Moving to Chestnut Hill?? Shopping?? (Philadelphia, Lancaster: coop, house, neighborhoods)

[PenJam]

I have an option to move to Chestnut Hill or Baltimore??? I like the Chestnut Hill area but am wondering is there more grocery stores than Acme and The Fresh Market in the neighborhood? I usually shop at Trader Joe's and to a lesser extent Whole Foods.

I've only visited the area once but am planning more visits in the near future.

[kyle19125]

There's a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods about 7 miles away in Jenkintown, along with others in the more immediate area like Fresh Grocer and Giant. You could split the difference and look in/around Glenside which is around 3 miles to either Chestnut Hill or Jenkintown.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by PenJam

I have an option to move to Chestnut Hill or Baltimore??? I like the Chestnut Hill area but am wondering is there more grocery stores than Acme and The Fresh Market in the neighborhood? I usually shop at Trader Joe's and to a lesser extent Whole Foods.

I've only visited the area once but am planning more visits in the near future.

If you can deal with outlet-style shopping, where you never know exactly what you'll find on any given trip but are likely to find something you will like or want at an incredibly low price, I can also recommend to you the new Grocery Outlet Bargain Market that opened in Mt. Airy, the next neighborhood down the hill from Chestnut Hill.

This is the Overstock.com of grocery stores. Most of what's on offer inside are products that manufacturers made too much of, or tried out and then pulled the plug on (chorizo sausage breakfast strips, e.g.), or made changes to but had stock of the older product on hand, or something similar that translated to a buying opportunity for GO's buyers. A large percentage of these products are also organic, or all-natural, or specialty items; they're identified with signs in the store reading "NOSH" (Natural, Organic, Specialty, Healthy), and the first aisle you're led into after the produce section has a wall full of these, just beyond the slightly irregular meat snacks.

Some products do seem to be available all the time, like the gallon jars of Hellman's/Best Foods mayonnaise or the Polar sardines, but I'd say that the majority of the packaged items do change depending on what their buyers found. And in those cases, if you see something you really like, stock up on it, for it's likely not to be there on your next visit.

Fresh produce and meats are generally not sold according to this model, and for those, you will in most cases pay no less than you would at a regular supermarket. But sometimes they have really good specials there too.

And one product they do carry all the time that I highly recommend is their house coffee brand, Running Pump Roasting. It's made for the chain by Lancaster-based Gerhart Coffee Company, a very good local roaster, and it sells for just $5.99 a pound in ground and whole bean versions.

I don't think that this would be your one stop on your grocery trip, and if you're the kind of grocery shopper who wants every trip to be one-and-done, then you may not end up shopping here at all. I would suggest that your food budget and your pantry will both benefit from your making this store part of your rotation, however.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

There's a Trader Joe's and Whole Foods about 7 miles away in Jenkintown, along with others in the more immediate area like Fresh Grocer and Giant. You could split the difference and look in/around Glenside which is around 3 miles to either Chestnut Hill or Jenkintown.

The Giant in Flourtown, around 10 minutes away, is a quality store. The Trader Joe’s in Montgomeryville (a North Wales mailing address) actually takes slightly less travel time (~20 minutes), thanks to 309, and an Aldi is right across the street. Wegmans and Costco are another five minutes up the road from the Montgomeryville Trader Joe’s and Aldi. There’s a Whole Foods in Spring House (an Ambler mailing address) that’s around 15 minutes away.

Chestnut Hill is very well-situated between the Northern and Northwestern suburbs.

[BPP1999]

There’s also a Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting, about 5-6 miles West of CH.

[Tweb66]

I live in W Mt. Airy and travel the 15 minutes to the Giant in Flourtown and recommend that. The Fresh Grocer is overpriced, pretentious (they play classical music. Nothing against that but its a grocery store, they are supposed to play pop hits that everyone forgot about. When I go grocery shopping, I demand Taylor Dayne!). Honestly if you really prefer Trader Joes and Whole Foods, you won't happy. Jenkintown might only be 7 miles away but its all stop and go.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

There’s also a Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting, about 5-6 miles West of CH.

How could I forget that one! I was just there the other day, in fact.

Originally Posted by Tweb66

I live in W Mt. Airy and travel the 15 minutes to the Giant in Flourtown and recommend that. The Fresh Grocer is overpriced, pretentious (they play classical music. Nothing against that but its a grocery store, they are supposed to play pop hits that everyone forgot about. When I go grocery shopping, I demand Taylor Dayne!). Honestly if you really prefer Trader Joes and Whole Foods, you won't happy. Jenkintown might only be 7 miles away but its all stop and go.

I’m not a big fan of Fresh Market (I assume you mean Fresh Market) either.

The Trader Joe’s in Montgomeryville and the Whole Foods in either Spring House or Plymouth Meeting aren’t bad drives.

[Tweb66]

Yeah, I will never remember which is which.



Meanwhile the Acme on Germantown Ave is the closest to me but I try to avoid it. Last time I went there I witness someone getting caught shoplifting. I can't imagine ruining my life over a spinach and feta calzone but thats what happened.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Tweb66

Meanwhile the Acme on Germantown Ave is the closest to me but I try to avoid it. Last time I went there I witness someone getting caught shoplifting. I can't imagine ruining my life over a spinach and feta calzone but thats what happened.

I just treat it like a giant convenience store.

[skintreesnail]

Isn't there a weavers way food coop in chestnut Hill? I remember there was one, but not sure if it's still there. I remember it being small but a decent selection of local and organic stuff. There are also bakeries in the neighborhood and a cheese shop I think. Also a butcher and poultry shop at the market at fareway.

Also, is the neighborhood you are looking at in Baltimore comparable to chestnut Hill? Chestnut Hill is considered one of the nicest neighborhoods in Philadelphia.