This is, of course, the ultimate tennis club with one of the best lawns for playing the game…read moreanywhere.

I saw a mouse run across the floor while having coffee with a friend…read more Coffee wax good.

Vernon Young Park is part of a trio of three great Township Locations - the other two being the…read moreco-located Ardmore Avenue Pool and the Ardmore Avenue Community Center (AKA "The Shack"). This is a very well kept moderately sized park in the urban village of Ardmore. It's down the street from the Ardmore Library, Post Office and the PALM (Positive Aging Lower Merion) Senior Center. The park has four distinct areas. First, the playground, which faces Ardmore Avenue and is directly outside the pool entrance. It has a high fence (so no toddlers can easily take off, as they are likely to do), some fairly new play structures and lots of wood chips. There are also a few benches and shade trees. Then there are the basketball courts, which run games pretty regularly, both league and pick-up games. They are in good shape, have bleachers and shade awnings over the bleachers. Nice touch. There are some tennis courts, also high fenced, in very good shape. Then there is the 'lower' playing fields with two baseball diamonds and lots of grass. In the warmer months there are many baseball, soccer and flag football games going on basically every afternoon and all weekend. It's only downfall is that it is a more urban park, meant to be walked to, so if you're parking there it can be a challenge. Ardmore Avenue is one of the busier streets so it's not a quiet, tranquil place, especially when the adjacent pool is open. It is, however, well kept and well used, and has something for just about everyone (except the person looking for a quiet spot to read - not happening here).

Basketball, small playground, two baseball fields, tennis.read more

SMNS is a really unique place! I send my 2 year old daughter here and she loves it! The daycare is…read moreset inside the St Mary's church, but isn't religious. They have an awesome enclosed outdoor play area. They mix the children up so they get to know older and younger kids. The school has many family events that help build a strong community. The staff is awesome with low turn-over. Also, the school is flexible with schedules and has a money saving co-op option.

Our daughter goes here and we absolutely love it. It's located right on Penn's campus in a…read moretranquil setting that is tough to find in most of the city. The space used by the school was converted from part of St. Mary's Episcopal Church and has a really cool vibe. The rooms have high ceilings and lots of interesting play areas . The outdoor playground is amazing - you just have to see it. The staff is very attentive And finally, yes, they have a parking lot for pick-ups and drop-offs so no worries about scrambling to beat the PPA.

beautiful trails, beware of large coyote spotted July 12th. Surprised to come in close contact with…read morea coyote. Be mindful and don't let your dog run off leash or out of sight .

You grow up in an area, you think "I know all the great places to go". Then, thanks to a friend,…read moreyou discover McKaig Nature Center, which happens to be right down the actual road from a place you used to work at. You are happily humbled. Lion and I were looking for a different place to go 'stretch our legs', and were recommended McKaig. So, we plugged the address in the GPS, because, like I said, I've worked on Croton Road and never ever saw this place. Once we got there, I understand why - the 'entrance' on Croton is a small frontage, basically wedged between some houses, a creek and an elementary school. There is a visitor board, a monument and such but if you're not looking carefully it's easy to miss. It's also the entrance where there is one trail, as the trails are laid out kind of like lungs - the "north entrance" is your windpipe, which goes south and splits into two 'lobes". What's different from anatomy is that each lobe has an entrance 'southeast' and 'southwest' on Brower Road. We didn't realize more of the trailheads were in the southeast and southwest entrance, and unfortunately the day we were there the trail map bin was empty. We pulled up a map on our phone and figured it out. The trails are themselves well marked, well maintained and have a number of trail markers, along with some educational plaques. There are different degrees of difficulty, some are relatively flat trails and others have medium to steep grading so there's a variety of hiking experiences. We took a trail that is somewhat challenging, looping around to the west, along the back of the elementary school and some houses, then meeting up with a junction of several trails and a bridge. We took some time sitting at a bench, watching the groups of people on their hikes - families, people walking their dogs, etc. It's a lovely place and one we'll be visiting again. Next time we'll see about accessing from one of the Brewer Road entrances, though our friend tells us parking by those is a little more haphazard as there's no lot. For the Croton Road entrance the elementary school parking lot is directly adjacent and on a weekend day very easy to use.

The only time I really play on the Ardmore courts is when it is dark out because they are lit. The…read morecourts are down Ardmore Ave (off of Lancaster/Rt. 30) at W. Spring Avenue. There are two courts and I believe that they are opened pretty late. Sometimes there is a private going on, but this is usually OK because the other court is available. The courts are fenced in which is really good cause there is always a pick-up basketball game going on in the evenings. As far as I know, you don't have to reserve the courts and they are free for the public. There is also a baseball field next to the tennis courts and a playground. In the evenings there are usually a couple of teens hanging out around the playground or watching the basketball game, so it's not that quiet. Therefore, if you want to play a real game without verbal lets in the evening, you may want to go to Radnor High. During the day it should be OK as kids are in school or what not, but I prefer to play on the Narberth courts then. Street parking is available right next to the courts.

So happy to have found a location with lighting! Now with the time change there is no time after…read morenormal working hours to play without being indoor or with lights. There are two courts that are well lit at night. The lights are on a timer that you can up every 2 hrs. If the lights do do out on you, you can turn them back on with the timer on the big electric pole with the electrical boxes. They may be delayed coming back on, but be patient- they will come back on! Not sure how long into the fall/winter months the nets are kept up, but will definitely play evenings as long as they are up and weather is mild enough. Courts and net system are in fine repair. There are lighted basketball courts as well which has pick up games. Parking is available on the side neighborhood streets just down the block. Thank you for the option of lighted courts!!

This is an amazing place to do art. The pottery studio and classes are fabulous with expert…read moreteachers that go beyond their jobs. I have grown as a potter because of them. The community of students is wonderful. We all share our knowledge with each other--always taking care of each other too. This is a warm, exciting, and inviting place to complete work. The day workshops are awesome too.

We had our wedding ceremony at the Alverthorpe Manor in Sept 2018 and it was great! The site itself…read moreprovides a dramatic backdrop with the manor, old exterior walls, arch, outdoor stage, old tennis courts, and spots along the walking trails (some photos attached). We chose this place for cost, flexibility of customization and the contacts (Sam & Joshua's Catering) were genuine, good people that I wanted to be around on our big day. )I believe there were major changes in management around 2017, lots of poor reviews prior to that)

This playground is a nice addition to a day at the Elmwood Zoo, especially for families with…read moreyounger kids. The play area is geared toward ages 0-12 and has a mulch surface. My kids enjoyed having extra room to run around, and there were a few tables nearby to sit at or snack. A few things to know before you go: parking is street parking only, which could definitely become a challenge on busy zoo days. The park is not fully fenced, so parents with runners will want to keep a close eye. I also didn't notice bathrooms immediately near the playground area. The park itself felt safe and was a good quick stop before or after the zoo. Just keep in mind that if it recently rained, the grassy areas can get muddy pretty quickly. Overall, it's a simple but convenient spot to pair with a zoo visit.

This spring, I've been enjoying the weekend events at the Colonial PA Plantation in Ridley Creek…read moreState Park. We have a Tyler Arboretum membership, which has reciprocity (free admission) with the plantation! I make my reservation free online (selecting member status) and give my name at the gate, and in we go, for a lot of fun! The animals are always present and at the forefront of many activities. We saw the ox pulling a plow to till the field, the sheep being shorn, the mother pig just gave birth to 6 piglets, and the yard birds have been boisterous and competing for attention every time we visit them. We've also seen flax get broken down for the starts of linen making, water get pulled from the well, cooking demonstrations in the kitchen, rifle and period military demonstrations, live music, wool cleaning and spinning, a house tour, and garden planting. There is still so much more coming up in the summer and fall months. It is an interesting mix of visitors I've seen there, everyone from babies, to school children, teens, college kids, even retirees, all come with curiosity for the history and fun events here. Some of the volunteers will be more in character than others, speaking to you as though they're really of the colonial era. I like when they're more instructorial and simply want to teach what they're doing, or how things were, and truly hope to impart an experience that will light a spark in you to connect you with the past. My toddler is still too young to understand the present let alone the past, but I know I am stimulating him, and giving him bits of memories that will help him put pieces together more quickly when the time comes to "get" history. Everyone we've dealt with at the plantation has been really kind and eager to give us a hands-on experience. We got to pat animals we wouldn't be able to pat at the zoo, even feel the brass caps on the ox's horns, and rub the sheep's faces. Volunteers have pointed out so many interesting tips and observations, like how modern medicine has allowed the ox to tower above humans and weigh significantly more than one would have in Colonial times (for example, era paintings depicted farmers leaning elbows on their oxen at shoulder height, whereas today it would take a stepladder to recreate that pose). Also, they have an ancient breed of sheep there, who still shed their fleece, rather than needing it shorn. These same sheep are a lot more skittish and wild, despite having been raised there from lambhood, with much love and care by the humans. Interesting how the nature of this super old breed overcomes their nurture, even despite the influence of the other sheep who are a fully domesticated breed, docile and reliant on humans as the day is long. Anyway, activities and conversations at the plantation are always what you make of them. Stay for as little or as much time as you wish, but there is a wealth of info and fun to be had if you relax and stay awhile.

Fun! And they have a 1/2 day camp (good for Stay at home moms who need a few hours of freedom)…read more Still exploring this.