Reading (pop: 81,207) is an interesting city located northwest of Philadelphia. With a metro population of 392,000 (roughly Canton), it has a diverse mix of ethnic groups including blacks, whites, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans. Famous for the Reading Pagoda, which sits atop the city, and a large collection of outlet stores, Reading has an intact downtown, extremely dense neighborhood (perhaps the densest, structurally, for a small town in this country; or at least one of them), and a treasure chest full of architecture. The city has seen better days but it can only go up, especially how beautiful the city remains.
