Fun things to do in Reading area for recent college grad? (Allentown: 2014, how much)

[iou0934]

Hi,

I'm a single 22 year old guy, and a recent college grad from Penn State, and I recently moved to Reading for a job. Reading seems like such a boring place compared to State College, and I was hoping someone could suggest some fun things to do in the area (other than driving to Philly). I'm looking to meet people in my age group, like early to late twenties. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks.

[Hopewellbigwoods]

Hello, I am a 23 year old guy from Pottstown. After graduating from school in 2014, I moved back to Pottstown (which is my hometown). I agree, lacking a major college in the area that rivals a D1 school, this area can be an abrupt transition from the college scene and into the "real world." Not sure how much you have explored in the area but I hope I can help with a few suggestions.

• Reading is conveniently located within close range to some of the best natural features that Southeastern Pa has to offer. If you into the outdoors, check out hawk mountain and climb up the Appalachian Trail to the Pinnacle which is a stunning peak that offers views for miles. In the Summer, St. Peters Village is a beautiful historic mining town that has transitioned into a great place to spend summer days jumping rocks and relaxing. It is known for it's hippy reputation but as of lately has seen a mix of all ages of people (including early 20's). French Creek State Park is a cool place to frequent as well.

•Into Rock Climbing or looking for a thrilling new hobby? Check out the Birdsboro Climbing Quarry

• From what i have heard, West Reading is becoming a hub of good night life. Other places to recommend for nightlife would be Phoenixville, but at that point you must consider your already half way to Philly which has 100x the bars of anywhere outside of the city, so I guess its all upon mood.

•Like I said the immediate area lacks in having a D1 school comparable to Penn State. The next best option in my opinion would be West Chester. Big night scene and I would say the most dense area of people our age outside the immediate Philly area.

•If you like to ski or board in the Winter, Bear Creek Ski is the best, closest mountain.

•I dont frequent Reading often but when I do its usually to check out the Pagoda (that big lit up red building on top of the mountain) or Reading Phillies games which are entertaining for any casual warm night. Take a date there, bring friends or family. They have amazing fireworks.

•If you hungry? Shady Maple in Lancaster County is amazing. You'll be in awe of the place

•Local music festivals and concerts are always fun.
-Musikfest in Allentown
-Camp Bisco
-Santander Arena (Venue)

Generally the trend is that there is more stuff to do and people your age East of you and less West of where you are. I would get creative and join some organizations or groups of people that share the same interests as you and also maybe join a dating app advertise your intentions of wanting to meet more people and see where that goes.

Hope this helps

[toobusytoday]

I'm a parent of a recent college grad who moved out of state (and across the country) last month for a new job. My son has had good success with meetup.com and has done stuff like a trivia night at a local bar, a graveyard tour and played Ultimate Frisbee. From the people that he met at the first event, he's gotten together with them to do other things. I like the meetup concept because the people in the group are intentionally looking for new friends. Berks Activities Group (Reading, PA) - Meetup

[ki0eh]

Agree with the thought of a meetup group or otherwise finding some group of people who pursue an interest you have or like to have. In Hershey area young professionals nowadays tend to live towards Lancaster City since Hershey is too boring and the urban renaissance in Harrisburg seems to have stalled (plus Lancaster has the Apple store, Harrisburg does not, so I'm sure that's a tiebreaker in some minds - so at least around Lancaster there might be another nexus of younger people into activities.

[iou0934]

Cool, thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into them.

[bigben1234]

Young professionals in Central PA that were not born, raised and lived their entire life here are very rare.
I would maybe look at living near Lancaster City (seems like a good mix of people moving in) or closer to Philly. Phoenixville would only be about a 40 min commute and you should be going against the flow of traffic.
I would also start thinking long term. I know you're only 22, but job hopping in this economy can be tough. So moving to a different area of the country or state might not be that easy. You might want to explore the immediate area and ask your self if you want to live here for the next 15 -30 years. If you don't like the vibe here and your plan is to move somewhere else in the next few years, start planning now. Research where you eventually want to end up and network with other young professions there asap. Or face the realities of life in east-central PA. Of course there are pros and cons to any city or region. However, I can think of about a hundred metro areas throughout the country that would be healthier, both on a professional and social level, for single young professionals .

[PreservationPioneer]

I think the problem is that the young professionals move to the bigger cities, and smaller cities like Reading and York kind of stagnate. These could be beautiful and vibrant cities again, and I wonder why there isn't a movement among young people in these places to take pride in these cool old cities.

[Jeanie Beanie]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

I think the problem is that the young professionals move to the bigger cities, and smaller cities like Reading and York kind of stagnate. These could be beautiful and vibrant cities again, and I wonder why there isn't a movement among young people in these places to take pride in these cool old cities.

Hopewellbigwoods had lots of good suggestions and I also second the post on meetup groups. Once you've settled into your new job maybe coworkers will suggest some things to do. Reading Royals semi-pro hockey is just starting up for the season and a bunch of guys from work may enjoy going out.

But, to refer to PreservationPioneer's point: New college grads are drawn to the big cities where the action is. State College isn't huge, but it's by far the biggest thing around for many many miles, so Reading is kinda dead by comparison; but, two bustling towns not too far from Reading are Lancaster and Phoenixville. They are cool and attract 20-somethings and I hope Reading can get traction to emulate them.

Welsome to the area.

[PreservationPioneer]

Given the size of Reading (population almost 100k -- that's a decent sized city), there should be more activity and nightlife and energy there. I also feel like downtown Reading could use a shot in the arm. Having visited there and explored quite a bit, Reading has tons of potential, with beautiful architecture and affordable (historic) townhomes. It's just a cool place from a built environment perspective, but there's no vitality (that I saw).

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by bigben1234

Young professionals in Central PA that were not born, raised and lived their entire life here are very rare.
I would maybe look at living near Lancaster City (seems like a good mix of people moving in) or closer to Philly. Phoenixville would only be about a 40 min commute and you should be going against the flow of traffic.
I would also start thinking long term. I know you're only 22, but job hopping in this economy can be tough. So moving to a different area of the country or state might not be that easy. You might want to explore the immediate area and ask your self if you want to live here for the next 15 -30 years. If you don't like the vibe here and your plan is to move somewhere else in the next few years, start planning now. Research where you eventually want to end up and network with other young professions there asap. Or face the realities of life in east-central PA. Of course there are pros and cons to any city or region. However, I can think of about a hundred metro areas throughout the country that would be healthier, both on a professional and social level, for single young professionals .

I think job hopping possibilities really depends on your field and it's better to do at least three years with the same company. This economy is better now than it's been for most of the OP's life. I don't know too many people that stay in the same job for even ten years, especially the first ten years of a working life. I know my 22 year old son is planning to stay in his new job for three years, has an idea of what other places he might want to live/work and no clue as to where he'll end up. Right now, find some people that share your values and interests, work hard and enjoy your life.

And back to your OP, Another idea might be to find an athletic outlet like an Ultimate team. I know several young people that do that on weekends.