Philadelphia’s Main Line
Fine Living on Philadelphia’s Main Line and Beyond
In the days when railroad was king, there was no nobler line than the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line, serving Philadelphia's northwestern suburbs in Montgomery County. Running from Center City to Paoli, the rail line, which is still in service today, is a major reason you will find some of the Philadelphia area’s wealthiest families living on the Main Line, as they have for generations.
The towns on the Main Line – such places as Wayne, St. Davids, Villanova, Rosemont, Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Ardmore – are notable for their small-scale business districts, many private schools (The Agnes Irwin School, Shipley School, The Baldwin School, Episcopal Academy, The Haverford School, to name a few), desirable public schools (many people favor Radnor and Lower Merion districts) and sophisticated suburban neighborhoods.
Interested in real estate and neighborhoods in the City of Philadelphia? See here.
Main Line real estate ranges from modest twins (often called “duplexes” in other areas of the U.S.) to over-the-top mansions on large parcels set securely behind privacy walls and gated entryways. The Main Line is home to many historic mansions built by some of the area’s most storied families. Some are still intact as estates, while others have been subdivided. Main Line real estate offerings also include many stone homes built in the Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, or Romantic Revival styles popular in the early 20th century. Indeed, exceptional, graceful architecture is a hallmark of the Main Line area.
Culturally, the Main Line offers a wide range of activities, not least because of the concentration of colleges and universities there. Main Line schools include Villanova University, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Rosemont College, Cabrini College and some smaller schools.
Notably, one of the world’s most important collections of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early modern paintings is in a museum in Lower Merion on the Main Line. The Barnes Foundation is renowned for its collection and was assembled by Dr. Albert C. Barnes beginning in 1922.
The Main Line restaurant scene is lively, with some of Center City’s best restaurateurs setting up shop in the ‘burbs. Georges Perrier, scion of famed Le Bec Fin in Center City, has opened Georges in Wayne, while Susanna Foo has branched out from her popular Center City restaurant and launched Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor. Even if you dine out every night, you won’t run out of fine dining options up and down the Main Line. And if you enjoy being in the kitchen, then rest assured there are some excellent shopping options in the area, including the Ardmore Farmers Market, an Amish farmer’s market in Wayne, and an array of gourmet grocery stores.
Click here to contact our Wayne office and a Kurfiss SIR Realtor®
Upscale Country Living in Chester and Delaware Counties
Travel west from Center City Philadelphia and you will find yourself in Chester County; head south toward Wilmington, Delaware, and you will end up in Delaware County. While these counties have experienced a fair amount of suburban real-estate development in areas closest to Center City, they still offer beautiful countryside to behold. Equestrian estates, gentleman farms and magnificent fieldstone farmhouses abound.
Chester County is home to Valley Forge National Historical Park, one of the most important sites in our nation’s early history and a lovely place to engage in recreational activities.
Equestrian activities are especially popular in Chester and Delaware Counties, with venues such as Radnor Hunt Grounds, which hosts the third leg of the steeplechase triple crown, and the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, one of the world’s premier equestrian events. Chester and Delaware Counties are both very good places to live if you are an equestrian hobbyist who enjoys casual riding, but they are absolutely excellent places to live if you are a dedicated horse person training for competition.
Chadds Ford, in Delaware County, has become known as an arts destination thanks to its Brandywine River Museum, a showcase for American art, including paintings from N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and James Wyeth and other important artists in the Brandywine River School.
In Chester County, one of the most popular destinations is Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa. Longwood Gardens is a world-renowned horticultural showplace with displays that delight visitors in every season.
With so much fine real estate and the many extraordinary cultural offerings in Chester and Delaware Counties and on the Main Line, Kurfiss Sotheby's International Realty is delighted to represent the sophisticated Main Line real estate market and fine properties in Chester and Delaware Counties from its office in The Shops at Spread Eagle Village in Wayne. We invite you to view these magnificent homes. Click on "Area Map" above to see properties listed in that area or select the search icon and choose your own preferences.
