Our+Stories

I engaged various long-term residents of this area in a discussion so that I could better figure out what UM once was, and what it is today. These people would be best able to articulate how this area has changed, and if, in their opinion, this change is for the better. Did residents feel that Upper Merion once was a //community ? Where is our “third place”? I conducted relatively unstructured interviews, as this was an exploratory study. This meant that I asked general questions to get the respondents talking, as I was interested in hearing how they defined and understood the key issues I talked about. Thus, the questions were very open-ended. // 
 * All names have been changed for confidentiality.

AARON “always considered Upper Merion as my home.” He has lots of fond memories growing up with his family and friends, and feels that it is a “very community oriented place here, even without a Main St…No matter where I go grocery shopping, it always takes hours because I run into people that I know. Restaurants are the same thing.” While he realizes that part of this is due to his reputation as a great teacher in the district, he feels that it is also because “it is not a bedroom community here.” He goes to the same mechanic, his daughter goes to his same pediatrician, same orthodontist; “there is a certain continuity and stability here” that fosters this sense of community here in the township.
 * Do you feel that UM once was, or still is, a community?**


 * BETH ** was quick to say that “Upper Merion today is not quite as much of a community as before.” While she thinks that it still is a community, she clarified that today, UM is “just not as personable or friendly; it is a busier place now.” She feels that the increased development and industry have been the biggest factors in the transformation of small-town UM into the busy suburb of today.

MOLLY said that “Upper Merion once was, and probably still is, a community.” Again, she recognizes that it has changed over time, but still feels that it is a community.


 * BEN ** is very active in the community, and has made “community involvement a part of life.” Having a sense of community is important to him, and he feels that here in UM there are “so many opportunities; it is crucial for people to work together to make things better.” He says that one major thing UM is missing is adult housing, which is critical if the township wants to retain it’s elderly population. While he feels that UM is a community, he sees that “we do have sections.” He values Park and Rec because it is “very helpful for people here to be a part of.” He also sees that “family dynamics are changing with mothers entering the work force. UMASD offers lots of opportunities as well; schools are a huge part because their facilities are available to everyone.” He also noted that there are community groups here, such as Interact and Optimist Club that “are geared toward community and to children.” He wants to see a community center here; he likes being a part of the local government as a way to stay involved. His advice to other residents is that if they “want to be involved on a whole, they need to find a way to get involved in different sections.” Community is also “a place where a person can work, and there are lots of job opportunities here, especially for entrepreneurs.”

SHIRLEY says that Upper Merion is “a suburban sprawl, but it is united by the school district.” With developments like the mall, “it is not the same quintessential Upper Merion anymore.”


 * KATHLEEN ** belives that “Upper Merion was, and still is, a community. Before, the neighborhoods were a community because there were few transfers between neighborhoods. Until you entered high school, there were few opportunities to establish cross-township relations.” Now, “there are lots of ways to meet people at a younger age, fostering cross-community relations. This made Upper Merion one big neighborhood instead of lots of pocket communities; people cannot just exist in their own neighborhood anymore. So while UM is not as personal anymore, there are advantages to growth. Yes, UM has changed, but it is positive change.”

GINA feels “Upper Merion is not as much of a community anymore, there is more business now, with road work, more people commuting in and out of the township, increased traffic, etc. Increased development, especially in West Conshohocken, has made it a less safe place to live. Industry is bringing change, and home development is big now.”

**Would you say that any major changes have taken place in the area since the time you grew up here?**  AARON: “There has been some change, for example the township building moved to its present location from Town Center Road. There also has been lots of development, which keeps the taxes low and provides services. The problem is that there is limited space. At one time, the mall was much smaller; it was only the Plaza, and not all of it was enclosed. It was much more contained, therefore if you went shopping, you could run into people that you knew. Peppers used to be a bowling alley, which was a huge social scene. The Plaza, bowling alley, and the Howard Johnson’s, which was where Chili’s now stands, were huge third places. While I still know my neighbors, now it is unsafe to play in the street. I think it is important to know neighbors, but I miss that kids (like my daughter) can no longer have fun in the neighborhood.”

**BETH**: “Back when I was growing up, the Valley Forge shopping center was very popular. The bowling alley was also a local hotspot, and Steve’s Sewing used to be a movie theater. Gold’s Gym used to be Lafayette Swim Club with a skating rink – this was EXTREMELY popular for both families and kids alike. There is not much green space anymore. Before, kids used to play in the streets together – it was much more common to hang and play with other kids in the neighborhood. It takes away from community if there are no sidewalks because people cannot walk around.”

MOLLY: “Change here is mainly from population growth and the boom in business. There is tons more traffic in the township as well. We want to keep things the way they were: slower pace, no cell phones, etc. but with the Technological Revolution this just is not possible. I sill know my neighbors, but my neighborhood is unique in that there are a lot of long-term residents living there. Back when I was growing up, Upper Merion had many more school-age children; it was, and still is, a great place to raise kids. However, there are still distinct neighborhoods. Sports and activities can connect people; kids and socialize and connect to other kids who might live across the township. I rarely go to the mall anymore; I liked it better when it was quieter. The bowling alley, movie theater, and Howard Johnson’s were popular. There was a lot to do, and most of it was through the children. I get a sense of community through involvement.”

BEN: “Upper Merion has low taxes, and many people move here and stay because of that. The mall is a strong commercial base. When I first moved here, my neighborhood was very close knit. It is not that close now due to how much turnover there has been. Our neighbors are nice; we just do not know them as well. There are no longer block parties, dinners, etc. – mainly because back then all the families in our neighborhood had children. Before, there was a bowling alley and movie theater that were popular, as well as the ice skating rink. Many pools are closing, but there are lots of private gyms here now. The private sector creates jobs and retains them. Now there is just lots of traffic, and the redevelopment and expansion of the mall has brought huge changes to the township. There is even talk of building a casino in the convention center.”

SHIRLEY: “This used to be a farm town; the Plaza was small, and Purple Cow ice cream was huge hang-out. My choice of housing is the biggest connector. I picked my house so that my children would be able to walk to school. King of Prussia is near major roads and has low taxes, which is appealing to buyers. The Lafayette Swim Club was huge magnet, and there used to be lots of social events, churches, etc. While we still have the mall, it is not quintessential UM anymore. I have always been involved in the community, but know I no longer know my neighbors. Part of that is my age; I am old enough that my friends have either died or moved away to old homes now. People are friendly, but I just do not know them as well now. The presence of daycares is also interesting; it shows the shift in culture from women staying home, raising the children, being very civically involved to women entering the workforce and kids needing organized places to go and be watched.”

**KATHLEEN:** “Back then, the mall was not as big and there were many farmers living in the township. Many kids hung out there or in Valley Forge Park. Kids also went to Burger King and Gino’s. But the biggest change has been the increased traffic. There are more traffic lights; they are replacing stop signs. The second is the expansion of the mall. To me, UM used to feel like a hometown. Now it feels more like a city: impersonal, rude, people no longer care. Before, people had respect and patience because you knew your neighbors, you knew the person trying to make a turn onto a road. The third change is that the police force and fire departments have gotten bigger and more organized. Safety is a greater concern; now people lock their doors at night. Park and Recreation has also brought huge changes; before only BEN White had an organized summer camp. Now kids need organized activities, when back when I was growing up there was always a parent home. Since both parents usually work, we need daycare centers and things like Park and Rec because kids cannot just run around unsupervised. People live much more scheduled lives now, when back when I was growing up it was a more relaxed, less structured approach."

GINA: “The Plaza has undergone huge changes. The Court did not exist back when I was growing up. The Plaza used to be open, and there were more “common people” stores such as Woodsworth. The enclosure of the Plaze was a huge deal. There used to be a Drive In too. Change is change. It is the only thing you can expect in life. Before, playing in the street, or even crossing the street, was not a big deal. Now we have so much traffic that safety is a much greater concern. I knew my neighbors growing up, it was the situation where all the families watched all the kids, the neighbors had your extra house key. Now that is not the case. You can’t scold someone else’s child. Before, all the neighbors were moms. Now we teach kids not to answer the door. Having no sidewalks also makes it hard; it is much harder to foster relations.”

<span style="color: #404040; display: block; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: center;">**In terms of connecting you to the community, what activities and/or organizations have been the most important?** **Is there a "third place" here?**

<span style="color: #1f11a2; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">AARON: “My involvement stems from the Upper Merion Education Association; I am also the president of the Teacher’s Association. These automatically get me involved in the community. My roles in the school district are extremely satisfying because I come in contact with kids, teachers, and parents.”

“Participating in township sports, such as the Upper Merion Marlins, the King of Prussia Prussians, and UM LAX help us get involved in the community. Park and Rec offers many ways to get involved; it has everything from sports, to private music lesions, to day trips, etc. Coaching sports is also a great way to get involved in the community, along with involvement in the school’s marching band and musical productions.”
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 140%;">BETH: **

<span style="color: #eb5705; font-family: 'Lucida Console',Monaco,monospace; font-size: 150%;">BEN: “The school district provides outlets for community members to get involved, especially seeing that schools have facilities that are available to everyone. There are also various service clubs, such as Interact and Optimist, that residents can participate in.”

<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">SHIRLEY: “Upper Merion is very disjunctive; there is no third place. Acme and Costco might serve as one.” <span style="color: #f9a910; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;"> KATHLEEN: “Back when I was growing up, the mall was not as huge and there was more of a “third place” aspect. There were farmers who lived in the township, and kids hung out in Valley Forge Park. Back then, most kids had the freedom to go wherever, could go to the mall or to the park to hang out. Burger King and Gino’s were two huge restaurants. Yet there is no third place today; this township is very disjointed. My involvement in the PTC and the Upper Merion Education Foundation has connected me to the township, and I have also gotten involved through my kids. I do a lot of work for the King of Prussia Players, and when my kids did gymnastics I was heavily involved with Dave’s gym. The PTC provided me with connections, and through that I found out about other ways to get involved.”

<span style="color: #e90760; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">GINA: “Everything I do now is related to my job at Bridgeport. When my daughter was young, I was a cheer coach for the King of Prussia Indians, a “camp mom” for her Girl Scout Troop, and I ran after school intramurals. I also am on the Strategic Committee of the district, which is great because I am aware of community and township happenings. I was born here, I live here, I work here – my family and friends all live close and I see them often. My third places would be supermarkets like Acme or Genuardi’s; I run into old school friends and end up talking for a while. I also like Walmart – again, I often see familiar faces and end up talking for a while.”