A 'Smart Place to Live'

Those of us who call Happy Valley home know it's a "Smart Place to Live," as termed by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.

In fact, the magazine ranks us 19th in the annual list.

Interestingly, Pittsburgh at 9th and Harrisburg at 12th landed above Happy Valley, and we'll reserve judgment on that placement.

I ended up talking to Bob Frick, a PSU classmate and an editor at the magazine, back when both State College and Harrisburg turned up as potential "smart places." He called because I previously lived in Harrisburg and now call Happy Valley home.

I told him both were good choices, and talked about how Harrisburg changed significantly in my 18 years there, building a vibrant downtown and a showplace called City Island. Of course, I also told him how State College is the place to be, but we shouldn't tell everyone.

The result, as we report today, is Happy Valley finishing 19th, and for purposes of the ranking it's the entire county. We're in a "smart place," as if we didn't know.