Neighborhood in a Nutshell: Ardmore

Neighborhood in a Nutshell: Ardmore

Ardmore General Vibe

Ardmore is home to a great cross section of people and has an eclectic feel that reflects that variety. There are older people, young people, families, couples and single people, professionals as well as people in the trades—you get the picture. This Main Line town has some expensive as well as some inexpensive homes and, truly, everything along the continuum. Much of Ardmore life is centered along the restaurant and retail areas between Montgomery and Lancaster Avenue. Suburban Square shopping, including an Apple store, Trader Joe’s and the terrific farmers market. Plenty of eateries and specialty shops and services are also found here, clustered right around the train station (another draw to Ardmore). It’s a vibrant community with a strong business coalition which sponsors First Friday and the Main Line Bike Race.

Ardmore Housing

North side neighborhoods tend to be older stone homes on very private, heavily treed streets. Some of the south side streets are twins or rowhomes and affordable by Main Line standards. The Delaware County portion of Ardmore has some lovely homes, particularly those surrounding the famed Merion Golf Club. Ardmore Park has some modest Dutch colonials and similar styles in both twins and single family homes.

Ardmore Fan Favorite

Tired Hands Brewery.  This fairly new establishment already has an extremely loyal following. It is a restaurant and brewery with a focus on hyper-local beers. When they schedule a release of a new brew, the line at the door to try it out can be daunting!

Ardmore Don’t Miss

Ardmore Oktoberfest and Fall Festival. This annual event is a great seasonal activity and includes a moon bounce and face painting for the kids as well as plenty of beer tasting for the older set!

Ardmore’s Best Kept Secret

Ardmore Music Hall. This institution (having undergone a few name changes, but in existence since 1980) is a wonderful place to enjoy music in a very homey environment. The building itself is inviting and lots of locals have stories about performances they attended there in the past.

Ardmore Fun Fact

The Pont Reading House is recognized as one of the best preserved examples of early American architecture. Originally built as far back as 1623, but existing in its current form since 1813, it was the home of Joshua Humphreys, nicknamed “father of the American Navy”. He owned a shipyard in Philadelphia and is said to have discussed plans for ships with George Washington in the library of his Pont Reading house.

Read more about Ardmore here, and for a more in-depth summary with pictures, click here. You might also want to see what Wikipedia has to say.

If you are curious about other Main Line towns and neighborhoods, please take a look at my Main Line Neighborhood Guide.

Please contact me for more information at 610 308-5973 or jen@jenniferlebow.com.

If you are relocating to the Philadelphia/Main Line area, please go to my blog page and search for posts using the relocation tag. Contact me to discuss your Philadelphia area relocation! jen@jenniferlebow.com/610 308-5973