When I left my small town of Lancaster, PA 12 years ago It was exactly that... A small town. Maybe not in terms of population or sprawl but it was definitely not the lively bustling tourist town it is today. Sure, people would visit to take a peek at the Amish folks but otherwise nobody and I mean NOBODY went downtown. There were a handful of restaurants and the bars were rough.
The central market on any given summer Saturday was as busy as the metro area would get and that's about it.
I have to admit, I was absolutely shocked to see how far little Lancaster has grown while I was away. There are hip new restaurants and bars, cute little shops and amazing artwork installations all over the city. First Friday is a complete hit with people bustling around to all the open galleries. Celebrations, races and events block the streets every other week for fun filled family experiences. It seems like you can find young people boozing it up with their friends at the local bars almost every night of the week.
It's quite the lively scene downtown these days.
My husband and I keep a jar of places we haven't been yet. We pull a place out of that jar when it's date night. I can't even believe there are enough places in town to fill a whole jar but it's bringing us such joy to try a new place every single time.
Some of our favorites include The Exchange, Proof, Shot & Bottle and Luca.
I'm sure our favorites list will keep growing with every little sip and delicious bite from here on out.
Lancaster isn't the same. It's changed. It's changing. It's much needed and definitely for the better. I can't wait to see how much the city and my waistline grow from all the amazing new places to hangout downtown. Where are your favorite places to go in Lancaster City?
