historic preservation Archives

Multi-family housing boomlet in Tredyffrin? Big plans for Swedesford & Chesterbrook; New Village Play Space & a destination playground; Wins for Willows & Stoneleigh; Brain Fog; All-new Sporting Club & more

June 28, 2018 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Holy Lazarus! A long-stagnant stretch of Tredyffrin has a pulse.

The owner of Swedesford Plaza wants to bulldoze the old HH Gregg and build luxury apartments in its place – 250 of them.
After approaching umpteen stores, fitness chains, health systems and grocers for its two empty anchors, Echo Realty is throwing in the retail towel on one of them. In partnership with Bozzuto, Echo plans to build a four-story, 250-unit apartment building at the old HH Gregg site, a permitted use under zoning code.

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Social edition: Loretta Swit in Wayne, Jazz for Home of the Sparrow, Appleford Summer Solstice, Natural Lands’ Stardust, DAR, ML School Night & City Year soirées & more

July 10, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

M*A*S*H fans flocked to the Cottage at Valley Forge Flowers to meet Loretta Swit, aka Hot Lips Houlihan.

The star: A longtime artist and animal rights activist, Swit, now 79, came to Wayne June 29 to sign copies of Switheart: The Watercolour Artistry & Animal Activism of Loretta Swit. Fetched from New York by a Valley Forge Flowers staffer, Swit was reportedly “lovely” and raved about the antiques and collectibles at the Cottage.

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Social edition: Giant Steps for Sarcoma; LM Conservancy, Riverbend & JCHAI galas; Fred’s Footsteps GNO; Devereux does Devon & The Cottage kicks off in Wayne

June 16, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Braving steamy temps, throngs of sarcoma warriors, survivors, their families and friends – 1,300 strong – walked or raced through Wilson Farm Park in Chesterbrook on June 11.

The teams: Identifiable by their custom tees, at least 30 teams turned out for the 5K chip-timed race and one-mile walk, many led by people battling sarcoma on crutches, wheelchairs and with prosthetic limbs.

Gang green: Some 80 family and friends wore green t-shirts in honor of Pat Maher of Devon, who tragically lost a four-year-battle with sarcoma last June at age 47. Pat led his green-shirted team in the first Steps to Cure Sarcoma event two years ago.

The hometown hero host: Conestoga ’06 star and Ewing’s sarcoma survivor Mark Herzlich, 29, who will play his 7th season for the New York Giants this fall.

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Wait til you see what Valley Forge Park’s got cooking; 8 reasons to love new AmRev Museum; Pun’s Toys, LM taxes & Cricket Club news; Saluting Dodo & G. Sills & more

April 27, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Ah, Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Central Park of the Main Line.

Walk, ride or hike its 3,500 acres and you can just smell the history.

But the Park’s not resting on its cherry laurels these days.

Far from it.

Thanks to its newly invigorated nonprofit arm, the Valley Forge Park Alliance, it’s marching forward with dazzling plans that will affect ALL of us – anyone who “recreates” in the park (90 percent of visitors), brings guests there, or even drives through.

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Wait ’til you see what just ‘Hatch’ed in Wayne; Saving Wynnewood, one mansion at a time; ‘Nova’s tiny Superfan; Paint the Town Red & more

March 16, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Pregnancy or new motherhood getting to you?

Join the club.

Literally.

Just open in Wayne: Hatch: A Sanctuary for Motherhood, an upscale, membership-based Mecca for expectant and new moms.

Because motherhood has its bumps – and they can’t all be covered in maternity tops.

Also because Dr. Spock and What to Expect When You’re Expecting are SO last century.

The Hatch method: an array of programs to help you “Grow, Glow and Know.” The goals: Get physically and mentally fit and get educated. Baby and hubby will thank you.

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Local beer boom; Stunning news @ aging skin; Academy Ball Ever After; Gucci crimes; Bridal tidings; Saluting newsman Tom Murray & more

January 31, 2017 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Suddenly, the Main Line is soaking in suds.

Sure, we have locally-owned brewpub faves like Ardmore’s Tired Hands, McKenzie Brewhouses in Berwyn and Malvern, newbie La Cabra Brewing and, slithering soon to Bryn Mawr, Tin Lizard.

And yes, we’ve got a few, but not nearly enough, cozy gastro-pubs like The Goat’s Beard and Teresa’s Next Door in Wayne.

And of course, restaurants far and nigh (Biga, Savona et. al.) have been beefing up their beer lists.

No, the BIG news in brews is this: a brand-new law permits PA peeps to take home beer by the bottle.

Holy Heineken!

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Who’s Coming, Who’s Going, Who’s Growing in Wayne, Stoneleigh in Nova saved for ALL & Mom’s Day ideas

May 4, 2016 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Turning the page on Bryn Mawr, Main Point Books is heading west to Wayne.

Score one for Wayne in the Main Line Downtown Showdown.

Dusty, down-at-the-heels and now officially defunct, Wayne’s old-timey Reader’s Forum will get re-incarnated as Main Point Books in mid-summer.

“I wouldn’t have moved if I hadn’t been offered this specific space,” says bookseller Cathy Fiebach, a Wynnewood mom who will pack up Bryn Mawr after a three-year run and open on North Wayne Ave. the last week of July.

‘Cause Wayne’s got what Bryn Mawr’s still pining for: foot traffic.

“People understand how to park in Wayne and how to walk around town,” she tells SAVVY. “Bryn Mawr doesn’t quite have that worked out.”

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3 New Spots You Need to Try: Biga in Bryn Mawr, Brandywine Branch Distillers & Wayne’s Christine Shirley, plus Covered Wagon Inn SAVED!

April 27, 2016 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

Hallelujah! It has been SAVED!

A few months ago, we told you about the fire ’n brimstone fight to spare Strafford’s old Covered Wagon Inn from CVS’ wrecking ball.

Well, Praise Be: preservationists’ prayers have been answered.

CVS’ developer has submitted a new plan to Tredyffrin Township that keeps the small circa 1780 building – once the Covered Wagon Inn, now Thomas Moser Fine Furniture – standing tall at the corner of Old Eagle School and Lancaster.

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Villa & Shipley alumna/author J. Knoll comes clean about the gang rape in Luckiest Girl Alive, plus other brave souls & a mansion worth saving

April 12, 2016 / By Caroline O'Halloran / /

We all thought Villa Maria and Shipley alum Jessica Knoll was living the dream.

Her debut novel, the Gone Girl-esque thriller, Luckiest Girl Alive, was an award-winning bestseller.

Lionsgate optioned the movie rights with Reese Witherspoon (!) to produce; Knoll wrote the screenplay.

Her publisher – Simon & Schuster, no less – green lit a second novel, due to drop in spring 2017.

Noll had made it in magazines, too, landing coveted senior editor jobs at Cosmo and Self.

Oh, and she was attractive and happily married, too.

At 32, she was, well, the luckiest girl alive, right?

No and yes.

Two weeks ago, Jessica Knoll dropped a bomb.

She published an essay admitting for the first time that the horrific gang rape in her novel was based on her own experiences.

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