Chester County Day, held the first Saturday of October to benefit the Chester County Hospital in West Chester, Pennsylvania, had quite a range of mostly historic homes and gardens on display. They ranged from "Eyre View," which was the 1888 home in town of State Senator T. Larry Eyre, which had craftsman details of stone, stucco with strapwork in the gable designs over the spacious porch and porte cochere (in case you were arriving in your coach in the rain) to the colonial simplicity of "Stonewalled," just outside of town. On the grounds of a Westtown Township park which houses historic "Oakbourne", "Stonewalled's"  owner tells how the house had been abandoned, then taken over by the township and auctioned off with sealed bids in 1985.  He won the bid by $5.00!  Then Diane... 10/02/2011

The 33rnd CHESTER COUNTY RESTAURANT FESTIVAL  9/16/12 FROM NOON UNTIL 5:30. Come to DOWNTOWN WEST CHESTER on 9/16/12, noon through 5:30 PM and enjoy a taste of some of the best food our area has to offer.  The festival is expanding this year and spilling over from High and Gay Streets, onto Darlington and Market Street!  This is a free event.  The rain date is 9/23 but I'm hoping for wonderful weather. There will be 60 plus restaurant and food vendors, crafters and bands with a Beer and Wine Garden on Church Street.  My favorite Restaurant, Limoncello Ristorante, will once again be participating!  Check out West Chester Dish for more details! This is a fun event for the whole family but please leave your beloved dogs at home.  It's too crowded for one thing. Enjoy!  It's a gorgeous day ... 09/18/2011

It's rocking in Downtown West Chester this week!!  It's the first Thankful Thursday of the month and....   Kicking off a great week, today September 1, is Swingin' Summer Thursday, the very last one of the year.     This month, you will be enjoying the music of Animus while enjoying all the free festivities that are on offer.  Located on Gay Street between High and Matlack.  Great Family Fun!!   Friday September 2, is First Friday.   Stores will be open late and while West Chester is always fun on Fridays, First Friday is really nice.  Click here to see some of the events.   The Social Lounge and Bar is now open at 29 East Gay Street.  Billed as a party venue with "the sexy warmth of a village-style vibe".  I'll look forward to a night out with the girls to check this fun place out!   I... 09/01/2011

Village of Shannon is a nice development in West Goshen, just a little north of West Chester off Boot Road. We have a new rental listing of a town home in here 331 Galway Drive . Freshly painted and carpets cleaned professionally it is a large three bedroom town home with 2 1/2 baths and a finished basement with garage and spacious laundry area. Conveninet access to route 202 makes this a great location to live, with easy access to downtown West Chester for dinner out, Wegmans for groceries, and a few minutes drive to King of Prussia Mall, Valley Forge National Park and all Main Line destinations as well as access to the Schuylkill Expressway for driving in to Philadelphia itself. Alternatively you can head south to Wilmington and other Brandywine Valley destinations such as Longwood Ga... 08/29/2011

I just got home from parent orientation night at West Chester East High School!  Wow!  My head is still spinning with all the information that was imparted to us by Dr. Richard F. Dunlap, Jr., Principal, Dr. Crystal Dowdell, the 9th grade administrator, and the guidance counselor, the PTO Co-Chair and a few others! A big change for this school year will be the revised bell schedule and transportation plan.  To decrease transportation costs and because Fugett Middle School and West Chester East share a parking lot, the middle school and high school students will now be on the same bus.  Other West Chester Area Schools will not be affected as none of the other schools share the same parking lot situation. The first day of school 8/29/11 is almost upon us.  I can't believe another summer i... 08/17/2011

If you're not familiar with the West Chester Area School District, they have a wonderful website.  Important dates can be found on the School Calendar by clicking here.  My sons have both gone through the school district, my older son is now entering his senior year at college and my younger boy is heading in his freshman year at West Chester East High! I'd like summer to last forever.  There was a time when I felt that I could do cartwheels to the bus stop.  Now, when it's time for the boys to go, along with all of their friends, it's more of a melancholy feeling.  I will miss the mess, the noise and most of all, the hugs!     Here's hoping that you and your family enjoy a safe and healthy 2011/2012 school year!   08/09/2011

Last night my husband Jack and I dragged my son Max, treated my son Max to some pizza and donuts at the Goshen Country Fair!  The fair comes to East Goshen the first week of every August and I love it.  Last night was the first opportunity I had to visit and we thought it would be fun if our sons accompanied us.  Mike, our 22 year old already had plans, but we insisted the Max join us.  It turns out it's not much fun insisting adolescents join you anywhere, but we made the best of it. The pizza is my favorite part.      The Goshen Country Fair is run by volunteers and standing behind the pizza counter was Don Walls, the man who coached Max through about 5 years of soccer during his younger years.  If Max hadn't been standing next to me, I doubt the coach would have recognized him.  Afte... 08/06/2011

This spring was very wet and the summer is very dry, but there is still beauty in my East Goshen garden.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. Yesterday's rain refreshed the earth.  These photos were taken last week.   Enjoy the rest of July!   07/26/2011

East Goshen Farmers' Market   Every Thursday, starting tomorrow, 6/30/11 from 3 to 7 PM! Located in East Goshen Park, Veteran's Pavilion (located between the soccer fields and the basketball courts). Providing fresh, locally grown produce and product. There will be ample parking and live music and children's entertainment tomorrow! Check it out!     06/29/2011

The Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester PA  The Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester PA is an amazing place.  While the thought of hospice is not necessarily a pleasant one, knowing there is a place where a loved one can go to be as comfortable as possible in their final days is tremendously reassuring. And I know from recent personal experience that the Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester is a wonderful place for someone who is dying, and for family members.  I cannot imagine doing the kind of work that the Neighborhood Hospice staff does 24 hours a day, but I can tell you it was a wonderful experience for my Mom, me, and I believe for my sister who passed away just a few days ago.  I did not meet all the staff, although I spent many hours there with my Mom over the 2 ½ weeks my sist... 06/24/2011

     The Annual Town Tours and Village Walks in Chester County, Pennsylvania began on June 23, and will continue through August 25 in a different village every week. (www.chesco.org/ccparks) The History Center in West Chester was the site of the launch of this year's walks. The building  blends two distinctive buildings in Chester County's history. Horticultural Hall, designed by noted architect Thomas U. Walter and built in 1848.  In addition to the meetings and shows of the Chester County Horticultural Society, the building was used for a variety of public events, including the first women's rights convention in Pennsylvania. Uriah Hunt Painter converted the building into the West Chester Opera House in the late 19th century. In 1904 his widow gave the building to the General George A... 06/21/2011

Giant Magnolia Flower - West Chester PA  I would swear this is the sort of thing you would find in a rain forest.  Of course I've never been so what do I know. But I can imagine.  Spending time here in the country outside Philadelphia (Marshallton, outside West Chester, to be exact) at my Mom's has been an eye opener in terms of some of the plantings she has.  It was pretty cool to be able to capture a whole series of photos of this amazing flower (well, it's a bit tree actually) from bud to open blossom and after the petals dropped. I'm certainly not a botanical photographer but you get the idea.  Enjoy. The smell is amazing, as one would expect. 06/19/2011

I had the pleasure of working with a retired couple a few years ago.  I first met them when they called me to see one of my listings and we hit it off immediately.  They are about my mom's age and I am very attached to them.  I listed their home in East Goshen and sold them a home in an over 55 community.  I stop by to see them periodically and call to say hi, and they often call me to see how I'm doing. Their son just had open heart surgery.  They called to tell me about it and today, I saw Mrs. Client in the grocery store and she held onto me like a daughter, in a warm embrace.  It touches me that they think so much of me that they share things like this with me. This is the kind of relationship I like to have with my clients.  It doesn't always happen to this degree but I like to thi... 06/14/2011

Tonight is the first Swingin' Summer Thursday of the season in West Chester!  The weather today is nothing short of spectacular so being outside tonight will be a wonderful time!  Tonight's music will be Blue's and I will be tapping my foot to the music!  I'm thankful to Suburban West Realtor's Association and Home Builders Association for sponsoring tonight's happy hour  Anyone who has been within whining distance of me this week knows that my central air conditioning system waved goodbye to me on Monday night.  It's been in the 90's all week and I have been nothing short of miserable.  Today was literally a breath of fresh air.  The windows are open and life is good.   I had the humbling experience of interviewing 3 different companies to buy a new HVAC system.  I now know the feeling... 06/02/2011

We discovered these 2 baby owls on a couple of trees at my Mom's house outside Philadelphia when we arrived home this evening. I only noticed because the cat was out in the yard (but thankfully had not seen them) and the mother owl (a screech owl I think) was flying around in the trees and calling them. We lured the cat in (food always works well) and things settled down. The owlets didn't look like they were quite ready for leaving, but Mom kept encouraging. Sure enough, an hour later, they were gone. Hopefully they were able to fly back to the nest or off into the trees.  Seems like we parents are all the same, human and otherwise. Making the kids do things they DON'T want to do. Enjoy the little hooters! 05/29/2011

Save the date:  Saturday, June 4, 2011 Time:  11:00 am to 4:00 pm Place:  Historic Goshenville (Rt. 352 & Boot Road) The East Goshen Historical Commission will be presenting a Civil War Event. Click here to see all the happenings! I took the above photo at the dedication ceremony of the Veteran's Pavillion in East Goshen Park in the fall of 2008.       05/25/2011

This weekend is the 28th Annual May Festival!  A 3 day event starting Friday, 5/20/11 and running through Sunday, 5/22.   On Friday, the hours are 4 to 9, Rides 4 to 9:30 Saturday, 10  to 9 PM.  Rides 10  to 9:30 PM.  Shops:  10 to 6. Sunday, 11 to 5.  Rides, 11 to 5. Click here for a full itinerary of fun things to see and do that include rides, shopping, games, great food, wellness and entertainment.  This is a good old fashioned carnival and a great time! Support The Chester County Hospital and enjoy a great time!  I have a soft spot for The Chester County Hospital as my son Max was born here.  It was a lovely experience.     05/18/2011

West Goshen, located in Chester County, is minutes to West Chester Borough.  It's approximately 12 square miles and according to the township website, there are 20,130 folks living there.  History and more facts about West Goshen Township can be found here.  There are currently 111 active listings for sale in West Goshen ranging from $179,900 to $1,875,000.  A wide price range, for sure, with many really great homes for sale.   What does $179,900 buy you?  There's a small 2 bedroom home for sale with 1 1/2 baths on 1.20 acres.     The property for sale for $1,875,000?  10.60 acres with 3 single family homes! So many homes in the price ranges in between!  There are some great parks and lots of recreational activites and while I don't live in West Goshen, I do frequent the park on Fern Hi... 05/13/2011

I'm not going to speak about market conditions, good or bad news, interest rates or anything other than this.  There are currently 169 listings for sale in East Goshen Township.  Some are absolutely wonderful.  Some are just okay.  Some, well, there are so many to choose from, we won't worry about those. The township website tells us that East Goshen is 10 square miles and 16,877 folks live here.  My family of 4 included.  The website also tells us that the average price of a home is $350,000.  I think that's a low average, but we have quite a few townhouse communities in our township and a great over 55 community, so I'm guessing that's why the average is lower.  My local MLS tells me that the lowest priced home for sale right this minute in East Goshen is $130,000.  What does that buy... 05/09/2011

Yippee!  First Friday in May is upon us and the shops in Downtown West Chester are going to be open late having lots of special events.  Click here for a list of shops that are participating. If you wander into town early, remember that the Chester County Historical Society is open free to the public the first Friday of every month from 10 to 5!  If you are a member of ACAC, you get to bring a friend for free on the first Friday of every month!   Last but not least, if you wander over to West Chester, don't forget the new parking rules and feed the meter! Have fun! 05/05/2011