Chestnut Hill, PA: Tiny town. Huge intrigue.
Located in the Northwest section of Philadelphia lies Chestnut Hill, PA, a small, yet charming town. Established in 1854, Chestnut Hill spans about 129 miles between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers. This town is home to historic buildings, restaurants, small shops, and Chestnut Hill College.
Surrounded by towns like Mount Airy, Lafayette Hill, Wyndmoor, and Oreland, Chestnut Hill is settled along Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike. While still being in the city of Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill offers up a suburban and historical setting, giving visitors a more relaxed feeling. Center city is not too far though, take a ride on the train from Chestnut Hill Station. SEPTA also runs through the town connecting it to other places in the local area.
If you are visiting town make sure to look up the different festivals and attractions being hosted through the year. Fall brings various festivals to the town. Fall for the Arts festival and Harry Potter Fest closes down the streets to allow tens-of-thousands of visitors to enjoy and celebrate. This year Chestnut Hill expects 60-thousand people to join the festivities celebrating the mass-market novel Harry Potter. The festivities begin the evening of Oct. 19 and run through Oct. 22. Shops and restaurants in town will transform from their typical fronts, into a Potter palooza for one weekend only. During the festival, attendees can enjoy costume contests, Quidditch matches, activities, and fun food options.
Spring brings along the Home and Garden Show, while the summer attracts outdoor concerts along Germantown Avenue. Winter in Chestnut Hill brings the festive snow-covered town to life. Ice skating at the Wissahickon Skating Club is one of the most enjoyed attractions. Others prefer to tour homes decorated for winter on the Holiday House Tour through town.
Also home to the Woodmere Art Museum and Morris Arboretum, Chestnut Hill offers visitors and locals alike opportunities to enjoy what the town has to offer. Woodmere is home to many famous Philadelphian artists’ work, and has an ever changing exhibit in its two floor exhibition hall. Each fall the Woodmere sets up its annual straw maze. Friday nights the museum opens for Jazz Nights. Patrons can wander the halls while listening to local jazz artists for an exceptional experience unlike any other.
University of Pennsylvania's Morris Arboretum hosts tours, classes, and special events like the scarecrow walk happening through October. Visitors of the outdoor experience can meander the spacious grounds, and stop in at the Lower Gallery; here people can learn the story of the Arboretum and about the history of the land it is settled on.
Fairmount Park is also located in Chestnut Hill. The park has multiple walking and hiking trails, some of which also accommodate biking. People can visit the horses located inside the park, or walk along the Schuylkill River and enjoy the scenery. The park is just a short distance down Germantown Pike from town across the street from Chestnut Hill College.
Chestnut Hill has various restaurants that give locals and visitors options for any occasion. From coffee shops, to bars, and fast-food, to elegant dining experiences, Chestnut Hill has a wide variety of places to enjoy. Iron Hill Brewery and Campbell’s Place are two of the local’s favorite places to gather. Dessert lovers are drawn to Bredenbeck’s Bakery and Ice Cream Parlor to satisfy their sweet tooth. The Mermaid Inn is a dining experience filled with live music scheduled for five nights every week. For a full list of restaurants visit Chestnut Hill’s official website for more information.
The town of Chestnut Hill is also filled with shops, 10 blocks of them. Many of which are family owned and operated. Of these, some of the most popular include William A. Kilian Hardware Co., Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop, and O’Dooles Toy Store. Places like these give visitors a blast from the past, as their interiors and exteriors remint tourists of those from the 1950s. Chestnut Hill also has various clothing stores from boutiques to consignment stores. There are even stores that are specifically for home design and gardening.
Chestnut Hill runs its own newspaper for locals to stay up-to-date on what is happening in their town. Chestnut Hill Local prints weekly to ensure readers are getting the most current news and entertainment in their area. For Harry Potter Fest, the Local prints a special edition called The Local Prophet named after the newspaper in the novel series. Chestnut Hill Local covers and prints stories on everything from news, to arts, to sports and everything in between.
The college has its own newspaper, called The Griffin, printed monthly that is student run and student produced. Each month students write stories and take photos to be printed to share with their peers. While the paper doesn’t reach more than students and faculty, it keeps people on campus involved in their community.
At the top of a 75 acre campus is Chestnut Hill College. Established in 1924, Chestnut Hill College opened as a women’s only college focusing on liberal arts by the name of Mount Saint Joseph College. The school’s name was changed in 1938 only 14 years after the inception. The castle-esque building of Saint Joseph’s Hall still stands as one of the oldest buildings on campus. Other buildings on campus include Fournier and Martino Hall. On the bottom floor of Martino is Sorgenti arena, where many of the athletic teams practice and host games.
In 2001, the campus changed its acceptance standards, and became co-ed, allowing men to enroll as full time students. A few years later in 2006, the school had purchased the Sugarloaf campus allowing students the option to live off campus while still being a part of the Chestnut Hill community. Students als have the option to dorm in Fontbonne, Fournier, and Fitzsimmons halls. Fontbonne Hall is an all freshman building, and Fitzsimmons Hall, home to upperclassmen, are not attached to any of the main buildings.
Chestnut Hill College is home to 18 NCAA division II teams for both men’s and women’s sports. The most recent to be added to the list include Sprint Football and Women’s Bowling. Most of the athletes compete under the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and play for CACC championships. The first of these teams to do so was men’s tennis in 2017.
While most of the students participate in these athletic teams, some students prefer recreational teams including the Quidditch team that host their own tournament during Harry Potter weekend. The Brotherly Love Cup, which was founded in 2010, is entering its sixth year competing against other colleges and universities.
There is so much more to this town other than the college and the main attractions. In order to really get the feel for this quaint town stop by for a day trip, or even spend the weekend. There is so much to do and see.
Chestnut Hill has been named to the Forbes top seven urban enclaves in the U.S., as well as one of twelve “Distinctive Destinations in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation” according to Chestnut Hill Local. The town is able to keep its rustic charm through the Chestnut Hill Historical Society.
