Added: 05/15/2007 |
Fun And Shopping In Reading, PAIn Reading, PA, located in the south east part of the state, adaptation through changing times has lead to its success. Founded in 1733 by two sons of Pennsylvania's Quaker founder, William Penn, it first was a farming town, then a mining town, and now is a town for factory outlets. There are many other industries in Reading, but if you ask a Pennsylvania native the first word that pops into their head when you say "Reading", they'll say, "SHOPPING"!
Reading (pronounced RED ding) is a town proud of its history, but also embraces changes. It still has many of the green places of the 1700’s. It was one of the first American towns to have their own railroad, immortalized forever on Monopoly game boards as Reading Railroad. It has many businesses, restaurants, minor sports league teams and parks. But now in Reading, PA is best known for its congregation of factory outlets, which makes it a heaven for bargain-hunters.
You can still legally hunt deer and other animals in Reading during their proper hunting seasons, but shoppers can hunt for bargains all year round. Many of the same survivalist skills are required in order to land that prize kill – or the bargain. Lots of patience, training, planning and travel are involved. Although it might seem impressive still to bring home a buck for a winter’s worth of venison, it is just as skillful to find the necessities and little luxuries of life for a fraction of the cost as in other kinds of stores.
It is not recommended to walk around Reading, PA as it is still quite a hilly town. Renting a car is recommended. If you are just sticking to Reading, PA and the Reading, PA outlet, then public transportation by bus is all right. The public transportation is locally known by the name BARTA (Berks Area Reading Transportation Authority). Sometimes travel agencies will have special Reading PA outlet bus tours, so be sure to check with your favorite travel agent, the Reading Berks County Visitor’s Bureau or the Greater Reading Convention and Visitors Bureau to see all the latest events. Reading does not yet have the traffic problems of big cities, and is not as fast-paced – so if you get lost, it’s no big deal. There are many places to turn around or ask questions – or maybe you’ll find something better than where you originally planned to go.
Just what is a factory outlet? It’s a special kind of mall where each store stocks goods directly from the factory – no middle man. You can save as much as fifty percent on your chosen item than you would if you bought it in a regular mall or department store that stocks multiple company brands. If you have a brand preference – be it for Pepperidge Farm baked goods or Reading China and Glass plates – this is an ideal place to find what you need cheaper. Reading, PA was one of the first places in America to grow these factory outlets with the comfort of tourists in mind.
And when you’re done shopping and are getting ready to drop, there are many places to eat and rest up before you go home. There are many fine hotels, car rentals and restaurants inside and outside of the Reading PA factory outlets. Reading, PA is also a few hours drive from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster (home of the Amish and another town with factory outlets patterned on Reading), Harrisburg and Hersheypark, one of the nation’s premier amusement parks. A trip to Reading, PA can be easily included in any vacation to Pennsylvania. Prices for food and lodging are usually cheaper in Reading, PA than in the big cities like Philadelphia, so you may want to use Reading as a base camp for your Pennsylvania journey.
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