We’re the Martins! I’m John (45), married to Liz (44), and together we have two great kids: Jack (18) and Sarah (15), each of whom is a “Facility Attendant of the Week” recipient over at the Derry Township Recreation Center (we have certificates on the fridge to prove it). Liz, a true lover of all things green, is happiest in the yard, digging in the dirt. And I’m usually wandering around town with a camera in hand, taking pictures of (literally) everything while listening to podcasts and/or the latest Taylor Swift album.

     Why Hershey: We moved here from Mt. Holly Springs in 2018 with the help of our realtor, Christie Fugate. I was working in Harrisburg and as the kids were getting older, it was important for work to be closer to home so that I could be more involved in extracurricular activities. Hershey was a great fit for that, and after about a year of looking, we found the perfect house right downtown.

     Our Life: Liz and I both attended Penn State and graduated in 2003. We first moved to Carlisle so that I could get my law degree from the Dickinson School of Law. I work as an attorney and am one of the co-founders of Pillar+Aught, a law firm located on the outskirts of Harrisburg (and proud sponsor of the Hershey Bears power plays!). Liz works as the Corporate Secretary of Mid Penn Bank, a Pennsylvania-based bank with headquarters in Millersburg. Jack and Sarah both work as Facility Attendants at the Rec Center.

     Our Kids: Jack is in his senior year at Hershey High School. He runs distance: cross country in the fall and track in the winter (indoor) and spring. Jack’s into movies, music, and hiking, and one day hopes to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. Sarah is in her sophomore year, is a setter on the volleyball team and a member of the high school’s Trojan Buddies program. Sarah loves to crochet, is an avid reader, and has watched Gilmore Girls start-to-finish at least five times. Our 'furry kid' is Pete, aged 9, a miniature goldendoodle. There is an article floating around the Internet that says dogs don’t actually like to be hugged or cuddled because they’re dogs, not humans, but we’re sure Pete never read it.

     Our faves: Our favorite restaurant in town is The Chocolate Avenue Grill. We are partial to the Thai chicken (extra spicy for me), Jack loves the traditional burger, and Sarah usually goes with the grilled chicken pesto sandwich. We also love Fenicci’s, Liz’s favorite Italian restaurant. She has lost count of how many lasagna certificates she’s earned over the years. They don’t give you a certificate for eating an entire upside-down pizza, but I do it anyway, out of principle. Liz’s favorite store in town is The Shoppe on Chocolate, and Sarah loves Knock Knock Boutique. We have been Hersheypark season passholders for longer than we’ve lived here.

     True Story: When we bought our house, the previous owners told us that there was going to be a block party outside our front door in a few months. We said “Do you promise?” It was (and continues to be, every other year or so) such a fun event. We love that we can catch the Halloween parade about a block away from our house.

    Walk it Out: Our favorite part about living in Hershey is just how walkable everything is. We can walk downtown to eat dinner, to Hersheypark Stadium for concerts, to Hersheypark for a few coaster rides, to the Hershey Theatre for a show, to the rec center for a workout, to the library for a book, and to the high school for sporting events and musicals.