Spotlight: Vecchia Pizzeria

I have heard a number of friends recently tell me about this fabulous pizza place Vecchia Pizzeria. But really? Pizza is pizza, right? Well, not always. And I definitely think this pizza is pretty worth the visit.

Located right at the corner of Bridge Street and Gay Street, they have literally cornered the market. The only other intersection in the downtown Phoenixville area with comparable traffic is Main and Bridge. The only downside is that they don't have a parking lot so you have to park in a municipal lot or find on street parking. But that's kind of the cool thing about downtown Phoenixville, right? Park and walk the main strip. It's a ton of fun!

Their menu is light. And by light I mean they have about 6 different kinds of pizzas they make. That's it. No frills or anything super fancy other than the amazing taste of course. 

Here's a photo of their menu.

We started talking with the guy who was making the pizza. And as we were chatting with him he sounded really knowledgeable. So I asked, "Are you the owner?". Sure enough he was. Then since our 4 and 6 year old kids were with us, he asked the kiddos if they wanted to see the fire in his "oven". Of course this is not ordinary oven. It's a wood-fire brick oven. He had just loaded up some wood and the kids got a sneak preview inside. It was pretty cool seeing the fire wrap up and around the inside of this structure. 

I was curious. How did he know it was hot enough. He tells me that when it takes the pizza 45-60 seconds to cook (yeah, that fast!) he knows it's at the right temperature. That's crazy. 

He told us his grandmother was from Italy so this type of thing is in his genes. He ended up going over to Italy and training with a pizza expert (I'm sure it has a fancier name but that's my interpretation) for about 3 weeks. 

I would definitely categorize this as gourmet pizza. It's a little on the pricey side. The kids split a Margherita pizza and the adults (me and hubby) got the Regina. Super duper yummy. 

Definitely recommend you go there and eat this great pizza cuisine in the heart of downtown Phoenixville!!!

Phoenixville makes 3rd Best Pennsylvania Town to Raise a Family

Well, Phoenixville has done it! Now the world (okay maybe not the world but you get me) knows that we are a town with style.

In November of 2013 there was an article published that ranked Pennsylvania towns on the following criteria:

1. Does the town have good public schools? We measured schools’ academic performance with ratings from GreatSchools. This non-profit compares a given school’s standardized test scores to the state average to obtain a rating on a 1 to 10 scale (10 representing the highest score). Higher ratings led to a higher overall score.
2. Can you afford to live there? We looked at both median home values in each town and ongoing monthly home costs, including mortgage payments, real estate taxes, insurance costs, utilities, fuel and other bills. Lower costs led to a higher overall score.
3. Is the town growing and prospering? We assessed a town’s economy by looking at average household income and income growth over the last decade. Higher income and greater growth led to a higher overall score.

The full article can be found here, but suffice it to say that if you were in doubt before about Phoenixville, doubt no more, friends. Phoenixville is the place to live! 

The above photo is courtesy of Main Line Today online magazine and was taken in 2010. This is the Children's Plaza complete with benches and a water fountain that operates in Spring, Summer and Fall. In the summers you can catch bands playing here during one of the town's popular First Fridays.

You must check out this Facebook page: Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management

If you are new or old to Phoenixville and have a Facebook account you really need to check out the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management Page. Not only do they post helpful information for residents of Phoenixville but the person who manages the Facebook page is truly funny. You've got humor and wit with a splash of helpful weather or other important info thrown in for good measure.

As a resident myself I even submitted our snowman into their contest in December. We got about 6 inches and to liven things up they had a contest for folks to enter. Ours made it to the top 3 but sadly lost to more creative efforts. We named him Olaf.

But seriously do yourself a favor and go check it out.

Here's a sneak preview from a recent post just to pique your interest. Also here's our Olaf too. He totally should have won the contest don't you think? :)

Phoenixville Farmers Market - First Winter Market of 2014

On Saturday, January 11 from 10-noon the Phoenixville Farmers Market will be ringing in the new year with their Winter Market. Originally the Phoenixville Farmers Market was small and only held markets between May and October but has grown enormously over the years and NOW holds winter markets during...yes, you guessed it, the winter. They certainly won't be selling strawberries or many vegetables, but other venders have come out and sell their goods. Just to name a few - fresh bakeries, fresh natural hummus, handmade artisans of various styles/genres and even a wild salmon vendor. 

If you have never been to a Phoenixville Farmers Market, you MUST go. While the pickins are less in the winter, it's still a great way to support the local farm industry and local artisans. 

For more info about who's coming each week check them at here. 

The market is located under the High Street bridge near the corner of Thai L'Elephant and Black Walnut Winery. 

Phoenixville, a "Classic Town"

Phoenixville has been identified as one of 19 "Classic Towns" in the Philadelphia, PA suburbs. What does this mean? These are towns that have "preserved their history, their character, and their main street charm. Each is unique, yet all are wonderful places to live, work and play!" {taken from home page of Classic Towns Website}.

In one of their articles they talk about what a lot of families today want in a hometown.

According to the 2011 Community Preference Survey released by the National Association of Realtors, “most Americans would like to live in walkable communities where shops, restaurants, and local businesses are within an easy stroll from their homes and their jobs are a short commute away.” Two-thirds of respondents said living within an easy walk of community amenities like grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, and recreational areas was either important or very important. While neighborhood quality plays a large role in considering where to live, the survey also found that Americans are also looking for communities that provide “privacy from neighbors” and “detached, single-family homes.”

Phoenixville certainly fits into this mold. You can shop, dine, walk, run, take kids to a park/playground, get your haircut, and so much more right in the heart of downtown Phoenixville. 


EveryHome Realtors - Phoenixville Town Video from EveryHome Realtors on Vimeo.


Check out http://www.classictowns.org/phoenixville for more information about Phoenixville and what makes her a "classic town".