Jenkintown... is it "Main Line" at heart? (Philadelphia: houses, neighborhoods)

[motownewave]

Originally Posted by pman

Jenkintown is a former reading suburb

WHAT?!

Yeah, how about I walk from the Outback in Jenkintown to the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing, or BMW dealership in Shillington?

Anyway, my use of "Main Line" has nothing to do with railroads. I was using it to mean "status".

Someone please answer another question for me: why is the Paoli-Thorndale Line not called the Philadelphia-Thorndale line? Or the Overbrook-Thorndale Line?

Anyway, since we're on the subject of 611 being the road to NYC, believe it or not there are two totally different places called "Abington" that 611 runs through. One is next to Jenkintown but the other is next to Clarks Summit, a suburb of Scranton.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by motownewave

WHAT?!

He meant Reading Railroad.

[2e1m5a]

No, it's not Main Line at heart. If you are talking about affluence-no, Jenkintown always struck me as a relatively working class suburb.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by thwanko

I would add Bala Cynwyd and Gladwyne, which are technically not on the Main Line.

I think Gladwyne would be considered the heart of the Main Line. Bala is on the edge, but still on the Main Line.

[maf763]

You seem to have a lot of questions.

Originally Posted by motownewave

WHAT?!

Yeah, how about I walk from the Outback in Jenkintown to the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing, or BMW dealership in Shillington?

See obvious answer above

Anyway, my use of "Main Line" has nothing to do with railroads. I was using it to mean "status".

The term itself is directly related to the railroad, so it is natural to make that connection

Someone please answer another question for me: why is the Paoli-Thorndale Line not called the Philadelphia-Thorndale line? Or the Overbrook-Thorndale Line?

For the same reason there isn't a Philadelphia-West Trenton line or Philadelphia-Norristown line - the name of the line refers to the destination, not the origin, and since all the lines originate in the same place it would get pretty repetitive; Paoli and Thorndale are two different destinations - some trains terminate at Paoli, some at Thorndale - same thing on the Lansdale-Doylestown line

Anyway, since we're on the subject of 611 being the road to NYC, believe it or not there are two totally different places called "Abington" that 611 runs through. One is next to Jenkintown but the other is next to Clarks Summit, a suburb of Scranton.

[motownewave]

I apologize for being kind of an ignoramus about the Reading Railroad. As for Bala Cynwyd, I have quite the story for you folks: I had breakfast at the brand new Perkins there this past Monday (they have free pie on Monday!) and ran into a panhandler in the parking lot. Over many years of eating at the IHOP that used to be in this building, I never had such trouble before. Unfortunately, I highly suspect the beggar was planning to spend donations on booze at the PLCB store upstairs from Perkins.

Seems like most IHOP/Perkins customers at this site are city residents from across the street, but the restaurant is most certainly in Bala Cynwyd/Lower Merion Township.

[thwanko]

Originally Posted by motownewave

I apologize for being kind of an ignoramus about the Reading Railroad. As for Bala Cynwyd, I have quite the story for you folks: I had breakfast at the brand new Perkins there this past Monday (they have free pie on Monday!) and ran into a panhandler in the parking lot. Over many years of eating at the IHOP that used to be in this building, I never had such trouble before. Unfortunately, I highly suspect the beggar was planning to spend donations on booze at the PLCB store upstairs from Perkins.

Seems like most IHOP/Perkins customers at this site are city residents from across the street, but the restaurant is most certainly in Bala Cynwyd/Lower Merion Township.

I've been panhandled plenty of times on City Line, mostly in the parking lot of Bala Cynwyd shopping center.

Originally Posted by motownewave

Anyway, my use of "Main Line" has nothing to do with railroads. I was using it to mean "status".

I don't think this is a good way of looking at it, imo the Main Line refers to a specific geographic area, that has those connotations of affluence and prestige. However, being affluent and prestigious does not mean that a town is on the Main Line, and not being affluent/prestigious does not mean a town isn't (historically, Narberth was less affluent than its neighbors, but it was always on the Main Line).

It is the same way that while Camden may be synonymous with poverty, and Nicetown may be a poor neighborhood, Nicetown is not part of Camden.

[motownewave]

Does the panhandling stop as soon as you go further west into the Main Line?

Also, what neighbors were more desirable than Narberth? I can't imagine Ardmore being richer because there definitely is a yucky section of Ardmore.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by motownewave

Does the panhandling stop as soon as you go further west into the Main Line?

Also, what neighbors were more desirable than Narberth? I can't imagine Ardmore being richer because there definitely is a yucky section of Ardmore.

Didn't you used to live in Gladwyne? You should be familiar enough with the area to know that..

[thwanko]

Originally Posted by motownewave

Does the panhandling stop as soon as you go further west into the Main Line?

Yes, I don't think I've ever been panhandled further into Lower Merion.

Originally Posted by motownewave

Also, what neighbors were more desirable than Narberth? I can't imagine Ardmore being richer because there definitely is a yucky section of Ardmore.

Check out these maps: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...ml?ref=us&_r=0

In 1970, Narberth was clearly visible as a (relatively) lower income donut hole in the main line, comparable to South Ardmore (I assume this is the "yucky" part you're talking about, although I think that is an overstatement). This difference had disappeared by 2007.