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Glenside Stories

Stories compiled in and around Glenside

to foster community and encourage connectedness…

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Our Staff

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Production Editor: Francesca Mayr

Editors: Jennifer Clark

Emily Locke

Paula Marsala

Alisa Thammavong

Kathlene Williams

Writers: Kim Canfield

Amy Carpenter

Brandon David Crossland

Chris Hammes

Sarah Kanavy

Rachel McGarvey

Ashley Parker

Mara Quigley Grizel Rivera

Photography: Jennifer Clark

Professor/ Advisor: Nancy Walsh

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The Glen Francesca Mayr

The glen, a “small, narrow secluded valley” flanked by fire and foe

Of the modern, strife-filled, chrome-enshrouded world

A safe space, a smooth cool pace, a place where folks gather at the tavern to hear

blues once in a while

Where Jazz refuses to die and Dunkin Donuts proudly serves free coffee the day

after an Eagles’ win

And, my have the Eagles won this year (just ask anyone in town)

Where the sometimes-obnoxious orange and pink of that same Dunkin Donuts

(shared with Baskin Robbins)

Is tempered by the warm smiles found therein

Where an out-of-towner can feel like he experienced Philly by getting a Philly soft

pretzel

Walk around, feel the brisk autumn air, and pretend to be a colonist

For, it seems a fitting thing to be

Where trees are numerous and chimneys sing

Where little streets turn into neighborhoods, turn into weird-nowhere-lands

And you find yourself outside of the glen

Cold and harsh with too-fast cars and buildings that feel like they house healthcare

companies

But you return

To Elcy’s café with a 1940’s style train-bag and a fascinator on your well-traveled

head

You take your cup of coffee to a world of stars! and shine! and big deal stuff!

Only to return to the deep maroon of someone else’s home

that you just may be able to call yours

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The Great Outdoors Brandon David Crossland

1250 W. Church Rd. Wyncote, Pennsylvania

I have once heard the Curtis

Arboretum described as a "zoo for trees."

I can say that it was probably the most

accurate description I ever heard, but it

doesn't really capture the beauty of the

place. Now, I am not from around these

parts. I hail from a small town in York

County, Pennsylvania. My house is

surrounded by trees on some sides, and

farm land on the other. Moving to the

Glenside area was a huge change for me.

I didn't like that I was always

surrounded by buildings, that I couldn't

see the stars in the night sky, and that

the only wildlife around was squirrels.

The change of environment made

things hard for me my first semester, but

I eventually got use to it. However, I still

missed the beauty and peace of nature

that I could find at my home.

During my second year at Arcadia,

I made a wonderful discovery with my

girlfriend. Just down Church Road,

maybe a mile or so, was Curtis

Arboretum. My first visit there was

wonderful as we took a long walk

through the forest and over the green

hills. We continue to make trips there

and we have found that it is a perfect

place for a picnic. The arboretum used to

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be the property of what I can only

assume was a very rich family. Some of

the buildings still remain on the property

as well as some of the original gardens.

There are beautiful stone walls and

terraces with ivy growing on them. It is a

place I can go to just get away from all

the hustle and bustle of the suburbs of

Philadelphia.

The more I explored the

arboretum, the more I discovered. At the

lower part, there are two shimmering

ponds with a creek running between

them. One of the ponds has a huge

fountain in the middle that is a sight to

behold. Walking along the creek

eventually brings you down to the dog

park area. Many of the people who bring

their dogs to walk at the park are so very

nice and will easily strike up a

conversation with you, especially if you

talk about how cute their pet is. If dogs

are your thing, this is the place to go.

More recently, I have done some

geo-caching at the park. If you don't

know what geo-caching is, you're missing

out. Basically, people hide small parcels

all over the world. Some are hidden very

well, and others easier to find. On the

website, you are given the coordinates to

these packages and then you track them

down and sign the log book inside. If you

are really into it, it can take you to some

amazing places. Because of it, I was able

to explore the park more and truly see all

that it has to offer. There is no doubt in

my mind that the Curtis Arboretum

offers me a little piece of home. I love

going there and just getting away for

awhile. If you ever are feeling stressed,

tired, worried, bored, or just want to

explore, I would highly recommend

checking out the arboretum. Maybe I'll

see you there.

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Ice Cream Dreams Rachel McGarvey

33 E Glenside Ave Glenside, PA 19038

It was the beginning of September,

my second or third weekend at Arcadia.

The school was new to me, the campus,

the classes, the surrounding area; they

were all unfamiliar. One Sunday, myself,

my roommate Kristen, and our friend

Andre decided to walk into Glenside. We

explored Glenside by going into every

shop that looked interesting. The

multiple thrift shops and antique shops

were fascinating and we spent a while

going through the never ending piles of

clothes and household items. Upon

Andre’s suggestion, we turned off of

Easton Road and onto East Glenside Ave.

Our destination was Dreams, an ice

cream shop, to satisfy our hunger on this

hot day where ice cream prevailed over

an actual lunch.

The store was tiny and inviting.

Although there was no one else there,

this did not make me question the

quality of the homemade ice cream, as

everything in the two big cases looked

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delicious. The one person working there

at the time turned out to be the owner,

and he was the friendliest, helpful, and

most talkative store owner I have had

the opportunity to chat with in a long

time. My friends and I found out that the

owner had just opened up the store this

year, 2013, after an ice cream shop under

a different name closed down. Although

he said there was no discount for Arcadia

students then, he would be giving them a

twenty percent discount in about a

month! Andre and I ordered a root beer

float and split it, while Kristen ordered a

waffle cone and had it piled high with

two scoops. The owner ended up giving

us all a ten percent discount anyway. It

seemed clear that he was happy for the

business from Arcadia students. While

we were sitting outside on the bench in

front of his shop, the owner came outside

and asked us if he could take a picture of

us with our ice cream. A little surprised,

but more than happy to do so, we agreed,

assuming it was for the business’s

Facebook page or website.

That was the perfect end to my

first day in Glenside with friends. I had

to share my experience at the ice cream

shop with someone else, because I felt

that it was such a great find. Since the

store is not right on Easton, I don’t know

if a lot of people know it exists. When my

friend Jason suggested we go to Rita’s

one day during the week, I persuaded

him to walk into Glenside to Dreams

instead. When we arrived, the owner

asked us to write our names and emails

on an email list to get promotions. I

asked him where the picture he had

taken of my friends and I had ended up,

and he said he hadn’t posted it online or

in the store yet but he has plans to. This

time, more into the fall spirit, I got a root

beer float with pumpkin ice cream. This

choice was questionable to everyone, but

I had a feeling it would be delicious. The

owner promised that if other people

ordered it and liked it, he would make it

one of the specials on his chalkboard and

call it by my name. There was a special

deal doing on so Jason got a huge ice

cream cone, and then got an extra free

scoop of ice cream in a cup. On top of that

we got Arcadia student discounts,

making us happy spenders. Since I did

not have the chance to return between

that day and the season close of the store

in October, I am not sure if my pumpkin

root beer float ended up on the board.

Whether it did or not, I cannot wait for

the store to open back up in the spring

time, so I can get some amazing

homemade ice cream and converse with

one fantastic Glenside store owner.

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Farmer’s Market Sarah Kanavy

Easton Rd. and Glenside Ave. at Glenside Station

One Saturday morning, I finally

decided to walk to the Glenside Farmer’s

Market at the train station. I was in

desperate need of some fresh fruits and

vegetables, and wanted to try something

besides the produce store. It was a

beautiful day to walk into Glenside. The

sun was shining and people were running

in and out of all the different shops. I

couldn’t help but smile as the wind blew

across my face; despite the bustling of all

the people, it was so peaceful.

During my walk, I thought about

all the days I spent with my family at the

Bloomington Farmer’s Market this

summer. It is such a neat place full of so

many interesting people. I miss seeing all

the arrangements of brightly colored

vegetables lining the tables, the sound of

local musicians busking throughout the

aisles of produce, and buying a bag of

freshly made kettle corn out of the

ginormous copper kettle that the Amish

would bring with them. Most of all,

however, I missed the community that

revolved around the Farmer’s Market

each Saturday morning. So many people

from different backgrounds would come

together to share two beautiful things

with each other: food and stories.

Everyone was so excited to learn about

the food they were buying and the stories

of the vendors themselves.

I had my own expectations of what

a Farmer’s Market should be like, and I

was preparing myself for the worst,

thinking the Glenside Farmer’s Market

could not possibly compare to

Bloomington’s. However, as I approached

and saw the small crowds of people

gathered around various assorted tables,

my heart immediately lifted. I browsed

through the different stands, thrilled to

once again see the bright assortment of

tomatoes, beans, potatoes, eggplant,

squash, apples, and more. When I saw

the honey stand, I smiled and

remembered how excited my niece and

nephew get when they get to pick out

honey sticks for a treat. There was also a

meat vendor, a jeweler, a baker, and a

whole table devoted to an assortment of

jams.

It was small relative to what I was

used to, but it still had an abundance of

everything I was looking for and more.

As I walked from table to table, I heard

all of the different conversations between

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vendors and customers. Vendors offered

advice on how to best use their products

when cooking meals, and customers

asked the vendors how their weeks had

been. Due to the sincere friendliness of

everyone at the market, the atmosphere

was upbeat and carefree. I came across a

vendor named Rachel Swartz who was

selling homemade granola. She was

giving away free samples, so I happily

tried some. It was delicious! It was the

first time I had ever seen granola sold at

a Farmer’s Market, so I asked her about

it. Smiling, she told me how it was her

very first day selling her homemade

granola, and she was very excited about

finally having the chance to share it with

people. It wasn’t a family recipe, but

instead was something she had been

interested in concocting on her own. After

some tinkering, she was finally able to

perfect it! The family and friends who

had come to support her for her Farmer’s

Market debut all agreed it was one of

their favorite things to eat.

I loved seeing that this kind of

community exists so close to me. Even

though it was different than what I’m

used to, it still had the same sense of

belonging and connection to people that I

had come to adore. I also appreciated

that the market does not just consist of

the same vendors who have been

participating for years, but includes

vendors like Rachel who are just starting

out. This market has been around for

years, and it is still growing just like the

Glenside community is growing. I think

it is great how they are trying to impact

Glenside in such a positive way, and it is

vendors like Rachel who take the time to

give to their community in a unique

manner that make Glenside a cohesive,

family unit. Unfortunately, the market

closes at the end of November, so I will

have to wait until April to continue my

weekly visits to get fresh food, support

local farmers/artists, and integrate into

the Glenside community.

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An Adventure at Hibbert’s Grizel Rivera

142 S Easton Rd, Glenside, PA 19038

The first thing I noticed when I passed

Hibbert’s was the table of DVDs outside

his shop. I was overwhelmed with joy and

when I saw the prices, I was completely

in awe. For any movie lover/fanatic,

Hibbert’s is the place to go. I went inside

and there was so much more. He has a

wide range of genres and classics.

However, Hibbert’s is not only a

movie store. It is a store with multiple

purposes; all your needs are here. There

are engravings, rubber stamps, trophies

and awards, signs and banners, music

CD’s, passport photos, video transfers,

and photo copies and fax. If I had known

he does passport photos, I would have

taken mine there instead of somewhere

else.

I made my way through the DVD’s

and started looking around. I found the

CD collections along with some records.

He has a vast assortment of music. From

classical to rock to blues, there is a

selection for any type of music you prefer.

From the music aisle, I made my way to

the middle. There were different objects

that included tape, folders, etc. The back

room is where you can order trophies,

awards and other items. Then you would

go back there to pick them up.

This store offers a great deal. For

me, it is the abundance of movies that

are at reasonable prices. For others, it

might be the engraving and the award

making. I ended up buying a season of

Glee for five dollars. It made my day. No

matter what your needs are, I feel

Hibbert’s can help you with anything.

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The Global Treasure Hunt Sarah Kanavy

When I was a kid, I always loved a

good treasure hunt. It was a thrill to

follow clues in hopes I might discover a

hidden object. I may have gotten older,

but my love of treasure hunting has

never ceased. Thankfully, I am not alone.

Over 4 million people across the world

are actively searching for hidden

treasure and leaving some of their own.

This phenomenon is called Geocaching.

The way it works is that someone will

create a “cache” by hiding a container

anywhere they want, and then they

upload the coordinates of the location to

the Geocaching website. Currently, there

are 2,268,645 active caches worldwide.

You may be asking, “What is the

point of Geocaching?” Geocaching is a

fun, unique game that allows people to

travel to new places or even just

somewhere in their hometown where

they have never been before. It can be

played any day, anytime, anywhere that

a cache is hidden. All you have to do is

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located the nearest Geocache with your

GPS and you’re off on an adventure! One

of the coolest parts about Geocaching is

you never know what you’ll find. Located

at each cache is a written log for you to

record your name in and a handful of

items. When a cache is discovered, it is

intended that the player take a piece of

hidden treasure and leave something of

their own that has equal or greater value

to what they took.

My sister is responsible for first

introducing me to Geocaching while I

lived with her in Indiana this summer.

Several nights after dinner, we would all

pile into the car are drive off to search for

a new Geocache. It was so much fun

walking through woods, turning up

rocks, and looking in hollow trees for a

hidden cache with my niece and nephew.

My favorite cache we encountered was a

hollowed out, magnetic piece of fake

chewed gum. Because we made so many

great memories this summer, I wanted to

continue Geocaching when I returned to

Arcadia. Once I got here, I figured there

might be one or two nearby. However,

when I searched for coordinates on the

Geocaching mobile app, I discovered

there are several located in Glenside.

There is even one on Arcadia’s campus!

As I went Geocaching in Glenside, I

began to discover Glenside itself. Once I

found a cache near the library, I finally

had the motivation to actually go inside

and explore the local library. In the same

way, I discovered an amazing rock

formation at Curtis Arboretum. So far, I

have been lucky enough to avoid the

questioning looks of other people as I look

in trees, in stone walls, on guardrails,

etc. I have also found some really neat

pieces of treasure. I have walked away

with bouncy balls, a bracelet, playing

card, and more! For me, this global

treasure hunt was also a local treasure

hunt. Because of Geocaching, I was not

only able to entertain the child within

me, but I also interacted with my local

community in a very unique way. Even

though I have now found most of the

caches in Glenside, the game is not over.

I will still continue to visit the places the

hidden caches led me to; I have already

made several weekly trips to the library!

If anyone is looking for motivation

to explore Glenside, they need not look

any further. Geocaching is the perfect

way to do so as long as you have a small

token to leave behind and a great sense

of adventure.

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A Girl Walks

into a Game Store Ashley Parker

111 S. Easton Rd. Glenside, Pennsylvania 19038

I walked into Game Junkie on a

quiet Monday afternoon, hoping to arrive

when there were a lot of people there so

that I could quietly observe from the

back. Things didn’t work out too well as I

came in after the local kids had left and

before the responsible adults had gotten

out of work. There weren’t too many

people when I came in so the game music

that plays every time the door is opened

blared through the store. Just my luck,

they had actually turned off the constant

soundtrack of game music that is

normally playing in the store right before

I had gone in. So basically, I felt really

awkward for the first 10-15 minutes I

was there. I wandered around the

surprisingly expansive store, trying to

get a feel for the place.

The store is filled to the brim with

games, both old and new. Game art is

interspersed on the wall, just in case you

weren’t sure what kind of store you had

walked into. There’s a Pacman table by

the entrance for people who are really

looking for that classic gaming

experience without having to spend the

big bucks or worry about actually

standing to play the game. There’s a

closed off gaming area in the back for

those who, like myself, would like to act

out their nerdiness in an enclosed area.

Have I mentioned that there are a

lot of games, like way more games than I

thought existed? I wandered down the

aisles in almost bewilderment at how

much there was in the store until finally,

I worked up the courage to actually, you

know, talk to the people I came here to

see. Turns out, that all my freaking out

had been for nothing. The boss was a

really cool, friendly guy working in the

back, intermittently yelling commands to

the guy working the counter, who was

willing to tell me what Game Junkie is

like.

It turns out that Game Junkie is

pretty popular with some famous people

in the game/nerd community. He told me

that a certain famous flash game making

company is up the street from Game

Junkie and they come into the shop every

once in a while, which blew my mind for

a few moments before I could move on.

Apparently this place is also popular

with a couple of famous game bloggers

who have tweeted about the store in the

past.

He also explained to me that

besides famous people, a huge variety of

people come into the store, that it lends

an almost reality show like quality to the

shop. The store is a place for nerds and

geeks to have a fun time and find

interesting games but it’s also a place for

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kids and their families to start out their

journey into nerddom. It’s a place for

Arcadia students to come down to hang

out and get games to play, no matter

their skill level or interests. The place is

for everyone and is going to be growing to

be even more inclusive and interesting

than before, with new and different

inventory coming in, like apparel,

novelties, posters and action figures.

Game Junkie is a game store that is for

both gamers and beginners alike and I’m

glad that I walked in on that slow

Monday afternoon.

Dana Hot Yoga Mara Quigley

2278 Mt. Carmel Ave. Glenside, PA 19038

Although I myself have yet to

participate in a class at the Dana Hot

Yoga Studio, I was fortunate enough to

speak with fellow Yogi and Arcadia

University student Nenetzin Allen-

Caballero on her experiences at the

studio. If I had to choose one word to

describe vinyasa yoga it would most

Nenetzin, the vinyasa yoga taught at the

Dana Hot Yoga Studio is no exception.

Walking in to the studio itself is like

walking into an oversized sauna, both in

appearance and the actual physical

feeling of the place.

Upon first glance, the studio itself

intimated me- the entire front window is

glass. I imagined it to be like a giant fish

tank that all the cars rushing past on

Easton road could gaze into if stuck at

the intersection during rush-hour traffic.

When I asked Nenetzin her thoughts on

this, however, she said she barely even

noticed the window was there in the first

place because she was too focused on

keeping up with the instructor and trying

not to overheat in the sauna-like studio.

As far as the yoga itself goes,

Nenetzin informs me that it was

definitely a challenging yet doable

workout; it’s perfect if you just want to

sweat something out of your system. For

Nenetzin, a very fit college athlete, to say

that it just goes to show how tough of a

workout it really was. This was

Nenetzin’s first experience at the studio,

but judging from the way she enthused

about it, I’m sure it will not be her last.

Yoga means something different to

everyone. I think most people that try it

keep coming back; it sparks an impetus

for change within their life, whether it’s

to become more fit, more centered, or just

to make more time for relaxation in a far

too hectic schedule. After talking with

her and listening to her show enthusiasm

about her experience. I think this spark

ignited a little bit of change towards all

three of the above in Nenetzin.

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The Blue Comet Amy Carpenter

106 S. Easton Rd in Glenside Pa.

When I was a sophomore my

grandparents came to the area to visit

me and asked me where I wanted to be

taken for dinner. I didn’t know the area

at all and told them that we should just

walk down Easton Road until we found

someplace to eat. We ended up at the

Blue Comet on a Sunday night with a

rockabilly band playing old standards

from my grandparent’s youth and great

burgers. I instantly fell in love.

Over the years the Blue Comet Bar

and Grill became a staple for me and my

friends whenever we wanted to eat out.

In addition, my appreciation for the kind

of atmosphere and community at Blue

Comet has grown over the past few years.

After I turned 21, I got to make use of the

“bar” in the name of the restaurant.

Sitting at the bar in the Blue

Comet was an experience I’ll not soon

forget; the bartender took my ignorance

of alcohol in stride and turned out to be a

biology fanatic like me. We spoke

enthusiastically about salamanders for a

bit and then she told me about working

at the Blue Comet. The bar is celebrating

its 18th birthday this year and over those

years it has accumulated a number of

loyal patrons.

Scott, the owner of the Blue Comet,

spoke proudly of the number of couples

who have met or gone on their first dates

at the Blue Comet. He spoke of the

number of proposals that have taken

place in the dark paneled booths and

around the smoky fire pit out back and

then the bracing shots (on the house) he’s

had with nervous groomsmen on their

way to the church. Most bars don’t like it

if you bring young children into them, but

the Blue Comet allows it under certain

circumstances; such as when new parents

who met through the Blue Comet

introduce their child to the owner and

waitstaff. Whether I’m there on a

Monday night for dinner with friends or

on a Sunday night for rockabilly, I always

enjoy any time I spend at the Blue Comet.

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Failing to Plan… Chris Hammes

138 S. Easton Road, Glenside PA 19038

A staple of college dining is without

a doubt Chinese food. There are plenty of

takeout Chinese places that you can order

from, but one day I decided to venture

down Easton Road and happened to

stumble upon Jasmine Asian Bistro. I

went in expecting a run of the mill shop

but was pleasantly surprised to find a

quality sit down restaurant. I found many

of the stereotypical dishes on the menu,

but I didn’t expect the spread that comes

complimentary on every table. I, myself,

am a snack person, but nothing I have

ever tasted quite hits the mark as those

crunchy noodles that they put on the

table. I don’t know the name of what they

were and neither do I want to disrespect

the deliciousness by assigning some

strange and wildly inaccurate name. The

appetizer was good, but what makes the

experience unique is the metal pot of tea

that is set down. I've had tea at a

restaurant plenty of times, but never

have I received it for free in something

that looks like it came right off of a wood

fire. Jasmine took all of my expectations

of an Asian place and blew them out of

the water from the food- to the décor- to

the service. What speaks the loudest at any

restaurant is the food. As with any

Chinese restaurant, you have to start

with rice. What I loved about my time

there was the fact that there was a

communal rice plate. When I go to a

restaurant I am a sharer, and the fact

that you have to share the rice makes it

a group meal. This technique makes you

become more engaged in the meal and

your company.

I personally had the General Tso's

chicken, and that chicken turned into one

of the greatest mistakes of my life.

General Tso's chicken is known to be a

spicy dish, and, justly so, is accompanied

by some peppers used to give it that fiery

kick. After having finished the spicy

chicken, my hubris took hold and

convinced me that I could handle eating

one of those fiery buggers. I took a bite

and triumph coursed through my veins

while my mouth remained cool as ice.

Sadly, that ice melted rather quickly and

I am almost certain I melted my brain.

My entire skull erupted in heat as I

grasped for anything to save me from the

torture I was enduring. I’ll always

remember the laughter of my dinner

companions and the blazing heat, but

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what sticks with me most, was not that

blazing pepper, but rather the beauty on

the corner of my plate.

Among the fiery sauce there was

something gentle and delicate- a flower.

A bright orange flower, not from a plant

but, constructed of sliced carrots. The

sheer beauty of this is what I remember

most of that entire experience. They did

not just give me food, they gave me art.

As previously mentioned, Jasmine breaks

the norm of what a Chinese restaurant is

and provided a stellar experience.

Oh and remember everyone:

"Failing to plan is planning to fail."

Memories and the Return A Bar Down the Road

Ashley Parker

106 S. Easton Rd in Glenside Pa.

Memories

My memories of Blue Comet are

shaded with brown, the brown of the

wood paneling in our booth, my friend’s

hair as she turns to talk to the waiter,

the chili nachos that we devour while we

laugh about some joke. The bar itself is

not really clear in my mind but it doesn’t

really need to be: for me, the place is a

memory of good times and good friends

rather than of things or items.

What I do remember is that there’s

something about the setup of this place

that invites a conversation to be started.

I remember the small doorway and my

trouble getting the door open, I

remember walking the narrow lane

between the bar and the wall until I get

to the small alcove in the back, cozy and

comfortable, where you can see

everything that’s happening in the small

bar. I remember sliding into my seat,

back up against the wall, a smile on my

face as I continue my conversation with

my friends who are joining me. This is

what Blue Comet is to me: a comfortable,

fun evening with my friends.

The Return

I went back to Blue Comet on a

Monday with a close friend of mine who

had also wanted to return to Blue Comet.

My memory of the place was not

disappointed by what I found when I

returned: a quiet, comfortable, old-

fashioned bar where the staff was

friendly and attentive without being

pushy. It was a little more spacious than

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I remembered, and as I was looking at it

with new eyes, I saw that there was a lot

of space in the bar for a larger group

than just the two of us. The walls are

covered in old advertisements, many for

local items that wouldn’t be found

anywhere else. The bar looks like it’s

almost out of a noir scene, all dark wood

with some lit mirrors behind. Turner

Classic Movies plays silently on the TV

above the cash register. The whole place

is dark without being drab and lends

itself a cozy atmosphere that makes me

want to curl up with a drink a talk about

anything and everything with a group of

friends.

I came in right before happy hour,

which is five to seven all week, and sat in

a booth that let me see the whole bar as I

waited for my friend to arrive. A few

people were at the bar, probably people

who had stopped in on their way home. A

couple was sitting on the end near me,

regaling the two waitresses of how they

had met previously at a party at the bar.

I remembered hearing from my friend

who had spoken with the owner

previously that something like over

seventy couples had either met or gotten

engaged at the bar. My friend arrived a

little after I did and the waitress came

right over and got us our drinks and food.

We both got appetizers and talked about

random things while we ate. Moving to

the bar, we ordered French martinis,

which were delicious and sweet.

The bartender, whose name I

didn’t catch, told us about the bar and

how passionate everyone is about this

place, that it’s a place that everyone

cares about and takes pride in. She and

our waitress showed us their Blue Comet

tattoos to show us just how much they

cared about this place. They gave us

some background about the place, like

that it’s been open for about eighteen

years now with the outdoor back area

being open for two. They told us a story

of a couple who had met at Blue Comet,

gotten engaged there, and were still

bringing in their kids to the bar to show

them this bar that was a central part of

the story of their lives. The bar is really a

comfortable place that is welcoming to

everyone, even families, and has become

a major chapter in the story of my own

life and in the lives of many others.

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Apollo’s

Kim Canfield

112 S Easton Rd, Glenside, PA 19038

Being on a college team means

that free time is scarce. There is little

time for homework, little time to nap and

even little time to cook. As an athlete,

life goes by in full throttle. Meals need to

be quick, but still healthy in some

way. That’s why when my teammates

and I are in a rush to eat, we always end

up deciding to order pizza. Not just any

pizza, but Apollo’s Pizza.

As the name implies, the owner of

the pizzeria is Greek. He always seems

to answer the phone when we call in our

order. Like a daily customer, he knows

what we are about to order even before

we say anything: a large plain pizza with

a side of garlic knots and a

salad. Although he knows the meal is for

four, he seems to comment every time,

“wow, so much food for a little

girl!” Within 15 minutes, my roommates

and I have our dinner.

Apollo’s Pizza is one of our favorite

“go to” meals. The owner is extremely

nice, and even threw in an extra garlic

knot or two a few times. He especially

enjoyed when our whole team used him

for pizza after a soccer tournament that

took place at Arcadia University. After

establishing being a regular, we told our

coach to try using Apollo’s to eat for

dinner. Our coach ordered about 40

pizzas between two teams. Remarkably,

the delivery man made it within 15

minutes, as usual. I don’t think there

was one slice left over that night.

Being that the season is over, I

hope to spend more time at the actual

restaurant instead of knowing the owner

only through the phone. Although I have

more free time, I’m sure the amount of

pizza I eat from Apollo’s will not change.

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The Brew-Through Chris Hammes

240 S Easton Rd, Glenside, PA 19038

When I turned 21 during my first

year at Arcadia, I expected my way of life

to change; I had no clue what things

would reveal themselves to me. Not long

after my 21st, a group of my older friends

and I decided to use my newly acquired

social status and pick up a case of beer.

Being new to the area and not privy to

places to buy beverages, I had no clue

where to go. The simple response from all

of them was “the Brew-Through.” I

couldn’t process the concept but upon

some persuading I was urged into the car

and we began our journey. Traveling

down Easton Road, the sign for Easton

Beer suddenly peeked out of the row of

buildings but that wasn’t a sign to stop.

We continued to drive right up to this

lackluster building and continued on into

the beer themed drive through. I could no

longer use the expression "like a kid in a

candy store"- from that point on the only

way that I could explain that wide-eyed

wonder is "like an adult in a beer store".

Beer lined the walls, creating pillars that

lined the path for the cars of legal

drinkers. Although the experience only

took a minute, my mind continued to

process the event for hours afterwards.

The best part was that moment of

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purchase. It was that moment- that

wonderment- even though it was nothing

more than a swipe of a card and a flash of

ID. The masses of new and interesting

brand names, most of which I had never

even heard of, still toss around in my

mind today.

Although the consumption of

alcohol may be an adult privilege,

however, by no stretch of the imagination

does that mean a sip of beer cannot

change the imagination of a young

person. With our liquid gold in hand,

thoughts of playing pranks coursed

through our heads, providing an idea

that to this day I still consider tempting.

Before you leave, the kind staff of Easton

Beer offers to place the product in your

trunk- but what if they had a surprise

waiting for them when they simply aimed

to fulfill the duties of their jobs? The

stroke of genius that occurred to us was

nothing but a slew of surprises held

within the trunk. No amount of money

could compare to seeing the of face

someone when they open the trunk and

someone jumps out and runs away

screaming "I'm finally free!". Or, even

better, what if someone took the case,

thanked the nice man and shut the

trunk. There are so many ways to get a

laugh at the expense of the people that

work the Brew-Through and I cannot

wait to try my hand at making Glenside

a little happier.

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The Glenside Library Brandon Crossland

215 S. Keswick Ave. Glenside, PA 19038

I remember when I used to have

time to read. I would spend hours upon

hours at the library. For several years, I

volunteered at my local library as a

reading buddy and restocking shelves.

Every summer I participated in the

summer reading program, and I enjoyed

every minute of it. The people at the

library were always so fun and nice, and

best of all, it was full of books! Books allow

my imagination to run free, inspire me,

and impart knowledge to me beyond my

wildest dreams. Back in Junior High, we

would have competitions about who could

read the most books each marking period,

and I never found it hard to win

Even though reading and the library

were such a huge part of my life growing up,

college gave me different priorities. I can

honestly say that over the past few years, I

have probably only completely read were all

things that I had missed. Looking around

the library, I found that they had more than

enough sci-fi and fantasy books. They also

had a huge selection of films, many of which

can't be found on Netflix. The best thing

about it all is that it is completely free! What

a great deal. Since I was at the library I

decided to go ahead and get myself a library

card. The librarian was the sweetest lady

who seemed so excited to be giving library

cards to college students, and I was excited

to finally be getting another one! I spent the

rest of my time at the library trying to

calculate how much candy corn was in a jar.

Despite my calculation of volumes and

quantities, which took a lot of

measurements, I ended up not winning.

Either way, it was a great trip to a place

that I hope to continue to visit. I know that

the Glenside Library will bring me much joy

and memories from home.

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Anne’s Kitchen Table Grizel Rivera

11 Wesley Ave, Glenside, PA 19038

The first time I stepped foot in

Anne’s Kitchen Table was a year ago for

a scavenger hunt. My team and I bought

a brownie and it w

as absolutely amazing. For some reason,

until this project, I never went again.

Anne’s was my first choice because I

remembered how good that brownie was.

I went to eat there around 2:30pm

on Friday November 8, 2013. The first

thing I noticed was how small the place

was. It might have been small but it was

very homey. I felt at ease and warm. The

place was covered with decorations and

family friendly pictures; I am guessing

the people in the pictures were her

family.

I was not really sure how things

worked there, so I asked if I should just

sit and order. The ladies greeted me and

gave me a menu. She told me to just grab

a drink, find a seat, and they would be

with me. The waitress came and took my

order. She was very friendly and

welcoming. I ordered New England clam

chowder and a junior size grilled chicken

Caesar salad.

While I waited for my food, I

listened to the music. They had a bell

that rang every time the door opened and

it added to the atmosphere. The soup was

brought out quite fast; it was rich,

creamy, and amazing. I was still eating

the soup when the salad came out.

Apparently, Anne makes her own Caesar

salad dressing; I never tasted anything

like it before. As I was eating, I noticed

an older lady dancing to the music. She

felt comfortable enough to start dancing

alone for all to see. This is the

atmosphere of Anne's Kitchen Table. You

can be yourself, feel at home and sit

down to comfortably enjoy a delicious

meal.

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Elcy’s Amy Carpenter

1 West Glenside Avenue Glenside, PA 19038

When I walked into Elcy’s on

Friday morning my first thought was

that of gratitude for the miracle of

central heating, for the November winds

had torn at me all the way down Easton

Road, and I was not properly dressed for

the weather. As I stepped over the

threshold, the blast of coffee-scented

warmth enveloped me and I could feel

the rush of blood to my cheeks and

fingertips. Like any good coffee shop,

Elcy’s invites you in every way possible to

sit down and watch the world outside go

by; I ordered myself some coffee and let

myself fall under Elcy’s spell.

If you’re like me, and sometimes

like to melt back into the woodwork of a

place and observe, then Elcy’s is a great

place to be. Almost always thriving with

activity, its clientele can range from the

two elderly gentlemen sitting together

sipping soup, to the mother with her

young son playing further on down the

long wooden that runs along the back

wall. His giggles while playing are

distinct amidst the steady background

hum of the workers behind the counter

chatting pleasantly amongst themselves.

The smell of fresh cut fruit wafted over to

me and I reconsidered my plans to buy

some breakfast.

The sky outside was gray but it

couldn’t dampen the cheerful atmosphere

and I took another sip of coffee. By now it

has warmed my whole body, starting in

the center of my chest and now even my

toes have recovered from the chill. There

are a few more minutes to spare before

my train and I settle back against the

wall to enjoy them here.

25

Keswick Tavern Kim Canfield

294 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038

Monday, November 4th, The

birthday of one of my best friends. On

this day, after three hours of running

around on the turf at soccer practice, four

friends and myself walked off the field

starving. Collectively, we decided to go

to the Keswick Tavern right down Easton

Road. It was a perfect choice because not

only were we all able to fulfill our

cravings of hamburgers, but my one best

friend could also buy her first legal drink.

After scarfing down our meals, my

best friend went to the bar to buy her

first drink. One of my other friends, who

went with her, announced that it was her

birthday. Upon hearing her

announcement, the bar tender said, “Oh

so this is your first legal drink? Here,

have one of our specialties; it’s on the

house! Happy birthday!” With that, my

friend got her first drink for free!

While she was at the bar with my

friend, my other friend and I were

making conversation with our

waitress. We were both not allowed at

the bar because we are only 20. The

waitress was really friendly, asking

about our soccer season and how we liked

our school. She told us that she wish she

had the privilege to go to college. Her

dream was to one-day gain a college

education, but cannot at the time because

she has to pay her own way. Working as

a waitress was only one of the jobs she

had to help save money. Her dream job

is to someday become an artist. I was

interested in what pieces of work she had

created, if any, and she was very willing

to show us some photos of her works.

She loved to paint with

watercolors and thicker paints. She

explained, “I love how the colors can mix

and create something so unique that it

cannot be replicated even if I tried.” Her

favorite piece of work however, was her

charcoal drawing. This was also my

favorite piece of the ones she showed

us. The contour and shading looked so

realistic my friend and I were mind

blown.

Finally, our two friends returned

from the bar, ready to leave. As we

gathered our things, we thanked our

waitress, and wished her all the best on

her future endeavors. I was really

surprised how friendly the service was at

KT. I can’t wait for my parents to visit

soon so I can take them to Keswick

Tavern. I know they will really enjoy the

food and the service.

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Making Friends

at the Nail Salon Rachel McGarvey

238 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038

One day I accompanied my friend

into Glenside to find a store to get her

nails done. We did not have a nail salon

picked out when we left, but we ended up

at Lisa’s Glenside Nail Spa in Keswick

Village. While we were there, I met the

owner’s sister and the owner’s daughter,

who were both working that day.

The daughter, named Diana, sat

my friend down and started her

manicure. She encouraged me to sit right

next to them. Over the course of a half

hour, I learned a lot about Diana as she

talked about the college she attends, her

husband, her baby, and the family

business. I found out that this is the nail

spa’s fifteenth year in business. A middle

aged woman came into the store at one

point, greeting everyone warmly. She

was clearly a regular and sat down at a

table, opening her laptop. She too was

extremely talkative and asked me what

my major was and how I liked Arcadia. I

found out that this woman was a

Glenside local and had simply stopped

into the spa for a place to sit to send an

email and chat. At the end of our visit,

my friend’s nails looked great and the

prices were very reasonable.

My second visit to the nail spa

resulted in a similar experience. I met

the owner, Lisa, who told me about her

future plans for the nail salon to attract

more customers. She hopes to make a

bar-like section where people can order

juice and hang out while getting their

nails done. I talked to another Glenside

local who was getting a pedicure. She

raved about the nail spa and how great

her nails come out. The rest of our forty

five minute talk revolved around my

experience at Arcadia and plans to study

abroad next semester.

I had never expected to go into a

nail spa and meet people who were so

nice, talkative, and genuinely interested

in my life and open in talking about

theirs.

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My previous encounters in nail

salons only involved polite and often

awkward chatter. I left feeling happy

about the welcoming, personal, and

comfortable experience I had just had

with people who had very recently been

strangers. I wish that I had more time for

getting my nails done, because I wouldn’t

mind regularly experiencing the

atmosphere of Lisa’s Glenside Nail Spa. I

am thankful to have met great people

and I will definitely pop in to say hello

next time I am in Keswick Village.

At the Keswick Coffee House Maura Quigley

285 N Keswick Ave, Glenside, PA 19038

As I sat nestled in the cozy back

corner of the Keswick Coffee House on

one of the many well-loved couches, I

witnessed an eclectic array of people

as colorful as the warmly painted

walls come in and out of the small

coffee shop. A tattooed, long-haired,

flannel-wearing 20-something (“JP”,

as I was later informed) sat in one

corner with Beats headphones on,

jamming to music that was clearly not

the smooth jazz floating through the

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speakers in the shop. To my left sat a

young professional woman dressed to

the nines in business attire (on a

Sunday morning, mind you) typing

away furiously at her computer

working on something presumably

very important.

Just as I was walking in, two

middle aged bikers exited the shop,

decked out in ripped leather vests and

faded rock T’s and each holding a

small steaming coffee cup. The two

men were laughing jovially and

seemed to be in very good moods as

they greeted their friend on the street,

whom I had just walked past, and

gave his pit-bull a friendly scratch on

the ear.

As I found my place on an open

couch, two other gentlemen (who the

owner later referred to as Dave and

Rich) walked in, very much in contrast

to the bikers who had just exited.

These older men were both in jeans,

large comfy sweaters, and beanies.

The older gentleman behind the

counter greeted them with a wide

smile and asked how they were doing.

As they struck up a conversation, he

busied himself making their drinks.

After he handed the one a small

cappuccino and the other a medium

latte, they made small talk for a while,

finally exiting the shop with a friendly

wave.

The next patron, clearly yet

another regular, waltzed in and

instantly owned the room. She was

robed in a baby pink sweat suit, with a

matching pink scarf. As she flounced

through the door she announced

“Hello everybody, how are you? My

name is Barbara.” After receiving a

few greetings, waltzing to the other

corner and plopping herself down on

one of the many comfy couches in the

back, she immediately struck up a

conversation with the man behind the

counter about a diner she had been to

this past week.

After busying himself with

various tasks behind the counter, the

man walked around the shop and

stopped to talk to the young

professional woman, offering to clear

her dish and asking if she enjoyed the

pastry she had been eating. At this

time, a piano rendition of Willa Wonka

and the Chocolate Factory came on,

further adding to the eccentricity of

this adorable little coffee shop.

At noon, the manager came

through the door with his wife and

their young daughter. I introduced

myself to him, and he told me his

name was Joe, and his wife and

daughter were named Pam and Olivia.

For the next hour, I struck up a

conversation with Joe about

everything from how his business

began, to where they’re hoping to head

in the future. As a result, without

even trying he convinced me to aspire

to become one of the regulars they so

lovingly treat as family.

Joe warmly enthuses about how

The Keswick Village area in which the

coffee chop is nestled in is like a little

29

family. His daughter Olivia fondly

refers to one of the other managers as

Auntie Jan, and Joe’s own nephew

even works on web design and

marketing for the entire Village.

Olivia, in fact, is sort of a local

celebrity among all the business

owners on the block- known for her

adorable looks and charming

personality, I’m sure. The very reason

Joe had wanted to own a coffee shop in

the first place was for this very reason:

to build a local keystone of the

community, when strangers become

family. If you have ever watched the

popular sitcom Friends and know

what the Central Perk is, then you

will have a very good idea of what it is

like to go to the Keswick Coffee House.

30

Thank you!

The Glenside Stories team would like to thank all of the small businesses who gave

of their time and energy to make this possible. A special thanks to those who

provided gift certificates for our launch event!

Including:

Blue Comet , Not Just Antiques, Anne’s Kitchen Table, Game Junkie, Lisa’s Nails,

The Dovetail Artisans, and Hibbert’s

We would also like to thank Professor Nancy Walsh, our advisor for this project,

whose encouragement, dedication, and thoughtfulness is an inspiration for us all!

And, of course, thank you to our readers! Now go enjoy Glenside!

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Hope you had as much fun as we did!