History

A major railroad

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

 in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough

Borough

A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....

 on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868. The town grew rapidly in the late 19th century, its population approximately 2,000 in 1854, 10,000 in 1870, and 20,000 in 1880.

The word Altoona is a derivative of the Latin word altus, meaning "high".

This explanation for the naming of Altoona is contradicted by Pennsylvania Place Names.
Although Altoona, in Blair Country, is popularly known as "the Mountain City," its name has no direct or indirect etymological relation to the Latin adjective altus, signifying "elevated, lofty." Two very different explanations of the origin of this name are current. The one which seems to be most natural and reasonable runs as follows:
"The locomotive engineer who ran the first train into Altoona in 1851 was Robert Steele, who died several years ago, aged nearly ninety years. He was then the oldest continuous resident of the city. He was much respected, and had long been one of the private pensioners of Andrew Carnegie. Mr. Steele is authority for the statement that Colonel Beverly Mayer, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, who, as a civil engineer of what was then the Pennsylvania Central Railway, had laid out the tracks in the yards of the newly projected city, named the place Altoona after the city of Altona in Schleswig-Holstein, which became part of Germany in 1862."
The German Altona

Altona, Hamburg

Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...

, which lies on the right bank of the Elbe immediately west of Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

, is an important railway and manufacturing centre with a population of nearly 200,000. The etymological derivation of the name Altona is not known with certainty, but widely believed to be Low German all to na, meaning "all too near" (sc. Hamburg).

The popular explanation derives the name of Altoona from Allatoona, said to be a Cherokee Indian name. In 1849 David Robinson sold his farm to Archibald Wright of Philadelphia, who transferred the property to his son, John A. Wright, who laid it out in building lots, became one of the founders of Altoona, and was responsible for the naming of the town. According to his own statement, he had spent considerable time in the Cherokee country of Georgia, where he had been especially attracted by the beautiful name of Allatoona, which he had bestowed upon the new town in the belief that it was a Cherokee word meaning "the high lands of great worth." In the Cherokee language there is a word eladuni, which means "high lands," or "where it is high"; but to a Cherokee, Allatoona and eladuni are so different that the former could hardly be derived from the latter.

An older history dated 1883 favored the Cherokee derivation, stating that "Its name is not derived from the Latin word altus nor from the French word alto, as has frequently been asserted and published, but from the beautiful, liquid, and expressive Cherokee word allatoona. This is on the authority of the person who bestowed the name, Mr. Wright, of Philadelphia, who was long a resident of the Cherokee country in Georgia, and an admirer of the musical names of that Indian language."

The demand for locomotive

Locomotive

A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

s during the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 stimulated much of this growth, and by the later years of the war Altoona was known as a valuable city for the North. It was considered by Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 General Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

 as a target during the Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...

's mid-1863 entry into Pennsylvania, before being repelled at the Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...

. Also notable is the Union's Loyal War Governors' Conference

War Governors' Conference

The Loyal War Governors' Conference was an important political event of the American Civil War. It was held at the Logan House Hotel in Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 24 and 25, 1862. Thirteen governors of Union states came together to discuss the war effort, state troop quotas, and the...

, held at Altoona's Logan House Hotel

War Governors' Conference

The Loyal War Governors' Conference was an important political event of the American Civil War. It was held at the Logan House Hotel in Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 24 and 25, 1862. Thirteen governors of Union states came together to discuss the war effort, state troop quotas, and the...

, which politically backed Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

's recently released Emancipation Proclamation

Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War using his war powers. It proclaimed the freedom of 3.1 million of the nation's 4 million slaves, and immediately freed 50,000 of them, with nearly...

 following Union victory at the Battle of Antietam

Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...

 in September 1862. Altoona was also the site of the first Interstate Commission meeting to create and design the Gettysburg National Cemetery

Gettysburg National Cemetery

The Gettysburg National Cemetery is located on Cemetery Hill in the Gettysburg Battlefield near the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery to the south...

 following the devastating Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...

. The centrality and convenience of the town's rail transportation was what brought these two important gatherings to the city during the war.

The Horseshoe Curve

Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania)

Horseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad...

, a famous curved section of track owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

, has become a tourist

Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

 attraction and National Historic Landmark

National Historic Landmark

A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

. The Curve was used to raise trains to a sufficient elevation

Elevation

The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....

 to cross the Allegheny Ridge to the west, beyond which was the steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 town of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

 and the rest of the western United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Because it was the industrial link to the western U.S., the Horseshoe Curve was a primary target of eight Nazi

Nazism

Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...

 saboteurs who had infiltrated the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 (1942) by being dropped off by U-boat

U-boat

U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...

s of the German Navy (Kriegsmarine

Kriegsmarine

The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...

) during Operation Pastorius

Operation Pastorius

Operation Pastorius was a failed plan for sabotage via a series of attacks by Nazi German agents inside the United States. The operation was staged in June 1942 and was to be directed against strategic U.S. economic targets...

.
In the early 20th century, the Railroad's Altoona Works

Altoona Works

Altoona Works is a large railroad industrial complex in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to supply the railroad with locomotives, railroad cars and related equipment. For many years it was the largest railroad shop complex in the world.-History:In 1849, PRR...

 complex employed, at its peak, approximately 15,000 people and covered three miles (5 km) in length, 218 acres (880,000 m²) of yards and 37 acres (150,000 m²) of indoor workshop floor space in 122 buildings. The Pennsylvania Railroad built many of its own locomotives at the Works, some 7,873 in all, the last being constructed in 1946.

The Railroad had a significant influence on the city, creating the city's fire departments and relocating the hospital to a site nearer to the shop's gates. Today, the fire department employs 65 personnel and is the largest career department between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA. The railroad sponsored a city band and constructed Cricket Field (a sports complex). In 1853, the Railroad built the Mechanic's Library, the first industrial library in the nation which exists today as the Altoona Public Library. With the decline in railroad demand after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, things began to decline steadily afterwards, with most of the plant is now gone. Many of the historic treasures of the city's history have also disappeared, including the aforementioned Logan House Hotel.

Altoona is one of the dual seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown is a Roman Catholic diocese in Pennsylvania. It was established in May 1901 as the Diocese of Altoona; on October 9, 1957 the name changed to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown. It consists of Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon and...

. The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was made a cathedral

Cathedral

A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...

 and rechristened from St. John's Church in 1851.

The Altoona Mirror

Altoona Mirror

The Altoona Mirror is a daily newspaper located in Altoona, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is the hometown newspaper for the Altoona area.- External links :*...

newspaper, founded in 1876 by Harry Slep, is Altoona's oldest media outlet. Today, the newspaper has a daily circulation of 32,000 and a Sunday circulation of 39,000. Approximately 13,000 people read the online edition of the newspaper each day.

Today, Altoona serves as the corporate home to Sheetz

Sheetz

Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....

, a rapidly growing convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

 chain in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It now has 383 locations throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.

Altoona is home to the world's oldest wooden roller coaster, the Leap the Dips, located in Lakemont Park

Lakemont Park

Lakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, houses the world's oldest-surviving roller coaster, the Leap-The-Dips. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in the summer of 1899. It is the 8th oldest in the United States...

.

Sections

The main sections of Altoona are the Downtown, Center City, Logantown, Fairview, Juniata, Wehnwood, Calvert Hills, 5th Ward, Curtin, Eldorado, East End, Dutch Hill, Pleasant Valley, Hileman Heights, 6th Ward, Mansion Park, Llyswen, Garden Heights, and Highland Park. Some areas within Logan Township are not within the defined City limits but still considered sections of Altoona, including: Lakemont, Greenwood and Bellmeade. Many of the older districts consist of a mix of rowhomes

Terraced house

In architecture and city planning, a terrace house, terrace, row house, linked house or townhouse is a style of medium-density housing that originated in Great Britain in the late 17th century, where a row of identical or mirror-image houses share side walls...

 and individual homes, which were a common building style in railroad towns so-as to provide for worker and manager housing, respectively.

Downtown

The Downtown is the cultural and commercial center of Altoona and straddles the famous railroads. Much of the downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 as the Downtown Altoona Historic District

Downtown Altoona Historic District

Downtown Altoona Historic District is a national historic district located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 240 contributing buildings in the central business district and surrounding residential areas of Altoona. The buildings were primarily built after about 1860...

. Popular landmarks include the Mishler Theatre

Mishler Theatre

The Mishler Theatre is a Beaux-Arts stage and movie theater located at 1208 Twelfth Avenue in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Albert E. Westover and built by local theatre owner and manager Isaac Charles Mishler and opened on February 15, 1906. Nine months later, the neighboring Rothert...

, the Penn Alto Building

Penn Alto Building

The Penn Alto Building is a landmark building located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. The building is nine stories high and has a partial tenth floor penthouse. The name of the building remains the same, even though its usage has changed over time...

 (formerly the Penn Alto Hotel), the Gable's Building, City Hall, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, and Eleventh Avenue itself.

One unique little known fact is that the Texas Hot Dog

Texas Wiener

The Texas hot dog, Texas chili dog, Texas hot, or Texas wiener is a hot dog with chili or hot sauce; it served in various regions of the United States in variations with assorted condiments.-Texas wiener:...

 was originally created in downtown Altoona in 1918, although the Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson, New Jersey

Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...

 Texas Hot Dog location, which opened in 1924, is more famous.

Because of the geography of the area, exact or natural boundaries for Downtown are not present. Therefore Downtown is generally defined by what the City has zoned as Central Business: between 13th Ave and the PRR Expressway, and from 7th Street to 16th Street. However it is common for areas within Logantown and Center City to be expressed locally as "downtown."

As is typical to a traditional city layout, the downtown is centrally located and contains significant development in all directions from the downtown. The commercial core of the downtown includes many multistory residential, commercial, and mixed-use facilities designed in at the turn-of-the-20th-century in a mix of Victorian

Victorian architecture

The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

, Edwardian Baroque

Edwardian Baroque architecture

The term Edwardian Baroque refers to the Neo-Baroque architectural style of many public buildings built in the British Empire during the Edwardian era ....

, and Neo-Romanesque

Romanesque Revival architecture

Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...

 styles. This style features high ceilings, resulting in taller buildings than is typical for the number of floors. The high ceilings are typically made of either tin

Tin Ceiling

A tin ceiling is an architectural element that was very popular in Victorian buildings in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century.-History:...

 or plaster

Plaster

Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster starts as a dry powder similar to mortar or cement and like those materials it is mixed with water to form a paste which liberates heat and then hardens. Unlike mortar and cement, plaster remains quite soft after setting,...

, although sometimes a drop ceiling

Dropped ceiling

A dropped ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main ceiling. They may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, false ceiling, or suspended ceiling, and are a staple of modern construction and architecture. The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is sometimes...

 is utilized.

Individual homes originally provided housing to managers and executives of the Pennsylvania Railroad and can be best recognized by the structural similarities to Victorian or Edwardian mansions, but built very narrow and tall with little to no space between the two structures. These are sometimes used as double or triple family apartments or even converted into commercial space. Outside of the commercial core is a mosaic of multistory commercial structures, mixed use facilities, single story commercial structures, apartment buildings, multi-unit housing, and single-family homes.

Downtown Altoona is notable for having several churches, such as the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament at the corner of 13th Street and 13th Avenue, the Presbyterian

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...

 church on the corner of 12th Street and 14th Avenue, and the First Lutheran

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

 Church on the corner of 14th Street and 12th Avenue. The Station Medical Center, formerly known as the Station Mall, was a downtown mall built during the 1970s in place of many old railroad shops. The downtown contains most of what's known as Altoona's Little Italy

Little Italy

Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta*Little Italy, Montreal, in Quebec...

 district.

As has been typical of many rust belt cities, the economic downturn of the railroad resulted in the closure of many of the downtown's landmark stores and industries; and the simultaneous rise in prominence of the automobile

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 shifted commercial development to the suburbs. However, through recent revitalization efforts, Altoona's downtown maintains a significant level of economic vitality and hosts few office and residential vacancies. The downtown maintains a significant focus on pedestrian-oriented development

Walkability

Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has many health, environmental, and economic benefits. Factors influencing walkability include the presence or absence and quality of footpaths, sidewalks or other pedestrian right-of-ways, traffic and road conditions,...

, as evidenced by the presence of more pedestrian bridges and underpasses across the railroad tracks (connecting the two parts of Downtown) than automobile crossings.

Penn State Altoona has bought several downtown buildings, including the former Playhouse Theater building, the six-story Penn Furniture building, and the former WRTA building. The University has turned them into the Devorris Downtown Center, the Aaron Building and the Kazmaier Family Building. Recently Sheetz

Sheetz

Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....

 has added another building to Penn State Altoona called The Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence on the former site of a department store just behind the Amtrak Station. The University provides a flow of resources into the downtown, aiding in revitalization efforts. As an example of the university's value to the downtown's economy, the installation of the Blue Lot near the Wolf Court Building has improved the economic attraction of downtown by offering up to three hours of free parking. A bike path connecting the Campus to Downtown Altoona has also been built.

Center City

Center City comprises industrial and commercial zones as well as urban and multiple household residential zones. On the west side of the tracks, Center City extends around Downtown 2-3 blocks with heavy residential, industrial and commercial to the north, south and west. The eastern side of the tracks, which according to the public maps is called "East Side," runs along the length of the tracks from 1st Street to 23rd street and from the tracks to 6th Ave west to east. However, the Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School is the public high school for the Altoona Area School District in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The high school serves the populations living in Altoona, Logan Township, and a small portion of Tyrone Township...

 is considered Center City despite standing on the Dutch Hill side of 6th Ave. The East Side of Center City is home to the High School and Junior High, the former Roosevelt Junior High School, the Altoona Railroaders Museum, Boyer Candies

Boyer Brothers

Boyer Brothers, Inc., is a candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania.- History :Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer in 1936, the company initially produced nut raisin clusters and homemade fudge...

, the Station Medical Center of Altoona Regional Health System, as well as many current and old railroad facilities.

Logantown

Logantown is the area just north of the Downtown and is considered a direct extension of Downtown. It borders Fairview along 16th Ave, Willow Ave and Cherry Ave to the north, 13th Ave and Chestnut Ave to the south, and Juniata Gap Road to the east. This is where the Altoona Hospital of the Altoona Regional Health System is located, which is the tallest building in Altoona at 14 Floors. This is also where Cricket Field used to be located. Logantown is zoned as a mix of commercial and residential, and contains some of the oldest houses built in Altoona that are still standing.

Fairview

Fairview is a mostly residential area North and West of Downtown and Logantown. It borders Calvert Hills to the south at 12th Street, Downtown and Logantown to the east along 16th Ave and Willow Ave and then along Cherry Ave after 5th Street, and borders Juniata Gap Road to the north. Fairview is zoned as multiple household residential in the areas directly bordering Downtown, and transitions to single household residential after 21st Ave, and eventually to suburban after 24th Ave. At times, you see some single unit houses on 13th through 16th Avenues, and 16th through 18th Streets, amongst much taller office, retail, and apartment buildings. Many of the houses in the part of downtown near Fairview and lower Fairview are the middle-density mansions originally owned by managers and executives of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The most striking example of this is the Penn Alto residential hotel on the corner of 13th Avenue and 12th Street, which has two single-unit houses next to it. Conversely, there are a few multistory residential and commercial buildings on 17th Avenue. Fairview could be best described as the urban neighborhoods that one would expect to find just outside of a downtown. One of the sections of the downtown is called "Lower Fairview" due to its transitionary nature.

Dutch Hill

Dutch Hill district contains an abundance of historic neighborhoods and traditional "corner markets". This section gets its name from the abundance of Germans who moved into this area when the City was still expanding. Dutch Hill is the area that borders the City Center to the East and is zoned as multiple household residential. The boundaries are generally considered 1st Street to 17th Street north to south, and 6th Ave to Walton Ave from west to east. However as the Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School is the public high school for the Altoona Area School District in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The high school serves the populations living in Altoona, Logan Township, and a small portion of Tyrone Township...

 and Junior High are considered City Center, the border is around 4th Ave when closer to 17th Street.

Juniata

Juniata is defined as north of Juniata Gap Road, east of 14th Ave and on the west side of the tracks. The area is zoned as mostly residential limited, but also uniquely has a significant area of light and heavy industrial as well as a central business area. This is because Juniata was once its own city, and was incorporated into Altoona in the late 19th century. Because of this, the section's street names had conflicting numbers with the rest of the City, and had to be given a North prefix. The commercial area is sometimes nicknamed "downtown Juniata." The most important street in Juniata's L-shaped commercial district is North Fourth Avenue. The J.L. Noble School

J.L. Noble School

J.L. Noble School is a historic school building located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1912, and is a two-story, yellow brick building with cut brownstone detailing in the Renaissance Revival style. An annex was built in 1929....

 was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1996.

East End

The East End is typically defined as the area on the east side of the tracks north of 1st Ave. It is called the East End because it borders the north end of the tracks where trains would depart east towards Philadelphia. Because of this, most streets have an East prefix. The East End is mostly single household residential and suburban, but has small areas of residential-commercial and neighborhood business along Kettle Street and Lloyd Street, as well as highway business along Pleasant Valley Blvd.

Pleasant Valley

Pleasant Valley is the area that centers around Pleasant Valley Boulevard, which is a massive stretch of highway business that runs the entire length of Altoona. The massive Sheetz store known locally as "Supersheetz" is located here along 17th Street and was the first of its kind ever built. The area is defined as southeast of Walton Ave and extends from 1st Street til 12th Street, and between 12th Street and 17th Street is between 1st Ave to the west and Pleasant Valley Blvd to the east, and from 17th Street south to 27th Street is between 1st Ave to the west and Robin Ave to the east. As well as the large highway business area, Pleasant Valley also has an even amount of single household residential and suburban along with some small stretches of residential commercial and urban.

Eldorado

Eldorado, pronounced locally, El-doe-ray-doe, is the southern section of Altoona, south of Logan Boulevard and west of 6th Avenue as well as a small section south of 57th Street all the way to Rhode Island Ave(Goods Lane) in the east. Eldorado is zoned as almost entirely suburban, with small areas of light industrial and neighborhood business. The Sheetz

Sheetz

Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....

 Headquarters is located in this area. At one time, this section was also known as the "West End" because trains leaving the south end of town head west towards Pittsburgh. Some parts of Eldorado are actually outside of incorporated Altoona and located in Allegheny Township

Allegheny Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania

Allegheny Township is a township in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,965 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

 and Logan Township

Logan Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania

Logan Township is a township in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,925 at the 2000 census...

.

Lakemont

Lakemont is located southeast of Garden Heights between Frankstown Road and Logan Boulevard. While residing within Logan Township just outside of the official border of the City and designated as the "Village of Lakemont," it is commonly accepted as a section of Altoona. In fact, Blair County Ballpark

Blair County Ballpark

Blair County Ballpark is a 7,210-seat baseball-only stadium in Altoona, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 15, 1999, as the tenants of the facility, the Altoona Curve defeated the Bowie Baysox, 6-1...

 the home of the Altoona Curve

Altoona Curve

The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...

 resides in Lakemont. Also in Lakemont is Lakemont Park

Lakemont Park

Lakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, houses the world's oldest-surviving roller coaster, the Leap-The-Dips. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in the summer of 1899. It is the 8th oldest in the United States...

 and Galactic Ice. Lakemont is zoned as single household residential, residential commercial and highway business.

Greenwood

Greenwood is the area north of the East End and begins around a block north of Grant Street. While mostly residing within Logan Township just outside of the official border of the City and designated as the "Village of Greenwood," it is commonly accepted as a section of Altoona. Greenwood is zoned almost entirely as suburban with a section of highway business along Route 220.

Wehnwood

Wehnwood is the area west of 25th Ave between Wehnwood Road to the north and 1st St to the south. This is part of where Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona is a commonwealth campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Logan Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, although some of its buildings are located in the heart of Altoona's downtown.-History:...

 is located. Wehnwood is mostly zoned as suburban or single residential with an area of neighborhood business along 25th Ave and Juniata Gap Road. There is a fair amount of student housing surrounding the campus, and therefore a small pocket of urban residential next to it.

Garden Heights

Garden heights is the area east of Plank Road, north of Lakemont and south of Frankstown Road. Garden Heights is mostly single residential, but is highway business along Plank Road, residential commercial along parts of Frankstown Road and Logan Blvd, and light industrial south of Logan Blvd. This is the only section of the defined city limits that Interstate 99 actually passes through.

Mansion Park

Mansion Park gets its name from the famous historical Baker Mansion

Baker Mansion

Baker Mansion is a historic home located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1844 and 1848, and is a three story, dressed stone building in the Greek Revival style. The front facade is five bays wide and features six fluted Ionic order columns...

 which stands in this area. There are several streets surrounding the old plantation where mansions built in the early 20th century still stand. Mansion Park Stadium is also located here, which is the 10,000 seat stadium where the Altoona Mountain Lions play. The Mansion Park area is located east of 6th Ave, with Logan Blvd and Ward Ave to the south, 27th Street to the north and a block past Union Ave to the east. It is single and suburban residential.

6th Ward

6th Ward is the area south of Dutch Hill, west of Pleasant Valley, east of Curtain Neighborhoods and north of Mansion Park. It is between 17th and 27th Streets north to south, and 6th Ave and Michelle Drive west to east. This area consists of multiple and single residential. There are several streets in the 6th Ward where mansions from the early 20th century still stand.

Hileman Heights

Hileman Heights is a suburban area on the eastern side of Pleasant Valley. The Swiss Club is located here. This area is east of Pleasant Valley Blvd and between South 12th Street to the north and 17th Street to the south. There is also a small section of residential commercial.

Curtin Neighborhoods

The Curtin Neighborhoods is the area on the east side of the tracks south of 21st street and between the 5th Ward and the tracks to the west and the 9th Ave tracks to the east. Curtin is zoned as multiple, single and suburban residential as well as residential commercial and light industrial. This is probably one of the more varied and diverse areas of the city architecturally. This is the area where the Jaffa Mosque is located. The Broad Avenue Historic District

Broad Avenue Historic District

Broad Avenue Historic District is a national historic district located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 140 contributing buildings in a residential area of Altoona. The buildings were primarily built between 1880 and 1927, and reflect a number of popular architectural...

 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Highland Park

Highland Park is the area south of Logan Blvd, east of 6th Ave, north of 57th Street and west of Ruskin Drive. The name comes from the hill that the area is centered on is the only significant highland in southern Altoona. The actual Highland Park is located on top of the hill. Highland Park is zoned entirely suburban. The Knickerbocker Historic District

Knickerbocker Historic District

Knickerbocker Historic District is a national historic district located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 153 contributing rowhouse buildings in a residential area of Altoona...

 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Calvert Hills

Calvert Hills is a small area between 12th Street and 16th Street north to south and 17th Ave to the east. This is the area of multiple, single and suburban residential on the hills around the former Keith Junior High School, which is now an apartment complex.

5th Ward and Red Hill

The 5th Ward is the area on the west side of the tracks south of Calvert Hills and north of the Curtain Neighborhoods. The northwestern corner between 16th Street and 21st Street is known as Red Hill. The boundaries for the southern area are 20th Street to the north and 10th Ave to the south. The 5th Ward is a mix of single and suburban residential.

Llyswen

Llyswen is a small section west of Union Ave, east of Ruskin Drive, south of Ward Ave and north of Plank Road. This low lying area is almost entirely suburban, with small areas of multiple residential, residential commercial, neighborhood business and highway business. The Llyswen Historic District

Llyswen Historic District

Llyswen Historic District is a national historic district located at Altoona, Blair County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 166 contributing buildings in a residential area of Altoona. The buildings are primarily single family dwellings built between 1895 and 1940, and reflect a number of...

 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Transportation

Altoona is a major center on the Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

's Pittsburgh Line. In Altoona, helper engines are added to heavy trains to give them extra power up and over the Horseshoe Curve

Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania)

Horseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad...

 west of town. The Juniata

Altoona Works

Altoona Works is a large railroad industrial complex in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to supply the railroad with locomotives, railroad cars and related equipment. For many years it was the largest railroad shop complex in the world.-History:In 1849, PRR...

 Heavy Repair Shop Complex, originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

, is the primary repair and maintenance facility on the Norfolk Southern Railway. On an average day, 60 to 80 trains pass though Altoona. The historical importance to the railroad industry and the current high level of railroad activity has made Altoona a mecca for railfans for over 60 years, with the Railroaders Memorial Museum

Railroaders Memorial Museum

The Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry.Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's...

 and the Horseshoe Curve being popular spots for individuals to take photographs of passing trains.

In addition to the many freight trains, Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Pennsylvanian

Pennsylvanian (Amtrak)

The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York. Trains run once daily in...

 train stops at Altoona station

Altoona Transportation Center

The Altoona Transportation Center is an intermodal passenger facility built in 1986 providing local bus, intercity bus, and rail services. It is located at 1231 11th Avenue in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania....

 once daily in each direction, and also makes use of the Horseshoe Curve.

Local bus service in the city is provided by AMTRAN. In 2007, AMTRAN customers suffered a major loss in service due to cuts in state funding. In May of that year, Governor Rendell

Ed Rendell

Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...

 visited Altoona to discuss plans intended to rectify this situation.

Roadway service primarily consists of Interstate 99

Interstate 99

Interstate 99 is an intrastate Interstate Highway located in central Pennsylvania in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at exit 146 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike north of Bedford, where the road continues south as U.S. Route 220 . The northern terminus is at...

, which provides access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Pennsylvania Turnpike

The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a toll highway system operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. The three sections of the turnpike system total . The main section extends from Ohio to New Jersey and is long...

 to the south and Interstate 80

Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania

The transcontinental Interstate 80 is designated across northern Pennsylvania as the Keystone Shortway, officially the Z.H. Confair Memorial Highway. This route was built mainly along a completely new alignment, not paralleling any earlier U.S. Routes, as a shortcut to the tolled Pennsylvania...

 to the north; and U.S. Route 22

U.S. Route 22

U.S. Route 22 is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...

, which provides east-west service and direct access to Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

 and Harrisburg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...

. Local roadways in Altoona tend to be given numerical names, and Streets are aligned northwest-southeast and Avenues are aligned northeast-southwest.

The Altoona-Blair County Airport

Altoona-Blair County Airport

Altoona-Blair County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located in Martinsburg, 12 miles south of the central business district of Altoona, a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States...

 provides commercial air service for Altoona, offering daily flights to Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...

.

Parks

Altoona has many, various types of parks for a variety of public uses within the city limits. They range from simple green areas with perhaps some benches and a few swings to full athletic fields for the public use and enjoyment.

• Memorial Park - runs along Juniata Gap road between N 14th and N 8th Avenues
• Fairview Park - on the corner of 2nd St and 25th Ave
• Geesey Park - in between Grant and Bell Avenues along 3rd St
• Gospel Hill Park - on the hill above the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament
• Prospect Park - in between 13th and 15th Streets along 1st Ave
• Westfall Park - between Mill Run and Rt 36
• Tuckahoe Park - along Union Ave near 29th Street
• Mansion Park - along Logan Blvd and 5th Ave
• Highland Park - along 4th Ave in between 44th and 49th Streets
• Lakemont Park
  Lakemont Park
  Lakemont Park, located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, houses the world's oldest-surviving roller coaster, the Leap-The-Dips. The park opened in 1894 as a trolley park and became an amusement park in the summer of 1899. It is the 8th oldest in the United States...
  
   - between Logan Blvd and Frankstown Road, amusement park with the world famous Leap the Dips
• Booker T Washington - on 13th Ave and 19th St: Fitness Park, Basketball Court and playground
• John Roberston Walking Park - 7th St and 7th Ave on both sides of bridge

Sports

Team	Sport	League	Championships	Venue
Altoona Curve Altoona Curve The Altoona Curve are a minor league baseball team based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, named after nearby Horseshoe Curve . The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club...	Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...	Eastern League Eastern League (U.S. baseball) The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League... ; Western Division	1	Blair County Ballpark Blair County Ballpark Blair County Ballpark is a 7,210-seat baseball-only stadium in Altoona, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 15, 1999, as the tenants of the facility, the Altoona Curve defeated the Bowie Baysox, 6-1...

In the early 20th century, the Pennsylvania Railroad constructed a large sports complex at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue and Seventh Street. It was named Cricket Field in an attempt to appeal to Cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

-loving British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 investor

Investor

An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...

s. Cricket did not catch on with the Altoona populace, so its close relative baseball became the choice for Cricket Field. Well known baseball players as Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

 and Josh Gibson

Josh Gibson

Joshua Gibson was an American catcher in baseball's Negro leagues. He played for the Homestead Grays from 1930 to 1931, moved to the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, and returned to the Grays from 1937 to 1939 and 1942 to 1946...

 played at Cricket Field, and the stadium was also the venue for numerous other sporting events, musical competitions, marching units, and activities. A plaza stands today on the site of Cricket Field.

Altoona was the site of a 1.25 miles (2 km) board track

Board track racing

Board track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century. Competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...

 called Altoona Speedway from 1923 to 1931.

Mansion Park Stadium

Altoona Area School District

Altoona Area School District

The Altoona Area School District is a large, urban, public school district based in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The school district encompasses 59.6 square miles which includes all of Altoona, Logan Township and a small portion of Tyrone Township. With a student body of approximately 8,400, it is the...

's Mansion Park Stadium has long been recognized as one of the finest athletic complexes in Pennsylvania. The stadium, which has a seating capacity of 10,400, is a source of community pride and regularly serves as the site of a variety of events which benefit the economy of the Altoona-Blair County area.

In the summer of 2009, Sports Construction Group, LLC installed “Trophy Turf,” which has a 48-ounce face weight and inlaid football and soccer lines.

Mansion Park's first artificial surface was installed in 1989. Omniturf provided a way to maximize the use of the facility throughout the year and at the same time, save taxpayer dollars through reduced maintenance costs. AstroTurf 12-2000 was installed in 1999. The eight-lane polyurethane running track was installed in 1989 and has been resurfaced several times.

For 22 consecutive seasons, the playing surface has received rave reviews from players and coaches as athletes have experienced controlled footing regardless of the weather conditions. Most importantly, there has been a significant decrease in serious injuries since the artificial turf was installed.

During a typical fall season, more than 60 events take place on the turf. Altoona High

Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School is the public high school for the Altoona Area School District in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The high school serves the populations living in Altoona, Logan Township, and a small portion of Tyrone Township...

 varsity and junior varsity teams, Altoona Area Junior High School ninth grade teams, and Bishop Guilfoyle High School

Bishop Guilfoyle High School

Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School is a grade 9-12 private, Roman Catholic high school designed to provide a comprehensive Catholic, career focused education in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown...

 all play home football games at Mansion Park. The stadium is also the site of AAHS boys and girls soccer matches and countless practice sessions. District and interdistrict football and soccer playoffs are held each year at Mansion Park, the home of the PIAA Football Championships from 1992 through 1997. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East West High School All Star Game was played at Mansion Park from 2001-2010.

Numerous high school and junior high school track meets, including the District 6 Class AA and AAA championships and the West Central Coaches Meet, are held at the stadium each spring. The track is also used extensively on a daily basis by hundreds of community residents who enjoy walking and jogging.

Mansion Park has also been the site of a 1992 Pittsburgh Steeler

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...

 intrasquad scrimmage, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men's and women's college soccer championships, University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...

 preseason football practices and the 1995 PIAA Soccer Championships.

Music events have also been well-received. Appearances by the Beach Boys, Up With People

Up with People

Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...

, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, the Penn State Blue Band, the Ohio State Pride of the Buckeyes Band, the University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

 Band of the Fighting Irish

Band of the Fighting Irish

The Band of the Fighting Irish is the marching band of the University of Notre Dame. The over 380 members of the band represent nearly every field of study, and include students from all fifty states as well as from overseas...

, the University of Illinois Marching Illini

Marching Illini

The Marching Illini is the marching band of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Marching Illini is a close-knit organization which annually includes approximately 350 students enrolled in the University of Illinois...

 and the Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...

 Marching Band have attracted huge crowds. Drum Corps International competitions were held in 1998 and again in 2000.

Altoona Area High School's Commencement is scheduled at the stadium each year. Mansion Park is also the home of the American Cancer Society

American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...

's Relay for Life

Relay For Life

Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...

.

In early 2010, a new scoreboard featuring a video display board with an improved stadium sound system was erected thanks to the generosity of local sponsors.

Education

Altoona has an education system that contains two high schools, one parochial, one public. Bishop Guilfoyle High School

Bishop Guilfoyle High School

Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School is a grade 9-12 private, Roman Catholic high school designed to provide a comprehensive Catholic, career focused education in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown...

 is the private parochial school having grades 9-12, located at 2400 Pleasant Valley. Blvd. Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School

Altoona Area High School is the public high school for the Altoona Area School District in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The high school serves the populations living in Altoona, Logan Township, and a small portion of Tyrone Township...

 houses grades 10-12, and is located at 1415 6th Ave. Altoona High is much larger than Bishop Guilfoyle, graduating around 600 students annually, while Guilfoyle graduates around 100. Most athletic teams at Bishop Guilfoyle are the smallest classification within the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which is Class single A. In contrast, those at Altoona Area High School are the largest classification within the PIAA, which is AAAA. These high schools occasionally compete against each other in basketball, volleyball, tennis, cross country and softball.

It also contained two junior high schools, named D.S. Keith Junior High and Theodore Roosevelt Junior High, but both closed and merged in 2008 to become the Altoona Area Junior High School. Roosevelt was torn down and the ground on which it stood was constructed into the new field for the new junior high. Keith, however, was turned into residential apartments.

Altoona is also home to The Pennsylvania State University, Ivyside Park campus, also known as Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona is a commonwealth campus of The Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Logan Township, Pennsylvania, just outside of Altoona, Pennsylvania, although some of its buildings are located in the heart of Altoona's downtown.-History:...

. This is the third largest of the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses

Pennsylvania State University Commonwealth Campus

The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university system with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

. The college has approximately 4,182 students as of the 2009-10 school year.

Shopping and retail

Altoona is the linchpin of Tri-City Region. Its location along I-99 draws from a large trade area over a wide geographic area that extends to State College and Johnstown and over 40 miles (64.4 km) south along I-99 past I-70. Altoona draws the most retail customers in the region due to its centralized location and to the fact that it has the best complimentary retail of the three markets with 2800000 square feet (260,128.5 m²) of retail space.

The scale and diversity of retail within the City of Altoona and the surrounding area is not paralleled within the region. The areas of retail include:

• Downtown
• The 17th Street corridor including what remains of the Station Mall.
• Certain large zoned sections along Logan Blvd and 6th Ave.
• The Logan Valley Mall
  Logan Valley Mall
  Logan Valley Mall is a regional shopping mall in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It is anchored by J. C. Penney, Macy's, Old Navy, Sears as well as Carmike Cinemas and features over 120 stores on two levels. It is owned by PREIT.-History:...
  
   which is a major retail staple of the area.
• Essentially the entire length of about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of Pleasant Valley Blvd and Valley View Blvd as they converge into Plank Road, consisting of numerous stores and shopping centers.
• The Walmart and Target shopping centers.
• The Logan Town Centre which is the newest and arguably the best and most diverse shopping center that sits directly next to I-99.
• As well as several more plazas and centers just to the North and South of the city.

Radio

FM FM broadcasting FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...  stations
call letters	frequency	format	location	Owner
WHHN	88.1	Religious	Hollidaysburg	Radio Maria, Inc.
WRXV	89.1	Christian Contemporary	State College	Invisible Allies Ministries
WUFR	91.1	Religious	Bedford	Family Radio
WJSM	92.7	Religious	Martinsburg	Martinsburg Broadcasting, Inc.
WHPA	93.5	Oldies	Gallitzin	Vernal Enterprises, Inc.
WBXQ	94.3	Country	Patton	Sherlock Broadcasting
WBRX	94.7	Adult Contemporary	Cresson	Sherlock Broadcasting
WFGI	95.5	Country	Johnstown	Forever Broadcasting
WKYE	96.5	Adult Contemporary	Johnstown	Forever Broadcasting
WFGY	98.1	Country	Altoona	Forever Broadcasting
WRKW	99.1	Rock	Ebensburg	Forever Broadcasting
WWOT	100.1	Top 40	Altoona	Forever Broadcasting
W274BE	102.7	Christian Contemporary	Altoona	Invisibile Allies Ministries
WLAK	103.5	Hot AC	Huntingdon	First Media Radio, LLC
WALY	103.9	Hot AC	Bellwood	Forever Broadcasting
WRKY	104.9	Rock	Hollidaysburg	Forever Broadcasting
WQCK	105.9	Rock	State College	Magnum Broadcasting
W294AE	106.7	Public Radio	Altoona	Pennsylvania State University
WMES	107.7	Religious	Altoona	Lay Stewardship Educational Association

AM AM broadcasting AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...  stations
call letters	frequency	format	location	Owner
WHUN	1150	News/Talk	Huntingdon	Megahertz Licenses, LLC
WRTA	1240	News/Talk	Altoona	Handsome Brothers, Inc.
WFBG	1290	News/Talk	Altoona	Forever Broadcasting
WKMC	1370	Nostalgia	Roaring Spring	Handsome Brothers, Inc.
WVAM	1430	Sports	Altoona	Forever Broadcasting

Television

The Johnstown/Altoona/State College market is the 101st largest in the country. The following box contains a list of television stations in the area.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the city was 93.8% White, 3.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 2.0% were two or more races. 1.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PA

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 49,523 people, 20,059 households, and 12,576 families residing in the city. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 5,069.7 people per square mile (1,957.1/km²). There were 21,681 housing units at an average density of 2,219.5 per square mile (856.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.01% White, 2.49% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74% of the population.

There were 20,059 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,248, and the median income for a family was $36,758. Males had a median income of $28,851 versus $21,242 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $15,213. About 12.9% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Harry J. Anslinger
  Harry J. Anslinger
  Harry Jacob Anslinger held office as the Assistant Prohibition Commissioner in the Bureau of Prohibition, before being appointed as the first Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics on August 12, 1930.Anslinger held office an unprecedented 32 years in his role...
  
  , first Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics
  Federal Bureau of Narcotics
  The Federal Bureau of Narcotics was an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury. Established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930 consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board and the Narcotic Division...
  
  .
• Michael Behe
  Michael Behe
  Michael J. Behe is an American biochemist, author, and intelligent design advocate. He currently serves as professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and as a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture...
  
  , professor of biochemistry, author, proponent of Intelligent design
  Intelligent design
  Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
  
  .
• Brad Benson
  Brad Benson
  Brad William Benson is a former professional American football player. He was an offensive lineman with the New York Giants of the National Football League from 1978 to 1988. He was a pivotal member of the 1986 Giants team that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXI...
  
  , former professional football player, New York Giants
  New York Giants
  The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
  
  .
• William Philip Benson Jr., Artist and founder of Work Hard/Play Hard Productions.
• Andrew Jackson Bettwy
  Andrew Jackson Bettwy
  Andrew Jackson Bettwy, an Arizona Democrat, served as Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, from 1935 to 1937, was an Arizona delegate at the Democratic National Conventions of 1924 and 1928, was elected state senator from Santa Cruz Country in 1926 and 1928, and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in...
  
  , Mayor of Nogales, Arizona
  Nogales, Arizona
  Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
  
   (1935–1937).
• Janet Blair, film actress.
• Ron Blazier
  Ron Blazier
  Ronald Patrick "Ron" Blazier is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed....
  
  , former baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies
  Philadelphia Phillies
  The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
  
  
• Rob Boston
  Rob Boston
  Robert Boston has been Assistant Director of Communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State and Assistant Editor of Church & State magazine since 1987. Boston is an advocate of separation of church and state and has authored three books on the subject. He frequently...
  
  , author, advocate of church-state separation.
• Bill and Bob Boyer, founders of Boyer Brothers
  Boyer Brothers
  Boyer Brothers, Inc., is a candy company located in Altoona, Pennsylvania.- History :Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Boyer in 1936, the company initially produced nut raisin clusters and homemade fudge...
  
   Inc., commonly known as Boyer Candies.
• Paul Revere Braniff
  Paul Revere Braniff
  Paul Revere Braniff was an airline entrepreneur. He was, along with his brother Tom, one of the original owners of Braniff International Airways.-Biography:Revere Braniff was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania...
  
  , entrepreneur.
• Samuel Canan
  Samuel Canan
  Samuel Wakefield Canan was a United States Navy officer, and the 34th Governor of American Samoa. Canan was born on June 7, 1898 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was admitted to the United States Naval Academy on June 24, 1916 out of Pennsylvania...
  
  , the 34th Governor of American Samoa (September 3, 1945 – September 10, 1945)
• Sam Cohn
  Sam Cohn
  Samuel Charles Cohn was a talent agent at International Creative Management, a firm he helped create, in the borough of Manhattan in New York City....
  
  , New York talent agent (1929–2009)
• Ripper Collins
  Ripper Collins
  James Anthony "Rip" Collins was a Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
  
  , Professional baseball player, member of the Gashouse Gang
  Gashouse Gang
  The Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
  
  . Stats http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Ripper_Collins
• Charlie Crist
  Charlie Crist
  Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
  
  , governor
  Governor
  A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
  
   of Florida
  Florida
  Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
  
  .
• Paul C. Donnelly
  Paul C. Donnelly
  Paul Charles Donnelly is a retired American guided missile pioneer who was a senior NASA manager during the Apollo moon landing program at the Kennedy Space Center . Responsible for the checkout of all Apollo launch vehicles and spacecraft, he was also involved in every U.S...
  
  , former NASA manager.
• John Ebersole
  John Ebersole
  John Joel Ebersole is a former American Football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Jets. He played college football at Penn State University and was selected in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft....
  
  , former professional football
  American football
  American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
  
   player New York Jets
  New York Jets
  The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
  
  
• Danny Fortson
  Danny Fortson
  Daniel Anthony Fortson is an American former professional basketball player. He played power forward/center in the NBA from 1997 to 2007.-Early life:...
  
  , professional basketball player Seattle Supersonics
  Seattle SuperSonics
  The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
  
  
• Art Greenwald, Writer, Author, Journalist.
• Hedda Hopper
  Hedda Hopper
  Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
  
   is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Altoona
• Tommy Irwin
  Tommy Irwin
  Thomas Andrew Irwin was a Major League Baseball player. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, Irwin was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in and played three games for them in October...
  
  , baseball player.
• Mike Iuzzolino
  Mike Iuzzolino
  Michael Alan Iuzzolino is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1991 NBA Draft. Iuzzolino, a 5 foot 10 inch point guard, played two years in the NBA, both with the Mavericks averaging 9.0 ppg in his career...
  
  , basketball player.
• Richard T. James, Inventor of the slinky.
• Stan Jones
  Stan Jones (American football)
  Stanley Paul "Stan" Jones was an American football guard and defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991...
  
  , Pro Football Hall of Famer (inducted 1991).
• Robert Jubelirer
  Robert Jubelirer
  Robert C. Jubelirer is a Republican Pennsylvania political leader. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1975 to 2006, and simultaneously served as the President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania between 2001 and...
  
   politician.
• Henry Kloss
  Henry Kloss
  Henry Kloss was a prominent American audio engineer and businessman who helped advance high fidelity loudspeaker and radio receiver technology beginning in the 1950s. Kloss was an undergraduate student in physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology , but never received a degree...
  
  , engineer.
• Robert E. Laws
  Robert E. Laws
  Robert E. Laws was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.-Biography:...
  
  , Medal of Honor
  Medal of Honor
  The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
  
   recipient, World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  .
• James Loy
  James Loy
  Admiral James Milton Loy served as Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security in 2005 and United States Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security from December 4, 2003, to March 1, 2005...
  
  , former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
• John J. McGuire
  John J. McGuire
  John Joseph McGuire was an American author of science fiction.He usually wrote with H. Beam Piper.-Shorts:* "Hunter Patrol"...
  
  , science fiction writer.
• Johnny Moore
  Johnny Moore (basketball)
  John Brian "Johnny" Moore is a retired American professional player in the NBA. He spent his entire career playing point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, save one game for the New Jersey Nets. Over 520 games in his NBA career, Moore averaged 9.4 points, 7.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.96 steals...
  
  , basketball player.
• John Pielmeier
  John Pielmeier
  John Pielmeier is an American playwright and screenwriter.Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Pielmeier earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Catholic University of America in 1970 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1978...
  
  , playwright and screenwriter.
• H. Beam Piper
  H. Beam Piper
  Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper...
  
  , Novelist and author of "Fuzzy" & 'Paratime' novels.
• Mike Reid
  Mike Reid (football)
  Michael Barry "Mike" Reid is a retired professional American football defensive lineman, as well as a country music artist and composer...
  
  , football player, musician.
• Wade Schalles
  Wade Schalles
  Wade Schalles is an American amateur wrestler, a two-time NCAA National Champion who holds multiple records in the sport including holding the Guinness Book of World Records title for most amateur wrestling wins and pins, and is the creator of several of wrestling's most notorious moves -...
  
  , all time record holder for most pins and most wins in amateur wrestling.
• Elaine Shaffer, flutist (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/elaine-shaffer-q52521/biography)
• Bob Sheetz, founder of the Sheetz
  Sheetz
  Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of gas stations/convenience stores owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia....
  
   convenience store chain.
• D. Brooks Smith
  D. Brooks Smith
  David Brookman Smith , known professionally as D. Brooks Smith, is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.- Federal Service :...
  
  , judge.
• Harry E. Soyster
  Harry E. Soyster
  Harry Edward Soyster is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General.-Overview:He served as the Commanding General of the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command . Upon promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, Soyster served as the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency at...
  
  , General.
• Benjamin Taylor, Innovationist.
• Paul Winter
  Paul Winter
  Paul Winter is an American saxophonist , and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee.- Biography :Paul Winter attended Altoona Area High School and graduated in 1957...
  
  , American saxophonist,
• Doug West
  Doug West
  Jeffery Douglas "Doug" West is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'7" shooting guard/small forward from Villanova University, West was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft...
  
  , former NBA basketball player
• Andrew Kevin Walker
  Andrew Kevin Walker
  Andrew Kevin Walker is an American BAFTA-nominated screenwriter. He is known for having written the Academy Award-nominated film Seven , for which he earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as several other films, including 8mm , Sleepy Hollow and many...
  
  , Screenwriter
• Steve Nelson
  Steve Nelson
  Steve Nelson may refer to:* Steve Nelson , New England Patriots football player* Steve Nelson , American musician* Steve Nelson , Communist Party member, Spanish Civil War veteran and U.S...
  
  , Teacher, Graphic Designer

See also

• Dutch Hill (Altoona)
• War Governors' Conference
  War Governors' Conference
  The Loyal War Governors' Conference was an important political event of the American Civil War. It was held at the Logan House Hotel in Altoona, Pennsylvania on September 24 and 25, 1862. Thirteen governors of Union states came together to discuss the war effort, state troop quotas, and the...
  
  
• Mishler Theatre
  Mishler Theatre
  The Mishler Theatre is a Beaux-Arts stage and movie theater located at 1208 Twelfth Avenue in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Albert E. Westover and built by local theatre owner and manager Isaac Charles Mishler and opened on February 15, 1906. Nine months later, the neighboring Rothert...
  
  
• Railroaders Memorial Museum
  Railroaders Memorial Museum
  The Railroaders Memorial Museum is a railroad museum in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The museum is dedicated to revealing, interpreting, commemorating and celebrating the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life and industry.Altoona is one of the hubs of the area's...
  
  
• Penn Alto Building
  Penn Alto Building
  The Penn Alto Building is a landmark building located in downtown Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA. The building is nine stories high and has a partial tenth floor penthouse. The name of the building remains the same, even though its usage has changed over time...
  
  

External links

• Forever Free: Blair County's Civil War.
• Altoona travel guide from Wikitravel
  Wikitravel
  -External links:* *...
  
  
• City of Altoona, official website
• Historical Photos & Images of Altoona
• Historical Photos of Altoona and the Pennsylvania Railroad