Lancaster

Lancaster is Pennsylvania Dutch country — and the "Dutch" part has nothing to do with the Netherlands. It comes from Deutsch, the German word for German, referring to the Palatine German settlers who started arriving in the 1720s. The Amish and Mennonite communities here are the real deal, not a theme park version.

That means horse-drawn buggies share actual roads with cars, most Amish businesses shut down on Sundays (and sometimes close by 5pm weekdays), and you will be expected to show basic respect around their communities. Don't photograph Amish people without asking — many consider it a violation of their religious beliefs. Lancaster also has a significant and long-established Latino community, particularly Puerto Rican residents in neighborhoods like Mussertown, which means the food and culture here is more layered than most visitors expect.

The city served as Pennsylvania's capital from 1799 to 1812, and Central Market has been running since the 1730s. Locals have a mix of deep pride in that history and a refreshingly no-nonsense attitude about it — nobody's going to lecture you about it on the street.

Horse-and-buggy traffic is real on county roads — slow down and pass carefully. Honking or crowding a buggy is considered rude and genuinely dangerous.. Central Market (20 W.

King St) is only open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 6am to 3pm. Show up at 9am on Saturday and it'll already be busy. Show up at 2:45pm and half the vendors have packed up..

Many Amish-run businesses and farms close on Sundays. Plan your Amish country day for a weekday or Saturday.. Don't photograph Amish people without explicit permission.

Some will say yes, many will say no — but asking matters.. First Friday happens every month in downtown Lancaster: galleries stay open late, shops run specials, and the streets fill up. It's a good way to experience the arts scene without paying for anything..

Mud sales are a spring tradition — these are Amish-community auctions, usually benefiting local fire companies, where you can find quilts, furniture, food, and farming equipment. They're worth seeking out if you're visiting February through April.. Scrapple is a Lancaster breakfast staple — a pork-based loaf of meat scraps and cornmeal, sliced and pan-fried.

Order it at a diner and say you want it crispy. It's polarizing but very local.. Locals refer to the vacuum cleaner as 'the sweeper.

' If someone offers to grab the sweeper, they're not confused about your floors.

Lancaster city is a mid-sized American city with the crime profile to match — not dangerous by national standards, but not without issues. The county as a whole ranks in the 97th percentile for safety among US counties. The city itself sits closer to average.

Property crime (theft, car break-ins) is more common than violent crime. Downtown Lancaster and the Historic District are generally fine during the day and on busy evenings, especially around the restaurant corridor between Prince, King, Duke, and Walnut Streets. Northwest Lancaster is considered the safest part of the city.

The southeast corner, historically around the 7th Ward, has had higher crime rates — it's not a tourist area, so most visitors won't end up there. At night in general, the usual city precautions apply: stay in lit areas, don't leave valuables visible in your car, and be aware of your surroundings. Locals say the area around Manor Street after dark isn't worth wandering through.

Amish country in the surrounding county is very safe. The main road hazard out there is literally the horse-and-buggy traffic — pay attention, especially at dusk when buggies are harder to see.