Classic Towns News

With roots going back more than 200 years, Overbrook Farms is known for its historic architecture, friendly neighbors, and the Overbrook Farms Club, which is the oldest homeowners association in the country.

Looking for a fresh start and ways to bring the community together, the Overbrook Farms Club and volunteers from the Community Design Collaborative worked with community members, SEPTA, City Avenue Special Services District, and other local organizations to develop a Master Plan Strategy for 63rd street — Overbrook Farm’s main commercial corridor.

Working together, they’ve persevered to improve livability while emphasizing the neighborhood’s historic properties, integrity, and accessibility.

“The Master Plan provides a framework to help property owners turn their buildings and storefronts into a pedestrian-friendly and walkable commercial corridor that knits the neighborhood together and ties it to the surrounding community,” says Terry Henry, President of the Overbrook Farms Civic Association.

Natalie Malawey led the team of Community Design Collaborative volunteers and believes in the immediate and long-term benefits of the plan. “Overbrook Farms has a great core, sits on the cusp of the city, is located right next to regional rail, and has a rich historic fabric that adds another layer of complexity and level of interest to the neighborhood.”

Although Malawey recognizes that larger projects will take more time, she emphasizes the little things that community members can do each day, such as adding planters, making storefront façade modifications, and improving the streetscape.

The transformation is already taking place, however. Overbrook Farms is now home to a new landscaped, multi-purpose space along 63rd street north of Sherwood Road, which hosts the Overbrook Farms Farmers Market. Sara Pevaroff Schuh, Principal of SALT Design Studio and a Collaborative volunteer, designed the space. It features three stormwater planters filled with native plants. Sarah sees the project as an opportunity to change people’s perceptions about streetscapes, and to create something that is aesthetically pleasing but functional in that it serves the broader community.

Want to see this project for yourself? Maybe stop by the Overbrook Farms Farmers Market for some fresh summer fruits and veggies. It’s open Saturdays 9 am to 1 pm. SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale line stops a few blocks away.