Oh, yes, THE Happiest of all Valleys! She is in an apartment right off Calder Way. The oldest is subletting an apartment out near the Walmart for the semester.

We are

Different "Happy Valley" - I'm in Western Mass. Also referred to as "The Happy Valley" - 5 colleges here and quite earthy/crunchy as they say.

ahhh, Penn State Proud here

I thought there was only 1 Happy Valley

Penn State !!!!

I only get up there once a year for the Arts Festival - I love going up there. It truly is a beautiful area. I live about 2 hrs away.

Waving from (the other) Happy Valley! :-)

Prill, do you get the paper? I'm on page two of the biz section today!

Amy - I don't, but I'll check it out.

This is so funny I saw this, bc I had a dream last night about my old apartment in State College!

My dh went there for grad school, and I worked there. We lived in a great apartment building right off Pugh across from Days Inn. We really loved our years there and the fact that we could walk to just about everything!

We're in CT now, but originally from OH, so we have made the pilgrimage a few times with our kids on the way....can't live without stopping at the creamery every now and again! LOL

Penn State Proud here too!!

I lived in University Gateway, down at the end of campus. Or rather it was the end of campus when I was there! Down where Pennsylvania Pizza was, which is now, I think, a Hooters.

I try to get up there every year for the Arts Festival, my son loves to stay in the dorms!

I'm hoping to be a proud PSU mom soon! (fingers crossed)

For The Glory!

lauren88--I graduated in 84 (when the forum was the furthest thing on campus in that direction!

Good luck and really it is such a treat to be a PSU mom (twice for me). Although our darling Governor just proposed a 52% reduction in appropriations to PSU. What????? Thank God for a strong alumni association with lots of lobbying power to stop this nonsense. 52%? So, what, is tuition going to be the same as an Ivy League school now?

Did you hear the dance marathon raised 9.5million this year? Isn't that incredible. So proud.

Also from the Happy Valley in western Massachusetts, aka the Connecticut River Valley, Pioneer Valley, 5-college area.

Hi Still Lynnski!! I didn't know you were here. I think we need to have a Pioneer Valley GTG!

Just what I was going to say - What town are you in Still Lynnski?

My son has been accepted to Penn State and we're in the process of making the final decision as to where he will go this fall. We visited Happy Valley in late August. What a beautiful campus! We too are from the Southcoast of Mass and my daughter went to school at UMass Amherst which is also a beautiful college area. We'll see what the financial aid award comes in as....I would love to see him at Penn State :) but I am a little nervous about how huge the campus is.

Hi Pioneer Valley Girls!

We were in downtown Northampton, then bought a house on beautiful Beaver Lake in Ware (just south of the Quabbin), then got caught in the economic misery, so we're renting out the house in N'ton and living fulltime at the lake in Ware. Daughter goes to school in Amherst.

My GW screen name is still_lynnski because I was originally registered as Lynnski, way back when Spike ran the joint. And Spike lived in Florence--did you know that?

Where are you, amysrq and prill?

We are.....!!
Another State College,Penn State person here via UK and France.
This is a good place to live. By the way, Hooters is now an Irish pub. It is grey and wet and spring break so the quietest time of the year but it is still Happy Valley. Is there another one?

No Way...Spike lived in Florence?! OMG! Is he still here or did he retire to Florida or something?

I live on (the infamous) Hospital Hill.

I knew someone here on GW lived out near Quabbin. That's it. We need to gtg. Maybe the Roadhouse? I hear it's good...never been.

I'm in Amherst.

A Happy Valley (north) get-together would be fun. The Roadhouse is good, and very close to me. I'm a big fan of Esselon and Lone Wolf, too, which might be more convenient for you two.

Do either of you (amy, prill) hang out on the gardening side of GW? Elaine, who used to be very active on the New England Gardening forum, lives in Belchertown. She's a Master Gardener and runs a fabulous free plant swap at her place throughout the growing season.

I've no idea where Spike is now. Too bad.

I am always up for Esselon. Don't know Lone Woolf....uh...Wolf. Is that in South Deerfield?

I hang out at NE Gardening sometimes. But I mostly jump in to which ever veggie board I need at a given moment of crisis! I have three plots at the Community Gardens and am usually up to my elbows.

ksoxgrl -

Don't be afraid of the size of Penn State...it can be as big or as small as your son chooses. I was an orientation leader for 3 years and guided the newbies for a week or so each year. More adventurous students will jump into many activities and be all over the place. Quieter/shyer students will start with classes and a friend or two and not do much until their comfort level raises high enough to get more involved. And the physical size? no real biggie, it's not like any one student has to be all over the campus in a day!

Thanks for the reassurance Lauren on my son being able to handle the huge campus, just being a nervous mom I guess :)I was totally wishing I could go back to college when we visited there! Not sure how long ago you were an orientation leader but do you have a recommendation on which dorm he should try for? Thanks!

I graduated in 1990. Generally speaking Freshmen end up in East Halls, they are the furthest from town/campus, but are close to Beaver Stadium.

For my money West Halls are the nicest location, but I loved McElwain, which was, at the time,Center Halls, but now it maybe part of South. I loved that location, right by town, the HUB, a short walk to classes.

Still Lynnski,

Prill and I are putting together a lunch date the first week of May.

You in? Send me an email through My Page.

omg, I had no idea there were so many Western Mass residents on here! My parents live in Williamsburg, MA (where I am from originally too) and my sister lives in Easthampton. I would go to Florence and Noho all the time when I lived in MA.

Small world.

Bumping for Lynn

Make It Home, there just seem to be a handful of us! :-) Do you ever come back to visit?

My daughter is going to Penn State University Park this fall to study biology. I made her apply as a safety, she swore she'd never go. Her first and second choices elsewhere didn't work out and PSU is what's left. She's been admitted to Eberly College of Science. I'm worried about how she'll do. She's not a partier, not into sports. Those of you who know it well, any tips to help her thrive?

Penn State is an excellent university and need not be considered a poor third choice!
It is a major research university with amazing facilities.
Two of my children graduated from there. My husband teaches there. One child followed the traditional fraternity route and had a good time but also got an amazing job at a leading company. The other child is working on Wall St. She had a great social life but not everyone at Penn State thinks that partying or sports is the main priority. She certainly did not. It is sufficiently large and diverse that she will find her own social group. She will belong to an amazing alum network which contributes to the largest state school endowment.Yes, it is considered a party school but it need not threaten her values and aspirations and it works hard to provide alternatives.
All will be well and she will receive an excellent education

My niece will be a freshman at Penn State in September. Nice to see so many Penn State folks here!