And if you tap along with jazz, it's here. Eateries in the area can satisfy your taste for famed Philadelphia-style cheese steak sandwiches, Southwestern foods, Chinese, Italian, Indian and nouvelle or classic haute cuisine. Sidewalk coffee shops offer a chance for a quiet conversation over a cup of Guatemalan decaf or a sip of the latest vintage can be had at our local wineries. The community has both a high standard of living and a low crime rate. State College has been ranked by Psychology Today as one of the least stressful communities in the nation.
Residents enjoy a high standard of living and the public schools have been cited for excellence.
Children can play safely in any of the 28 parks and playgrounds open to residents of the Centre Region or they can swim in the two outdoor public pools as well as private and University-run pools. Hikers enjoy the natural beauty of the region that can be surveyed from various mountain lookout points along the Appalachian Trail and other paths suggested in Tom Thwaites' Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania . Just to the north is Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon and other natural sights, such as Penn's Caves , are close by. Excellent facilities for swimming, boating, canoeing and camping are available at the many state parks, forests and lakes in the area. Stone Valley Recreation Center , operated by the University, has rental cabins, a picnic area and pavilion, and boat-rental facilities.