Susquehanna University - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

The area immediately surrounding SU is mainly residential. The actual town of Selinsgrove comprises one street (Market Street) with a bunch of quaint shops with quaint names selling (big surprise) quaint knickknacks. However, the strip (routes 11/15), which runs through Selinsgrove, is far more useful. There is a Wal-Mart, the Susquehanna Valley Mall, a movie theater, and tons of places to eat, all within 10 minutes of campus. While the area may be far from hip, it is important to note that everything is within a 15-minute drive from campus. It is also possible to run down to the river or along country roads without worrying about safety. There is also a lot of open space, and the town is not overdeveloped. If students are looking for a big campus or one located in a city, SU isn’t the place for them. There is enough to easily survive on in terms of entertainment and shopping, but there are no dance clubs nearby (the closest being Harrisburg) and only a handful of bars and nice restaurants.

To help prevent students from feeling cut off from larger cities, the school sponsors bus trips to New York City at certain times of the year, and makes sure there are plenty of activities on the weekends for students. That said, if you like to have your own fun or like to do something new everyday, you will hardly thrive on the SU campus.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Selinsgrove is a small, rural... Selinsgrove is a small, rural college town. It is a pretty town with an older downtown area with small shops and a larger, newer area with a mall, movie theater, Wal-Mart, and many places to eat. There are no other universities in the town. There is also a racetrack near the school. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The town is quiet for the most... The town is quiet for the most part, but there are things to do on occasion. Bucknell is about 15 minutes away, and Bloomsburg is about 45 minutes. There isn’t much stuff you need to stay away from. Places to visit would be the Susquehanna River and some good restaurants around town. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Selinsgrove is a tiny town. It... Selinsgrove is a tiny town. It would be the most boring town in the universe if SU didn’t exist. The locals are a little strange, so I prefer to stay on campus as much as possible. This is great because there is always something fun to do at SU. Bucknell and Bloomsburg aren’t far, so it is easy to make an overnight/weekend trip to one of the two. Most of the people I know would rather visit me at SU though. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The town is really quiet and... The town is really quiet and small, but I came from a town that was like this, so it’s not too different. There’s a mall, a movie theater, and several restaurants. A much bigger mall is about an hour away, which isn’t too bad, and Harrisburg and University Park (Penn State main campus) aren’t too far either—only about an hour either way. Also, Philly is about two and a half hours away and New York City is only three hours, so for a long day trip, it’s a fun thing. Bucknell is about 20 minutes away, but I find that more students go to Penn State compared to Bucknell; there’s a little rivalry going on between the two schools, which I don’t understand, but it’s still there. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

I don’t know if... I don’t know if there’s anything that someone might want to stay away from, or that they necessarily want to visit, either. You end up visiting everywhere before you graduate, but it’s a small town, and for people who are from a town bigger than 5,000, I think it can be a hard adjustment. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Five Fun Facts about Selinsgrove:
• In 1988, Selinsgrove residents made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s longest banana split. It was more than four miles long!
• The town is named after Revolutionary War Captain Anthony Selin.
• There are three buildings and one bridge in Selinsgrove that are listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
• There are more than 60 species of trees on the Susquehanna campus.
• On one evening during the holidays, the shops remain open late and serve hot chocolate and cookies to shoppers.

Famous People from Selinsgrove:
Jim Davidson, actor; Jacob Secheler Coxey, social reformer; and Keli Smith, athlete.

Local Slang:
The strip – Commercialized part of Route 11/15 that runs through town.

Most Recent Contributing Author

Name: Jon Snyder
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