I love where I live. I have lived many places, but I always come back.

I live in what used to be Germantown on the edge of what is growing back into Little Italy, near the old City Cemetery that sits atop a gradual incline and in the right weather, gives you a full view of the lake beyond this city. Where I live, long ago, used to be the edge of that lake, which now sits 2.5 miles north of me. I see evidence of that ancient lake edge whenever I turn the soil to plant something.

That lake provides much of our year-round entertainment, including Presque Isle State Park, a peninsula with over seven miles of sandy beaches and six distinct ecosystems, providing for amazing bird watching, miles of hiking, biking, and walking trails. There’s also great fishing, sailing, boating, para sailing, scuba diving, four lighthouses and a whimsical kite and catamaran beach.

The new Tom Ridge Environmental Center with the big green screen sits at the entrance to Presque Isle. But the city that sits on this lake also keeps us engrossed and learning with art, children’s, historical and maritime museums. We have a planetarium, a city zoo, two city universities, a city arboretum and a city amusement park on the lake. Summer gets busy here with ethnic festivals, outdoor and beach concerts, a jazz scene, and beautiful sunset after beautiful sunset. I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface — oh, the local restaurants and chocolate and wine and… Savvy details to come!