An ode to West Chester, the greatest hometown of all time

Feelings of nostalgia always arise when we think of home. So many things pop into our heads: friends, family, favorite local foods, favorite hang out spots, and so much more. As much as I love Cornell and the Ithaca community, going to school four hours from home has really made me appreciate my hometown, which is the greatest of all time, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Everybody says their hometown is the best, but no – West Chester will always be the GOAT and here’s why.

It’s beautiful

No seriously, it’s one of the most beautiful towns on Earth. From the red brick sidewalks in Downtown West Chester and the many parks filled with vibrantly green grasses and cherry blossom trees in the spring and summer, to the snow covered trees and streets in the winter, it’s something that you can’t really beat.

The West Chester area school district is LIT

Last year, all three high schools of the district, West Chester East, West Chester Henderson, and West Chester Rustin high school were listed in the top 1,000 high schools in the country, with West Chester East (my alma mater of course) listed within the top 500. Also, the school district as a whole was rated among the top 17 percent of all public secondary school districts within the United States. Lit.

WAWA. IS. EVERYWHERE.

Founded in 1964, WaWa is America’s greatest convenience store. Forget 7/11, Sheetz, Turkey Hill or any other convenience store in America, WaWa is EVERYTHING (and more). You can get anything at a WaWa: ice cream, hoagies, mac and cheese, stuffed pretzels, breakfast sandwiches, any food you can think of, and you can fill your gas tank, too. You can literally get a full meal, as well as fill up your tank. Can you get a better deal than that?

It’s so historical

There are so many landmarks, as well as historical figures who are from West Chester, Pennsylvania that basically, it’s a historian’s nirvana. Part of the Underground Railroad is in West Chester’s Bethel AME church, and the William Everhart Building is located in West Chester, which is the building where Abraham Lincoln’s first published biography was written. Also, known civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, artist Horace Pippin, football play Matt Schaub, as well as professional skate boarder Bam Margera all call West Chester, Pennsylvania their home.

Civil rights activist Bayard Rustin

William Everhart Building

It’s only forty minutes outside of the BEST city in the world

Yup, I’m talking about Philadelphia, the place where you can get a taste (literally) of any part of the world. It’s such a diverse city, filled with all types of people and cultures. Only in Philadelphia can you get a GOOD cheesesteak, water ice and a cheese pretzel all on the same block. The sports teams may not be the best, but the fans are what make that okay. It’s the City of Philadelphia, the original capital of the United States of America, and it’s only a train ride away.

Everyone. Knows. Everyone.

This happens in every small town, but it’s still awesome. Seriously, you do not know the amount of times I have heard “Oh, I went to school with your mom” or “Yeah, I went to college with your Dad, you look just like him!” Yeah, it’s that type of town. Because everyone knows everyone, West Chester has a strong sense of community, and nothing beats that.