The Josh Shapiro Era is upon us and in a lot of very visceral ways it figures to be a lot different from the Tom Wolf Age.

First is generational change, and all that entails.

Wolf, who became governor at age 66, saw his first run for political office as the capstone to a successful career in business and public service. With first lady Frances, the Wolfs were empty-nesters who became grandparents while in office.

Shapiro, at 49, is still rearing three school-age children with his wife, Lori. (Their oldest is a student at the University of Pittsburgh.)There is a certain verve that comes with that daily proximity to youth — how else, for example, do you explain a middle-age couple’s affinity for rap?

Where Wolf was content to commute to the Capitol from his home in York County, Shapiro — whose Montgomery County home base is about an hour further from Harrisburg — plans to turn the state-owned Governor’s Residence on Front Street into an active home again.

Shapiro said in an interview with PennLive Thursday that it will be his home base during the work week, with the rest of the family spending “significant time” there during the summer and other times when the kids — who will continue in their current school in Montgomery County — have breaks.

(The Governor-elect is especially looking forward, he said, to reactivating the Residence’s outdoor basketball hoop for him and his kids.)

And finally, where Wolf is eagerly awaiting retirement (he told PennLive last month that he has no grander ambitions than to eat, sleep and read), Shapiro would in no way tell you that this new career adventure is going to be his last.

Here’s some other highlights from a pre-inaugural interview with Harrisburg’s newest resident: Joshua David Shapiro, the soon-to-be 48th governor of Pennsylvania.

He’s pledged to give us a full four years. Maybe more.

Shapiro, because of his stepladder political climb from state representative to county commissioner to Attorney General to, now governor — seeking higher office from his current office each time — knows about striking while the opportunity is hot.

He’s more CNN than PCN, and he is already making some too-early national lists of potential future Democratic presidential candidates. And, no one really knows if President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will actually run for re-election.

Shapiro, who trounced Republican Doug Mastriano in the general election, assured PennLive reporters Thursday that “of course” he will serve out the full four-year term to which he has just been elected.

“I ran to be governor. I’m honored to have this opportunity to serve as governor, and I intend to serve out my term.”

We pressed him on that, because of his history, and here is what he said:

“I’m not trying to be cute here… I feel very strongly, the good people of Pennsylvania have entrusted me with this really humbling and awesome responsibility, and I intend to serve every single day of my term and presumably seek another.”

He does plan to be present, and a presence, in Harrisburg

After eight years of the ultimate commuter governor - the Wolfs were the first not to live at the Residence since former Gov. Milton and Muriel Shapp were flooded out by Agnes in 1972 - Shapiro suggested he will have more of a consistent profile in Harrisburg, and one not just restricted to the ornate governor’s suite in the Capitol.

“We’re really excited to spend time there (at the Residence) and try to be present in the Harrisburg community,” Shapiro said.

“One of the things I like to do is walk. I do a lot of meetings when I walk, do a lot of calls when I walk. So I think you could expect to see me walking through the neighborhood and on the trail along the river, and, really just trying to spend quality time in the Harrisburg community.”

That extends, Shapiro said, to his senior staff and cabinet secretaries.

“We’ve made clear to our cabinet secretaries and to our senior staff that this is a Harrisburg-based job. In fact, our senior staff over the last few days — (press secretary) Manuel (Bonder) can attest to this — have moved into homes and apartments in Harrisburg.

“Our cabinet secretaries are both getting ready to take over big agencies and also house-hunting at the same time,” he said. “So, folks are excited to come to Harrisburg and lead this commonwealth forward and take on these really significant and meaningful responsibilities.”

That said, Shapiro is not exactly a bon vivant.

“I don’t go out a ton. I work a lot as you guys know, try to exercise, and have a lot of meetings. So I will expect to be at the local restaurants and probably also expect to be working late nights at the Residence and having a lot of meetings there as well.”

Ready for liftoff

Shapiro, with his long familiarity with the ways of state government, says he is ready to hit the ground running, starting with a Tuesday morning breakfast with four of the state’s five living former governors; Former Gov. Ed Rendell will not be attending due to mobility challenges that make it difficult for him to travel long distances in a car.

The harder business of governing will start in earnest after the inaugural activities, on Wednesday.

Shapiro said he expects to start with signing several significant executive orders, including an ethics package and another making good on a campaign promise to erase college-degree requirements from what could be thousands of state government jobs.

In the near future, as Shapiro develops his first budget package, don’t be surprised to also see:

Some way to give motorists a break on gas prices. Shapiro, in his campaign, had proposed a $250-per-vehicle rebate when gas prices were approaching $5 per gallon. Legislators are actively exploring other ideas. New investments in public schools, including one likely targeted to making sure each building is staffed with a dedicated mental health counselor. Establishing a new economic development lead for big projects within the governor’s office.

Those stories will unspool - or as life in politics sometimes goes, unravel - in greater detail in the days, weeks and months ahead.

But Shapiro, while fully aware he will be leading a divided government in highly-partisan times, isn’t putting any limits on the possibilities just yet.

“I want to be able to walk in on day one with a team that’s ready to go; that’s prepared to get to ‘yes,’ whether it’s on a bill or on an economic development project or on a community initiative, and get our government working again,” Shapiro said. “I’ll see you all on Tuesday.”

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