Reading is a historic city of approximately 95,000 people (2020
census) in Pennsylvania, located 50 miles northwest of
Philadelphia, 35 miles southwest
of Allentown, and 55 miles east of
Harrisburg. Reading is one of
the most cultured cities in Pennsylvania, with some iconic
buildings in the downtown area, making it a good stopover on
your way to and from other cities.
Reading is a very old
and historic city. The city once had one of the largest railroad
systems in the country (from which the familiar Reading Railroad
of Monopoly boards were derived) stretching in all directions
from the city of Redding. The construction of this railroad was
perhaps the single greatest factor in the development of Berks
County. Although the city of Redding is economically depressed,
projects such as the Sovereign Center, Sovereign Performing Arts
Center, Miller Center, Goggleworks Center for the Arts, and
Reading Movies 11, which includes an IMAX theater, have helped
the city's down efforts to revitalize the downtown area. Today,
Reading is a city pulsing with the breath of industry. It also
has a full complement of institutions that represent
civilization: churches, hospitals, clubs, fraternal societies,
recreation centers, schools, universities, historical societies,
art institutes, and daily newspapers. A symphony orchestra, two
choirs, a chamber orchestra, a civic opera company, and many
other outstanding musical groups contribute to the city's
reputation as an arts and cultural center. In addition to its
charm, Redding's proximity to other popular tourist destinations
makes it a great place to visit. Centrally located about an
hour's drive northwest of Philadelphia, 2.5 hours southwest of
New York City, 3 hours north of Washington, DC, 40 minutes from
Amish Country, and an hour from Hersheypark and Dorney Park,
there are many day trip opportunities for visitors staying in
the area The area is also home to the largest number of hotels
and restaurants in the country. It is also approximately 2.5 to
3.5 hours from the beautiful coastal resorts of New Jersey,
Delaware, and Maryland.
Reading is located in southeastern Pennsylvania, about 105 km northwest of Philadelphia. According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26 km², of which 0.52 km² is occupied by water. The city is bounded by the Schuylkill River to the west, the Penn Mountains to the east, and the Neversink Mountains to the south.
As of the 2010 census, Reading had a population of 88,082 (48.5% male
and 51.5% female) with 29,979 households and 19,257 families. The racial
makeup was 48.4% White, 13.2% African American, 0.9% Native American,
1.2% Asian, and 6.1% from two or more races.
Of 29,979
households, 29.8% were married couples living together (14.2% with
children under 18), 26.3% had a female householder without a husband,
8.1% of households had a male householder without a wife, 35. 8% did not
have a family. The average household is 2.85 people, and the average
family size is 3.52 people.
The population of the city by age
range according to the 2010 census was distributed as follows: 31.0% -
residents under 18 years old, 6.3% - between 18 and 21 years old, 53.4%
- from 21 to 65 years old and 9.3% - aged 65 and over. The average age
of the population is 28.9 years. For every 100 women in Reading, there
were 94.3 men, while for every 100 women of age there were already 89.3
men of comparable age.
Every October, an Oktoberfest is held just outside the historic
Stokesay Castle in Mount Pen. This Oktoberfest is organized by the
Reading Leader Kranz. It is a celebration of clothing, crafts, culture,
food, and dance.
Each March, the Berks Jazz Fest takes place for
10 days, offering many musical venues for residents and visitors alike.
Past performers have included such well-known names as Chris Botti,
Betty Carter, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and Wynton Marsalis.
The
Apple Dumpling Festival and Pageant takes place each summer at Willow
Glen Park. The festival includes craft shows, in-house picnics, food,
pageants, and carnival rides.
Each winter, Reading hosts Jingle
Bell Fest. It includes lights, holiday music, children's rides, holiday
food, etc., and is held at Willow Glen Park, as is the Apple Dumpling
Festival.
Every fall, the Shocktober Festival is held at Willow
Glen Park: Pennsylvania's premier horned scream park. There are four
different haunted attractions: Toxic Asylum, Resident Evil Hayride w/the
Sawkill, Prison of the Dead, and Club Shock. According to the Travel
Channel, it is "one of the scariest places in America.
Every
spring, the Greater Reading, Pennsylvania Cherry Blossom Festival is
held at Riverplace in Schuylkill. Visitors can enjoy guided bike rides,
Japanese movies, dragon watching, and more.
Another popular local
festival is the Kutztown Folk Festival, located about 15 miles northeast
of Reading. This festival is very well known and offers an immersion
into Pennsylvania Dutch culture.
The Oley Valley Community Fair
is a unique, old-fashioned, family-style country fair, which celebrated
its 64th anniversary in 2010. The fair offers a good-hearted competition
among friends and neighbors from the surrounding area, in the best sense
of the word. Each year, one can see a wide variety of farm and homegrown
products being exhibited in a variety of categories.
The Duryea
Hill Climb is a biannual race held by the SCCA on Redding's famous
Skyline Drive. It has been held since 1951, beginning at Redding Park
and taking riders around a series of chicanes and past a pagoda.
Also recommended is Redding's Earth Day event. On this day, many
eco-activities and presenters will be on hand to entertain people. There
is also plenty of entertainment, good food, and free activities for
kids.
Several companies are headquartered in the city. Among them are
Penske Truck Leasing, which leases trucks, Boscov's, a chain of
department stores, and Carpenter Technology Corporation, a metalworking
company. All of these companies are major employers. In addition to
them, a lot of jobs are provided by the hospital, the state management
structure of the district, Wal-Mart Stores.
In 2014, out of
64,269 active able-bodied residents over the age of 16, 31,028 people
were employed. At the same time, men had a median income of $32,140 per
year versus $26,647 of the average annual income for women. In 2014, the
median income for a family was $29,252 and for a household was $26,867.
The per capita income is $13,339. 37.2% of all families in Reading and
40.1% of the total population were below the poverty line at the time of
the census.
The city takes its name from the Reading Railroad, which ceased to
exist in 1976.
Public transport in the city of Reading and its
surrounding communities has been provided since 1973 by BARTA. A fleet
of 53 buses serve 21 routes, mostly starting in the center of Reading.
In addition, there are intercity bus routes of Greyhound Lines and
Trailways Transportation System departing from the intercity bus
terminal.
The former Reading Railroad station was refurbished and
reopened as a bus station for Lebanon Transit buses on September 9,
2013, but was short-lived as bus services ceased.