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The once drab Schauffele Plaza in Ardmore has gotten a colorful makeover, an example of “tactical urbanism” that the project’s organizers hope can be replicated elsewhere. Also this week, popular Malvern cafe The Buttery is opening an outpost in Ardmore, a new true-crime docuseries from a Bryn Mawr filmmaker about Ellen Greenberg’s death is now streaming, and we take a first look inside Eataly.
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Ardmore’s once uninspired Schauffele Plaza has undergone a transformation, one aimed at creating an inviting space for the community to gather.
Where once there was just concrete, a few benches, and a bus stop, there’s now a sidewalk mural inspired by migratory birds, tables, and native plants, all of which will officially be unveiled on Saturday.
The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner sat down with some of those behind the project to learn how this transformation is a trial run for improving other public spaces.
💡 Community News
The three men behind the December 2024 Lower Merion home invasion that left one man dead and his mother paralyzed were sentenced last week to life in prison. In handing down the sentences, Judge Risa Vetri Ferman described their actions as “pure, pure evil.”
Prosecutors recently revealed in court documents how a theft ring used remote cell phone cameras, illegal Wi-Fi jammers, and phony food deliveries to target 13 homes in Lower Merion, Abington, West Goshen, and other areas last year. They netted more than $300,000 in stolen cash, jewelry, and luxury items.
Heads up for drivers: Yesterday, PennDot began a roughly 20-month-long bridge repair project that will see traffic on City Avenue between Bryn Mawr Avenue and 47th Street reduced to one lane each way. Businesses in the area will still be accessible while the concrete arch bridge undergoes a $22.4 million overhaul.
Bryn Mawr-raised filmmaker Nancy Schwartzman released her true-crime docuseries about the 2011 death of 27-year-old Philadelphia schoolteacher Ellen Greenberg, who was found dead in her apartment from multiple stab wounds. The three-episode Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? is now streaming. The series features Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr, whose 2019 article reignited interest in the case.
Ever wonder how far $1,900 in rent can get you across the region? The Inquirer’s Michaelle Bond breaks down what you can expect in Bala Cynwyd and elsewhere.
A GOP-affiliated PAC backed by billionaire Jeffrey Yass, co-founder of Bala Cynwyd’s Susquehanna International Group, is sending Pennsylvania voters a mailer warning that members of the state Supreme Court “gerrymandered our congressional districts to help Democrats win.” However, the map was drawn by legislative Republicans and thrown out by the justices.
At its Sept. 17 meeting, Lower Merion Commissioners awarded a nearly $90,000 contract to plant 200 trees throughout the township. The finance committee also recommended approving a pilot program for curbside organic food waste composting for about 250 households in Bala Cynwyd.
Ardmore native and The Office star Kate Flannery was inducted into the Archbishop John Carroll High School Hall of Fame over the weekend along with actress Maria Bello, former University of Notre Dame basketball point guard and current University of Delaware men’s basketball coach Martin Ingelsby, and the 2000 Philadelphia Catholic League Championship football team. (CBS News)
The township is hosting its fall cleanup this weekend at the Koegel Complex in Penn Valley. On Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., residents can drop off small household appliances, fabrics, dried latex paint, and other items. See details here.
The Kaiserman JCC is hosting a blood drive on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sign up to donate here.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Schools are closed today. Tomorrow, LMHS seniors will be measured for their caps and gowns, and Saturday is Harriton’s homecoming dance. See the district’s full calendar here.
LMSD ranks as the sixth best district in Pennsylvania, according to Niche’s 2026 Best School Districts list, released this week. The data firm ranked the top 217 districts in the commonwealth, taking into account reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education, state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, and public school district ratings. SAT and ACT scores were excluded this year.
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr received a $10 million gift from the Barrack Family Foundation, the largest single donor gift in its history. The school used the funds to help acquire the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia’s Schwartz campus, also in Bryn Mawr. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
🍽️ On our Plate
🎳 Things to Do
🗓️ First Friday: Shop from a range of vendors, score special deals, listen to live music, and more during this month’s event. ⏰ Friday, Oct. 3, 5-7 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Schauffele Plaza
🍂 Shiverfest: This family-friendly fall festival includes pony rides, a petting zoo, a bubble show, a bounce house, face painting, live music, and fall arts and crafts. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 4, 3-8 p.m. 💵 $32.78-$39.19 📍 Riverbend Environmental Education Center
⛸️ 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala: The Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society is hosting its second annual fundraiser and skating exhibition which will be hosted by Olympians Paul Wylie and Nancy Kerrigan, as well as 6abc’s Katherine Scott. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 4, 5-9:30 p.m. 💵 $35-$75 📍 Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society
🏃 Thrill on the Hill: Hit the pavement around Hill Top Prep’s campus for this 5K benefiting the school for neurodiverse students. There’s also a 1.5-mile fun run option. ⏰ Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. 💵 $30 📍 Hill Top Prep
🛍️ Clover Market: Browse and shop from over 90 curated vendors as the roving market returns to Bryn Mawr. There will also be music, kids’ crafts, and food trucks. ⏰ Sunday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Intersection of North Bryn Mawr and Lancaster Avenues
🍬 Mommy and Me Edible Art Morning: Moms with kids ages 3 to 5 can bond over making edible art, including turtles made of fruit. ⏰ Thursday, Oct. 9, 10-11:30 a.m. 💵 $26.50 📍 The Candy Lab
🏡 On the Market
A century-old Villanova estate with a pool, sport court, sauna, and wine cellar
Built in 1925, this 100-year-old brick Villanova estate sits on 1.6 acres, grounds that house a pool, a pool house, and a sport court. The sprawling home’s first floor features a foyer, formal living and dining rooms, a sunroom with black-and-white tiled floors, a butler’s pantry, a mudroom, and a sitting room. The kitchen has an island, granite countertops, high-end appliances, and a built-in banquette. A number of French doors lead to the back terrace overlooking the grounds. Upstairs, the primary suite has its own wing, complete with a marble fireplace, a dressing room, and an ensuite bathroom. It also has access to a second bathroom with a sauna that opens onto a room currently used as an office. There are additional bedrooms, bathrooms, a laundry room, a family room, and a sitting room on the second floor, which could be configured to make five or six bedrooms. The home also has a wine cellar downstairs.
See more photos of the property here.
Price: $2.775M | Size: 9,275 SF | Acreage: 1.6
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