Assignment #5

Located west of Philadelphia, Ardmore, PA is part of the elite Main Line. Within the borough there is a very diverse population racially, ethnically, economically and socially. I will be focusing on an area of Ardmore that historically has had a lower socio-economic class than other areas in the zip code. It is East and West Ardmore, along Spring Avenue between Linwood and the street bordering Haverford College extending north and south roughly a block on either side of Spring Avenue. The area of concentration, in the past, has been a black neighborhood. It is the largest black neighborhood on the Main Line. In the following paragraphs I would like to discuss what I have found that makes this community so unique and interesting. The points of interest that are a constant in the lives of the residents of Ardmore: the barbershop and 'corner store', the community center and adjacent playground as well as the four churches.

The barbershop and 'corner store' are located on Spring Avenue between Lippincott Avenue and Simpson Road. There has been a barbershop, as well as a small privately owned grocery store, on this strip which has been known as the 'black community business area'. Within the last twenty years, roughly, there has been an increase of blacks who have immigrated from the West Indies, many from Jamaica. There is even a Caribbean market, next to the barbershop, which serves as today's small community grocery store. It is owned and operated by Jamaicans. It is the 'corner store' which is located in the middle of a block where you can almost always find a small crowd hanging out. In the summer, the younger kids ride their bikes around this area and stop in for ice cream or a popsicle. There is often a group of bikes left unlocked on the sidewalk while the kids are in the store shopping, a sign of safety and security in the community. Older kids hang out in this area as do many adults.

Another busy place where people congregate is at the community center and its adjacent playground. Most importantly, and the busiest place at the playground, are the basketball courts. There is a summer league with all ages, which attracts a large amount of people. In addition to the two basketball courts are tennis courts, a volleyball court, two baseball fields, a playground for the toddlers and young kids, as well as a swimming pool. Inside the community center there is a tutoring program for school children, computers, a dance program, as well as camps during the summer that use the whole facility, inside and out. The community center has been active for well over three decades.
Existing long before the community center were three of the four churches that are a staple of the community today; the fourth church that has been there for only about 25 years. Church is a family and community affair in Ardmore. The churches are predominantly black and are home to the largest black congregation in the area, bringing many from other communities to Ardmore just to attend church. Kids who have moved away from Ardmore come back on Sunday to attend church. People are very loyal to their church; some even drive a distance to attend meetings during the week.

In this community loyalty goes far beyond the church. The residents of Ardmore care for one another and look out for each other. It is a safe neighborhood; residents do not have to worry if they forget to lock their doors. This is an extremely tight-knit community, home to many residents whose families have lived there for multiple generations. The older residents are invested in the succession of their youth. This is a neighborhood that had always been of interest to me since I moved to the Main Line over ten years ago from Mt. Airy (in northwest Philadelphia). There is some sort of unexplainable presence in this most diverse area of the Main Line.