Olivet Boys & Girls Club started in 1898 and is one of the original founding members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America movement. It serves thousands of youth in Reading and Berks County and operates in four locations in Pottstown. In addition to its activities at The Ricketts Center, the Club partners with the Pottstown School District’s 21st Century Program to offer afterschool programming at Edgewood, Franklin and Lincoln Elementary Schools.
On a recent visit to the Ricketts Center – my first ever – I was surprised at the breadth of the programming offered by the Club. It was hard to keep it all straight! In general, the Club serves youth ages 6-18. Annual memberships, which coincide with the school calendar, are $15 per child.
The Club runs indoor basketball leagues, in-house flag football, VILLA Blacktop Basketball League in the summer, a “Smart Girls” program and “Passport to Manhood” program. They provide an afterschool “Power Hour,” which includes homework help in their computer center and a healthy “Super Snack,” which has been provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Students from the nearby Hill School are volunteer tutors at the Center on Monday – Thursday afternoons.
Olivet Boys & Girls Club summer camp runs for 8 weeks, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., costs just $25/week in Pottstown, and includes breakfast and lunch, one swim outing and one field trip each week.
The Club also offers fitness programs for adults. Adult membership for the Fitness Center and gym allows access Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Adults (with guts!) are welcome to join certified personal trainer and weight-loss coach Paul Winterbottom in his “Boot Camp,” a program to get you in shape in no time. They’ve got a well-stocked weight room, and the indoor basketball court had just been re-finished, so it was all shiny, and had that brand-new, shellacked smell that all of us ballers love! For $10/month or $100/year, this deal can’t be beat.
THE RICHARD J. RICKETTS CENTER Location: 640 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA 19464 (at the corner of Grant & Beech Streets)
Size: 0.5 acres Suitability: Membership required for youth 6-18 years old and adults (fitness only.) Facilities: Fenced-in tot lot & outdoor basketball court; indoor gym, teen center, weight room, community rooms Activities + tips: Ricketts Center is home to Head Start & Olivet Boys & Girls Club, which provides varied year-round programming for children, teens and adults. Hours: Open daily, includes after-school & evening programming. Membership Fees: Youth & Teen – $15 for Sept.-June; Adults – $10/month or $100/year. Contact: Jannie Harrison, Unit Director (484-945-1020) Website:Olivet Boys & Girls Club at The Ricketts Center, Pottstown
The Penn State researchers categorize parks that are less than 1 acre in size as mini-parks or pocket parks. Pottstown has many such parks scattered throughout the Borough. While it is desirable for every park to offer a range of opportunities for physical activity, social connections, contact with nature and elements that strengthen a sense of place, these mini-parks cater to children and typically include playground equipment set in mulch, perhaps a bike rack and some benches or picnic tables.
In general, Pottstown’s pocket parks are clean and have an open feeling to them with good visibility from the street. The equipment is practically new, colorful and cheery, providing active play space in neighborhoods that have fairly dense housing, narrow lots and small backyards that are not adequate for the personal play equipment that can be found on large, suburban lots. These spaces serve as neighborhood gathering spots for independent children as well as for parents and children together.
In central Pottstown, there are two parks that fit this description and one, New Chestnut Street Park, which offers even more possibilities for social connections.
Walnut Street Park is on Walnut between Grant and N. Adams Streets. Walnut St. Park The interesting feature of this park is the dramatic slope between the two play areas, creating lower and upper playgrounds. From the street, it looks like there’s just one play area, but if you go inside the park just a few steps, you’ll see another play area down below, which can also be accessed from Rowan Alley. Some local residents in the park the day I visited said it’s the best sledding in Pottstown!
The slide closest to Walnut Street will also give a good jolt to a middle-aged spine! I will here admit that I have done some testing of the sliding boards at some of these pocket parks. In my defense:
(1) I had promised the Health and Wellness Foundation that we would try out important features of each park.
(2) When I was growing up, the high slide at the Franklin School playground was metal and, unless weather conditions were perfect and there was no humidity, it was hard to get in a good run. These new plastic slides send you flying!
(3) I guess I just refuse to grow up. 🙂
Moving on… Washington St. Park
Washington Street Park actually lives on East Street, right at the “T” where that leg of Washington Street ends. It also offers new, fun equipment and plenty of space for running around. A new chain link fence prevents the youngest children from dashing off the playground into the street. I took a few moments at the end of the afternoon to just swing, something I hadn’t done in a very long time. I’d forgotten how meditative it can be. Adults: swinging is not just for kids!
Heading down Washington Street, to the intersection with Chestnut, brings you to the New Chestnut Street Park. This very attractive, practically brand-new, fenced park has become a popular venue for community-wide events such as National Night Out, as well as for a local community gardening day and private parties.
New Chestnut Street Park
A few resident elders can usually be found on a bench right on the corner, keeping an eye on things. Because the park has a pavilion with access to electricity, it appeals to and serves a broad range of residents, not just children. It’s remarkable how the addition of that kind of equipment, which isn’t all that elaborate, can inspire wider and more frequent use of a pocket park. Something to think about if/when there’s funding for renovations or upgrades to other pocket parks in town.
Now I just have to say a few words about the Old Chestnut Street Park, which appeared in the Penn State study but is now vacant. This quarter-acre park, which is on the north side of Chestnut Street, between Franklin and Washington Streets, is actually owned by the School District. This will be a site to keep your eye on as the School District conducts their facilities analysis because the idea of a community garden at this location has been floated out there by some neighborhood residents.
This property also has an interesting history. As you stand at the park entrance and look across the street, you’ll see two really cool, brick buildings that used to be public schools; they’ve got red boards over the windows. The one on the left was Hamilton School, built in 1881 (424 Chestnut), and the one on the right was Adams School, built in 1887 (420 Chestnut). While there are some clues on the buildings themselves, I consulted my handy Pottstown School Directory from 1892-93 that came in a small batch of things I won on eBay a while back. (I’ll eventually give this stuff to the Historical Society or the District, but I’m still working my way through it.) Anyway, this little book is filled with all sorts of interesting tidbits about the District, including the fact that there was a school called “Franklin” on the empty park site, way back in the 1890s. It seems to have had two second-grade classes, taught by Sue B. Fritz and Libbie Krause.
Former Hamilton & Adams Schools
Isn’t it kind of wild to imagine how every piece of land has its own history and its own stories to tell?
WALNUT STREET PARK Location: Walnut Street between Grant & N. Adams Streets, Pottstown, PA 19464 Size: 0.5 acres Suitability: Approximately 5-12 years old. Facilities: Two play areas, picnic tables, benches; shady and sunny areas. Activities + tips: Lower playground seems more appropriate for younger children. Locals report excellent sledding conditions on the hill! Hours: Dawn until dusk.
WASHINGTON STREET PARK Location: Intersection of East and Washington Streets, Pottstown, PA 19464 Size: 0.5 acres Suitability: Approximately 5-12 years old. Facilities: Playground, swings, picnic tables, benches; shady and sunny areas; small, grassy multi-purpose open space with slight downward slope. Activities + tips: New fencing along East Street prevents younger children from running into the street. Hours: Dawn until dusk.
NEW CHESTNUT STREET PARK Location: Corner of Chestnut and N. Washington Streets, Pottstown, PA 19464 Size: 0.5 acres Suitability: All ages. Facilities: 2 sets of play equipment; multi-purpose, grassy space; paved area and pavilion with electricity; mini-amphitheater; community flower gardens & lovely landscaping. Activities + tips: Call the rec. dept. for information on rentals. Pitch in if there’s a community gardening day next spring! Hours: Dawn to dusk; sometimes later for groups with event permit from Rec. Dept.
OLD CHESTNUT STREET PARK Location: In between 417-427 Chestnut Street, Pottstown, PA 19464 Size: 0.25 acres Suitability: All ages. Facilities & Activities: Paved path, open space; seems to be used mainly as a pedestrian pass-through. Tips: Small site owned by Pottstown School District, which is currently doing District-wide facilities analysis. Check out the cool former school buildings across the street! Hours: Dawn to dusk.
Contact regarding any park rentals: Pottstown Parks & Recreation Department
Borough Hall, 100 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
610-970-6500
Click on the Department’s “Special Events” tab to learn more about upcoming events.
The Smith Family Plaza, together with Pottstown’s Borough Hall, was named a Bronze Award Winner in 2006 by the 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. Since then, this open, pleasant and visually-harmonious town center has become the gathering place for First Saturday celebrations during warm weather months as well as other community events, such as the recent September 11th remembrance service and kick-off to a daylong “Open Doors” event.
First Saturdays in Pottstown are held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month from May-September. They are organized by the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance and typically include non-stop music, community tables, arts activities, and a used book sale by the Pottstown Regional Public Library.
Across the street and within a 2-block radius of Smith Plaza, you have your choice of restaurants. And speaking of food, the Smith Family Plaza is at the heart of the Carousel of Flavor culinary festival, which just passed the seven-year mark this past weekend. This celebration of food, crafts, art, and live music allows residents and visitors to sample some of the best cuisine available in the region. It is organized by the non-profit Carousel at Pottstown and benefits their carousel revitalization project under construction at 30 W. King Street.
But I like Smith Plaza even after the crowds go home. The lawn is beautifully-manicured and the lush landscaping makes this public space feel cool, safe and inviting, even on the hottest summer day. It’s one of just a few areas in Pottstown with free WiFi, so if you’ve got your laptop and absolutely have to check your email, this is the spot for you. I also have a healthy respect, and a kind of awe, for well-designed government buildings, so a seat in the shadow of Borough Hall suits me just fine.
SMITH FAMILY PLAZA Location: 100 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464, in front of Pottstown Borough Hall
Size: 1 acre
Suitability: All ages can enjoy this public gathering space for community celebrations, passive recreation and connecting with nature.
Facilities: fountains, small multi-purpose lawn, concrete plaza, benches in sun and shade, people-watching areas, historical marker, seasonal flowers.
Activities + tips: The fountain will be tempting to all, especially young children, but no one’s allowed in! Even though there is no playground equipment, the parents of the stroller-crowd might want to grab a specialty coffee and pastry from across the street at Churchill’s, and then enjoy a moment of peace while the little ones doze.
The brightly-colored mural at 140 College Drive in Pottstown is your signal to turn into the parking lot and bring yourself closer to the beauty and tranquility of Riverfront Park. This 60-acre public park offers a wooded oasis with biking and walking trails, sitting areas, a pavilion with picnic tables, an amphitheater for outdoor performances, and a chance to re-connect with the Schuylkill River, long a part of Pottstown’s industrial and recreational heritage.
The building with the mural is occupied by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, which manages the Schuylkill River Trail, a path that will eventually stretch 130 miles in southeastern Pennsylvania from Philadelphia to Pottsville. To learn more about the trail itself, see their website here.
While the Schuylkill River Trail Council manages the trail itself, various county and local parks and recreation departments maintain the parks through which the trail winds. In Pottstown’s Riverfront Park, the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for maintenance and stewardship. They are also the agency that handles the requests and permits for all the festivals and events that take place in Riverfront Park and all of the Borough’s parks throughout the year.
The Penn State study, recently done for the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, classifies Riverfront Park as a moderately well-rounded, large, nature-oriented park. The “well-rounded” part of that description refers to the opportunities it offers for physical activity, contact with nature, social connections, and feeling connected to the history and culture of the place. Before I read this study, I probably would have said that a trip to Riverfront Park allowed me to connect with nature and get a little exercise. But on a couple of recent visits – one on foot, another on a free bike from Bike Pottstown and Tri-County Bicycles – I found myself more tuned in to the possibility for social connection and the culture of the river than I ever had before. Here’s what I saw:
Families with young children walking and biking together… a teenaged couple walking hand-in-hand… a woman sitting on a bench, gazing at the water… a lone fisherman drifting past. It was a special treat to see an egret take flight in a low and graceful sweep above the water. I caught another glimpse of him at the water’s marshy edge a short time later. I hope you can see him in the bottom, right corner of this photo!
From my limited anecdotal experience, I would venture to say that the word is getting out about all that Riverfront Park has to offer. On a chilly day last April, before the parking lot was completed near the Heritage Center, I encountered very few people in the park. It was quite a different story in the past few weeks as college students, adults, families with young children, and senior citizens all took advantage of the many spaces and activities that the park provides.
Ideally, everyone would have a park within a half-mile walk (about 10 minutes) of their home. But communities also benefit from regional destination parks, and Riverfront is fast becoming one. The Park hosts the annual Schuylkill River Festival, a community festival that draws thousands of visitors and celebrates the arts, food and music, and also offers demonstrations about available recreational opportunities on the river. This year it will take place on October 9th from 11a.m. to 4 p.m.
Throughout the summer, the Ronald C. Downie Amphitheater is home to the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance’s Sunday in the Park Music Series. It is also available for other musical events as well; just get in touch with the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department (see contact information below.)
Riverfront Park is the site of Pottstown Parks and Rec’s Halloween fun, known as Halloween Hijynxx and Shiver on the River. The festivities take place this year on Saturday, October 23rd from 4 – 9 p.m. and include children’s games, scarecrow-making, a magic show, haunted hayride and more, which can’t be beat at just $5 admission per person.
Come New Year’s Day, the river’s edge is the place to be for the annual Polar Bear Swim and Bonfire, also organized by the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department. Hearty souls must register and sign a waiver before taking a plunge in the river, with rescue crews nearby, of course. Afterward, “polar bears” and onlookers can warm up at a bonfire and scarf down a traditional Slovak meal of pork and sauerkraut, which is thought to bring good luck throughout the year. You can find Mercury reporter Evan Brandt’s account here. I also checked out this video posted on YouTube, and – seriously? – I feel a Polar Bear throwdown in the making. You just might find me in the Schuylkill River (for the first time in my life) on January 1, 2011!
So, how do you get to this amazing park?
Hanover St. entrance
I found three ways to enter Riverfront Park.
If you’re coming from High Street, head south on Hanover Street toward the Hanover Street bridge. If you’re on foot, or if you are able to carry your bike down steps, you can enter via the stairway shown in the photo and immediately start to feel like you’ve left urban life behind.
Come on down!
Or you can turn right onto College Drive to access one of the other two entries, which each have parking.
As noted above, you can turn left into the parking lot at 140 College Drive (the building with the mural). That building is the 1911 PECO generating station that has been, and continues to be, adapted to house the Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center, the result of a partnership between Montgomery County Community College and the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area.
Or you can drive, bike or walk into the park near the intersections of Keystone Boulevard and College Drive. Make the turn, cross the tracks near the overpass, and you’ll be in the park.
Riverfront Park is the newest addition to Pottstown’s outstanding parks system and, with its burgeoning programming, has the potential to become a regional destination with year-round activities that appeal to residents and visitors of all age groups and activity levels. I strongly encourage you to check it out, both for its current programs and also as the site for your next hike, special gathering with friends and family, or secret spot for daydreaming on a sunny afternoon.
RIVERFRONT PARK
Location: Along College Drive, between Hanover Street and Keystone Boulevard. Use 140 College Drive, Pottstown, PA 19464 to find it on a map.
Size: 60 acres
Suitability: Active and passive recreation for all ages.
Facilities: Amphitheater, small multi-purpose open space, river, internal trails, picnic areas/tables, picnic pavilion, sitting areas, people-watching areas, natural study areas.
Activities + tips: Shaded, paved path ideal for strollers, walkers, joggers and bikers. Some internal, dirt trails with small jumps that seem to be used by dirt-bikers. These trails are suitable for hiking, although there are no trail maps; if you give these a try, be sure to go with a friend or two.
Positively!Pottstown has teamed up with the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation to run a series of articles about the parks and recreational opportunities in the Foundation’s service area, which includes the Borough of Pottstown and municipalities within a ten-mile radius. Riverfront PathBloggers Sue Repko and Rosemary Keane are visiting all the parks in a recent study commissioned by the Foundation and conducted by the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture of The Pennsylvania State University. They will be posting their experiences and photos here at Positively!Pottstown, beginning tomorrow and continuing through the first week of November. Each week the blog will feature the parks in one municipality or geographic area.
The posts will also appear in the print edition of The Mercury, as space allows, and will otherwise employ new social media, such as the Foundation’s Mission: Healthy Living website, the online edition of The Mercury, Facebook and Twitter, to get the word out about the types and locations of recreational facilities in the Pottstown area.
This series is a direct response to some of the findings from Penn State’s two-phase study. Phase I identified critical issues facing the Pottstown area in terms of growth, sprawl, active living and access to parks, while Phase II linked the conclusions of Phase I to planning objectives, recommendations, design guidelines and implementation strategies. Wellness trail sign
One of the key planning objectives to come out of the Phase II Report was to build awareness of nearby parks. The first question a potential park visitor is going to ask is, “Are there any parks nearby?” Surprisingly, one of Penn State’s findings was that more than a third of residents in higher-density areas, such as Pottstown, are not aware that they have a park within a 10-minute walking distance of their homes. Residents’ next questions typically revolve around how convenient it is to get to a park and whether the park has amenities of interest.
While the Penn State study mentions public and private school playgrounds, the series will not cover those facilities under the assumption that families – the primary users – will already know about them. But the bloggers will use the study as a guide to other community facilities and then will share their own experiences, tips and photos to make it easier for readers to decide what park might suit them on any given day and how to get there.
“We wanted to try this approach, to make this fun and engaging for readers, so that they will be inspired to get outside and explore the recreational opportunities in their own backyards and in neighboring towns,” said Dave Kraybill, Executive Director of the Foundation.
Maple Street Park This project complements the Foundation’s efforts to create an online community, Mission: Healthy Living, where residents can learn and share information among themselves about health and wellness topics that interest them. All of the articles will be permanently available at Positively!Pottstown under the “Parks & Rec” tab at the top of every page, as well as in the “Parks & Rec Series” subject category.
Readers are encouraged to share their tips, insights and experiences (both good and bad) in the comment section at the end of each article. It is through this kind of real-life feedback that municipal officials, parks and recreation departments, non-profit sports and recreation organizations, and the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation can better understand how to encourage and strengthen the opportunities for physical activity and healthy living in their communities.
Schedule of Parks & Recreation articles
Pottstown – Week of Sept. 27
West Pottsgrove, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove – Week of Oct. 4
North, South & East Coventry – Week of Oct. 11
Boyertown/Douglass/New Hanover – Week of Oct. 18
Amity & Douglass (Berks County) – Week of Oct. 25
East Vincent & Spring City – Week of Nov. 1
#3 Everyone is so darn friendly, you find yourself having long conversations with (formerly) complete strangers and even getting invited to a family celebration of an 8-year-old’s birthday party under the pavilion at Memorial Park.
#2 The dark roast coffee and conversation with John on the sidewalk in front of Churchill’s are worth lingering over.
#1 The fact that you were in a 3-hour parking spot, your tire was chalked at 10:45 a.m., and the ticket was written up at 1:49 p.m., reveals an efficient, local government & law enforcement system at work. Way to go, Pottstown – I’m proud of you! (I’m actually serious.)
Yes, I know that’s a cryptic title, but this is a unique fundraiser, described below. If you’re a fan of Antiques Roadshow, this is your opportunity to find out that you might not need to play the lottery anymore, and you can help the local Forgotten Cats organization and The Gallery School of Pottstown at the same time.
Ever wondered if there might be treasure in your attic? Join us on Thursday, September 23 for an antique appraisal event and find out! This evening is a joint fundraiser for the Gallery School’s scholarship fund and Forgotten Cats, a local group dedicated to helping many of the stray and abandoned cats in our neighborhoods. Eileen Rhoads, of Rhoads Auction and Antiques, is generously donating her time and expertise for this event.
The event runs from 6:00-8:30pm at the Gallery on High, 254 High St. There is a $10 entrance fee, which entitles you to one free appraisal. Each additional appraisal is $5, with a maximum of 4 total items appraised per person. Light refreshments will be served.
Please RSVP to 610-326-2506 or by email.
We hope to see you there!
About the Gallery School of Pottstown
The Gallery School of Pottstown is a non-profit community art school dedicated to making the arts accessible to everyone. The proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our scholarship fund, which provides free and reduced cost art classes to children, teens and adults who demonstrate financial need.
About Forgotten Cats
Forgotten Cats helps many of the stray and abandoned cats in our neighborhoods. They help the animals receive needed medical care, get them spayed or neutered and find them a forever home.
About Rhoads Auction and Antiques
Ron and Eileen Rhoads Auction and Antiques can be found at 383 Ben Franklin Highway West, Douglassville, PA 19518. They have fifty years in the business and are the second generation serving the Delaware Valley.
(As an aside… I’m posting this from Smith Family Plaza, right in front of Borough Hall, where there’s free WiFi! I’ve been tooling around Memorial Park on a free bike from Bike Pottstown & Tri-County Bicycles. I’m about to try to find some dirt bike paths in Riverfront Park that some kids told me about over in Memorial Park. )
Jazzy tunes from the Middle SchoolI was kind of holding my breath as the commemorative service got underway in Smith Plaza yesterday morning. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one, scanning the good-sized crowd, trying to gauge how many were there, and whether their numbers would swell or dwindle as the daylong community events, spearheaded by the Pottstown School District and the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance, played out.
After heartfelt speeches, memories of that fateful day in 2001, the honoring of service and rescue personnel, and a moving poem by Ron Downie, I headed up High Street with fellow blogger, Mo Gallant, who writes Pottstown’s Blog. I’d already set up my puzzle- and community-building activity at the Pottstown Regional Public Library and we were going to finish setting up on the sidewalk in front of The Gallery School. Honor & remembrance
While School Board member Michele Pargeon coaxed passersby to check out the inside of The Gallery, a few determined puzzle-builders got busy with the first pass at puzzles of The Gallery, the Middle School, Borough Hall, Churchill’s and Smith Plaza. Bill Krause emerged from The Very Best next door and shot the breeze with us for a couple minutes. Council President Steve Toroney and his wife came by, so did Dave Kraybill, Executive Director of the Health and Wellness Foundation after picking up a free bike at Tri-County Bicycles through the Bike Pottstown program. Periodically, Mo and I would look up and down High Street and say, “They’re here. People are really here.”
That feeling of wonder only grew in strength as the day unfolded.
After putting some stuff in my car, which was parked for free all day in front of the Tri-County Performing Arts Center, Mo and I popped in for a quick hello to Executive Director Marta Kiesling. Then, at an outdoor table at Juan Carlos Fine Mexican Cuisine, we indulged in the sublime Mexican egg rolls with honey jalapeno dip and their spicy Mexican Caesar salad.
Penn Street skateboarders Skateboarders from Bentley’s Boards Skate Shop kept us entertained on Penn Street. Mayor Bonnie Heath, her husband Mason Craig, Borough Manager Jason Bobst and Main Street Manager Leighton Wildrick were at a nearby table, and that outdoor spot was perfect for people-watching, saying “hi” and meeting new folks. As lunch was winding down, I realized that I was in the midst of a perfectly balanced, lively urban/small hometown experience. Great food, people of all ages on the street, full trolleys passing by, and outdoor dining in a place where “everybody knows your name.”
As it got closer to three o’clock, Mo and I bid farewell (Thanks, Mo! Thanks, Michele, for looking out for the puzzles!) Then I headed to the Library to make a quick stop and see how things had gone over there. On my way up High Street, I slowed down to take in the crowd and the thumping salsa beat in front of SwingKat and Grumpy’s Handcarved Sandwiches. Music! Joy! Dancing in the streets! This was Pottstown on September 11, 2010. Mark it on your calendar. Imprint it on your souls.
The puzzle report from Mike Packard at the Pottstown Regional Public Library was thumbs-up. If you haven’t been to the library recently, it’s got a whole new look inside, with the fiction downstairs and popular and current fiction on display. Check out the way-cool teen room downstairs. And there was popcorn! In the library! The smell was heavenly. If they keep this up, they’re going to give the big bookstores a run for their money.Library puzzlers
I made my way to the high school where school district volunteers and staff had lined the cafeteria and halls with tables for any community and school group that wanted to participate. I set up my puzzles and free book raffle in the cafeteria and never got a chance to see the hallways filled with people, including elected officials from both Borough Council and the School Board. In addition to all the families and young puzzle fanatics who stopped by, there was Erica Weekley of the Borough’s economic development staff, and Tim Phelps of Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce and his family.
John Armato, Director of Community Relations for the Pottstown School District and Superintendent Dr. Reed Lindley both stopped by to chat and thank me for being there. It wasn’t just me – they were talking to everyone. It’s obvious that these leaders are real people-persons and that they are “for real.”
In closing, I’d like to hearken back to my blog post of August 8 – The work of the community. From a community revitalization perspective, yesterday was a HUGE bump up to the next level. The community sees the positive and good things it’s capable of. You never know when that’s going to happen – that breakthrough – but once it has, in a lot of ways there’s no turning back.
While yesterday provided the community with a long moment of harmony, where the results of true teamwork were visible and palpable, every day isn’t going to be like this. But the more of these moments that you can string together, the better prepared you will be to get over the rough spots in between, together, with ultimate faith and trust in each other. Congratulations, Pottstown – you’re awesome!
I’d heard about Beacon, NY several times in recent years in the context of arts & cultural revitalization. I happen to go pretty close by when I take my oldest to and from college, so today I finally checked it out.
Beacon is a town of about 15,000 on the Hudson River. According to City-data.com, the town’s median income in 2008 was about $59,000; the median for New York State is $56,000. The median in 2000 was $45,000.
Check out their map on the home page of their website. When you hover over a peg and then click it, you get the name and location of a gallery, restaurant, or whatever. They have the pegs color-coded by category, too.
Beacon’s renaissance was aided by the opening of Dia: Beacon, one of the largest contemporary arts museums in the world. It’s located in a former Nabisco box-printing plant.
Their Main Street is interesting in that it’s got a stretch of just incredible red brick architecture, where virtually every storefront is occupied, then a stretch of 1950s architecture that is kind of rundown, and then another stretch of charming, upscale shops, which includes the Bank Square Coffee House. That’s where I am right now, taking advantage of the free WiFi. (I’ll have you know that I’m not a WiFi mooch! I did have a vegan chocolate, chocolate & cherry chip cookie that was melt-in-the-mouth crumbly and oh-so-chocolate-y, too)
Back at the other end of town, there are galleries, vintage clothing, several cafes, a wine bar, an Irish pub, real estate offices, antiques, and The Beacon Theater, which is in use while it’s being restored. (Why, oh why, can’t Pottstown still have the Hippodrome or the Strand??). Get this: In The Beacon’s window there’s a sign that says, “Thank you to the Planning Board for our facade approval!”
Along all of Main Street, right now there’s an exhibit called “2010 Windows on Main Street, Uniting Art & Commerce.” Local artists do installations in the windows of the shops. Stores & cafes have piles of large postcards with a map of Main Street, designating the locations of the installations. So you can see interesting stuff even when you’re just browsing. The exhibit runs from Aug. 14-Sept. 11. There are opening & closing receptions. The town is also having 4 different musical events on 9/11 at different times/venues in town.
Okay, I’ve got to get going to find their waterfront and then head home. I’ll update you on that tonight. I’m sorry I don’t have my camera with me!
… Beacon’s Riverfront Park is separated from their dowtown by a few streets and the Metro-North Railroad‘s Hudson Line and station. It’s a pretty nice park that’s got a pier and a piece of land, with lawn and trees, that juts out into the river. It’s got a beautiful view of Newburgh across the river and of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The park has a couple basketball courts, volleyball, grills, and playgrounds. It was filled with lots of people coming and going, as was the train station. The park seemed to be used mostly by locals, bringing big coolers, grilling and having fun. Apparently, I missed the river pool. It must be on the other side of the basketball courts, which is the northern tip of the park.
In the area of the pier is the Sloop Club, out of which the Woody Guthrie sails. It’s a replica of a Hudson River ferry sloop. Free sails are offered. From the website: “Launched in 1978, her purpose is to promote the beauty and wonder of the Hudson River by offering free sails to the public and sail training to volunteers. Only by experiencing the power, serenity and sheer glory of this American treasure will we as a people be inspired to cherish and protect it, and thereby ourselves.” The Club holds or participates in many festivals during the season to raise funds for their environmental programs.
Lessons to take away from Beacon, NY
– Main Street is home to many arts & cultural attractions, food/drink businesses & has kayak rentals.
– Waterfront is geographically separated from downtown, about a mile away, but accessible by foot, bike, car or Metro North railroad.
– Waterfront is not overtly commercial. Lots of opportunities for outdoor activities, which are generally free. – – There is a year-round Sunday Farmers Market.
– The Hudson River near Beacon is much wider than the Schuylkill River in the vicinity of Pottstown.
– Dia: Beacon museum, which is also not in the town center, draws large crowds that come downtown & help sustain businesses.
– I didn’t notice any lots, but the on-street parking was free!
Positively Pottstown blog 