Hot Spots Downtown

Are you sick of dining hall food already and you aren’t even on campus yet? Well don’t you worry… There are plenty of options downtown that offer everything you could want.

First up the most important… dessert! ☺ One of my personal favorites that most people do not know about is the homemade gelato (and sorbet) stand in Sauly Boys! You can check this website for the flavors offered each day (they change since they are made in small batches). http://www.saulyboys.com/stellasgelato/

Another favorite is the classic Kiwi frozen yogurt. Located across Atherton Street, it is the perfect quick stop and refuel. You can fill your cup with however much you want and whatever toppings you want which allows the perfect taste on a hot or stressful day.

As State College continues to grow, more and more restaurants and stores are being added. One of the more recent additions is Momotaro. What is different compared to the rest of the ice cream shops downtown is Momotaro serves rolled ice cream (Yes the trend you see on social media).

Not only are there tons of ice cream options but the donut shops keep expanding too! Not only do you have the classic dunkin donuts but state college offers Duck Donuts, Peace Love and Little Donuts and also, most recently, happy buns. Happy Buns is essentially a donut cut in half with icecream in the center sprinkled with toppings… yes it is as amazing as it sounds.



Once you are sick of your dessert be sure to check downtown for real food too... ☺ Probably the most popular place downtown, consistently, is “The Waffle Shop”. If you can find transportation I personally think the ones off campus (the North Atherton location) is way better than the one downtown but it is still the perfect brunch place to go with friends!

A quick and popular lunch place is fiddlehead. It’s a make your own salad place similar to a salad works in your local mall. Downtown State College also offers your quick and classic Chipotle, Qdoba, 5guys, Noodles & Company, Subway etc.

Some popular local dinner spots include “The Corner Room”, “The Deli and Z bar”, “The Allen Street Grill”, “Baby’s Burgers”, “Cozy Thai”, “Mad Mex” and more! The Corner Room has been in business for almost 100 years (since 1926) and is great for comfort food. Baby’s Burgers & Shakes is a 1950s style diner and Mad Mex is a Mexican-spanish restaurant (hello guac!).


By: Rachel Sternberg (Mentor Team A)

All You Can WORKOUT

Hey girlies! Welcome to WEPO and Penn State!!! You are going to absolutely love it here. There are so many fun things to do and amazing opportunities at a school this size. One of my favorite things to do during the school week (when I need to let go of some stress and frustration) is the Penn State fitness classes. You can access the schedule at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/campusrec/groupx/schedule.html

 

The class schedule changes every semester, with the addition and subtraction of a few of the classes. They are always adding something new and exciting. For example, PSU fitness added TRX last semester. For those of you who do not know what TRX is it is a suspension training system that you can use to work out with your body weight. It was founded and used in the Navy and helps with not only strength, but balance and flexibility too. Another one of my favorites is Butts and Gutts (how cute are their names).  Butts and Gutts is a 45 minute, you guessed it!, butt and core workout. 45 minutes of squats (and similar moves) can be pretty intense and you will be guaranteed to break a sweat. TMC (Total Muscle Condition) is another favorite. TMC incorporates weights to help get your heart rate up. This class switches back and forth between legs and arms. As soon as you burn one of them out you move on to the next move.

My last favorite class is Washboard Abs. Washboard abs is a 30 minute class of all abs… yes 30 minutes is soo long and you will feel the burn. (note: this class used to be 20 minutes but they switched it to 30 last semester. I would not be surprised if they switch it back.  Depending on the instructor, this could include a circuit or just different moves totaling up to 30 minutes.

Also, be on the lookout for special events like SUP (stand up paddle board) Yoga and rock climbing. I personally have done SUP and it was so much fun. The class only holds 5-10 people due to the need of the paddle boards and due to the size of the pool so make sure to act quickly when they announce it.

In the past students had to pay $60 a semester to go to the fitness centers, but for the first time ever, the university has made it free for all students! Take advantage of this opportunity and try out some of the classes. I promise you will not be disappointed.

By: Rachel Sternberg