Why ‘East End Social’ could be downtown State College’s hottest spot this summer

With most Penn State students gone, summers in State College often feel quiet. While some residents enjoy the calm, others may feel as though they are in a ghost town. This year, however, the downtown area is set to be more vibrant, offering a space tailored to year-round residents.

The Downtown State College Improvement District will be launching the “East End Social,” a “pocket park” space that will convert Hiester Street from Calder Way to College Avenue into a public event destination from mid-May to early August.

In partnership with Comet Properties, who own the majority of buildings near the pocket park, and with support from the State College Borough, the street will be closed to traffic and transformed into a stimulating social hub with painted murals and sidewalks, lush greenery and pavement furniture, DSCID executive director Lee Anne Jeffries explained.

The main focus is to create a space where people can hang out, attend/host events and get to know their fellow community members.

Jeffries emphasized that the space is intended to host a wide range of community-centered programming that will conclude around 10 p.m. After gathering input through a public survey on the event’s website, they are already planning an eclectic lineup, including live concerts, a full moon dinner, a beer garden and a ‘mom walk.’

“We have a lot of people with very different ideas, and we’re welcoming all of them,” she said.

A similar project, “Summers on Allen,” led by Centre Foundation, nearly came to fruition in 2020 after gaining approval from Borough Council. The plan would have converted the 100 block of South Allen Street into a two-month pedestrian plaza with community events, closing it to vehicle traffic. The effort was ultimately shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This time, the project will take place on Hiester Street, the east end of downtown with the intention to attract the crowds that typically wander around Allen Street. Borough Council has even approved a waiver of the open container ordinance, allowing the selling of alcohol during four events.

“We’ve got a lot of emerging, new businesses moving into and surrounding this block. So we really wanted to highlight those new businesses to draw some foot traffic,” Jeffries said, referencing newer businesses such as The Press: Cider & Craft Beverage Taphouse and Manny’s Live Performance Space, which have been open for the last 15 months.

Jeffries added that they were able to secure sponsorship support from small businesses near Hiester Street, helping fund the project’s entertainment programming.

“We’re getting the response that we would hope, which is that everyone’s very excited about the space,” she said.

Initial funding was received by the State College Redevelopment Authority, which awarded DSCID a $76,753 grant for the project through a state Local Share Account program administered by the Commonwealth Financing Authority.

Although it’s still a new concept, Jeffries envisions it as a first step toward building a stronger sense of community during the summer, with potential in becoming a yearly tradition.

“There is a hunger in our people that live here year round to have some of those adult interactions and experiences when the students may be away for the summer,” she explained.

If it proves successful, the long-term vision would be to incorporate it during football games and popular events by way of making the town more pedestrian friendly, Jeffries said.

Locals are still able to share ideas or request a specific event for the “East End Social” pocket park by taking the public survey, which is accessible on the DSCID’s website.