Altoona, Pennsylvania

altoona, PAWhen thinking of a city to visit for a getaway vacation or to rehome your family in many don’t think of the city of Altoona, Pennsylvania.  Often people have a desire to live and visit larger cities that offer more amenities and attractions than their current city of residence.  Altoona, Pennsylvania is located in the central part of the state.  It is a small city that is in the county of Blair.  Currently, Altoona is ranked 11th in population in the state with around 46,000 people residing there when the last census was taken in 2010.  Most of the residents of the city live within 5 miles of the center.

When visiting Altoona, PA makes sure to include a trip to one of the Sheetz locations.  Mr. Sheetz is from the Altoona city area and this is the place where is all started.  Sheetz is a convenience store that also sells gas along with Made-To-Order food.  Customers are able to purchase many items at their fingertips with a menu that is made to order with many options. Sheetz has 400 locations with their presence in six states.  All the stores are owned and operated by the Sheetz company.  So, make sure to stop by and fill up your gas tank and the families’ tummies.

Altoona also has one of the largest selections of shower doors in the area.  There is a specialized team that has contracted to represent highest quality shower doors to homeowners in the state.  They have worked very hard to offer versatility and customizable glass shower doors and are very eager to help you with achieving that very special look in your bathroom.  Every visitor or homeowners who call into these special companies in Altoona receive a free design consultation and estimate to meet all your shower door decisions.  They also have a no obligation, risk-free, and costs nothing to the customer guarantee.

Altoona was grown as a railroad city and since the recent decline, the area is working to recover the from the industrial and decentralization regressions.  It was a major town during the railroad ‘boom.’  The city was named by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849.  The Pennsylvania Railroad used the city as a site for their maintenance complex.  The meaning of the word “Altoona” is Altus, which in Latin means high.   During the 19th century, the city grew rapidly.  Within 25 years the city went from a population of 2,000 to nearly 20,000.  The growth was a result of the railroad industry during times that the country was at war. Thanks to the rapid growth and the Pennsylvania Railroad the city was valued as one of the most valuable in the North.  The city was build on the convenience of the railroads running throughout and central location of the city in the state.  These two things brought many important meetings to town during the civil war.  This helped shape the city that is present today. Continue reading “Altoona, Pennsylvania”