Kurt's Guidebook

Media is for dining. There are scores of restaurants for every palate. I’ve listed a few of my favorites. Wed nights dining under the stars in a festival of 5,000 people dining on Main Street. They close the street. It’s 4:1 ratio women to men - it just is. Make reservations. It’s summertime, check the calendar.

The trolleys add local color to Media but not for getting anywhere — except to Media. If you want to get to Philly take the regional rail. There are four stations nearby Swarthmore is the best. Bring four quarters for parking.

Media is pretty packed most days, but there are parking structures and you can always park. There are meters, they’re cheap. I feed them. I’ve never heard of someone getting a ticket. Keep quarters handy. When Main Street is closed for a fair, park to the north east side of town near providence and walk in.

There are city fairs most every weekend of the summer. They can be food themed or craft themed but they are always well attended (read thousands) Live music is included for food festivals. Park in the neighborhood north East of town and walk down.

Concerts are all free. The acts are good and the venue a super outdoor amphitheater. If you’re a family with young children then this is a must thing to do. They are several days a week, all summer. I like the brass bands, but the music is diverse. Check the calendar.

Need a place to walk, run or bike? There are three main places. Ridley Creek State Park. Intersection of Chapel Hill and Sycamore Mills road for a 4.5 mile loop road. No vehicles. Just sit in the parking lot and wait for someone to leave. 5-10 mins. Smedley Park off Baltimore past Rt 476. Plenty of trails to walk beautiful creek and woods. If you mountain bike, there are bike trials for 7 miles to Rt 95. Rose Tree Park. Concerts in the summer, sledding in the winter large open fields and memorials and historic buildings. The historic rose tree tavern was moved and reconstructed.

I’m listing this because the university campus is so interesting. Park at the entrance near Baltimore ave and walk the campus gardens and see the architecture. This is an renowned liberal arts college with an ‘Ivy League’ campus on a large scale, not Princeton, but not too far off. Then go to the town and visit the broad table restaurant at the train station. Perfect place.

I’m going to list four here: Apollo’s is the best local takeout. Pinocchio’s is best sit down family pizza place with a great beer garden. New Tiny’s Hoagie Shop ( not Wawa) has the best hoagie and Philly cheese steaks. Extra cheese onions and hot yellow peppers is my fav. Their Greek pizza is the best. Anthony’s pizza in town for slices.

This is a real theatre that was renovated by one of the towns prominent families back in the 80’s. The actors and shows are NYC broadway musicals and such. with top talent like Wanda Sykes, who lives in Media. And often sighted on the streets.

Media is the county seat and the courthouse is a majestic old building sitting just north of the middle of town. It’s an important edifice and a tribute to the founders of Media and their vision of the commonwealths role in self governance at the rise of America.

This is out of town, but not too far: go to the museum of the American Revolution. Amazing. Go to the Barnes Museum. The architecture surpasses any single piece of art the museum and quite possibly all of them. Amazing. City Tavern, go have a historic lunch. I choose the appetizers. (City Tavern closed in 2020 COVID-19, the historic building may reopen under different management. ) At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, record a video run up the steps of the art museum like Rocky did, then walk boat house row.