I grew up in a small town called Phoenixville. I've lived there my entire life, and as the years have gone by, I've grown to love my town more and more each year. For those of you who are familiar with the Phoenixville area, it's not surprise that this once small little steel town has undergone a complete make-over within the last twenty years. It went from being a sleepy and worn out former steel hub, to a vibrant social community that seems to grow more with each passing year. Watching my community evolve and become what it has over time has made me fall in love with it even more.
Of course, like any other angsty teen growing up, I wasn't always head-over-heels with where I grew up. In middle school and high school, I wanted nothing more than to get out of Phoenixville and move to the city. But over the years (and after living in Philadelphia for two of them) I've learned that while I do enjoy the city, it's not where I want to spend my future, especially when I have a family. Phoenixville is perfect for me, because it's not as cluttered and congested as the city, but it's also not in the middle of nowhere. It's got just the right amount of social attraction and appeal, and quiet small town charm.
The community itself has a great vibe. It's lively and homey at the same time. One of the reasons I love living in this area is that it's so youthful, so there's plenty of people to meet and hang out with, and it also makes it a great area for young families. For starters, any young twenty-something can find fun in Phoenixville because of the great restaurant and pub scene. On a Friday or Saturday night, there's no end to where you can go out and get drinks with friends, because Bridge Street is lined with restaurant bars and distilleries that offer plenty to do.
Phoenixville also offers lots of great outdoor social events during the spring and summer. There's the locally infamous First Fridays, where the first Friday of every month during the spring and summer draws out crowds of people with outdoor music and activities. Every year, Phoenixville has it's annual Dogwood Festival in late May, which is a week-long carnival that coincides with the blossoming of our town's Dogwood Trees every year. Later in the year, the Kimberton fair is held just on the outskirts of the Phoenixville area. There's also great little stores and shops that you can browse through, year-round, with plenty of different and eccentric things to buy.
To say that over the years my opinion of my hometown has changed would probably be a slight understatement. I've grown from being bored of the area, to realizing that it is a place that could foster my future. Watching my community grow over the years has been inspiring, and it's made me want to stay in it and contribute to it myself.
