Main Line restaurateur Alessandro “Alex” Fiorello — who is slowly growing a suburban Italian portfolio, with a Wayne osteria and West Chester pizzeria — is preparing to open a new, bar-forward concept at Bryn Mawr Village, 915 Lancaster Ave.
The Bryn Mawr space, which opened in 2022 as the short-lived Marc Vetri-operated Fiore Rosso, most recently was Il Fiore. It closed last month.
The bar at Fiore Rosso in Bryn Mawr, which was operating most recently as Il Fiore. It closed at the end of 2025.
The new project will sit at the top of Fiorello’s three-tier restaurant lineup. His Wayne restaurant, Alessandro’s Wood Fired Italian, opened in 2020 as an upscale-casual neighborhood osteria with a strong takeout business and a busy dining room. Alessandro’s Pizzeria, which the self-taught chef opened in April, is positioned as a casual lunch and slice shop serving pizza, cheesesteaks, and salads.
Fiorello grew up in the restaurant business. His father ran Fiorella’s Café in West Chester, while his mother’s family operated pizza shops in New York. Raised in Brooklyn, Fiorello worked in kitchens from a young age before returning to Chester County as a teenager.
Fiorello said Enoteca Alessandro’s or Alessandro’s Enoteca were in the running for the name of the new Bryn Mawr spot.
Fiorello, who said he is backed by investors, plans to maintain the restaurant’s industrial look, adding that the restaurant’s solid infrastructure would allow for a relatively fast turnaround.
Dining room at Alessandro’s Wood Fired Italian, 133 N. Wayne Ave. in Wayne.
“This new place will be a step up from Wayne,” Fiorello said. “Still approachable but more bar-focused, with a great bar scene.”
The menu will remain Italian at its core, built around house-made pasta, wood-fired pizzas, and a wood-fired grill, with several signature dishes from Alessandro’s Wood Fired Italian carrying over. The new kitchen will also feature dry-aged proteins, using on-site aging refrigerators inherited with the space, and may incorporate subtle Japanese influences, including a small number of sushi-style items.
Dana Edwards was sworn in as mayor of Narberth earlier this month.
Narberth’s new mayor may have only lived in the 4,500-person borough for five years, but he’s already got a vision for it.
Dana Edwards, 53, was sworn into office earlier this month after securing the backing of Narberth’s Democratic committee and running unopposed in both the primary and general elections.
Now the Puerto Rico native who’s lived in several other parts of the U.S. before settling in Narberth is focused on sustainable growth while maintaining the borough’s “hometown feel,” The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.
When the late Kobe Bryant came to Lower Merion, he helped shape a rivalry with Chester that endured.
Decades may have passed, but a longtime rivalry between two high school basketball teams, begun in part by legend Kobe Bryant, still lives on today.
When Bryant joined the Lower Merion Aces his freshman year, the school wasn’t a basketball powerhouse. But as the program improved, it soon built a rivalry with the much-more-stacked Chester High School, so much so that their matchups would often sell out venues.
Saks Fifth Avenue’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, leaving some questions about the future of its stores. For the time being, the Saks on City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd will remain open while the company restructures. Here’s what we know so far.
Women’s apparel and accessories store Francesca’s, which has a location at Suburban Square in Ardmore, is reportedly closing its remaining stores after years of financial turmoil. Francesca’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2020. (Fox Business)
Villanova University is among a handful of Pennsylvania colleges that are now paying some of its athletes directly. The move comes after a federal class-action lawsuit last year regarding student athlete compensation. Villanova said it will primarily pay athletes on its basketball teams.
Coulter Place, an apartment community at Suburban Square, is now open. The 131-unit, five-story building has a fitness center, clubroom, game room, pool, coworking spaces, and pet-care spaces with rents ranging from about $3,030 to $7,035 per month.
A handful of Philadelphia Police Department employees live in and around Lower Merion, according to a new Inquirer analysis. An increasing number of Philadelphia police employees — about a third of full-time staff — live outside the city, with four who reside in Bala Cynwyd, three in Bryn Mawr, and two each in Ardmore, Narberth, Villanova, and Wynnewood. See a map of where employees live here.
Bala Cynwyd resident Jenny Sved has been named the new executive director of Teach PA, the statewide affiliate of Jewish education advocacy organization Teach Coalition, which represents Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy and Perelman Jewish Day School.
A new pet boutique, Mila’s Pup Tienda, is coming to Ardmore, taking over the space at 18 E. Lancaster Ave.
6abc recently caught up with Carolyn Vachani, the owner of Plant 4 Good in Ardmore. When the former nurse was ready to retire, she decided to open the shop at 100 Cricket Ave. to help connect others to plants and gardening. See the segment here.
Wynnewood’s English Village recently marked a milestone, turning 100 last year, and a century later still remains a coveted, if under-the-radar spot for homebuyers. The village sits between Cherry Lane and Wister Road and spans 29 Tudor-style homes. (Main Line Today)
🏫 Schools Briefing
The district is hosting its third strategic plan community input meeting on Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Lower Merion High School cafeteria. There, members of the community can share their thoughts on the district’s strategic plan for 2026 to 2031.
Tonight is Welsh Valley’s winter choral concert. The school board will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, and there will be tours of Harriton High for eighth grade students and their families on Wednesday, which is also course selection night. See the district’s full calendar here.
Lower Merion High School’s wrestling team recently took home third place overall in the Central League Championship Tournament, held at Harriton High School. It was the team’s best overall performance. Senior Sam Soeffing also took home first place in his competition.
🍽️ On our Plate
With a more than 700-person waitlist, a Gladwyne restaurant is surprisingly tough to get into, but it’s the best meal The Inquirer’s Kiki Aranita has eaten on the Main Line. Why’s it so difficult to score a table? Partly because Carlton Commons is in senior-living community Waverly Heights and requires residency. For those with friends or relatives there, it’s worth tagging along for the osso buco, butternut squash risotto, rigatoni alla vodka, or the signature tomato aspic.
Bikini Burger, a new eatery at 44 Rittenhouse Place in Ardmore, is hosting a ribbon cutting today at 11:30 a.m. to mark its official opening. Its menu includes burgers, milkshakes, and fries.
Looking for a non-alcoholic cocktail? Char & Stave in Ardmore has a barrel-aged “Old Fashioned,” which Philadelphia Magazine says is among the best alcohol-free sips on area menus currently, noting its barrel-aged espresso base gives it “a bourbon-like, oaky smoothness.”
🎳 Things to Do
🎶 The Music of Beyoncé and More for Kids: This kid-friendly show will feature music from the iconic artist. ⏰ Sunday, Jan. 25, 11:45 a.m. 💵 $20.44 📍 Ardmore Music Hall
🎥 The Awful Truth: Catch a screening of this Cary Grant and Irene Dunne screwball comedy. ⏰ Wednesday, Jan. 28, 7:15 p.m. 💵 $11.75-$16.25 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
The stone Colonial was built in 1925 and spans over 4,000 square feet.
Built in 1925, this spacious Wynnewood stone Colonial has a classic exterior and a contemporary updated interior. The home’s first floor features a living room with a fireplace, and a dining room that opens onto the kitchen, which has a waterfall peninsula with a breakfast bar. There are four bedrooms and three full bathrooms on the second floor, and a “bonus room” on the third floor. The home also has a finished basement with a half bathroom.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Daniel Segal, 79, of Philadelphia, cofounder and shareholder of the Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller law firm, adjunct law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, former cochair of the Philadelphia Soviet Jewry Council, onetime board president at the Juvenile Law Center, mentor, and “mischievous mensch,” died Thursday, Jan. 8, of stomach cancer at his home.
Born and reared in Washington, Mr. Segal moved to Philadelphia in 1976 to teach at what is now Penn Carey Law School. He went into private law practice in 1979, became cochair of a litigation department in 1993, and joined with colleagues in 1994 to establish Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin.
For more than 40 years, until his recent retirement, Mr. Segal handled all kinds of cases for all kinds of clients, including The Inquirer. He was an expert in juvenile law, defamation, the First Amendment, professional ethics, education, civil rights, and other legal issues.
He was president of the board at the Juvenile Law Center and worked pro bono for years, beginning in 2009, to help represent more than 2,400 juvenile victims and win millions of dollars in settlements in what is known as the Luzerne County “kids-for-cash” case. In that case, two judges were convicted of taking kickbacks for illegally sending juveniles to two private for-profit detention facilities.
“This is one of the worst judicial scandals in history,” Mr. Segal told The Inquirer in 2009. “The people you’re stepping on are the true, true little guys.”
Mr. Segal was honored in 2010 by the Philadelphia Bar Foundation.
Among his other notable cases are a 1985 workplace racial discrimination dispute, a 1990 libel case against The Inquirer, and a 2000 trial about the city taxing outdoor advertisers. “Dan Segal was a living testament to professional excellence,” said Mark Aronchick, his law partner and longtime friend.
Law partner and friend John Summers said: “He was a great teacher and mentor.” Marsha Levick, cofounder of the Juvenile Law Center, said: “He was a brilliant, steady partner who made us smarter and kept us laughing.”
Mr. Segal clerked for Chief Judge David Bazelon in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1974 and for Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall in 1975. He was active with the Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, and the Penn Law School American Inn of Court.
He wrote articles for legal journals and letters to the editor of The Inquirer and Daily News. He spoke at panels and conferences, earned honors from legal organizations and trade publications, and was named the Thomas A. O’Boyle adjunct professor of law at Penn in 1992.
This story and photo features Mr. Segal (left) and appeared in The Inquirer in 1984.
The son of a rabbi, Mr. Segal was cochair of the Soviet Jewry Council in the 1980s, and he organized rallies and marches for social justice and human rights. He traveled to Israel often and to the old Soviet Union several times to secretly support Jews not permitted by government officials to immigrate to Israel.
“We are persuaded that the Soviet Jews are pawns in the Soviet-American relationship,” he told The Inquirer in 1985.
He served as president of the board of directors at what is now Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy and held leadership roles with the Jewish Community Relations Council, the New Israel Fund, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and other organizations.
Colleagues at the New Israel Fund praised his “characteristic kindness” and “gentle and sparkling humor” in an online tribute. They said: “He was everyone’s favorite board member.”
Mr. Segal and his wife, Sheila, married in 1968.
Mr. Segal enjoyed pranks and funny jokes, even at work, and neighbors called him Silly Dan. His son Josh said: “His warmth, humor, and humility meant that he could connect with just about anyone.” A friend said he was a “mischievous mensch.”
He earned his law degree in 1973 and was executive editor of the Law Review at Harvard University Law School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in politics and economics at Yale University in 1968 and a master’s degree in international relations from the London School of Economics in 1969.
He taught elementary school for a year in Washington and spent another year in Europe before moving to Philadelphia. “He taught us just how important it is to stand up for what is right,” his son Eli said, “and to do so not only with conviction but with humility and kindness, and without a thought of getting personal credit.”
Daniel Segal was born July 4, 1946. He started dating Sheila Feinstein in ninth grade, and they married after college in 1968. They had sons Josh and Eli, and lived in Center City and Lower Merion before moving to Fairmount in 2018.
Mr. Segal’s sons said: “Our dad showed us that relationships are the heart of a life well-lived by nurturing lifelong friendships.”
Mr. Segal loved chocolate and ice cream. He recovered from a traumatic brain injury 20 years ago, and he and his wife traveled to Iceland, Peru, Vietnam, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere.
He doted on his family and friends, and he and his wife rented vacation places every summer to bring his sons and their families together. “Neither of us were surprised that our dad always made our kids feel so loved,” his son Eli said. “Because that was just how he made us feel.”
This week, owner Kimco Realty and developer Bozzuto Development announced the opening of Coulter Place, the first apartment community in the Ardmore shopping destination.
The five-story, mixed-use development includes 131 apartments with one to three bedrooms and about 20,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Amenities for residents include a fitness center, clubroom, game room, pool, coworking spaces, and pet-care spaces. It has two courtyards and garage parking with electric-vehicle charging stations.
The promise of apartment residents helped attract new retailers to Suburban Square, including New Balance, Sugared + Bronzed, and the apparel brand Rhone on the ground floor of the apartment building.
The complex is one of a few projects planned in recent years that have added or will add hundreds of apartments near Lancaster Avenue in Ardmore. One Ardmore, a 110-unit apartment complex, opened in 2019 after a yearslong campaign by residents to stop it. The long-awaited Piazza development is expected to add 270 apartments and almost 30,000 square feet of retail space when it opens in a couple of years.
This rendering shows the outdoor pool at Coulter Place.
Conor Flynn, CEO of Kimco Realty, said in a statement that Suburban Square is an “iconic, walkable destination” and that the addition of apartments creates “a more vibrant, connected experience for residents, retailers, and visitors alike.”
“Coulter Place represents the next chapter in Suburban Square’s evolution and a clear example of how we’re unlocking long-term value through thoughtful mixed-use development,” Flynn said.
The apartments are across from Trader Joe’s and the Ardmore Farmers Market and within walking distance to the Ardmore station for SEPTA and Amtrak trains.
Apartments available for lease at Coulter Place range from one-bedroom, one-bathroom units for about $3,030 per month to a three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit for $7,035 per month.
Philadelphia-based JKRP Architects designed the apartment building.
Suburban Square was developed in 1928 and now has about 80 shops, restaurants, fitness spaces, and more. Businesses include Apple, SoulCycle, Warby Parker, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, CAVA, and Di Bruno Bros.
This rendering shows one of the courtyards for residents of Coulter Place.
The intimate dining room is hushed but for the clinking of glasses and silverware clattering on gleaming plates. There are only 32 seats. The polished wooden chairs are plushly upholstered. The paintings and a stylized metalwork map that adorn the room are tasteful. A glass wine room, lit golden from within, casts soft light on the silver damask-swathed tables, as do the Napa winery-esque modern chandeliers.
This is Carlton Commons, the heart of senior-living, life-planning community Waverly Heights in Gladwyne.
The mansion in which this dining room is housed was once the elegant Main Line estate of a railway baron. Now, it has the air of a very quiet cruise ship, complete with a dress code: dresses for women, dinner jackets for men.
Dining room at the Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
This is a restaurant that has a waiting list that’s ostensibly 710 people, about as long as Royal Sushi’s notorious Resy waitlist. But it‘s arguably far more difficult to get into. You need to be 62 years of age to be a resident (who can bring guests of any age), and the cost of admission for a one-bedroom dwelling requires a $336,000 minimum down payment. (Deluxe apartments start at over a million dollars — not a surprise for wealthy Gladwyne.)
An osso buco collapses into a tangle of tender fibers at the prod of a fork, melting into the slightly tangy goat cheese polenta puddled beneath. Crunchy fried potato slivers add pleasing texture to each bite. A butternut squash risotto is just as satisfying, a master class in texture, with creamy squash trapped in distinct grains of arborio, beset with balsamic-scented curls of slow-cooked sweet onion.
If I closed my eyes, I could very well think I was dining at Le Virtù.
Chicken cutlet with rigatoni and vodka sauce at Waverly Heights.
There’s a perfectly al dente rigatoni alla vodka upon which a crisp chicken cutlet is nestled, then topped with an oozing cloud of burrata. (It’s almost identical to the thoroughly satisfying one I just had at Center City’s Wine Dive.)
The specialty of the house is a curiously delicious tomato aspic, served with a tiny slice of cucumber and a dollop of Hellman’s mayo. No staff member was able to explain its origins, as it predated all of them. “It was always here,” said Waverly Heights’ white-toqued executive chef Michael F. Tiernan, 47. “And it is a fan favorite.”
Tomato aspic with mayo and cucumber.
When Tiernan interviewed for the position in 2017, he was expressly told to not touch the tomato aspic. He could change the shape — the kitchen’s cookie-cutter collection forms it into hearts, circles, and triangles — but he was not permitted to riff on the recipe, which consists of unflavored gelatin, tomato juice, vegetable juice, celery, onion, and olives. “It’s a very traditional, Old World-style recipe,” said CEO Tom Garvin.
Tiernan has worked at Waverly Heights for eight years, with a cumulative 18 years under his belt cooking at continuing-care facilities. In addition to managing Carlton Commons and changing its menu every three months, he cooks for a packed calendar of special events. On one of my visits, he was preparing for New Year’s Eve with poached lobster and filet mignon for a dinner that would be a prelude to dancing. The only major difference between a New Year’s party at Waverly Heights and a typical one: Their ball drops at 9 p.m. “We celebrate like we’re in Australia,” Garvin quipped.
Executive Chef Michael Tiernan at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, Pa.
I dined at Carlton Commons twice, once as a guest of a friend’s parents who are residents and again after I contacted the life-plan community (the preferred term over retirement community, as I was informed by Garvin), who indulged my request for an interview with no small amount of incredulousness. But I loved my first meal there.
And I was deeply curious. A bookshelf in the community’s library is stacked with books written by residents, including volumes on psychology, cardiovascular disorders, and politics. Carlton Commons’ regular diners had careers as physicians, ambassadors, and scientists. How does one cook for residents like those of Waverly Heights?
Well, first, by changing the menu every 90 days, and then by packing it with global influences, frequently rendered into Italian-rooted comfort foods. And hosting lots of themed parties and events.
Wine cellar displayed near the entrance of the dining room at the Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
The back of house is, by necessity, an institutional operation. Carlton Commons and Waverly Heights’ other dining rooms and cafes are executed in partnership with Unidine, the life-plan community’s version of Aramark, though Carlton Commons’ chef has significant creative control over the menus. The pasta that winds up on my plate tastes far less institutional at many places I’ve eaten, including the 100-layer lasagna at Borromini in Rittenhouse.
The prices for me, a single guest, are shockingly low. It’s $37.50 plus tax for a full meal, including an appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and dessert. No tipping is permitted. I am unable to pay more than $5.75 for a glass of chardonnay, and a nip of Maker’s Mark costs $4.75. (There’s no sommelier on staff, but there is a wine committee consisting of opinionated residents.)
My first dinner there had some slight hiccups. One of my dining companions ordered a steak “still pink inside” that arrived well done, but it was swiftly replaced by an appropriately cooked one. Another dining companion was startled to discover that her iced tea was presweetened, which took more than a few minutes to rectify.
The butternut squash risotto at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, Pa., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.
My edamame dumplings swam in a too heavy-handed pour of bracingly salty soy sauce that would have worked better as a dipping sauce, but the dumplings themselves were delightful crispy golden pockets of gently mashed soybeans. My miso sea bass was pristinely roasted, flaking apart into succulent morsels with a gentle nudge.
Overall, the food is comforting, gently refined, and on trend in every which way, even to the surprise of Waverly Heights’ staff (down to the baked potatoes, available as a side every night). And the veryearly reservations — Carlton Commons seats diners between 5:30 and 7:15 p.m., and everyone is asleep by last call — reflect recent data that indicate diners are eating out earlier than ever. And I assure you, many of those residents listen to vinyl records, just like in Philly’s listening bars.
Dining at Carlton Commons reminded me that sometimes, the best meals aren’t found in the places you’d expect.
The listing includes the main fieldstone house, which spans over 11,000 square feet.
A 3.85-acre Villanova estate featuring a sprawling century-old, seven-bedroom home and a more modern carriage house have hit the market for a combined $9.9 million.
Located on Creighton Road, which the listing agent says has become known as the “estate street,” the properties are being sold together or separately, but with one caveat: If a buyer doesn’t want both, then the main home must sell first before the owners will entertain offers on the carriage house.
The main fieldstone house spans over 11,000 square feet and has a commercial kitchen, a solarium, a wine cellar, a movie room, and a gym, while the carriage house spans just over 1,000 square feet and has a heated saltwater pool.
Bart’s Bagels specializes in kettle-boiled bagels.
Bala Cynwyd brothers Brett and Kyle Frankel are coming home. Sort of. The duo behind West and South Philadelphia shop Bart’s Bagels is expanding to a third location, this time in their hometown of Bala Cynwyd.
The new shop is planned to open this summer at 273 Montgomery Ave. There, the Lower Merion High School alums will dish up kettle-boiled bagels — which patrons can watch being made — along with smoked meats, egg sandwiches, and unique schmears.
Barbara Thomas, 46, was sentenced this week in Montgomery County Court for her role in a $1.76 million Medicaid fraud scheme at Bala Cynwyd-based ComfortZone Home Health Care. From 2020 to 2023, when Thomas was the office manager and a case manager, the home care agency allegedly submitted fabricated Medicaid reimbursement claims. Thomas has been sentenced to serve nine to 23 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.39 million in restitution in part with her co-defendants. So far, 18 people have pleaded guilty to involvement in the scheme.
The final phase of Ardmore’s Suburban Square redevelopment is set to open later this month. Developers spent $100 million to create Coulter Place, which has 131 apartments and 20,000 square feet of retail space that has been leased to New Balance, Rhone, Sugared + Bronzed, Skin Laundry, and Barry’s. Two retail spaces remain. Rent for a one-bedroom unit in the five-story building, which has a fitness center and pool deck for residents, starts at around $3,000 per month. (Philadelphia Business Journal)
Heads up for drivers and pedestrians: With work underway on the mixed-use Piazza development in Ardmore, there will be sidewalk closures on Lancaster Avenue between Greenfield and Ardmore Avenues through its completion, which is projected for early 2028.
Part of Lancaster Avenue, between Indian Creek Lane and Woodcircle Drive, will also have a weekday lane closure in both directions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as PennDot installs new lane departure signage. Installation will begin tomorrow and run through next Friday.
Part of Elmwood and South Narberth Avenues in Narberth will be closed to traffic starting Monday for bridge construction. Pedestrians and cyclists will have designated access.
Thinking about a home renovation? Inquirer contributor Terri Akman recently spoke with couples who overhauled parts of their home for tips on protecting their relationships through what can be a stressful process. Wynnewood couple Jena and Brandon Fisher, who updated all of their home’s bathrooms, recognized their different approaches to decision-making up front. Here’s how other couples approached renovations.
Speaking of home renovations, the founders of Gladwyne interior design firm Bergman Vass recently launched a new minimalist furniture collection. The duo is planning to open a showroom in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard early this year where buyers can see the items in person. (Philadelphia Magazine)
Ever have a question about the township you can’t answer? Submit it to Curious Lower Merion and one of our reporters might try to track down the answer.
🏫 Schools Briefing
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the school district is hosting a “Junior Afternoon of Service” today from 4 to 6 p.m., when students and their families can help with various community projects.
The district is closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There are several concerts today and tonight and Black Rock eighth graders will pose for their class photo tomorrow. Tuesday begins the midyear experience for Lower Merion and Harriton High students. See the district’s full calendar here.
After new Pennsylvania School Code requirements went into effect at the start of the year, LMSD is reminding families about how it will communicate about weapons found on school property, offering a three-tiered approach. See it here.
🍽️ On our Plate
Lower Merion’s restaurant scene is set to boom in 2026, with nearly a dozen openings in the coming months, including Dim Sum Factory, EMei, and Malooga. A little further along the Main Line, Salt Korean Barbecue Steakhouse/Yugo is planning a late summer opening in Devon, while Testa Rossa, from the team behind White Dog Cafe, is slated to open in Radnor this spring. The Inquirer’s Michael Klein has rounded up the region’s anticipated openings. With so many new restaurants on the way, the Main Line has landed among Klein’s “hot neighborhoods” for dining this year.
Speaking of openings, Love & Honey Fried Chicken, which opened last month at 1111 W. Lancaster Ave., is hosting a grand opening for its Bryn Mawr location on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be giveaways, discounted food, a ribbon cutting, and music.
And with openings come some closings. Belmont Hills BYOB Core de Roma, which specialized in Roman cuisine, has closed after five years. In a note on its website, the team behind the restaurant said it had decided not to buy the space or extend its lease at 201 Jefferson St. In September, the real estate hit the market with an asking price of $599,000.
🎳 Things to Do
🎸 The Ledbetters: Hear the Pearl Jam tribute perform some of the band’s biggest hits. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 16, 8 p.m. 💵 $33.38 📍 Ardmore Music Hall
🧸 Paddington 2: Catch a screening of the sequel to the beloved children’s movie. There’s another screening on Jan. 31. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 17, 11 a.m. 💵 $6.75-$7.75 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
🍹 Wallace Dry Goods x Home Appetit Moms Night Out: Geared toward moms, including those who are pregnant or nursing, sample non-alcoholic beverages and light bites. Registration is required. ⏰ Wednesday, Jan. 21, 5-7 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Wallace Dry Goods
Built in 1900, this Ardmore Colonial blends classic design elements — like dormers and a portico — with modern living. There are a number of fireplaces throughout, including in the living room, dining room, and a bedroom. The five-bedroom home features original woodwork and crown moldings, has a sunroom leading to the patio, and a kitchen with granite countertops, including a large island. Its five bedrooms are spread across the second and third floors, including the second-floor primary suite which has a walk-in closet, a standalone tub, and a fireplace. Other features include a partially finished basement and a detached two-car garage with a studio apartment. There’s an open house Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
John Linehan and Kobe Bryant used to talk. A lot. This would not have been unusual for other AAU teammates, but these two were fierce high school rivals.
Linehan was a scrappy point guard for Chester. Bryant was a relentless shooting guard for Lower Merion. Both were competitive, almost to a fault, and in the days leading up to big games, they’d get chippy.
The week before the 1996 PIAA Class AAAA District 1 title game, for example, the players talked every day on bulky landline phones, with Bryant often calling Linehan at his home in Chester.
“I just said, ‘You know, John, I haven’t won a championship yet, and you have,’” Bryant told The Inquirer in 1996.
Linehan knew what his friend was doing. The future NBA star did the same thing a few weeks later, on March 19, a day before the teams met again in the state semifinal.
“He was trying to get me to trash talk,” Linehan said. “I think he needed a little edge. I didn’t want to give him too much. I was like, ‘Man, you crazy.’”
The late Kobe Bryant, a former Lower Merion basketball star, announcing he will go directly into the NBA draft out of high school.
Lower Merion wasn’t a basketball school when Bryant arrived in the fallof 1992. It paled in comparison to the local powerhouses like Simon Gratz, Coatesville, and Chester.
But Bryant changed that. Even in his freshman year, a season in which the Aces went 4-20, he brought a new standard, working out before class and introducing a level of toughness that was foreign to his teammates.
Bythe mid-1990s, Lower Merion was among the best high school teams in the Philadelphia area. Its players were more confident, celebrating after big shots, and talking loud on the court.
The Aces didn’t play as many games against Coatesville, a rising power led by Rip Hamilton. They couldn’t consistently measure themselves against Gratz, which didn’t participate in the PIAA playoffs untilthe 2004-05 season.
But they could against Chester. And so, a decades-long rivalry was born.
From 1996 through the mid-2010s, Chester and Lower Merion put on some of the greatest high school basketball games in the area. They’d often sell out venues like the Palestra and Villanova’s Pavilion. Some fans would even scalp tickets.
Their communities were almost diametrically opposed. Chester was predominantly Black; Lower Merion was predominantly white. Chester was plaguedby poverty; Lower Merion was considered affluent.
Chester, with its Biddy League, had a legacy of basketball greatness, and a steady pipeline of talent. Lower Merion had nothing comparable. But these differences melted away on the court.
And while the rivalry is not what it once was, it lives on today.
“The pride and the intensity and the history will never fade,” said Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer. “I mean, if we played them tomorrow night, that would be an intense game.”
The Bryant-Linehan era
When Downer was named head coach in 1990, he already was well-aware of Chester’s tradition. He’d played youth basketball growing up in Media and had heard about the stars who’d come out of the Biddy League.
It was obvious that his team would have to go through the Clippers to win any sort of accolade. But it wasn’t until Bryant’s arrival that Downer’s aspirations became a real possibility.
The shooting guard, who was the son of former 76er Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant, was mature for his age. He’d demand more, mentally and physically, of older teammates. Doug Young, a former Lower Merion forward, remembered seeing Bryant leaving the locker room at 7 o’clock one September morning in 1993.
He’d been at the high school gym since 5 a.m., working out by himself. To the Lower Merion basketball team, this was a “crazy” concept, so Young and his cohorts decided to join him.
In the District 1 championship game against Chester, Kobe Bryant goes to the hoop over the Clippers’ John Linehan.
They arrived the next day at 5:06 a.m. The players knocked on the door. Bryant didn’t answer.
“He wouldn’t open it,” said Young, who graduated in 1995. “You’re either there or you’re not. We were six minutes late.”
His teammates waited outside until 6:30 a.m., when the school opened. They made sure to show up before 5 a.m. from that day on.
Downer was wired the same way. The coach — and his NBA-bound pupil — would push the team in practice. Losses were particularly tough. The players would go through endless sprints and rebounding drills that sent them running to the trash can.
It wasn’t fun. But over time, the method created a newfound tenacity.
“No one walked into high school saying, ‘Oh, yeah, I want to win a state championship,’” Young said. “But [Kobe] knew what that was. He was like, ‘I don’t know any other way. If we’re not going to win a championship, what the heck are we playing for?’”
Chester was always going to be an obstacle, so Downer tried to play into the battle. He’d use analogies for the tough, hard-nosed team, comparing it to an animal stalking its prey.
The coach began to screen movies to underscore this point. Together, in a Lower Merion classroom, Downer’s players watched Jaws and other tales of survival, like The Edge, a 1997 thriller about a plane that crashes in the Alaskan wilderness.
“This bear is stalking them, and the couple is saying, ’What are we going to do about this bear?’” Downer said. “And one of them says, ‘The only thing we can do is kill the bear.’
“And I remember being like, ‘We can do this.’ But the only solution is to — not to be overly graphic — but to kill them.”
(The bear in this analogy was Chester.)
He added: “We tried everything humanly possible to get through to this team.”
The first few games were ugly. In 1995, Lower Merion met the Clippers in the District 1 championship, only to lose by 27 points. But they came back with a renewed focus the following year, in 1995-96, going 25-3 in the regular season to earn a district final rematch against Chester.
The Aces showed up at the arena with “27″ printed on their warmup shirts. Bryant, armed with fresh bulletin board material from Linehan, dropped 34 points against the Clippers en route to a 60-53 Aces win.
The shooting guard scored 39 points later that month — with a broken nose — in a 77-69 state semifinal win over Chester. Lower Merion went on to beat Erie Cathedral Prep, 48-43, to win its first state championship since 1943.
Kobe Bryant celebrates after defeating Chester at the Palestra in 1996 to advance to the state final.
To Linehan, the difference Bryant made was obvious. He joked that he’d “never heard of Lower Merion” before his friend arrived. But once he did, Chester realized it would have to go to great lengths to prepare for the phenom.
Ahead of a big game against Lower Merion in the mid-1990s, the coaching staff reached out to Clippers alumnus Zain Shaw. He played at West Virginia and in Europe and possessed some of the same characteristics as Bryant — a tall frame and an athletic build with strong ballhandling skills.
The Clippers invited Shaw to practice, where he played the role of Bryant (to the best of his ability).
“Kobe was so special, we had to bring in a pro to help us prepare,” said Linehan, who later starred at Providence.
But there was another impact the future Lakers star had, one that had nothing to do with his own prowess. Linehan noticed that Bryant’s Lower Merion teammates started to take on some of his qualities. Suddenly, they were playing brash, confident basketball.
“We didn’t have reason to believe, until Kobe got there, that we belonged on the court with Chester,” Young said. “The fear was real. Teams were afraid of Chester because they’d run you out of the building.
“The idea of Lower Merion being on the court in a meaningful game against [them] was such a crazy thought. But then, you started to believe.”
The buzzer-beater heard ’round Chester
Bryant never got over the rivalry, even after he embarked on his Hall of Fame NBA career in 1996. Sometimes, he’d call the coaching staff before big games against Chester, leaving expletive-laden voicemails to use as motivation.
The Lakers shooting guard also created an incentive structure for his former team.
“You couldn’t get a pair of Nike sneakers unless you qualified for the playoffs,” Young said. “If you don’t earn it, you don’t get it.”
He became especially involved in 2005-06. After a lull in the early 2000s, Chester and Lower Merion found themselves neck-and-neck again. The Aces were led by the duo of Ryan Brooks and Garrett Williamson, and the Clippers boasted a deep roster, headlined by Darrin Govens. All of them eventually played in the Big 5.
(Chester was so stacked that it brought a 1,000-point scorer off the bench in Noel Wilmore.)
Students from the class of 2005 show their support as Chester and Lower Merion play in the state final.
The rivals met in the state championship on March 19, 2005. Despite strong performances from Williamson and Brooks, the Clippers pulled away in the second half thanks to a dominant third quarter from Govens. Chester won, 74-61.
The teams reconvened the following season with their competitive spark fully reignited. They faced each other three times that year. Chester took Round 1, a one-point regular-season victory on Dec. 27.
Round 2 was in the district final on March 3. Before the game, in front of a packed crowd at the Pavilion, Chester sophomore Karon Burton walked up to the layup line.
Lower Merion’s student section caught his ear with a chant about coach Fred Pickett’s stout stature.
The dig didn’t intimidate Burton. If anything, it fueled him. He grew up playing street ball in Chester and always loved trash talk.
Instead of cowering, like the crowd hoped, the sophomore delivered an unforgettable outing. The game went into overtime, and was tied at 80 with only a few seconds remaining.During a timeout, assistant coach Keith Taylor pulled Burton aside.
“He was like, ‘Hey, listen,’” Burton said. “They’re going to double Darrin. If you get that ball, do your thing.’”
Taylor’s words proved prescient. As Lower Merion’s defenders swarmed Govens, the Clippers inbounded the ball to Burton.
He took a pull-up jumper from beyond the arc and drilled it for an 83-80 win. The Chester fans stormed the court. Burton, who later joined Wilmore in the 1,000-point club, said he felt like a celebrity in his hometown.
“It was like watching a buzzer-beater in the NBA,” he said. “I just ran to my teammates, they picked me up. It was a crazy feeling.
“I’m a big Kobe fan, too. Kobe’s my favorite player ever. So when I came and I hit the game-winner on that team …”
Round 3 took place a few weeks later, in a state semifinal rematch at the Palestra on March 22. Bryant called Lower Merion’s coaches before the game.
“I don’t remember specifically what he said, but I’m sure there were a lot of [expletives] dropped,” said Young. “Like, ‘Don’t call me back if you don’t beat those [expletives].’ That was a line we heard from him a couple times.”
This one didn’t go Chester’s way. After trailing the Clippers, 47-37, at the end of the third quarter, the Aces came roaring back in the fourth and put up 33 points to eke out a 70-65 win.
The celebration in the locker room was cathartic. Water sprayed into the air. Players sat atop each other’s shoulders and turned the showers into a slip ‘n slide. Bryant called in, again, as other members of the 1996 team filtered through.
Darrin Govens scored his 1,000th point for Chester against Lower Merion in the state championship in 2005.
This was not how Govens wanted to end his high school career. And a few months later, when he arrived at St. Joseph’s on a basketball scholarship, he saw a familiar foe.
It was Williamson, his new Hawks teammate.
“We were sitting on the opposite side of the bench,” Govens said. “I didn’t want to sit next to him; he didn’t want to sit next to me. We’d kind of avoid each other and just head nod.
“Even in running drills, it was a competition. He looked to the left. I looked to the right. We tried to beat each other in sprints. But then we realized, ‘All right bro, we’re teammates now.’”
‘Hero status’
Chester had always rallied around its high school basketball team. Linehan said it was akin to playing for the Sixers. The teenagers were treated like professional athletes — especially those who had been a part of big wins.
The Clippers’ public address announcer, James Howard, called this “hero status.”
“All of a sudden, your money’s no good,” he said. “Barbers take care of you, make sure your hair looks nice before games. Free food. Little kids look up to you and ask for your autograph. That’s how it is.”
In Chester, there were plenty of heroes to draw from. There was Linehan, but also Jameer Nelson, who met a young Burton in the late 1990s. Nelson, a friend of Burton’s cousin, gave the aspiring basketball player a gift before he left for St. Joe’s: his MVP medal from the Chester summer league.
“He was one of the biggest guys in our city,” Burton said, “so it’s definitely something that I’ll always remember.”
By the early 2010s, when the rivalry was reignited for a third time, Lower Merion had built more of a basketball tradition. Aces guard Justin McFadden said he’d get stopped in Wawa before big games against the Clippers.
Chester celebrates its win over Lower Merion for the state championship in 2012.
“It became a community thing,” he said. “People would be asking, ‘What do you guys think about Chester? Do you think we can get it done?’”
In 2012, the schools met in the state championship for the first time since 2005. Junior forward and future NBA starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson put up a double-double to lead the Clippers to a resounding 59-33 win over the Aces. It was their second straight title and their 58th straight victory.
A year later, after going 17-0 in the Central League, the Aces met the Clippers in the state final again. Chester had won 78 straight games against in-state opponents. Snapping that streak would be daunting, but Downer had a plethora of motivational tactics at his disposal.
Just as they had in the 1990s, The Aces again spent pockets of the season watching Jaws, The Edge, as well as an addition: Al Pacino’s “Inch by Inch” speech in Any Given Sunday.
“He would have that fired up on YouTube, ready to go,” McFadden said. “Looking back, [your reaction] is a chuckle, but in the moment, it worked. We knew that this was the hill that needed to be climbed.
“And every time they played that speech, we got goose bumps. We were ready to fire.”
Chester got out to an early lead, but Lower Merion rallied behind a 22-point, 11-rebound performance from B.J. Johnson, who later starred at La Salle. The Aces snapped the streak and won their seventh state title with a 63-47 victory.
Lower Merion’s Jaquan Johnson goes to the net as Diamonte Reason guards him in the Chester-Lower Merion state championship game in 2013.
The Clippers then were coached by Larry Yarbray. Pickett, who was diagnosed with cancer in2010, was in declining health. Just before he died in 2014, Downer decided to say goodbye.
He and his former assistant coach Jeremy Treatman drove out to Pickett’s home in Chester. They went to his bedside.
“And we talked,” Downer said. “And we held hands. It was a really touching moment for me. This is a man that carried Chester on his back. That tried to carry Lower Merion on his back. And I knew it was the last time I was going to see Fred.
“We walked out the door, and we told each other that we loved each other. And I never thought he would say that to me, or vice versa. But it was just kind of like, ‘You know what? We’ve had some amazing battles, and there’s a lot of respect there.’”
Keeping the tradition alive
In recent years, the Chester-Lower Merion rivalry has diminished.
There was a brief period when the teams were in different classifications. Both programs have lost players to private schools that can recruit, and the addition of the Philadelphia Catholic League to the PIAA has made the state playoffs more competitive.
One place the Aces and Clippers could meet is in the district tournament, where they reunited in 2024. But they haven’t played each other since. And Howard says the contests don’t have the same feel.
“Both teams have lost D-I talent,” he said. “It’s not as high-flying, above the rim, as it was in the past. But still a great game. Sold out at Lower Merion, and at Chester, same thing.”
The history will always be there, though, and Burton is doing his best to keep it alive. His 8-year-old son, Karon Burton Jr., is playing in the Biddy League. His father is his coach.
Sometimes, they go on YouTube and watch old Clippers games. Junior’s favorite, of course, is the 2006 district final.
Burton believes that his son has a promising future, but isn’t sure of where he’ll go to high school yet. He doesn’t want Karon Jr. to feel obligated to follow his father’s path.
But if it worked out that way, what a story that would be.
“I’d love to be the first father and son to have 1,000 points,” Burton said. “With the same name? That would be crazy.”
The New York-style bagel shop, which currently has locations in West and South Philadelphia, is bringing its fresh bagels, smoked meats, egg sandwiches, and unique schmears to 273 Montgomery Ave.
The Main Line outpost is expected to open this summer.
While the new storefront marks a major expansion for the local bagel shop, it’s also a homecoming for cofounders and brothers Brett and Kyle Frankel, who grew up in Bala Cynwyd.
“We know the area very, very well,” Brett Frankel said.
Brett Frankel, co-owner of Bart’s Bagels, helps customers at Bart’s Bagels on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Bart’s is expanding to Bala Cynwyd later this year.
Brett, 34, and Kyle, 41, both Lower Merion High School graduates, grew up a five-minute walk from their newest location. Brett Frankel says he remembers hanging out at the soon-to-be Bart’s Bagels storefront after middle school, back in the days when it was Bravo Pizza.
Main Line patrons will be able to expect all of the same kettle-boiled bagels and fixins’ that Bart’s is known for, from pumpernickel bagels to pastrami smoked salmon and beet-horseradish cream cheese.
While Bart’s city-based locations are grab-and-go only, there will be a few seats in the new Bala Cynwyd shop.
The unique part of Bart’s, Brett Frankel said, is that patrons can see bagels being made in front of them through the open kitchen.
“You’re kind of immersed in it,” he said.
The Frankels say their love for good bagels was forged through regular trips to New York’s Upper West Side to eat at the famed Zabar’s and H&H Bagels.
Looking to get their fix closer to home, Brett Frankel taught himself how to make bagels while working as a business analyst for a software company. He traveled to Denver, New Jersey, and Detroit to learn the ins and outs of the bagel industry.
Bart’s started as a wholesale operation in late 2019, selling to Di Bruno Bros., Middle Child, Elixr Coffee, White Dog Cafe, and other local restaurants. The Frankels brought chef Ron Silverberg on board, and they opened the first Bart’s in West Philly in January 2020. Their South Philly location opened in July 2024.
Bart’s is not the only new bagel place coming to Lower Merion this year.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Haldon House is working with Yass and his wife, Janine, on redeveloping a half-dozen properties in Gladwyne with historic architecture, green spaces, and new businesses. Golsorkhi called the proposal a “community impact project” for the Yass family, which has spent over $15 million acquiring the properties.
Gladwyne village has long been home to small businesses, namely OMG Hair Salon, the Gladwyne Pharmacy, the Guard House, and Gladwyne Market. OMG Salon and the Gladwyne Market shuttered last year after the developers acquired their storefronts, sending ripples, and rumors, through the Main Line community. House values for the 4,096-person village are among the highest in the state, with a recent median sales price of $2.3 million, according to Realtor.com data.
For the first time, Golsorkhi last week brought his development plans and his partnership with the Yass family to the public. He was met with both applause and skepticism from attendees. Some expressed optimism about the proposal, while others questioned why the developers would pour millions into a project with no apparent financial gain.
The Village Shoppes, including the Gladwyne Pharmacy, at the intersection of Youngs Ford and Righters Mill Roads in Gladwyne on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
Gladwyne ‘needs a revitalization’
Haldon House’s proposal, as outlined by Golsorkhi, involves retaining much of Gladwyne’s historic architecture while bringing in new retailers, opening up green space, and increasing connectivity in the village’s downtown core.
The developer plans to expand local café Homeroom and keep the Gladwyne Pharmacy while courting new businesses that “fit the character and are contextually relevant to the town.” There are no plans for residential development, national chain stores, or high-rise buildings.
“This is a place that we grew up, that we love, that we care for tremendously, that has been protected for all the right reasons, but it has also not evolved,” Golsorkhi said. “It needs a revitalization.”
Golsorkhi and his wife, Autumn Oser, the co-owner of Haldon House, are from the Gladwyne area.
Yass is a billionaire, conservative megadonor, and founder of the Bala Cynwyd-based Susquehanna International Group. The Yass family has lived in Haverford for more than 40 years.
Properties in Gladwyne acquired by the Yass family as part of their proposed revitalization project.
Haldon House and the Yass family have purchased multiple properties at the intersection of Youngs Ford and Righters Mill Roads, including the former Gladwyne Market building, the Village Shoppes, a residential property on the 900 block of Youngs Ford Road, and the Gladwyne Post Office, according to Golsorkhi. They’ve also leased the former OMG Salon at 351 Righters Mill Rd.
Citing the rumors that percolated in community after the shuttering of Gladwyne Market, Golsorkhi said there’s been “a lot of justified, warranted concern.”
Gladwyne Market shuttered in October after its building was purchased by developers Haldon House and the Yass family.
Renderings of the proposal show the village’s core buildings retaining their late-1800s architecture, with new wraparound porches, ivy-covered stone walls, Adirondack chairs, hydrangeas, and “Gladwyne Square” branded signs.
Golsorkhi said in an email that the developers were prepared to assume the costs and it was too early to specify how long the project would take.
In addition to keeping Homeroom and the Gladwyne Pharmacy in place, the developers plan to put a “casual, but elevated and approachable” restaurant in the former Gladwyne Market site. They‘ll recruit independent retailers like bakeries, boutique fitness studios, and ice cream parlors. They also intend to expand the village’s open green space with picnic tables, open lawns, and venues for community events.
Renderings of a proposed revitalization project in Gladwyne. Design firm Haldon House is working with longtime resident Jeff Yass to redevelop the Main Line village while preserving its historic architecture, developers told residents on Jan. 8.
Golsorkhi said they would take a “forward and involved approach” with new and existing tenants, from designing storefronts to offering input on products to stock.
They have worked closely with Gladwyne Pharmacy to help “reimagine” the “design and experience,” with “no expectation of return,” Golsorkhi said, adding that the pharmacy has “built up merchandise and square footage over time that isn’t necessarily best serving the business or the community.”
“We’re doing that because we believe that the consistent experience and character of Gladwyne is really important,” he said.
Golsorkhi told attendees at the meeting on Thursday that while they have “no particular intentions” for the recently purchased Gladwyne Post Office, it was “retiring its services” and there was potential to create a new, centralized storefront where residents could access USPS, UPS, and FedEx services.
Paul Smith, manager of public affairs and communications for the Postal Service in the Philadelphia region, said the Gladwyne post office was not retiring its services. In early 2024, Gladwyne and other local post offices moved their letter carriers to a large delivery center in Wayne, where they pick up mail and distribute it to their routes. Gladwyne’s post office is still used for retail transactions, mailing items, and for P.O. box holders.
Golsorkhi clarified in an email that he understood the post office’s changes. In case services are further reduced in the future, he said, “we want to be sure we’re ahead of it by considering what shipping hubs and/or shipping services we can bring to the village to ensure continuity of mailing services, while also augmenting USPS with other carriers.”
The Gladwyne post office at 326 Conshohocken State Road in Gladwyne on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
Excitement for some, skepticism for others
Haldon House and the Yass family’s recent acquisitions left some business owners feeling slighted.
OMG Salon owner Maurice Tenenbaum said the building’s owners more than doubled his rent last fall, forcing him to give up the salon space.
Pete Liccio, owner of the now-closed Gladwyne Market, said in an October interview that he had also felt pushed out.
At Thursday’s meeting, some residents said Gladwyne was ready for a revitalization, from new restaurants to more pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
“What I’m seeing here is a center of gravity and an identity for Gladwyne that’s well-deserved and long been needed,” one attendee said.
Others expressed concern.
“I just wonder what the end game is. There’s always a price for this, having someone come in and say, ‘I’m going to make your community really, really cool and don’t worry about the money,’” another Gladwyne resident said during a question-and-answer segment.
“[This is an] investment and a philanthropic effort …,” Golsorkhi said. “I understand and I recognize that that is a challenging thing to sort of believe.”
The Village Shoppes, including the Gladwyne Pharmacy (left) and the now shuttered Gladwyne Market (right) at the intersection of Youngs Ford and Righters Mill Roads in Gladwyne on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Welcome to the first full week of 2026. To kick off the year, we get to know the township’s five new commissioners, who were sworn in Monday. Also this week, a popular Manayunk bakery specializing in gluten-free breads and pastries is moving to Bryn Mawr, plus construction on The Piazza is underway.
Five new Lower Merion commissioners were sworn in Monday evening: Michael Daly, Charles Gregory, Christine McGuire, Craig Timberlake, and Shelby Sparrow. Each replaces a township official who chose not to seek reelection.
The new commissioners come from across the township and have varied backgrounds, including local government, law, forensic psychology, business, and community organizing.
With its new members now in place, the board will make some big decisions in the year ahead, including negotiating collective bargaining agreements, overseeing Main Line Health’s redevelopment of the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary property, and addressing township finances, The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.
Lila Colello is bringing her popular gluten-free bakery Flakely to Bryn Mawr.
Popular Manayunk bakery Flakely is relocating to Bryn Mawr in February, where it will take over a former hookah lounge at 1007 W. Lancaster Ave.
Flakely is known for its gluten-free breads and pastries and is the brainchild of Lila Colello, who’s worked for the Ritz Carlton and Wolfgang Puck Catering. She came up with the business after being diagnosed with Celiac disease.
The new location, which will be takeout only, will offer everything from fresh baguettes to browned butter chocolate chip cookies, as well as frozen take-and-bake doughs, The Inquirer’s Beatrice Forman reports.
In case you missed it, the township released its 2026 trash and recycling collection schedule, which you can see here. Have a Christmas tree to dispose of? The township is collecting them curbside through next week or they can be taken to the Public Works Complex in Penn Valley.
Construction is now underway on The Piazza, the mixed-used building in Ardmore that will have 270 apartments, 30,000 square feet of retail space, and 480 parking spots. The development at 100 Lancaster Ave. will cost an estimated $187 million and is planned to be completed by 2028.
Country music station host Nicole Michalik, who’s on-air weekdays at 92.5 XTU in Bala Cynwyd from 2 to 7 p.m., recently shared what her perfect day looks like. It includes a stop at the City Avenue Starbucks before starting her shift, followed by dinner at Lark. See what else is on her ideal itinerary.
GET Café in Narberth was the 2025 recipient of CBS Philadelphia’s Hometown Heartbeat Award, which is given to a business “working to make our communities better.” The nonprofit café, which provides employment and community to neurodivergent individuals, received $50,000, plus $25,000 in advertising.
Leveaux Pilates, which opened at 14 Lancaster Ave. in June, is already expanding. The Ardmore studio has taken the space next door, where it will offer infrared heated mat Pilates. The new space is expected to open early this year.
🏫 Schools Briefing
Harriton High School is hosting its winter one act plays today through Saturday, and a number of other schools will have concerts next week. There are evening conferences at both high schools tonight and school board committee meetings Monday, in addition to an education association council meeting. See the district’s full calendar here.
🍽️ On our Plate
There are two grand opening celebrations taking place Saturday. Bored Trading Cafe is hosting a grand opening starting at 7:30 a.m. for its new Ardmore outpost at 43 Cricket Ave., where the first 100 people will get free coffee. The cafe offers coffee and other specialty drinks, baked goods, burgers, salads, and all-day breakfast. And The Brew Room, which opened back in October, is hosting its grand opening from noon to 4 p.m. The Greek-inspired cafe will have a DJ, espresso martinis, and giveaways to mark the occasion.
In case you missed it, The Inquirer’s Michael Klein reflected on the most notable restaurant openings of 2025. They include Burtons Grill & Bar in Wayne, Eataly in King of Prussia, the expansion of Johnny’s Pizza to Wayne, and the opening of Triple Crown in Radnor. Also notable was The Buttery’s expansion to the Ardmore Farmers Market and Maison Lotus’ debut in Wayne. See the full list here.
As for the best things Inquirer food writers ate last year, the vegan combo with injera at Eshkol Ethiopian Cuisine was up there. Here’s why.
Italian eatery il Fiore closed its doors over the holidays. In a message to customers on its website, the team behind the Bryn Mawr restaurant said it was a “tough decision” and thanked those who had dined there.
🎳 Things to Do
🎶 Unforgettable Fire: Tickets are going fast for the U2 tribute band which will perform some of the Irish outfit’s best-known songs. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m. 💵 $33.38 📍 Ardmore Music Hall
🍿 Paddington: See the film adaptation of the beloved children’s series on the big screen. Bryn Mawr Film Institute will have another screening on Jan. 24, plus screenings of the sequel on Jan. 17 and Jan. 31. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 10, 11 a.m. 💵 $6.75-$7.75 📍 Bryn Mawr Film Institute
🌹 Create Beautiful Paper Poppies: Add a little color to your winter by learning to make paper versions of these flowers. ⏰ Tuesday, Jan. 13, 6-8 p.m. 💵 $40 📍 Plant 4 Good
Built in 1925, this classic five-bedroom stone Colonial mixes modern amenities with classic charm. Its features include a living room with a fireplace, a family room, a dining room, and a modern kitchen with exposed wood beams and white cabinetry.
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This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
