What It's Like Growing Up In Pennsylvania

From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and Honeybrook to Lancaster, there’s never a dull spot in the state of Pennsylvania. As someone who has grown up in Exton, Pennsylvania, I can happily say that I live close to Philadelphia, King of Prussia, and West Chester.

West Chester, home to the University and a cute town, is one of the closest popular places to Exton. With Main Street and an old school town vibe, it’s sure to never disappoint. Going into West Chester can mean trips to nice restaurants, ice cream shops, or to West Chester University. Camps were always popular there and a good amount of kids from my hometown go to college there now.

King of Prussia, or the reference point for my area for people who don’t live in Pennsylvania, is home to my favorite mall of all time. Sure, we have a mall in my town, but that doesn’t even come close to comparing to the KOP mall. With high end stores, niche restaurants, and more than you could ever imagine, King of Prussia is easily one of my favorite Pennsylvania places.

Philadelphia is of course the most known area close to me. Home of the Eagles, or Super Bowl Champions as we now prefer, we’re pretty great. Philly never disappoints with sites on South Street, Center City, and of course the Sports Complexes. Museums and Old City are known for their historic vibe and they’re both great places to go for a sense of the city.

Now for Exton, nested between Chester Springs and Downingtown, my home. Anyone who grew up in Exton or the neighboring towns can tell you that we’re a pretty classic suburban town. Diners, a mall, lots of shopping, and even a Whole Foods. Classic places to go growing up included Marsh Creek State Park, PowerPlay Ice Rink, the Exton Mall, Regal Movie Theater, and Stadium Grille. Looking back, some of my all time favorite memories are at these places. Driving around Exton is an adventure within itself. One minute you’re in an extremely populated area and the next you’re only seeing farms and fields for miles. With our own little Main Street at Exton, we have our attempt at an old town vibe. We have ice cream, a movie theater, and our newest addition, a craft beer tavern.

Places like PJ’s and Applebee’s are home to high school memories. After football games basically the entire school would be at Applebee’s. Our high school environment was a classic large school. You would know everyone’s name, you’d go to every football game, and you couldn’t wait to graduate all at the same time. Some of the best people I’ve ever known are from East and I’m beyond thankful for that. As much as I’ve never met a more similar group of people, we’re also all so different.

As for Pennsylvania as a whole, we’re home to never-ending construction, potholes galore, and cities that eventually turn into farms if you drive long enough. Pennsylvania is beautiful and driving around it is one of my favorite things to do. I could never be bored of such a great sight to see. Pennsylvania is my forever home and I am so grateful to say that. Oh, and go birds!