurants available. They span the fast food industry to very fine dining. When my parents first moved to the area some 38 years ago the city didn’t even have a McDonalds now they have at least 5 plus many of the other fast food places.
There are some good Chain family restaurants such Eat & Park in the area. We have eaten at the one on Goods Lane across from the Hampton Inn on several occasions. It has tasty meals at reasonable prices. For a little more expensive meal but steal chain oriented the Red Lobster located at 3330 Pleasant Valley Boulevard is really good. A lot of time when we are visiting and celebrating a special occasion we will eat here. Now if you are willing to spend a little money on a really good meal I highly recommend the Allegro. This restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine. It is expensive probably in the $15 and up entrée range, but oh is it ever delicious food. This restaurant is located on Broad Ave. and 40th street. I would suggest if you are going to dine in this fine establishment you make reservations. The phone number is 814-946-5216. If you would like to read about the restaurant they have a website at www.allegro-restaurant.com.
Lodging
Altoona and its environs have plenty of hotels ranging from the Ramada to motel 6. We usually stay with my parents so we have no real first hand knowledge of the hotels. However, my Uncle and Aunt stayed at the Holiday Inn on Plank Rd. and had no complaints.
What else is there
There is a lot more to do and see in this fun little city. It has many local parks such as Highland Park. I grew up going to this park, and on our last trip I was happy to see them trying to bring it back to life. It was not being taken care of for several years and really showed. However, they put in a new play area for the kids. The scouts built a new beautiful gazebo, and it seems like they are trying to fix up the area. It also has factories such as Benzel Pretzel factory and outlet store. This is a favorite stop for us because you can get some really good deals on pretzels here. It is located on 6th avenue. If you are in that area a few blocks down is St. Rose Of Lima it’s a nice church to attend on Sunday. I grew up going here.
If you enjoy shopping they have all the traditional stores in many different shopping plazas. I might make note of one store I kind of like Uncle Joe’s Woodshed. Located in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center. It has a great Christmas shop, and has many other unique items. It is one of the few stores I actually enjoy going in and browsing. Plus they have a neat system with the bags you use to carry the merchandise you will buy. The bags all have numbers on them and at the register are a box with the numbers if you draw your number you get 10% off your purchase.
Wrapping Up
This is only a brief taste of what makes Altoona wonderful. The biggest thing is I was born there. Just kidding folks. It is a nice city to visit though if you are interested in more about the city the website is http://www.altoona.net.
This is part of Proxams hometown w/o. Happy Anniversary! To check out some other great hometowns this is the link.
http://www.epinions.com/content_3548618884
Also if you are interested in reading more about the areas these reviews will give more information about things to do. The one on Central Pa goes into more depth about the Railroaders museum if you are interested in that.
Central Pa.
http://www.epinions.com/content_2755174532
Lakemont Park
http://www.epinions.com/content_75296378500
Thank you all for reading my review of my hometown I hope you have found it helpful in someway.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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Epinions.com ID:
klueger
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Location: Somewhere east of the missippi
Reviews written: 173
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Trying to serve God and not my earthly desires. Know that I love you all
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