Ephrata, PA was quite a place to grow up in. I was born in the Ephrata Community Hospital, and lived in Ephrata (several different houses, but all within Ephrata’s limits) until I was in my early 20′s. I still don’t live far from there, and often go “home” to visit my parents.

When I was growing up in the 80′s and 90′s, Ephrata was considered a fairly small country-ish town. In many ways it still is, though since the housing boom a more fashionable crowd has been making their way from Philadelphia, New York, and other big cities into town and with them, more fashionable businesses. While there was once only a teenage hangout underground cafe (literally, it was below the sidewalk in a shop that was originally a whore-house, then a shoe store, then a bar, and finally a cafe run by a local church), there are now trendy cafes, a Chinese restaurant, a big office building with a movie theater (only two theaters inside, though, and sometimes one is used for the Ephrata Act- local theater group), and a slew of other boutique shops. I haven’t been to Downtown Ephrata in quite some time, and so I can’t say for certain what shops are there now, but there’s certainly no end to them!

One of the benefits of all the city folk moving in, is that Ephrata natives have a tendency to view their homes as, well, homes. However, the non-Ephratians that moved into town actually see what we’ve become blind to- the beautiful historic homes and business buildings. These new residents not only spruced up their new dwellings, but they actually restored them to their historical glory! What was once a nice, quaint little downtown main street, is now quite beautiful with its historical elegance shining through.

Wal-Mart and Arby’s came to town years ago, but the more recent additions are a Hilton hotel and an Applebee’s. Yet despite all the shiny new stores, restaurants and whatnot (btw, that’s a Pennsylvania Dutch phrase), some of the older, classic shops are still around.

East End Mart, which sells paint, wallpaper, hardware and other such items is easily recognized by the large ladders leaning up against their sign. Several other small businesses downtown are also thriving, and despite the housing slump in the rest of the country, Ephrata is pulling through reasonably well due to its convenient location and already lower housing prices. Ephrata is also very attractive to those who are moving out of urban environments because it’s surrounded by farmland (and I DO mean surrounded), and still has a nice small town feel, not quite the same as, but similar to Lititz, Pa. Yes, rather than deteriorating due to an influx of new residents, it seems to cause Ephrata, PA to thrive.