Hello, West Chester,
Show of hands, how many people here are doing yoga? I was running a few errands this weekend and I noticed another yoga studio was opening. This time in the Bradford Shopping Center somewhere between the recently open Fractured Prune donuts and the OrangeTheory Fitness Center.
This is in addition to the 16 studios that already exist*, and the classes being offered through all your traditional gym options. I’m just saying, that’s a lot of yoga.
I did not do yoga this weekend, although maybe I should have. Our home was hit by a stomach bug going around the area. It took out several students and teachers at the Y this week. It was a long weekend and a moment of recentering wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
Instead we took some time to (disinfect and) improve someone’s day via painted rock. Having a rough day? Check the creek bed of Everhart Park.
Plus, we’ll be digging this out again. I have to admit, I’m just not motivated.
*16?? I had to do a Google search.
Hello, West Chester,
Happy (belated) 4th! Did everyone enjoy the fireworks’ displays last night? I used to complain about the lack of firework options in the Borough – and then PA changed its laws.
Now a whole bunch of fireworks, mortars and shells that were once illegal are allowed and it seems just about anyone can put on a professional quality display. (Editor’s note: I’m sure we could debate professional but still pretty good and much better than the fountains and fiery-spinning wheels nailed to a tree that I had as a kid.) Thanks to the ease of restrictions, we were treated to free shows in every quadrant of our viewing area but the perhaps the best was staged over Everhart Park.
We however, were late to the game…
For more summer fun, check out our latest profile on our very own splash park and word on the street is the newly redesigned East Goshen park is finally open.
Hello, West Chester,
I fried my motherboard. Which, let me tell you, is not a great way to start the week.
Thankfully, all is now fixed and my computer has been safely returned all files intact. And I have learned a couple of things from this this unfortunate event:
- I am not one to rewrite something I’ve already completed. I know many embrace the power of a great rewrite. I am just not one of those people. I am sure my writing would benefit but I just can’t willingly bring myself to redo something that is already complete and patiently waiting on my lost desktop to be posted.
- I am ready to fully embrace cloud-based computing

So, I am finally publishing my profile of Hoopes Park. The boys did have a successful end to their “t-ball” season. (More energy-burning than instructional, we’ve started putting these afternoons in the park in quotes.) And we were able to spend one last lovely night chilling on a blanket while they ran off energy under someone else’s watch.
Tonight we will be downtown for the Dub-C 4-miler (which has been downsized to 5K?). There is a cool Eagles-themed race shirt and still time to register if you want to come out.
Finally, as one to embrace all things energy-burning and outdoors, I was sad to see this.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Hello, West Chester,
Where did you go? Everywhere we went this weekend the Y, the Giant, downtown, even Exton, was empty. Everywhere except the Chester County Running Store which had a line out the door for their annual $50 sneaker stock-up sale. (We picked up a few pairs ourselves, but if you weren’t there early you were probably out of luck.)

Not that I’m complaining. I like when West Chester is quiet. It is a nice change of pace to have the Borough all to yourself for a little while. And it was nice to relax for a few days before we head into party season. Between weddings, graduations and birthday parties our June is completely full.
Maybe it was this party deluge or our own milestone birthday we’ll be planning at the end of the summer, but I’ve found myself doing some party research. So I thought I’d share. I’ve tracked down and written up plenty of ways to give your party a sense of place from awesome local venues to delish food options.
Also, stay tuned for another post in our park series. This time we are heading out to Hoopes Park – specifically on Thursday if you’re bored and want to come by and say, hi – I mean, if you’re back.
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.
If you missed it, the Y had a very nice tribute to local Veterans.
Hello, West Chester,
Do you need something to look forward to? I do. Thanks in no small part to this delayed spring, I’ve found myself in a bit of funk lately. So I’ve started a list of things I am looking forward to:

Spring Gallery Walk downtown May 4
Lulu’s Casita coming to West Chester!!!
Spring blooms at Longwood
Putting the winter coats away
Our family week at the beach
The DubC 4-miler
The opening of the YMCA outdoor pool
BBQing outside – and seeing the neighbors again!
Leaves on the trees
A weekend away without the kids
My spring wardrobe
An Iron Hill Juicy IPA sipped outside while people watching
Gelato
The sun is out today if we don’t wait too long maybe we can check gelato off the list and pretend it’s spring?
If you’re out tonight take note of the sky. There is recommendation the Borough consider adopting a lighting ordinance.
Hello, West Chester,
Can we just ignore the snow for a minute? I want to talk parks.
Did you know West Chester’s had 12 parks? Yes, twelve?! Me neither. So I’ve decided to visit and profile each of them.
I started with Kathy McGratie Park on New and Nields this fall but this little park recently got an update so my profile did too. You can read the updated profile here. And see where we are with the series here.
I hope you enjoy the series. I know we are excited to check them all out.
In other park news, Saturday’s Easter Egg Hunt has been moved from Everhart Park to downtown West Chester. I’m not exactly sure how this is going to work but it sounds like participating merchants will be hiding or handing out eggs in the stores. You can find the latest here. It still starts at 10 but if you’re going to be a few minutes late I don’t think it will matter.
Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to explore a new park next week. In the meantime, follow us on social and check out these awesome local Instagram feeds I found.