Live in West Chester? Want to? Follow along.
Let’s call this week the calm before the storm. West Chester University students return on Monday followed by what promises to be a contentious school board discussion on whether masks will be required when students return to class on August 30. We also get our first look at the preliminary land development plan for the new 142K sq. ft. Amazon warehouse and a start date for the Everhart Park playground project. Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.
Every summer, on and off, since 1970 West Chester has been hosting its very own music festival. The all day concert has the feel of the another area. Maybe it’s all the tie-dye and crochet-embellished clothing for sale or maybe it’s the concert’s organic beginnings – just a group of musicians and the friends that came to see them play – but there is something nostalgic about the whole production. After being forced to cancel last year due to COVID-19, Turks Head is back and ready to rock 50 (and 1) years after that first concert in the park.
I think we are at that time of the summer when everyone just loses their heads. A respectable long-standing West Chester business is shut out by Instagram. The West Chester Area School District moves its meetings to virtual under the treat of violence and the streets remain un-swept after seven weeks of no street sweeper. And to top it off, the West Chester Halloween parade was cancelled – again. It’s just been one of those weeks. Who’s ready? Let’s catch up.
With COVID-19 numbers ticking upward a review of when you need to wear a mask and when you don’t. How West Chester’s new officers help diversify the force. And it’s official, there will be no Christmas Parade this year, but a replacement is in the works. A first look at what that will be. We are in the final month of summer. Soak it up while you can, but first, let’s catch up.
Nearly 18 months after the start of the pandemic, confusion and hesitancy continues to loom especially when it comes to large gatherings. While some events, like West Chester’s Halloween Parade and Kennett Square’s Mushroom Festival, are back; others, like the Chester County Restaurant Festival, are not. This has left holes in the Borough’s otherwise active events calendar or, as local realtor Renee Ryan likes to think of them, opportunities.
If last summer was all about the art, this summer it’s the outdoor concert. This week Borough Council voted to allow live outdoor music downtown – what will and won’t be accepted. Plus, what’s behind the scaffolding on Gay Street and the future of West Chester’s finances as told by the parking revenue. Parking is heating up. So is summer. Enjoy it while you can – but first, let’s catch up.
With nothing last summer and COVID variants still haunting this summer, there is something extremely appealing about a low-key outdoor music concert – and West Chester has plenty planned this summer. Bring a blanket; bring a cooler or hit up a food truck; kick off the shoes and lean back and listen.
This was the week of things that weren’t. And a few very big things that were. Like could West Chester actually be close to securing Federal funding for its return to rail project? It’s not exactly the project we were promised, but could it be close enough? Plus, a New York Times write up for one local artisan, West Chester gets a YouTube channel and goodbye Krapf, hello SEPTA. What a week. Grab something icy and let’s get started.
Forty-four(!) West Chester establishments were selected “Best of the Main Line.” That includes 22 editorial-selections and just as many Readers’ Choice winners. There were so many I couldn’t include them all but here are the West Chester establishments the editor singled out this year.
Why is it that the School District, more than any other local institution, brings the national debates to our doorstep? This week I break down the latest controversy. Plus, one of West Chester’s more neglected neighborhoods is being marketed as a high-end development opportunity. What’s this mean for affordable housing in the Borough? Plus, events are back, baby! Check out the many ways you can lose yourself this weekend.
