Reading, Pennsylvania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Reading, Pennsylvania | |||
| View from Pagoda atop Mt. Penn | |||
|
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| Berks County’s location in Pennsylvania | |||
| Reading’s location in Berks County | |||
| Country | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Pennsylvania | ||
| County | Berks | ||
| Founded | 1748 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Thomas McMahon (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 10.1 sq mi (26.2 km²) | ||
| - Land | 9.8 sq mi (25.4 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 305 ft (93 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 81,207 | ||
| - Density | 8,270.2/sq mi (3,193.1/km²) | ||
| - Metro | 740,395 | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: http://www.readingpa.gov | |||
Reading (pronounced /ˈrɛdɪŋ/) is the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania and the center of the Greater Reading Area. In the 2000 census, the city had a population of 81,207, making it the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Erie, and the sixth largest municipality after Upper Darby Township.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Overlooking the city on Mount Penn is Reading's symbol, a Japanese style pagoda visible from everywhere in town and referred to locally as "The Pagoda." It was built in 1908 as a hotel and restaurant, but was never used for that purpose. It remains a tourist attraction. Announced in late 2007 were plans to renovate the area surrounding The Pagoda. The vision is to include walking paths and, possibly, a new mountaintop restaurant.
Duryea Drive, which ascends Mount Penn in a series of sharp bends, was a testing place for early automobiles and was named for Charles Duryea.
The city lent its name to the now-defunct Reading Railroad, which brought anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania Coal Region to cities along the Schuylkill River. The railroad is one of the four railroad properties in the classic English-language version of the Monopoly board game.
Reading was one of the first localities where outlet shopping became a tourist industry. It has been known as "The Pretzel Capital" because of numerous local pretzel bakeries. It is also known as "Baseballtown," after the Reading Phillies trademarked this moniker to market Reading's rich baseball history.
The city is host to numerous professional sports teams. Among the athletes native to the Reading are Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Carl Furillo, Baltimore Colts running back Lenny Moore, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Donyell Marshall.
The book and movie "Rabbit, Run" took place in Reading. It was written by John Updike who was born in nearby Shillington. He fictionalized the name of Reading to "Brewer".
Six institutions of higher education serve the Reading area. The city's cultural institutions include a symphony orchestra and museum, The GoggleWorks art gallery.
Poet Wallace Stevens was born in Reading on October 2, 1879, and John Philip Sousa, the March King, died there March 6, 1932.
Since the November, 2006 relocation of St. Joseph's Medical Center, Reading no longer has any hospitals within its city limits. There are, however, two hospital satellites in downtown Reading: The Reading Hospital Health Dispensary on Penn Street, and St. Joseph's Medical Center Community Campus on 6th Street.
[edit] History
In 1743, Richard and Thomas Penn (sons of William Penn the founder of Pennsylvania, and grandsons of Sir William Penn for whom Pennsylvania is named) planned the town of Reading. Taking its name from Reading in England in honor of their home, it was established in 1748. Upon the creation of Berks County in 1752 the town became the county seat.
During the French and Indian War, Reading was a military base for a chain of forts along the Blue Mountains. Meanwhile the region was being settled by emigrants from southern and western Germany.
By the time of the American Revolution, the area's iron industry had a total production which exceeded England's, an output that would help supply George Washington's troops with cannons, rifles, and ammunition in the Revolutionary War. During the early period of the conflict, Reading was a depot again for military supply. Hessian prisoners from the Battle of Trenton were also detained here.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R) was incorporated in 1833. After over a century of prosperity, the Reading Company was forced to file for bankruptcy protection in 1971. The bankruptcy was a result of dwindling coal shipping revenues and strict government regulations that denied railroads the ability to set competitive prices, required high taxes, and forced the railroads to continue to operate money-losing lines. On April 1, 1976, the Reading Company sold its current railroad interests to the newly formed Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail).
Reading saw continuous growth until the 1930s, when the population reached nearly 120,000. From the 1940s to the 1970s, however, the city saw a sharp downturn in prosperity, largely owing to the decline of the heavy industry and railroads, on which Reading had been built, and a general flight to the suburbs.
In 1972, Hurricane Agnes caused extensive flooding in the city, not the last time the lower precincts of Reading were inundated by the Schuylkill River as a similar, though not as devastating, flood occurred during June 2006.
In the early 1970s, abandoned textile mills just outside Reading in Wyomissing Borough were developed to create the VF Outlet Village, the first outlet mall in the United States. The mall is so successful that it draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to Reading every year.
The 2000 Census shows Reading's population decline beginning to turn around. This has been attributed to an increase in Hispanic migrants from New York and also suburban sprawl connecting the city to the Philadelphia's northwest suburbs.
Like all metropolitan areas, Reading has its share of obstacles to overcome, namely crime. In 2003, Reading's crime index was 638.3 -- higher than Philadelphia's and far above the national urban average of 329.7, making it the sixth most dangerous city in the country. [1]. However, new crime fighting strategies appear to be having an impact, as in 2006 the city dropped in the rankings to 24th most dangerous, and then again in 2007 to 31st most dangerous.
[edit] Geography
Reading is located at 40°20'30" North, 75°55'35" West (40.341692, -75.926301).GR1 Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, roughly 58 miles (93 km) northwest of Philadelphia, the city is largely bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River, on the east by Mount Penn, and on the south by Neversink Mountain.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26.1 km²)— 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 mi² (0.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 2.39% water.
While not of any political or cultural significance, Reading does have a number of traditional districts. These include:
- Center City: Washington Street to Franklin Street, 2nd Street to 8th Street
- Penn's Commons: Walnut Street to Chestnut Street, 8th Street to 13th Street
- College Heights: Oak Lane to 11th Street, Marion Street to City Line Street
- Callowhill: Chestnut Street to South Street, 2nd Street to 6th Street
- Southside: Chestnut Street to South Street, 7th Street to 13th Street
- Southeast: Mineral Spring Road to Fairview Street, 13th Street to 19th Street
- Outlet District: Oley Street to Spring Street, 8th Street to 12th Street
- Centre Park: Spring Street to Greenwich Street, Front Street to 6th Street
- North Riverside: Spring Street to Walnut Street, Clinton Street to Front Street
- Glenside: Mercer Street to Blair Avenue, Montgomery Street to the Schuylkill River
- Millmont: Gregg Avenue to Orton Avenue, Angelica Street to Morgantown Road
- Oakbrook: Funston Avenue to Hancock Boulevard, Museum Road to Lancaster Avenue
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 81,207 people, 30,113 households, and 18,429 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,270.2 persons per square mile (3,192.9/km²). There were 34,314 housing units at an average density of 3,494.6 houses per square mile (1,349.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.18% White, 12.25% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 22.32% from other races, and 4.18% from two or more races. 37.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 30,113 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,698, and the median income for a family was $31,067. Males had a median income of $28,114 versus $21,993 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,086. 26.1% of the population and 22.3% of families were below the poverty line. 36.5% of those under the age of 18 and 15.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] Demographic change
In recent years, Reading, like many of its peers in the Northeastern United States, has seen an influx in Hispanic immigration and migration as gentrification has made traditional points of entry in the New York metropolitan area prohibitively expensive. In 2000, 23.46% of Reading residents were of Puerto Rican ancestry. There are also sizable numbers of Dominican Americans and Mexican Americans.
In 2000, the Reading metropolitan statistical area was the second most segregated place for Hispanics in the United States, behind only the Lawrence, Massachusetts area. Only 2.1% of the rest of Berks County is Hispanic or Latino, while this ethnic group is highly concentrated in certain city neighborhoods.[2]
Reading is also seeing some migration of college-educated individuals fleeing high housing costs in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, although this number is dwarfed by the number settling in the city's eastern suburbs such as Exeter Township, closer to the border with Montgomery County.
[edit] Education
Reading is served by six institutions of higher education:
- Albright College
- Alvernia College
- Berks Technical Institute
- Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus of the Berks-Lehigh Valley College
- Pace Institute
- Reading Area Community College
Three high schools serve the city:
The Reading School District provides elementary and middle schools for the city's children. Numerous Catholic parochial schools are also available.
[edit] Professional Sports
| Club | Sport | League | Venue | Logo |
| Reading Phillies | Baseball | Eastern League; Southern Division | FirstEnergy Stadium | Image:ReadingPhils.PNG |
| Reading Royals | Ice Hockey | ECHL; Eastern Conference | Sovereign Center | Image:Reading Royals.gif |
| Reading Express | Indoor Football | American Indoor Football Association; Northern Conference | Sovereign Center | Image:ReadingExpress.JPG |
| Reading Rage | Soccer | USL Premier Development League | Don Thomas Stadium | Image:ReadingRage.JPG |
| Reading Railers | Basketball | Premier Basketball League | Sovereign Center | Image:RailersPBL.PNG |
| Reading Rugby F.C. | Rugby Union | EPRU; Division II | Brookline Park |
- Reading was the host to the 2003 and 2007 Skate America international figure skating competition.
- Reading is host to the Reading Classic, the second leg in the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling. The next race will be held on June 5, 2008.
[edit] Notable residents
- Gus Alberts, Major League Baseball player[1] (b. 1861–d. May 7, 1912)
- Jaid Barrymore, married to John Barrymore, mother of Drew Barrymore
- Allison Baver, American Short track speed skater
- George Bradley, Major League Baseball player,[1] (b. July 13, 1852–d. October 2, 1931)
- Jack Coggins, Artist and Author (b. July 10, 1911 – d. January 30, 2006)
- Michael Constantine, Actor (b. May 22, 1927)
- Meg Foster, Actress (b. May 10, 1948)
- Carl Furillo, Brooklyn Dodgers[1] (b. March 8, 1922 - d. January 21, 1989)
- Megan Gallagher, Actress (b. February 6, 1960)
- David McMurtrie Gregg, Civil War general
- Keith Haring, Pop artist (b. May 4, 1958 – d. February 16, 1990)
- Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA (b. December 11, 1955)
- Chip Kidd, book jacket designer at Knopf Publishing Group (b. 1964)
- Richie Kotzen, Rock guitarist (b. February 3, 1970)
- Kristy Kowal, United States Olympian (b. October 9, 1978)
- Donyell Marshall, NBA power forward (b. May 18, 1973)
- Lenny Moore, NFL running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer (b. November 25, 1933)
- Frank Runyeon Actor, double Emmy Award winner (b. August 23, 1953)[citation needed]
- Lawrence Santoro, Author of fantasy and horror (b. September 2, 1942)
- Lori and Reba Schappell, Conjoined twins
- Eric Scull, MuggleCast host
- Ray Dennis Steckler, (Film Director, born 1939)
- Jim Steranko, Silver Age comic book artist (b. November 5, 1938)
- Charlie Wagner, Boston Red Sox (b. December 3, 1912; d. August 30, 2006)
- Delores Wells, Actress, (b. October 17, 1937)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c [1969] (1979) in Reichler, Joseph L.: The Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th edition, New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
[edit] External links
- City of Reading
- Reading Fire Department
- Readingpafire.com
- The Reading Area Fire Fighter's Museum
- Reading Emergency Medical Services
- Reading Eagle Newspaper
- "Back to Prosperity: A Profile of the Reading Area," Brookings Institution Report on recommendations for revitalization of cities in Pennsylvania
- USGS GNIS: Reading, Pennsylvania
- Berks Economic Partnership, Economic Development Agency which is the umbrella agency for the Greater Reading Economic Development Effort.
- Riverplace Development Corporation, Schuylkill River Development.
- Initiative for a Competitive Greater Reading
- Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Goggle Works Center for the Arts
- Historical Society of Berks County
- Reading Public Museum
- Reading Symphony Orchestra
- Reading Public Library
- Go PA Outdoors
- Berks.TV Local Reading and Berks County video news
- Reading Sokols Local Reading/Philadelphia Slovak Catholic Sokols group.
- Reading, Pennsylvania is at coordinates Coordinates:
| Image:Pennsylvania state seal.png | County Seats of Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Cities |
Allentown | Butler | Easton | Erie | Franklin | Greensburg | Harrisburg | Lancaster | Lebanon | Lock Haven | Meadville | New Castle | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | Pottsville | Reading | Scranton | Sunbury | Uniontown | Warren | Washington | Wilkes-Barre | Williamsport | York |
| Boroughs |
Beaver | Bedford | Bellefonte | Bloomfield| Brookville | Carlisle | Chambersburg | Clarion | Clearfield | Coudersport | Danville | Doylestown | Ebensburg | Emporium | Gettysburg | Hollidaysburg | Honesdale | Huntingdon | Indiana | Jim Thorpe | Kittanning | Laporte | Lewisburg | Lewistown | McConnellsburg | Media | Mercer | Middleburg | Mifflintown | Milford | Montrose | Norristown | Ridgway | Smethport | Somerset | Stroudsburg | Tionesta | Towanda | Tunkhannock | Waynesburg | Wellsboro | West Chester |
| Town |
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