Reading, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania
, USA, and seat of Berks County
. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area
and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown
and Erie
, and the sixth most-populous municipality
.
visible from almost everywhere in town and referred to locally as "The Pagoda
". It was built in 1908 as a hotel and restaurant, but was never used for that purpose. It remains a tourist attraction. In 2007, plans were announced to renovate the area surrounding the Pagoda. The vision is to include walking paths and, possibly, a new mountaintop restaurant.
Duryea Drive, which ascends Mount Penn in a series of sharp bends, was a testing place for early automobiles and was named for Charles Duryea
. The Blue Mountain Region Sports Car Club of America
hosts the Duryea Hill Climb, the longest in the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association series, which follows the same route the automaker used to test his cars.
The city lent its name to the now-defunct Reading Railroad, which brought anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania Coal Region
to cities along the Schuylkill River
. The railroad is one of the four railroad properties in the classic United States version of the Monopoly
board game.
During the general decline of heavy manufacturing, Reading was one of the first localities where outlet shopping became a tourist industry. It has been known as "The Pretzel City" because of numerous local pretzel
bakeries. However, now there is only one which is the Unique Pretzel Factory. Reading is also known as "Baseballtown," after the Reading Phillies
an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies
trademarked this moniker to market Reading's rich baseball
history. Legendary left-handed pitcher Ty Sofflet led Reading to several fast-pitch softball victories in the mid-1970s.
The city has been the residence of numerous professional athletes of national stature. Among the athletes native to Reading are Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder
Carl Furillo
, Baltimore Colts
running back
Lenny Moore
, and Philadelphia 76ers
forward Donyell Marshall
.
The open-wheel racing portion of Penske Racing had been based in Reading, Pennsylvania since 1973 with the cars, during the F1 and CART era, being constructed in Poole
, Dorset
, England
as well as being the base for the F1 team. On October 31, 2005, Penske Racing announced after the 2006 IRL season, they would consolidate IRL and NASCAR operations at the team's Mooresville North Carolina facility; with the flooding in Pennsylvania in 2006, the team's operations were moved to Mooresville earlier than expected. Penske Truck Leasing is still based in Reading
The book and movie Rabbit, Run
and others of the Rabbit series were set in fictionalized versions of Reading and nearby Shillington
, called Brewer
and Olinger
respectively. These stories were written by John Updike
, who was born in Reading and lived in nearby Shillington until he was thirteen.
Six institutions of higher education serve the Reading area. The city's cultural institutions include the Reading Symphony Orchestra and its education project the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra
, the GoggleWorks
Art Gallery, the Reading Public Museum
and the Historical Society of Berks County
.
Reading is the birth place of graphic artist Jim Steranko
, poet Wallace Stevens
, Guitar Virtuoso Richie Kotzen
. John Philip Sousa
, the March King, died there in 1932. Keith Haring
, NFL quarterback Chad Henne
and country singer Taylor Swift
are not from the City of Reading, but surrounding towns in Berks County.
the founder of Pennsylvania, and grandsons of Sir William Penn for whom Pennsylvania is named) planned the town of Reading with Conrad Weiser
. Taking its name from the town of Reading
in England in honor of their home, it was established in 1748. Upon the creation of Berks County in 1752 the town became the county seat.
During the French and Indian War
, Reading was a military base for a chain of forts along the Blue Mountain
. Meanwhile the region was being settled by emigrants from southern and western Germany
. The Pennsylvanian German dialect was spoken in Reading well into the 1950s and later.
By the time of the American Revolution
, the area's iron
industry had a total production which exceeded England's, an output that would help supply George Washington
's troops with cannons, rifles, and ammunition in the Revolutionary War. During the early period of the conflict, Reading was a depot again for military supply. Hessian prisoners from the Battle of Trenton
were also detained here.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R) was incorporated in 1833. During the Long Depression
following the Panic of 1873
, a statewide railroad strike
in 1877 over delayed wages led to a violent protest and clash with the National Guard in which six Reading men were killed. After over a century of prosperity, the Reading Company was forced to file for bankruptcy protection in 1971. The bankruptcy was a result of dwindling coal shipping revenues and strict government regulations that denied railroads the ability to set competitive prices, required high taxes, and forced the railroads to continue to operate money-losing passenger service lines. On April 1, 1976, the Reading Company sold its current railroad interests to the newly formed Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail).
Early in the 20th century, the city participated in the burgeoning automobile
industry, hosting the pioneer brass era company, Daniels
.
In 1927, Reading elected J. Henry Stump
as its first Socialist mayor. Stump was re-elected on two other occasions, and during his first term, the entire city government was Socialist. Many tangible improvements were made during his tenure.
Reading experienced continuous growth until the 1930s, when its population reached nearly 120,000. From the 1940s to the 1970s, however, the city saw a sharp downturn in prosperity, largely owing to the decline of the heavy industry and railroads, on which Reading had been built, and a general flight to the suburbs.
Filmmakers Gary Adelstein, Costa Mantis, and Jerry Orr's Reading 1974: Portrait of a City, relying heavily on montage, is a cultural time capsule.
In 1972, Hurricane Agnes
caused extensive flooding in the city, not the last time the lower precincts of Reading were inundated by the Schuylkill River
as a similar, though not as devastating, flood
occurred during June 2006.
The Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company founded in 1899 just outside Reading city limits in West Reading and Wyomissing boroughs changed its name to Vanity Fair in 1911 and is now the major clothing manufacturer VF Corp.
In the early 1970s, the original factories were developed to create the VF Outlet Village, the first outlet mall in the United States. The mall is so successful that it draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to Reading every year.
The 2000 census showed that Reading's population decline had begun to reverse itself. This was attributed to an influx of Hispanic
residents from New York
, as well as from the extension of suburban sprawl from Philadelphia's northwest suburbs.
Like all metropolitan areas, Reading has its share of obstacles to overcome, namely crime. However, new crime fighting strategies appear to be having an impact, as in 2006 the city dropped in the rankings of dangerous cities, and then again in 2007.
In December 2007, NBC
's Today show featured Reading as one of the top four "Up and Coming Neighborhoods" in the United States as showing potential for a real estate boom. The interviewee Barbara Corcoran
chose the city by looking for areas of big change, renovations, cleanups of parks, waterfronts, and warehouses. Corcoran also noted Reading's proximity to Philadelphia, New York
, and other cities
. Unfortunately, the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent nationwide recession put a damper on such optimism and in November 2011 the PBS Newshour reported that Reading was officially the poorest city in the nation with 49% of inhabitants living below the poverty line.
zone, as areas just to the north are in the humid continental climate
zone. Summers are very warm and humid, with average July highs around 85 °F. Extended periods of heat and high humidity do occur. On average, there are about 15–20 days per year where the temperature exceeds 90 °F. Autumn tends to be quite pleasant, as the heat and humidity of summer move out and clearer skies and lower humidity and temperatures move in. The first killing frost generally occurs in mid to late October.
Winters can occasionally be harsh, but it is rarely long-lived. A respectable snowstorm will occur from time to time, but the harsher winter conditions experienced to the north and west don't often visit Greater Reading. It is not unusual for temperatures to fall to 0 °F at least once per winter, but rarely are below zero temperatures reported. Average January high is around 37, average January low is around 20 °F. The all-time record low was −21 °F during a widespread cold wave in January 1994 (actual temp, not wind chill). Annual snowfall is variable, but averages around 32 inches. There may be 60 or more inches (152 cm) of snow in a winter (which is rare), as in 1993–94, 1995–96, 2002–03, and 2009–2010, but then the following winter may feature very little snowfall. Spring is variable, it may snow one day in March and then a few days later temps may be in the 70s. The last killing frost usually is in later April, but freezing temperatures have occurred into May. Total precipitation for the entire year is around 44 inches (112 cm).
, roughly 65 miles (104.6 km) northwest of Philadelphia. According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²). 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.39%) is water. The total area is 2.39% water. The city is largely bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River
, on the east by Mount Penn, and on the south by Neversink Mountain. The Reading Prong
, the mountain formation stretching north into New Jersey
, has come to be associated with naturally-occurring radon
gas; however, homes in Reading are not particularly affected. The surrounding county is home to a number of family-owned farms.
, Carpenter Technology Corporation
, Penske Truck Leasing
, Redner's Markets
According to the Reading Eagle
, the largest employers in the area are
is designated as Lancaster Avenue, Bingaman Street, South 4th Street, and 5th Street. U.S. Route 422 Business
is designated as Penn Street, Washington Street (westbound), Franklin Street (eastbound), and Perkiomen Avenue. U.S. Route 422
, the major east-west artery, circles the western edge of the city and is known locally as The West Shore Bypass. PA Route 12
is known as the Warren Street Bypass, as it bypasses the city to the north. PA Route 10
is known as Morgantown Road.
The most congested intersection in Reading and all of Berks County is in the Millmont section of the city, where U.S. Route 222 Business, U.S. Route 422, and PA Route 10 all converge.
, a general aviation airfield. Scheduled commercial airline service to Reading ended in 2004, though Reading is a short drive from Harrisburg International Airport
, Lehigh Valley International Airport
, and Philadelphia International Airport
.
In the late 1990s and up to 2003, SEPTA, in cooperation with Reading-based BARTA
funded a study called the Schuylkill Valley Metro
which included plans to extend both sides of SEPTA's R6 passenger line
to Pottstown
, Reading, and Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. The project suffered a major setback when it was rejected by the Federal Transit Administration
New Starts program, which cited doubts about the ridership projections and financing assumptions used by the study. With the recent surge in gasoline prices and ever-increasing traffic, the planning commissions of Montgomery County
and Berks County have teamed to study the feasibility of a simple extension of the Cynwyd Line
from Wyomissing to Norristown, PA. Options to be studied include complete electrification of the line, diesel service (with a cross-platform change in Norristown), or an electric-diesel hybrid. The study had been expected to be completed in the summer of 2008.
Tolling on US 422 between Pottstown and King of Prussia is looking more and more like a reality. The tolling will fund upgrades and maitenance on US 422, as well as extending the R6 to Reading and Wyomissing. Recent estimates have said that passenger trains could return to the city as soon as two years.
Barta has begun refurbishing the Franklin Street Station in anticipation of the return of passenger trains. The station was once the busy transportation hub of downtown Reading when the Reading Railroad owned it.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 81,207 people, 30,113 households, and 18,429 families residing in the city. The population density
was 8,270.2 persons per square mile (3,192.9/km²). There were 34,314 housing units at an average density of 3,494.6 houses per square mile (1,349.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.18% White, 12.25% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 22.32% from other races, and 4.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.31% of the population.
There were 30,113 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% were married couples
living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,698, and the median income for a family was $31,067. Males had a median income of $28,114 versus $21,993 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $13,086. 26.1% of the population and 22.3% of families were below the poverty line. 36.5% of those under the age of 18 and 15.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
In 2000, the Reading metropolitan statistical area was the second most segregated place for Hispanics in the United States, behind only the Lawrence, Massachusetts
area. Only 2.1% of the rest of Berks County is Hispanic or Latino, while this ethnic group is highly concentrated in certain city neighborhoods.
descent. 33.0% of all people were living below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under 18.
According to the US Census Bureau, Reading's population in 2008 was 80,888. 51.9% of the residents were White, 11.9% were African American, 0.3% were Native American, 1.6% were Asian, 0.1% were Pacific Islander, 30.3% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 52.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race, with 28.7% being of Puerto Rican
descent.
32.9% of all residents live below the poverty level, including 45.7% of those under 18. Reading's unemployment rate in May 2010 was 14.7%, while Berks County's
unemployment rate was 9.9%.
As of April 1st, 2011, Engine's 13 and 14 have been disbanded due to budget cuts. Engine 13 was quartered with Engine 1 and Engine 14 was quartered with Engine 5.
Three high schools serve the city:
The Reading School District provides elementary and middle schools for the city's children. Numerous Catholic
parochial schools are also available. It is possible to get a complete education, from kindergarten through college, on 13th Street.
Reading played host to a stop on the PGA Tour
, the Reading Open
, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
The mechanical ice cream scoop was invented in Reading by William Clewell in 1878. He didn’t patent it and 100 years later another inventor claimed it. The 5th Ave Bar and York Peppermint Patty were invented in Reading. The first Amish community in the country was established in Greater Reading, Berks County.
is an art, science, and history museum in Reading. The Reading Pagoda, located atop Mount Penn, is also a popular recreational stop for tourists and residents alike.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA, and seat of Berks County
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area
Greater Reading Area
The Greater Reading Area generally refers to the whole of Berks County and southern Schuylkill County....
and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
and Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, and the sixth most-populous municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
.
Overview
Overlooking the city on Mount Penn is Reading's symbol, a Japanese-style pagodaPagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
visible from almost everywhere in town and referred to locally as "The Pagoda
Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania)
The Pagoda is a pagoda-styled novelty building built atop Mount Penn, overlooking Reading, Pennsylvania. Now a symbol of the city, it is also the logo for the minor league Reading Phillies baseball team.-History:...
". It was built in 1908 as a hotel and restaurant, but was never used for that purpose. It remains a tourist attraction. In 2007, plans were announced to renovate the area surrounding the Pagoda. The vision is to include walking paths and, possibly, a new mountaintop restaurant.
Duryea Drive, which ascends Mount Penn in a series of sharp bends, was a testing place for early automobiles and was named for Charles Duryea
Charles Duryea
Charles Edgar Duryea was the engineer of the first-ever working American gasoline-powered car. He was born near Canton, Illinois, the son of George Washington Duryea and Louisa Melvina Turner and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his life working in Springfield, Massachusetts...
. The Blue Mountain Region Sports Car Club of America
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
hosts the Duryea Hill Climb, the longest in the Pennsylvania Hillclimb Association series, which follows the same route the automaker used to test his cars.
The city lent its name to the now-defunct Reading Railroad, which brought anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania Coal Region
Coal Region
The Coal Region is a term used to refer to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Appalachian Mountains comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties....
to cities along the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
. The railroad is one of the four railroad properties in the classic United States version of the Monopoly
Monopoly (game)
Marvin Gardens, the leading yellow property on the board shown, is actually a misspelling of the original location name, Marven Gardens. The misspelling was said to be introduced by Charles Todd and passed on when his home-made Monopoly board was copied by Charles Darrow and thence to Parker...
board game.
During the general decline of heavy manufacturing, Reading was one of the first localities where outlet shopping became a tourist industry. It has been known as "The Pretzel City" because of numerous local pretzel
Pretzel
A pretzel is a type of baked food made from dough in soft and hard varieties and savory or sweet flavors in a unique knot-like shape, originating in Europe...
bakeries. However, now there is only one which is the Unique Pretzel Factory. Reading is also known as "Baseballtown," after the Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
an affiliate of the 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...
trademarked this moniker to market Reading's rich 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...
history. Legendary left-handed pitcher Ty Sofflet led Reading to several fast-pitch softball victories in the mid-1970s.
The city has been the residence of numerous professional athletes of national stature. Among the athletes native to Reading are Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Carl Furillo
Carl Furillo
Carl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Lenny Moore
Lenny Moore
Leonard Edward Moore is a former American football halfback who played for Penn State in college and the Baltimore Colts. He came to the Colts in 1956, and had a productive first pro season and was named the NFL Rookie of The Year...
, and Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
forward Donyell Marshall
Donyell Marshall
Donyell Lamar Marshall is a retired American professional basketball player, at the small forward and power forward positions. During his extensive NBA career, he played with eight different teams...
.
The open-wheel racing portion of Penske Racing had been based in Reading, Pennsylvania since 1973 with the cars, during the F1 and CART era, being constructed in Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as well as being the base for the F1 team. On October 31, 2005, Penske Racing announced after the 2006 IRL season, they would consolidate IRL and NASCAR operations at the team's Mooresville North Carolina facility; with the flooding in Pennsylvania in 2006, the team's operations were moved to Mooresville earlier than expected. Penske Truck Leasing is still based in Reading
The book and movie Rabbit, Run
Rabbit, Run
Rabbit, Run is a 1960 novel by John Updike.The novel depicts five months in the life of a 26-year-old former high school basketball player named Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom, and his attempts to escape the constraints of his life...
and others of the Rabbit series were set in fictionalized versions of Reading and nearby Shillington
Shillington, Pennsylvania
Shillington is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with a population of 5,059 at the 2000 census nestled amongst other suburbs outside of Reading...
, called Brewer
Brewer, Pennsylvania
Brewer, Pennsylvania is a fictional city that serves as the major setting for American writer John Updike's "Rabbit" cycle of novels .Brewer is described as being the "fifth largest city in Pennsylvania" and seems to have many...
and Olinger
Olinger, Pennsylvania
Olinger, Pennsylvania is a fictional rural town in the southeastern part of the state that serves as the setting for several short stories and one novel by American writer John Updike...
respectively. These stories were written by John Updike
John Updike
John Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, who was born in Reading and lived in nearby Shillington until he was thirteen.
Six institutions of higher education serve the Reading area. The city's cultural institutions include the Reading Symphony Orchestra and its education project the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra
Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra
The Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra is a musical group in Reading, Pennsylvania which performs classical orchestral music. Created in 1989, the orchestra was formed by the Education Committee of the Reading Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors with the intention of providing experience to local...
, the GoggleWorks
GoggleWorks
The GoggleWorks Center for the Arts is a community art and cultural resource center located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The mission of the GoggleWorks is “to nurture the arts, foster creativity, promote education and enrich the community.”...
Art Gallery, the Reading Public Museum
Reading Public Museum
The Reading Public Museum, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, has displays featuring science and civilizations, a planetarium and a arboretum. It also offers educational programs for families, adults and children, and a yearly cultural festival....
and the Historical Society of Berks County
Historical Society of Berks County
Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Berks County is a museum and library located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Society's mission, as described on its website, is "to focus attention on the unique local history, the vast material culture, and the diverse cultural heritage of Berks County by...
.
Reading is the birth place of graphic artist Jim Steranko
Jim Steranko
James F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
, poet Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens was an American Modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as a lawyer for the Hartford insurance company in Connecticut.His best-known poems include "Anecdote of the Jar",...
, Guitar Virtuoso Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen
Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
. John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
, the March King, died there in 1932. Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, NFL quarterback Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
and country singer Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
are not from the City of Reading, but surrounding towns in Berks County.
History
In 1743, Richard and Thomas Penn (sons of William PennWilliam Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
the founder of Pennsylvania, and grandsons of Sir William Penn for whom Pennsylvania is named) planned the town of Reading with Conrad Weiser
Conrad Weiser
Weiser's colonial service began in 1731. The Iroquois sent Shikellamy, an Oneida chief, as an emissary to other tribes and the British. Shikellamy lived on the Susquehanna River at Shamokin village, near present-day Sunbury, Pennsylvania. An oral tradition holds that Weiser met Shikellamy while...
. Taking its name from the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in England in honor of their home, it was established in 1748. Upon the creation of Berks County in 1752 the town became the county seat.
During the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, Reading was a military base for a chain of forts along the Blue Mountain
Blue Mountain (Pennsylvania)
Blue Mountain is a ridge that forms the eastern edge of the Appalachian mountain range in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It cuts across the eastern half of the state from New Jersey to Maryland, providing a distinct boundary between a number of Pennsylvania's geographical and cultural regions...
. Meanwhile the region was being settled by emigrants from southern and western Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The Pennsylvanian German dialect was spoken in Reading well into the 1950s and later.
By the time of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the area's iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
industry had a total production which exceeded England's, an output that would help supply George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's troops with cannons, rifles, and ammunition in the Revolutionary War. During the early period of the conflict, Reading was a depot again for military supply. Hessian prisoners from the Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
were also detained here.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R) was incorporated in 1833. During the Long Depression
Long Depression
The Long Depression was a worldwide economic crisis, felt most heavily in Europe and the United States, which had been experiencing strong economic growth fueled by the Second Industrial Revolution in the decade following the American Civil War. At the time, the episode was labeled the Great...
following the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
, a statewide railroad strike
Great railroad strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended some 45 days later after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops.-Economic conditions in the 1870s:...
in 1877 over delayed wages led to a violent protest and clash with the National Guard in which six Reading men were killed. After over a century of prosperity, the Reading Company was forced to file for bankruptcy protection in 1971. The bankruptcy was a result of dwindling coal shipping revenues and strict government regulations that denied railroads the ability to set competitive prices, required high taxes, and forced the railroads to continue to operate money-losing passenger service lines. On April 1, 1976, the Reading Company sold its current railroad interests to the newly formed Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail).
Early in the 20th century, the city participated in the burgeoning 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...
industry, hosting the pioneer brass era company, Daniels
Daniels Motor Company
Daniels Motor Company was a pioneer brass era American automobile company, founded in 1916 by George E. Daniels in Reading, Pennsylvania....
.
In 1927, Reading elected J. Henry Stump
J. Henry Stump
J Henry Stump was an American Socialist politician and mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania 1927 - 1931, 1935–1939 and 1943 - 1947.-External links:...
as its first Socialist mayor. Stump was re-elected on two other occasions, and during his first term, the entire city government was Socialist. Many tangible improvements were made during his tenure.
Reading experienced continuous growth until the 1930s, when its population reached nearly 120,000. From the 1940s to the 1970s, however, the city saw a sharp downturn in prosperity, largely owing to the decline of the heavy industry and railroads, on which Reading had been built, and a general flight to the suburbs.
Filmmakers Gary Adelstein, Costa Mantis, and Jerry Orr's Reading 1974: Portrait of a City, relying heavily on montage, is a cultural time capsule.
In 1972, Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
caused extensive flooding in the city, not the last time the lower precincts of Reading were inundated by the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
as a similar, though not as devastating, flood
Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006
The Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was a significant flood that affected much of the Mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States. The flooding was very widespread, affecting numerous rivers, lakes and communities from upstate New York to North Carolina. It is widely considered to be...
occurred during June 2006.
The Reading Glove and Mitten Manufacturing Company founded in 1899 just outside Reading city limits in West Reading and Wyomissing boroughs changed its name to Vanity Fair in 1911 and is now the major clothing manufacturer VF Corp.
VF Corp.
VF Corporation is an American apparel corporation. VF corporation sells jeanswear, intimate apparel, daypacks, and workwear. The corporate headquarters are in Greensboro, North Carolina.-History:...
In the early 1970s, the original factories were developed to create the VF Outlet Village, the first outlet mall in the United States. The mall is so successful that it draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to Reading every year.
The 2000 census showed that Reading's population decline had begun to reverse itself. This was attributed to an influx of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
residents from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as well as from the extension of suburban sprawl from Philadelphia's northwest suburbs.
Like all metropolitan areas, Reading has its share of obstacles to overcome, namely crime. However, new crime fighting strategies appear to be having an impact, as in 2006 the city dropped in the rankings of dangerous cities, and then again in 2007.
In December 2007, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today show featured Reading as one of the top four "Up and Coming Neighborhoods" in the United States as showing potential for a real estate boom. The interviewee Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Corcoran
Barbara Ann Corcoran is an American businesswoman, investor, speaker, business consultant, syndicated columnist, author, and television personality. As a television personality, she is a "Shark" investor on ABC's Shark Tank.She graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas College with a degree in education...
chose the city by looking for areas of big change, renovations, cleanups of parks, waterfronts, and warehouses. Corcoran also noted Reading's proximity to Philadelphia, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and other cities
Northeast megalopolis
The Northeast megalopolis or Boston–Washington megalopolis is the heavily urbanized area of the United States stretching from the the northern suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts to the southern suburbs of Washington, D.C. On a map, the region appears almost as a perfectly straight line. As of 2000,...
. Unfortunately, the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent nationwide recession put a damper on such optimism and in November 2011 the PBS Newshour reported that Reading was officially the poorest city in the nation with 49% of inhabitants living below the poverty line.
Climate
The climate in and around Reading is variable, but relatively mild overall. The Reading area is generally considered to be on the northern edge of the humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
zone, as areas just to the north are in the humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
zone. Summers are very warm and humid, with average July highs around 85 °F. Extended periods of heat and high humidity do occur. On average, there are about 15–20 days per year where the temperature exceeds 90 °F. Autumn tends to be quite pleasant, as the heat and humidity of summer move out and clearer skies and lower humidity and temperatures move in. The first killing frost generally occurs in mid to late October.
Winters can occasionally be harsh, but it is rarely long-lived. A respectable snowstorm will occur from time to time, but the harsher winter conditions experienced to the north and west don't often visit Greater Reading. It is not unusual for temperatures to fall to 0 °F at least once per winter, but rarely are below zero temperatures reported. Average January high is around 37, average January low is around 20 °F. The all-time record low was −21 °F during a widespread cold wave in January 1994 (actual temp, not wind chill). Annual snowfall is variable, but averages around 32 inches. There may be 60 or more inches (152 cm) of snow in a winter (which is rare), as in 1993–94, 1995–96, 2002–03, and 2009–2010, but then the following winter may feature very little snowfall. Spring is variable, it may snow one day in March and then a few days later temps may be in the 70s. The last killing frost usually is in later April, but freezing temperatures have occurred into May. Total precipitation for the entire year is around 44 inches (112 cm).
Geography
Reading is located at 40°20′30"N 75°55′35"W (40.341692, -75.926301) in southeastern PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, roughly 65 miles (104.6 km) northwest of Philadelphia. According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²). 9.8 square miles (25.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.39%) is water. The total area is 2.39% water. The city is largely bounded on the west by the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
, on the east by Mount Penn, and on the south by Neversink Mountain. The Reading Prong
Reading Prong
The Reading Prong is a physiographic subprovince of the New England Uplands section of the New England province of the Appalachian Highlands. The prong consists of mountains made up of crystalline metamorphic rock.-Location:...
, the mountain formation stretching north into New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, has come to be associated with naturally-occurring radon
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
gas; however, homes in Reading are not particularly affected. The surrounding county is home to a number of family-owned farms.
Economy
Boscov'sBoscov's
Boscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware....
, Carpenter Technology Corporation
Carpenter Technology Corporation
Carpenter Technology Corporation is a globally recognized developer, manufacturer and distributor of cast wrought and powder metallurgy specialty alloys/metals including superalloys, ultra-high strength steels, and stainless steel, as well as titanium alloys in a range of product forms...
, Penske Truck Leasing
Penske Truck Leasing
Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P., headquartered in Reading, PA, is a joint venture among Penske Corporation, Penske Automotive Group and General Electric. A global transportation services provider, Penske operates more than 200,000 vehicles and serves customers from more than 1,000 locations in North...
, Redner's Markets
Redner's Markets
Redner's Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain that currently operates stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Redner's currently operates 39 Warehouse Markets and 13 Redner's Quick Shoppe convenience stores located in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.-History:Redner’s is an...
According to the Reading Eagle
Reading Eagle
The Reading Eagle is the major daily newspaper in Reading, Pennsylvania, in the United States. This family-owned newspaper has a daily circulation of 64,000 and a Sunday circulation of 100,000...
, the largest employers in the area are
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Reading Hospital and Medical Center | 6,877 |
| 2 | East Penn Manufacturing Co. | 5,800 |
| 3 | Reading School District Reading School District Reading School District is the school district that operates in Reading, Pennsylvania.-Elementary schools:Students in Pre-kindergarten through Grade 5 attend the following schools:* Amanda E... |
2,583 |
| 4 | Berks County Berks County, Pennsylvania -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile... |
2,494 |
| 5 | Carpenter Technology Corporation Carpenter Technology Corporation Carpenter Technology Corporation is a globally recognized developer, manufacturer and distributor of cast wrought and powder metallurgy specialty alloys/metals including superalloys, ultra-high strength steels, and stainless steel, as well as titanium alloys in a range of product forms... |
2,040 |
| 6 | State of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
1,800 |
| 7 | Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000... |
1,786 |
| 8 | St. Joseph Medical Center Catholic Health Initiatives Catholic Health Initiatives is a faith-based, non-profit health system. It is the second largest Catholic health system in the United States and the fifth largest US health system overall.... |
1,525 |
| 9 | Redner's Markets Redner's Markets Redner's Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain that currently operates stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Redner's currently operates 39 Warehouse Markets and 13 Redner's Quick Shoppe convenience stores located in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.-History:Redner’s is an... |
1,411 |
| 10 | Boscov's Boscov's Boscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware.... |
1,400 |
Bus
Public transit in Reading and its surrounding communities has been provided since 1973 by BARTA, the Berks Area Regional Transportation Authority. BARTA operates a fleet of 57 buses serving 21 routes, mostly originating at the BARTA Transportation Center in Downtown Reading.Roadways
A number of federal and state highways allow entry to and egress from Reading. U.S. Route 222 BusinessU.S. Route 222 Business (Reading, Pennsylvania)
U.S. Route 222 Business is an auxiliary route of U.S. Route 222 located in Reading, Pennsylvania. Its northern terminus is at US 222 north of Laureldale. The southern terminus is at US 222 near Mohnton. US 222 Business is the only auxiliary route of U.S. Route 222 in Pennsylvania.- Route...
is designated as Lancaster Avenue, Bingaman Street, South 4th Street, and 5th Street. U.S. Route 422 Business
U.S. Route 422 Business (Reading, Pennsylvania)
U.S. Route 422 Business is a long auxiliary route of U.S. Route 422 located in the Reading, Pennsylvania area. The route is one of four auxiliary routes of US 422 in Pennsylvania. Its western terminus is at an interchange with U.S. Route 222 and US 422 in Wyomissing...
is designated as Penn Street, Washington Street (westbound), Franklin Street (eastbound), and Perkiomen Avenue. U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422
U.S. Route 422 is a long spur route of US 22 split into two segments in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. The western spur begins in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and ends at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania...
, the major east-west artery, circles the western edge of the city and is known locally as The West Shore Bypass. PA Route 12
Pennsylvania Route 12
Pennsylvania Route 12 is a long part-freeway located in eastern Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 422 and U.S. Route 222 near Reading. Its eastern terminus is Pennsylvania Route 662 in Ruscombmanor Township. In Reading, the freeway is named the Warren Street Bypass...
is known as the Warren Street Bypass, as it bypasses the city to the north. PA Route 10
Pennsylvania Route 10
Pennsylvania Route 10 is a long state route in southeastern Pennsylvania. PA 10 runs parallel to Interstate 176 for less than near Morgantown. Its southern terminus is at Pennsylvania Route 472 in Oxford. Its northern terminus is at U.S...
is known as Morgantown Road.
The most congested intersection in Reading and all of Berks County is in the Millmont section of the city, where U.S. Route 222 Business, U.S. Route 422, and PA Route 10 all converge.
Airlines
Reading and the surrounding area is serviced by the Reading Regional AirportReading Regional Airport
Reading Regional Airport , also known as Carl A. Spaatz Field, is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Reading, a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States...
, a general aviation airfield. Scheduled commercial airline service to Reading ended in 2004, though Reading is a short drive from Harrisburg International Airport
Harrisburg International Airport
-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
, Lehigh Valley International Airport
Lehigh Valley International Airport
Lehigh Valley International Airport , formerly Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport, is a public airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania....
, and Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport is a major airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania...
.
Rail
Passenger trains ran between Pottsville, Reading, Pottstown and Philadelphia until July 27, 1981, when transit operator SEPTA curtailed commuter service to electrified lines. Since then, there have been repeated calls for the resumption of the sorely needed services.In the late 1990s and up to 2003, SEPTA, in cooperation with Reading-based BARTA
Barta
The meaning of the word Barta, is almost the same as the word Barter, which mean "buying" products or services with other products or services....
funded a study called the Schuylkill Valley Metro
Schuylkill Valley Metro
The Schuylkill Valley Metro was a proposal for a 62-mile railway system that would link Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania in central Berks County, USA, using the SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line and Cynwyd Line, as well as two current freight-only rights-of-way owned...
which included plans to extend both sides of SEPTA's R6 passenger line
Manayunk/Norristown Line
The Manayunk/Norristown Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to the Elm Street station in Norristown, Montgomery County.-Route:...
to Pottstown
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States northwest of Philadelphia and southeast of Reading, on the Schuylkill River. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the...
, Reading, and Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. The project suffered a major setback when it was rejected by the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
New Starts program, which cited doubts about the ridership projections and financing assumptions used by the study. With the recent surge in gasoline prices and ever-increasing traffic, the planning commissions of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
and Berks County have teamed to study the feasibility of a simple extension of the Cynwyd Line
Cynwyd Line
The Cynwyd Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Cynwyd in Montgomery County.Originally known as the Ivy Ridge Branch, service was truncated on October 25, 1986 from Ivy Ridge to its current terminus at Cynwyd....
from Wyomissing to Norristown, PA. Options to be studied include complete electrification of the line, diesel service (with a cross-platform change in Norristown), or an electric-diesel hybrid. The study had been expected to be completed in the summer of 2008.
Tolling on US 422 between Pottstown and King of Prussia is looking more and more like a reality. The tolling will fund upgrades and maitenance on US 422, as well as extending the R6 to Reading and Wyomissing. Recent estimates have said that passenger trains could return to the city as soon as two years.
Barta has begun refurbishing the Franklin Street Station in anticipation of the return of passenger trains. The station was once the busy transportation hub of downtown Reading when the Reading Railroad owned it.
Neighborhoods
- Center City/Downtown Reading
- East Reading
- Southeast Reading
- Northeast Reading
- Northwest Reading
- South of Penn
- Centre Park
- Oakbrook/Wyomissing Park
- Millmont
- Hampden Heights
- Glenside
- Northmont
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 88,082 people living in the city. The racial makeup was 48.4% White(28.7% non-hispanic white), 13.2% Black (12.3% non-hispanic black), 0.9% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, 30.1% from some other race, and 6.1% from two or more races. 58.2% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.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 81,207 people, 30,113 households, and 18,429 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 8,270.2 persons per square mile (3,192.9/km²). There were 34,314 housing units at an average density of 3,494.6 houses per square mile (1,349.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 59.18% White, 12.25% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.60% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 22.32% from other races, and 4.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.31% of the population.
There were 30,113 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.4% 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, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 17.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,698, and the median income for a family was $31,067. Males had a median income of $28,114 versus $21,993 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 $13,086. 26.1% of the population and 22.3% of families were below the poverty line. 36.5% of those under the age of 18 and 15.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
In 2000, the Reading metropolitan statistical area was the second most segregated place for Hispanics in the United States, behind only the Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
area. Only 2.1% of the rest of Berks County is Hispanic or Latino, while this ethnic group is highly concentrated in certain city neighborhoods.
Estimates
As of the American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Reading had a population of 80,997. The racial makeup of the city was 48.8% White, 14.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 31.1% from other races, and 4.5% from two or more races. 56.3% were Hispanic or Latino of any race, with 33.5% being of Puerto RicanPuerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
descent. 33.0% of all people were living below the poverty line, including 42.0% of those under 18.
According to the US Census Bureau, Reading's population in 2008 was 80,888. 51.9% of the residents were White, 11.9% were African American, 0.3% were Native American, 1.6% were Asian, 0.1% were Pacific Islander, 30.3% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. 52.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race, with 28.7% being of Puerto Rican
Puerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
descent.
32.9% of all residents live below the poverty level, including 45.7% of those under 18. Reading's unemployment rate in May 2010 was 14.7%, while Berks County's
Berks County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 373,638 people, 141,570 households, and 98,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 435 people per square mile . There were 150,222 housing units at an average density of 175 per square mile...
unemployment rate was 9.9%.
Fire Department
The city of Reading is protected 24/7 by the professional firefighters and EMT/Paramedics of the Reading Fire and EMS Department(RFD). The RFD operates out of 7 Fire Stations(Including an EMS Station), located throughout the city, and also operate a fire apparatus fleet of 5 Engines, 3 Ladders, 1 Rescue, 2 Brush Units, 2 Deputy Chief's, and 3 front-line ambulances. The RFD responds to approximately 22,000 emergency calls annually.As of April 1st, 2011, Engine's 13 and 14 have been disbanded due to budget cuts. Engine 13 was quartered with Engine 1 and Engine 14 was quartered with Engine 5.
| Engine Company | Ladder Company | Special Unit | Command Unit | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine 1 | Brush 2 | N. 8th St. & Court St. | ||
| Engine 1(Temporarily) | Tower 1 | Rescue 1 | Platoon Chief | Plum St. & Franklin St. |
| Engine 3 | Ladder 1 | Brush 3 | Deputy Chief | N. 3rd St. & Court St. |
| Engine 5 | 101 Lancaster Ave. | |||
| Engine 9 | Ladder 3 | N. 9th St. & Marion St. | ||
| Engine 7 | W. Spring St. & McKnight St. | |||
| Medic 1, Medic 2, Medic 3 | Walnut St. & Reed St. |
Education
Five institutions of higher learning are located within Reading's city limits:- Albright CollegeAlbright CollegeAlbright College is a private, co-ed, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1856 and is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States.-Overview:...
- Alvernia University
- Pace Institute
- Reading Area Community CollegeReading Area Community CollegeReading Area Community College is a public community college located in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. The college was founded in 1971 and serves the greater Reading area and Berks County, Pennsylvania.-History:...
- Penn State University, Berks Campus
Three high schools serve the city:
- Berks Catholic High School
- Reading High SchoolReading High School (Reading, Pennsylvania)Affectionately known as "The Castle on the Hill," Reading High School in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States is home to nearly 3,000 students and several hundred teachers. The school houses 11th through 12th grade students from within the city limits in one of the largest school buildings on the...
(Grades 11-12) - Reading Intermediate High School (Grades 9-10)
The Reading School District provides elementary and middle schools for the city's children. Numerous Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
parochial schools are also available. It is possible to get a complete education, from kindergarten through college, on 13th Street.
Sports
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Phillies Reading Phillies The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies.... |
EL, Baseball | FirstEnergy Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium is a 9,000-seat baseball-only stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania that hosted its first regular season baseball game in 1951. The park is home to the Reading Phillies of the Eastern League. It was voted the second best place to see a baseball game by Minor League News in 2006... |
1967 | 4 |
| Reading Royals Reading Royals The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Sovereign Center located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... , Ice hockey |
Sovereign Center Sovereign Center Sovereign Center is a 7,083-seat multi-purpose arena, in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was built in 2001. The arena sits on the former site of the Astor Theatre. Closed in 1975, the theatre sat vacant, until it was torn down in 1998, to make room for the arena.... |
2001 | 0 |
| Reading Express Reading Express The Reading Express are a professional indoor football team based out of Reading, Pennsylvania. They are a member of the Indoor Football League, having begun play as a member of the American Indoor Football League 2006... |
IFL Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an... , Indoor football |
Sovereign Center Sovereign Center Sovereign Center is a 7,083-seat multi-purpose arena, in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was built in 2001. The arena sits on the former site of the Astor Theatre. Closed in 1975, the theatre sat vacant, until it was torn down in 1998, to make room for the arena.... |
2006 | 1 |
| Reading United A.C. | USL USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... , Soccer |
Don Thomas Stadium |
Reading played host to a stop on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, the Reading Open
Reading Open
The Reading Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour that was played in Reading, Pennsylvania in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was played at three different locations.-Tournament hosts:-Winners:*1951 Jim Turnesa*1950 Sam Snead*1949 Cary Middlecoff...
, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
The mechanical ice cream scoop was invented in Reading by William Clewell in 1878. He didn’t patent it and 100 years later another inventor claimed it. The 5th Ave Bar and York Peppermint Patty were invented in Reading. The first Amish community in the country was established in Greater Reading, Berks County.
Notable people
- Gus AlbertsGus AlbertsAugust Peterson Alberts was an American infielder in Major League Baseball from 1884-1891. He played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys , Cleveland Blues , and the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association and very briefly for the Washington Nationals of the Union Association . Alberts threw and...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player (b. 1861–d. May 7, 1912) - John BarrassoJohn BarrassoJohn Anthony Barrasso is the junior U.S. Senator from Wyoming and a member of the Republican Party. He was appointed to the Senate following Craig L. Thomas's death and won a special election in 2008 to fill the remaining four years of Thomas's term....
, current U.S. Senator from WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
(b. July 21, 1952) - Albert BoscovAlbert BoscovAlbert Boscov is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Boscov's Department Stores.He has donated money to Penn State Berks campus for its library, and to Genesius Theatre for restoration and further improvement of its main-stage building in Reading, Pennsylvania...
, chairman of Boscov'sBoscov'sBoscov's is an American department store founded by Solomon Boscov in 1911. The first store was in Reading, Pennsylvania, and today 40 stores are spread throughout the Mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and Delaware....
department store. - George BradleyGeorge BradleyGeorge Washington Bradley , nicknamed "Grin", was an American Major League Baseball player who was a pitcher and infielder. He was 5'10.5" and weighed 175 lbs. Bradley was born in Reading, Pennsylvania.-Baseball career:...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player, (b. July 13, 1852–d. October 2, 1931) - Jack CogginsJack CogginsJack Banham Coggins was an artist, author, and illustrator. He is known in the United States for his oil paintings, which focused predominantly on marine subjects. He is also known for his books on space travel, which were both authored and illustrated by Coggins...
, artist and author (b. July 10, 1911 – d. January 30, 2006) - Forrest ComptonForrest ComptonForrest Compton is an American actor. He has appeared in many television series and films but is by far best known as attorney Mike Karr, the central character on the long-running soap opera The Edge of Night, on which he appeared from 1970 - 84...
, actor (b. Sept. 15, 1925 in Reading) - Michael ConstantineMichael ConstantineMichael Constantine is a Greek American actor.He is probably now best known for his portrayal of Gus Portokalos, the Windex bottle-toting Greek father of Toula Portokalos , in the 2002 surprise hit film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.Prior to that, he was well-known for his extensive TV work, especially...
, actor (b. May 22, 1927) - Meg FosterMeg FosterMegan "Meg" Foster is an American actress best known for her roles in the TV miniseries version of The Scarlet Letter, Ticket to Heaven, The Osterman Weekend, and They Live .-Life and career:...
, actress (b. May 10, 1948) - Harry Whittier FreesHarry Whittier FreesHarry Whittier Frees was an American photographer who created novelty postcards and children's books based on his photographs of animals. He dressed the animals and posed them in human situations with props...
, photographer (b. 1879 - d. 1953) - John Fundyga, writer for The Howard Stern Show
- Carl FurilloCarl FurilloCarl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Brooklyn Dodgers (b. March 8, 1922 - d. January 21, 1989) - Megan GallagherMegan GallagherMegan Gallagher is an American actress.Gallagher was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and grew up in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Aileen Gallagher, was a model.Gallagher has largely worked in television and theatre...
, actress (b. February 6, 1960) - David McMurtrie GreggDavid McMurtrie GreggDavid McMurtrie Gregg was a farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe 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...
general - Mervin Heller, Jr.Mervin Heller, Jr.Mervin Heller is a past-president of the USTA and completed his tenure in 2002. He began with the USTA in 1974 as President of the Lehigh Valley District Tennis Association. In 1991, he was first elected to the USTA Board of Directors, serving as its Secretary/Treasurer in 1993-1994. Then, in 1999,...
, past-president of the USTA - Stu JacksonStu JacksonStuart Wayne Jackson is an American former head coach and current executive in the National Basketball Association. He has coached two different NBA teams: the New York Knicks in 1990 and 1991, and the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1997; he also has served as the Grizzlies' general manager...
, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA (b. December 11, 1955) - Chip KiddChip KiddChip Kidd is an American author, editor, and graphic designer, best known for his book covers.- Early life :Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Kidd grew up in the Reading suburb of Shillington, strongly influenced by American popular culture...
, book jacket designer at Knopf Publishing Group (b. 1964) - Richie KotzenRichie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
, rock guitarist (b. February 3, 1970) - Henry LarkinHenry LarkinHenry E. Larkin played Major League Baseball for 10 seasons .At age 24, Larkin started his career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1884. On June 16, 1885 he hit for the cycle...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player (b. January 12, 1860; d. January 31, 1942). Captain of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1888. - Donyell MarshallDonyell MarshallDonyell Lamar Marshall is a retired American professional basketball player, at the small forward and power forward positions. During his extensive NBA career, he played with eight different teams...
, NBA power forward (b. May 18, 1973) - Lenny MooreLenny MooreLeonard Edward Moore is a former American football halfback who played for Penn State in college and the Baltimore Colts. He came to the Colts in 1956, and had a productive first pro season and was named the NFL Rookie of The Year...
, NFL running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer (b. November 25, 1933) - Stephen MullStephen MullStephen D. Mull is a Senior Foreign Service officer who previously served as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs and United States Ambassador to Lithuania.-Biography:Mull was born in Reading, Pennsylvania...
, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Political Ministry Affairs, Former U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania - Jillian MurrayJillian MurrayJillian Leigh Murray is an American Actress. She perhaps best known for her role as Portlyn on Sonny With a Chance and as Heather in An American Carol .-Life and career:...
, actress (b. June 4, 1984) - James NagleJames NagleJames Nagle was an officer in the United States Army in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. During the latter conflict, he recruited and commanded four infantry regiments from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and led two different brigades in the Eastern Theater...
, Civil War general (b. April 5, 1822) - Hildegard PeplauHildegard PeplauHildegard E. Peplau As the first published nursing theorist since Florence Nightingale , Hildegard E. Peplau created the middle-range nursing theory of Interpersonal Relations and helped revolutionize the scholarly work of nurses...
, Nurse Theorist (b. Sept 1, 1909; d. March 1999) - Lori and Reba SchappellLori and Reba SchappellLori and George Schappell are conjoined twins. George has performed as a country singer. In 2007, George, who was at that time known as Reba Schappell, stated that although born female, he identified with the male gender and changed his name to George...
, conjoined twins - Ray Dennis StecklerRay Dennis StecklerRay Dennis Steckler , also known by the pseudonym Cash Flagg, was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor best known as the low-budget auteur of such cult films as The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies...
, film director (b. 1939) - Jim SterankoJim SterankoJames F. Steranko is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, magician, publisher and film production illustrator....
, Silver Age comic book artist, magazine publisher, and escape artist (b. November 5, 1938) - Wallace StevensWallace StevensWallace Stevens was an American Modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as a lawyer for the Hartford insurance company in Connecticut.His best-known poems include "Anecdote of the Jar",...
, poet (b. October 2, 1879) - Joe ToyeJoe Toye-External links:*...
, fought in World War IIWorld War IIWorld 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...
with E Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry RegimentE Company, 506th Infantry Regiment (United States)Easy Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", is one of the most well-known companies in the United States Army. Their experiences in World War II are the subject of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers based on the book...
featured in Band of Brothers (b. March 14, 1919; d. September 3, 1995) - John UpdikeJohn UpdikeJohn Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, poet, essayist (b. March 18, 1932; d. January 27, 2009) - Thomas UsherThomas UsherThomas J. Usher is an American business executive that has served as the President, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Steel. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Marathon Oil, the International Iron and Steel Institute, and the US-Korea Business...
, CEO of U.S. SteelU.S. SteelThe United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
and Chairman of the Board of Marathon OilMarathon OilMarathon Oil Corporation is a United States-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway,... - Charlie WagnerCharlie WagnerCharles Thomas Wagner was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox . Nicknamed "Broadway," he went on to a 50-year career as a scout and minor league instructor...
, Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(b. December 3, 1912; d. August 30, 2006) - Delores WellsDelores WellsDelores Wells is an American model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its June 1960 issue....
, actress (b. October 17, 1937) - Tullio DeSantisTullio DeSantisTullio Francesco DeSantis is an American contemporary artist, writer, and teacher. His work is informed by ancient and contemporary philosophy, science, and the relationship between art and life.-Biography:...
, artist, writer, professor (b. 1948) - Harry Yocom, WWII Lt, writer, religious leader (b. 1924)
- Thomas C. ZimmermanThomas C. ZimmermanThomas Cadwallader Zimmerman was a Pennsylvania German writer and translator, notable for his translations of English language classics into the Pennsylvania German dialect...
, Pennsylvania GermanPennsylvania DutchPennsylvania Dutch refers to immigrants and their descendants from southwestern Germany and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries...
writer and translator, notable for his translations of English language classics into the Pennsylvania German dialectPennsylvania German languageThe Pennsylvania German language is a variety of West Central German possibly spoken by more than 250,000 people in North America... - Santiago Tito Rivera Jr, Founder of the Hip -Hop Culture Foundation of America, former democratic Chiarperson on the 4th and 6th ward for the City of Reading. Founding Member of the United Panther Movement. Composer, Writer, Activist.
- Taylor SwiftTaylor SwiftTaylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Country Singer (b. December 13, 1989)
Recreation
The Reading Public MuseumReading Public Museum
The Reading Public Museum, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, has displays featuring science and civilizations, a planetarium and a arboretum. It also offers educational programs for families, adults and children, and a yearly cultural festival....
is an art, science, and history museum in Reading. The Reading Pagoda, located atop Mount Penn, is also a popular recreational stop for tourists and residents alike.
External links
- City of Reading (official site)
- The Reading Area Fire Fighter's Museum
- Berks Community TV
- Reading Eagle Newspaper
- Brookings Institution Report on recommendations for revitalization of cities in Pennsylvania
- Reading Public Library
- GoReadingBerks.com
- GreaterReading.com
- PennCorridor.com
- Unofficial Reading Fire Department Site