Welcome to Narberth! A quaint town on the Main Line that is often praised for its walkability. We love it for its year round festivals, insanely delicious french pastries (more on that below), and its central location to many other hot spots on the Main Line. At the first signs of spring, we were itching to get out to explore the architecture and cute shops of Narberth, Pa. Come take a walk with us!
Location Location Location
Narberth is minutes away from nearby towns such as Bala Cynwyd, Merion Station, Wynwood and Gladywn. The Narberth Cycling Club hosts a weekly ride to Suburban Square in Ardmore for shopping at Trader Joes and the Ardmore Farmers Market.
Commuters rejoice! With SEPTA trains running just about every 30 mins M-F and every hour on weekends, you can be to 30th station in 12 mins or Jefferson in 23 mins. One distinction of Narberth is there are no major thoroughfares running through the town. To make a quick getaway you’ll find I-76 10 mins to the west and easy access to Routes 30 and 1 which will take you to Delco and Montgomery Counties.
Young residents of Narberth get to enjoy some of the finest schools in the nation. Sitting in Lower Merion County means taking advantage of a top notch public school education, or attending one of the prestigious private schools in the area.
Narberth’s business district runs along a few streets that include Haverford, Forrest, Narberth and Essex Avenues. Shops are clustered together, evoking that small town neighborhood vibe. Essentials such as dry cleaning, a neighborhood grocery market, medical offices and the ever necessary PA Fine Spirits and Wine can be found in the center of town. Don’t miss the REEL Theater, which has survived since 1927 and is still thriving!
We started our morning meeting up at Le Petite Mitron—it was hopping with “Narb” regulars! Fresh French pastries, made daily, line the cases. If you don’t have a sweet tooth like us check out this extensive list from Narberth Business Association (NBA) for more foodie favorites—from casual fare to take home meals. We love that there are a few pubs on the list to meet up with neighbors!
Shopping in town means supporting Narberth local businesses and you’ll find an assortment dotting the district. We stopped into a woman-owned business, which is also a PHG client biz! Kimberley Bezak is co-owner of SHIFT, a refillery that offers sustainable goods and services. You bet we BYOC’d (bring your own container) and stocked up on laundry & dish soap and heavenly shower steamers. Currently, SHIFT resides in the American Family Market pop-up space but is moving to a permanent location in early summer. Sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date on the big move, advice to change your home habits and sustainable events in the area.
Community
This small borough is not short on community activities. There is a group for just about anyone. Join the Narberth Community Theater and be a star. If gardening is your jam, you may find your people at the Narberth Garden Club or the Co-op Gardens of Narberth. There is even a climate action group.
The NBA (Narberth Business Association) hosts a number of festivals. One of the most well-known is the Narberth Dickens Festival. The streets come alive with Dickens characters roaming the streets, entertaining fairgoers. Booths line downtown offering themed food, hot toddies, a scavenger hunt for the kids and carriage rides for the family. Another favorite of ours is the NarBark Dog Parade. Our very own PHG pet Deuce Whipple has the honor of being the self-proclaimed winner of the parade (bestowed by his parents). Narberth loves a good city-wide scavenger hunt—with themes like Witches of Narberth and Great Narberth Leprechaun Hunt the kids are sure to become the next Sherlock Holmes.
The library is right next door to the Narberth Park Playground. When you’re done filling your PHG tote with new reads, grab your basketball or tennis racket and enjoy the courts. The little ones get to partake in the community by mingling with their buds while climbing and running around the playground.
Homes
Most of the homes in Narberth are walkable to town, including those nestled in Narbrook Park. Added to the national register of historic places in 2003, Narbrook Park, also referred to as Narberth Garden, reminds us of a village straight out of Wales. Cherry blossoms still on the trees, sweet pups out for a walk, it was perfectly serene and captivating. Outside “the park” you’ll find twins with parking and big yards, victorians with sweeping porches and condos nearby transportation to Philly. If you’re looking for your home sweet home in a suburban town that has all the boxes ticked give us a ring. We always want an excuse to meet up and have one of those french pastries!
With its current moniker of Philadelphia’s “Little Italy”, Bella Vista prides itself on celebrating the best of Italian history and culture. In recent years, the neighborhood has become even more diverse, with growing Vietnamese and Mexican immigrant populations. The history of Bella Vista is vast, and one of the neighborhood’s modern highlights is the availability of different cuisine options.