Taking advantage of yesterday’s unseasonably nice weather, I went for a stroll that took me to Narberth Avenue, from where it starts on Bowman Avenue, to the Pedestrian Bridge.
Just across the bridge, next to the ballet academy, I noticed a construction permit in the window of what until recently was the Handwork store.
So I took a look to see who, and what, was coming in there. The permit lists Tim Bader Audio as the “owner.”
Fine. Then I happened to notice that the permit was issued by the Lower Merion Township Building Division, which I thought very odd because I thought that I was in Narberth.
As luck would have it, a few more steps up Narberth Avenue brought me to the offices of the architects, Ivory & McHugh. Fran McHugh was busy at his computer and simultaneously enjoying the balmy breezes that were wafting through the screen door. And I, lacking in the shy gene, knocked on the door and asked him “What’s up with the Lower Merion building permit – I thought I was in Narberth?
“You are in Narberth,” Fran responded, “but I’m in Lower Merion.” He went on to explain that Narberth ends where I was standing, on the sidewalk – and Lower Merion begins where he was sitting, inside the store.
On the south side of the bridge, it’s all Narberth. But when you cross the to the north side, where the sidewalk ends on the right side of the street, is where Lower Merion begins.
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