Seniors Enjoy The White Rose City

York, known as the White Rose City, is located in the South Central region of the state. We can easily guess where the name York comes from. Like so many cities, New York, New Jersey, New Albany, New…anything in England.

That White Rose comes from the House of York whose symbol was a white rose.  Around 45,000 folks call York home in the Factory Tour Capital of the World where thirteen different factories are open to the general public.

For over 250 years, York has been at the crossroads of American history. In 1741, the area that was to become York was laid out in grid formation, patterned after Philadelphia. The location was chosen because it was a crossroads: the intersection of the scenic Codorus Creek with the Monocacy Trail, an old Indian trail which connected Penn’s Woods with the Shenandoah Valley.

 If you enjoy motorcycles, the Harley Davidson factory invites senior visitors to come and watch the assembly-line churn out “hogs.” Me, I’d like to visit The York Barbell Factory where I could see the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame. Senior visitors can see such sights as a license plate torn in half using only bare hands.  If theater is your bag, the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center is big in York.

 Seniors Find a Great Mainstreet City

York, also known as Yorktown in the mid 18th to early 19th century, was named one of the Greatest Mainstreet cities in the entire country by Travel & Leisure. To just stroll along the alluring streets of downtown York is to walk through an open-air museum of architectural history.

From the half-timber architecture of the Golden Plough Tavern (don’t miss it) to the post-modern construction of newer office buildings, the architecture in and around Continental Square is a microcosm of American architecture.

You will soon see why York has been surnamed “an architectural museum.” It is loaded with well-preserved historic buildings like the 1741 Golden Plough Tavern, the Gates House, the 1766 York Meetinghouse and on and on.

City of Historic Districts

As if that is not enough history, their are four distinct historic districts. Springdale Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a national historic district located in the Springdale neighborhood. It transports senior visitors into history. The Geographic Channel is your virtual walking tour of York, grouped by street.  Click on a link and start your tour!

If you enjoy theater, York is home to the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, which brings many nationally acclaimed acts to the area. Today, much of York’s culture represents the city’s evolving role as an agricultural and industrial center.

The historic York Fair, which claims to be the country’s oldest, traces its roots back to 1765. So come and spend some time in York and enjoy its roots, good food and its pleasant citizenry.  jeb