If you ever heard of Lancaster, PA — you may think of serene fields and hills, the farms, and, of course, the Amish. What you may be thinking about is Lancaster County, a larger surrounding area around Lancaster City. The city though is a different story. Nodding to its history and architectural heritage, it is living happily alongside with the new and modern. A number of makers and younger business owners have moved to the area in the recent years turning Lancaster into a vision of a happy, balanced, and highly walkable city.
Many intricate iron elements found around Lancaster CityAs you walk around Lancaster City you’ll notice many quirky and well-made signs and lettering
Festoon Boutique, a local style and home decor store located in a former firehouseThe guiding displays around the city’s downtown are well-made and set in Gill Sans typeface Gallery Row is at the center of Lancaster art scene and features a number of local galleriesAn installation, located on the corner of N. Prince Street and W. Chestnut Street, created by local designers Gail Anderson and Joe NewtonDavid Lyall Design, a chic interior design studio and home decor shop by the local designer
A Day In The Life Records, a local minimal record shop selling mostly new vinyl and many of the most recent releasesFocusing on mid-century furniture and home goods, Space is a great shop to travel back in time (and not break the bank)
Ewell Plaza, a new modern urban park by the Lancaster Public Library, designed by6 R&R Studios Sleek modern bins at the Ewell PlazaLancaster is not eager to erase history: like this early 20th-century Coca-Cola muralFacede of Shaub’s, a former clothing store with stunning art deco detailsLancaster Central Market, the oldest, continuously running public farmers’ market in the country featuring fresh produce from local farmers 3 days a weekFor a great coffee, stop by at Passenger Coffee, a sleek modern coffee shop that uses its own beans collected from around the worldThe facade of the former Harold’s Furniture Store is the finest and largest example of Second Gothic Revival style commercial architecture in LancasterSteinman Park, a tribute to John Frederick Steinman and James Hale Steinman, local newspaper businessmen who ran Intelligencer Journal, one of the oldest newspapers in the United StatesVille & Rue, a refined local home decor store inspired by travel Stans Records, a long-running local record store with a large collection of 45 recordsEllicott & Co., a beautiful heritage-inspired menswear and dry goods store
Dog Star Books features a very loosely organized collection of used, rare and unique books
Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out my daily explorations on Instagram.