Renovo, PA photo tour

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I am a native of St. Marys, and have spent most of my adult life living in State College and Pittsburgh. I am an enthusiast of the urban forms of Northern Appalachia, and enjoy documenting the architecture, streetscapes, and "sense of place" of cities and towns throughout the region (PA this side of Blue Mtn, Southern Tier NY, Western MD, WV, Appalachian OH).

I was wondering if you were traveling along strike of the Marcellus Formation, or just stayed three to four hours' west of the Appalachian Trail. There don't seem to be many of us who see commonality in NY and WV. But I suppose I do. I graduated from Dryden (NY) HS, my wife from Flintstone (MD), and we had a keg of Straub at our wedding.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Renovo is one of many north-central PA towns I ventured to last year, all of which have really unique looks and interesting stories to tell. Renovo is especially exciting considering its extreme remoteness (only Emporium and Galeton come close in PA) combined with its gritty, dense urban fabric... like a tiny slice of a Pittsburgh neighborhood plopped into the glorious middle of nowhere.

Reminds me of a thread I once started, //www.city-data.com/forum/penns...lose-road.html

[stevo6]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Renovo (pop. 1,228), located in north-central Pennsylvania, is the most remote town with a population over 1,000 in Pennsylvania. Along with neighboring borough South Renovo (pop. 439) and some "suburban" areas (Falwell, West Renovo, Drurys Run, North Bend), the Greater Renovo area has a population of a little over 2,000. Situated on a thin strip of land along the West Branch Susquehanna River in western Clinton County (pop. 39,239), Renovo is a great distance from even the smallest towns (county seat Lock Haven is the closest at 28 miles southeast)... it is truly a frontier outpost. To the north, south and west... the closest towns over 1,000 are between 45 and 50 miles... distances extremely uncommon in the Eastern half of the United States. The motorist must be very strategic concerning gas stations... as you can go 50 miles without one in this part of PA (and probably none are open overnight). Renovo is the only morsel of civilization along PA-120 between Emporium and Lock Haven (73 miles known as the Bucktail State Park Wild Area Scenic Drive)... a rugged, twisty drive along wild rivers and through deep gorges.

That arial shot is remarkable- a dense football shaped town with nothing around it. It has a very well defined edge. Very unusual.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by ki0eh

Reminds me of a thread I once started, //www.city-data.com/forum/penns...lose-road.html

I read through this amazing thread a few weeks ago. It's exactly the type of topic I enjoy.

[kanhawk]

I loved this photo tour of this little town. I bet it is stunning there in the fall.

[ki0eh]

There is an annual Flaming Foliage Festival - can't find a website for it though (????).

[GlitrGrl1973]

My Husband and I stayed at Sportsmans hotel. It was small but clean,quiet,and low cost. It's attatched to it's own restaurant which has incredibley good homemade meals. As well as a small bar separated from the restaurant. We now have a house there in South Renovo, but would recommend Sportsmans to tourists and guests.

[jebm]

My husband and I were both born and raised in Renovo PA. In the 70's, he joined the Army and we moved way for close to 30 years. After traveling and living across the USA and in Europe, my husband retired from the military and we chose to move back to Renovo. We wanted to get away from the busyness & craziness of "the world". The slower, quieter pace was so welcoming. Living amid the beauty and splendor of nature again was healing to a frazzled soul. There are excellent restaurants (no fast food chains), a small caring medical center, churches, community events year round, 4 fire stations and ambulance services, parks for the children, a local grocery store, gas stations, dollar stores, Rec Center (with swimming, aquasize, kids programs), small town parades and festivals, and one traffic light in the middle of town. Renovo is very patriotic and honors all veterans. The town may be a little "run down" looking due to the lack of industry, but there are some beautiful homes in all neighborhoods. Employment in Renovo is very poor; many residents are retired and those who are employed need to drive at least 30 miles away. Renovo has it's charms but there are some drawbacks, like every tiny town.