Dr. Daniel Edwards, Center for Urologic Care of Berks County
Lives in Wyomissing
Where are you from originally and what brought you to Greater Reading? I am originally from Philadelphia, and my wife is from Montgomery County. We both have the good fortune of coming from large, tight-knit families. In the years after college we lived in different locations around center city and South Philadelphia. However, by the time I had finished residency our son Owen was turning three and we started to feel a bit cramped by the downtown city life. After interviewing with seemingly every practice in the Philadelphia area, I reached out to the Center for Urologic Care of Berks County. I knew little of the area. We were drawn to the idyllic small town feel of Wyomissing Borough with proximity to West Reading, which we felt had Manayunk-esque vibes. We appreciated the convenience to reside within an hour of larger suburban or urban areas, but also the nearness to lakes, small mountains, hiking and biking trails, and the largest Cabela’s in the United States. Ultimately, the area had the right balance of the resources we enjoyed while living in the city, excellent schools for our children and ease of access to the great outdoors.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about making Greater Reading home? The variety of cities and towns available means almost anyone can find their “home” here, but it may take some time to look around and experience the area to know what feels best. I think the obvious benefits of the area are the decreased traffic congestion, the ease of access to outdoors activities, the well-established communities and the friendly people who reside here. I think less obvious benefits would be the strong school systems, the high-quality healthcare options, the numerous industries with excellent employment opportunities and the central location to nearby “urban centers.”
When family comes to visit, what is one place you must take them and why? There are many opportunities for excellent hikes in the area, but we have a soft spot for Hawk Mountain. There is an excellent information center that hosts educational programming and has a well-stocked gift shop. The hiking trails range from simple paved paths to strenuous 3-point rock scrambling and everything in between, and the views are quite profound at the higher elevations. There is also ease of access to nearby Blue Rocks campground and the Appalachian trail. It really showcases the natural splendor of the area. It also gives me an opportunity to “stop by” Cabela’s, which I am always looking for an excuse to do.
