Philly: Sure.

Pittsburgh: Depends.

State College: Hell no.

Pennsylvania in general: Yes.

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Sugarcoating isn't my strong suit and you'll see that perfectly exhibited here. I gotta be honest, Pennsylvania pales in comparison to a lot of other places I've been. I may be a little jaded because I moved to the middle of nowhere, PA, but still, I have some gripes and some likes.

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Here's the deal:

Philly: I honestly don't like Philadelphia. It's pretty rough and run down, in my opinion. I've only been to Philly a few times, but it's just not for me. Whenever I bring this up amongst other PA transplants or Pennsylvanians themselves, the majority seems to agree. I think it's cool to go visit Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, but I honestly can't tell you a whole lot more positives than that. I straight up just don't like Philly.

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Pittsburgh: It truly does depend. Pgh is just like every other mid-sized city out there. There's really nothing special about it. However- if you're a Steelers fan, Pittsburgh is mecca. Pgh is a great escape for me, as I live in the middle of nowhere right now (we'll get to that shortly). If you love the Steelers, I'd say you have to visit Pittsburgh, but if you don't, I'd skip it. Like I said, it's just another city.

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State College: Oh boy. Hot take: this place sucks. If you're a college student, this is a great place to be. Everything that a college student needs is here and it's done right. Burgers, beer, and bars? Top notch. If you're not a college student, this is where your soul comes to die. There isn't really much entertainment, the food is garbage, and anything you actually want is either 40 minutes away in Altoona, or 2.5 hours away in Pittsburgh. Jarren disagrees and says it's great for people who love the outdoors, as there are a decent amount of hikes and fishing opportunities in the summertime, but if you don't like spending most of your time outdoors, you are S.O.L. here. I work at PSU and am very vocal about this opinion, and you'd be surprised how many other staff and faculty agree. The only time I would ever recommend anyone visit State College is for football weekends, which, judging by how much traffic there is, is not a secret to anyone. Football truly is this town's saving grace, but that's all I'll give it. If you love college football, come on down. If not, please save yourself the trip and go literally anywhere else.

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Pennsylvania as a whole: PA is actually quite nice to pass through. The fall foliage here is the best I've ever seen, and there are things to do throughout the state that you don't really get much of elsewhere. Lancaster is a great stop to visit the Amish, there are a few crystal caverns scattered throughout the state, the Delaware Water Gap is a fun summer day trip, and PA hands down has the best antiquing in the country. If you're not tied to one place here for too long, there's a decent amount to experience.

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If you're interested in visiting, feel free to peruse my PA travel ideas down below!