3 minute read
Downtown Dweller: A Place of Belonging
BY JONATHAN DESMARAIS | Director of Downtown Inc
The sense of belonging that Kimmie Lay and Roth J. Preap feel as downtown dwellers has been a part of their lives since their earliest years. Growing up in York City in the early 90s, their parents, who emigrated from Cambodia, cultivated “a simple lifestyle in the city,” where they “learned to live with what they had.” Now, as young professionals, Kimmie and Roth have fully embraced this family value, as they cherish the many assets of their community, Downtown York.
Sharing their historic three-story row-home in the heart of the WeCo District as cousins and friends, Kimmie and Roth are only footsteps away from all of their favorite places. Whether it’s kicking their day off with coffee at I-ron-ic orPrince Street Café, enjoying live music with York SymphonyOrchestra at the Appell Center or KableHouse Presents atCentral Market, grabbing drinks with friends at 1st Capital Dispensing Company, shopping for Cambodian cooking essentials at Fu Chao, the Asian Market at Penn Market, or playing the retro arcade games at Timeline Arcade, it’s all just a few blocks away.
~ ROTH J . PREAP
Not only can you find Kimmie and Roth frequenting the many great restaurants, shops, and event venues of Downtown York, but they love to plug in to the community that they love. As Kimmie explains, “Downtown York is the perfect conduit for networking.”
By day, Kimmie serves as a Branch Manager with PNC Bank, and by night, she teaches yoga at House of Yoga, and serves as the Marketing Chair for York Young Professionals. As the York County Community Foundation’s Grants Program Officer, Roth also supports the York Youth Symphony Orchestra as their Operations & Program Manager.
And if that’s not enough to demonstrate their love of Downtown York, in support of local artists at the height of COVID, Kimmie and Roth had their front windows painted in festive scenes by Annelise Vuono and commissioned a portrait that hangs proudly in their living room.
With a smile on his face, Roth explains the love of their community that he and his cousin, Kimmie share, saying, “Here in Downtown York, it’s easy to feel comfortable with a true sense of belonging.”
