Reading

I stayed in downtown Reading, which I probably would not opt to do if I went there again. The downtown area is full of beautiful old victorian buildings and houses, but is disappointingly run-down. I didn’t feel like it was a place I wanted to be wandering around.

West Reading, however, was rather charming. The outlet mall (which everything I read online seemed to indicate was the principle “tourist attraction” of Reading) was kind of an anticlimax, but the Haute Chocolate shop was great… 14 kinds of hot chocolate! I only tried three, but they were all amazing.

My dad grew up in this town and growing up every few years we’d make the trip to visit his mom, and his sisters. I always loved it there. My favorite thing was for him to go around the town, telling me stories about his life growing up. I miss that. I haven’t been there in many years. Maybe one day I can go back again.

Reading has numerous cultural outlets, including a public museum, two arts institutions, a symphony orchestra, a major entertainment arena, and minor league hockey and baseball. Nearby Wyomissing is home to the Vanity Fair outlets, and down the street, the revitalized main drag of West Reading offers boutiques, cafes, and the general atmosphere of an historic downtown. Philadelphia is a little over an hour away. Outside of the Reading area, Berks County retains its rich rural tradition; it’s a short drive to solitude.

I moved to Wyomissing in February 2007 with my young family. We settled in quickly, and we’re very happy we made the move. Our experiences inspired me to write a series of essays about life in Reading, posted at http://www.readingeagle.com/blog/vignettes

The only reason I say this is because I spent 19 years of my life here. =/

This is actually my mother’s hometown. Back in the 90s we’d go back every summer to visit the family living back there, and when I look back on those times, the most fun I probably had was playing the NES with my younger cousin.

Maybe it’s only because I was born in San Francisco and can’t stand small towns, but Reading just feels so ancient and stagnant to me. Just about every memory I have of the place is bad, and I really would not want to go back there anytime soon, if ever.

(Sorry, mom.)